I just posted episode 20 of The Hive Podcast, my guest was Keith Weiss from Bulldog Strength and Conditioning. There has been one glaring truth that has come from these interviews, everything is about the quality of your relationships. Over the hour and change every guest has defined how their interactions with key people got them started and the quality of the relationships with their consumers, has kept them in business.
The real currency in our economy is relationships. Money comes when we connect with our audience by providing value. Not value as in a discount, but connecting in a way the benefits our audience personally and/or professionally. By giving instead of taking, each person has created a successful business and found peace within their craft.
I woke up to the reality that nobody owes me a thing a few years ago. This changed how I understood my life and the things I have done. There are the things I did for me, and there are the things that I can relate to others in a way that brings current value to their lives. My accomplishments are mine, but the lessons are ours. Nobody owes me because I did something for myself. Nobody owes me because I am good at anything that only benefits me. Any fees I can charge are related only to my shared experience and my knowledge that can bring value to the lives of my consumers.
It is no accident that the guest of The Hive Podcast are giving people that subscribe to a similar way as myself. We do collect like minded people in our circles. Who we are surrounded by is a real reflection of who we are. I would not have deeply recognized the people around me without this podcast. I have gotten to know the people I know so much better and we have really shared our common ground and uncommon experiences. I have learned that we all can benefit from from communicating more about real topics and sharing our struggles, not as a pity party, but as a sharing of strength as we all overcome our daily obstacles.
By speaking honestly we have the opportunity to become more self aware and to allow others to understand us better. Many of the opportunities I have at this moment are due to the honest conversations I have had over the past year alone. Honesty is where we share our vulnerabilities, not just our strengths. Honesty takes courage, strength, and the ability to trust. Fearing the worst in people is easy, allowing yourself to trust the best in people is hard. Honesty is hard for all of these reasons. Embracing honesty and empathy will weed out the people that don’t belong and make room for the people you need to connect with to be a better human.
Through these great conversations the students have become my teachers. I have had to put my ideas aside and listen to others. By opening my mind to other ideas and the voices of those I have accumulated around me, I have found out much more about myself than I intended. There are so many more great conversations to be had and so much more to learn from each other. I look forward to continuing the conversation!
Brian Wright