A healthy relationship isn’t one-sided loyalty. It’s mutual respect.Mutual honesty.Mutual accountability. The strongest business relationships are not the ones where everyone always agrees.They’re the ones where disagreement doesn’t break trust. Trust is built in truth, not in comfort.

A tournament is a collection of moments. Inside jokes.Handshake traditions.Stories from last year.The way people feel walking onto the course. That’s memory. And memory creates momentum. Businesses are the same.Your best clients stay because the relationship has history.History creates loyalty.Loyalty creates stability. Legacy is built one moment at a time.

Becoming someone’s “go-to” isn’t about being the cheapest.It’s about being the safest choice. And the safest choice is almost always relational:“I know him.”“I trust him.”“He’s consistent.” Price can win a transaction.Relationships win a book of business. Trust is the most valuable asset you’ll never see on a balance sheet.

The strongest relationships include advocacy. Not flattery.Not performative praise.Advocacy. Speaking well of someone when they aren’t there.Defending their integrity.Protecting their reputation. That’s rare.And people never forget it. Loyalty is earned through advocacy.

A business doesn’t survive 25 years on a spreadsheet alone. It survives because people choose to keep working with you. A tournament doesn’t keep going because the date is set.It keeps going because people show up. And people show up for people. Relationships are voluntary. That’s why they matter.

If I had to reduce the entire lesson to one standard, it would be this: Treat relationships like something you’re responsible for.Not something you’re entitled to. Because you’re not owed loyalty.You’re not owed respect.You’re not owed trust. You earn those through consistent behavior over time. The Hague traveler gave me a simple reminder that’s worth … Continue reading The Relationship Standard

In SBA lending, most people talk about the loan like it’s a math problem. DSCR. Collateral. Global cash flow. Liquidity. Those matter. But if you’ve been around enough SBA deals, you learn a quieter truth: Most SBA outcomes are determined by relationships—not ratios. The real dynamic is a triangle: Borrower Lender Vendor ecosystem (valuation, CPA, … Continue reading The SBA Triangle That Actually Determines Outcomes

The most common mistake I see in SBA transactions is not financial. It’s relational. Someone in the triangle treats another party like a tool instead of a partner. Sometimes it’s a borrower who believes the lender is “just a hurdle.”Sometimes it’s a lender who views vendors as interchangeable and purely transactional.Sometimes it’s a vendor who … Continue reading The Relationship Mistake That Creates 80% of SBA Friction

Many SBA borrowers don’t fail because they are unqualified. They fail because they are overwhelmed. They are stepping into ownership, signing personal guarantees, and making the largest financial commitment of their lives—often while still working a full-time job and trying to learn an industry in real time. Then they get hit with requests:Tax returns. Interim … Continue reading Borrowers Don’t Need More Steps—They Need a Relationship

Vendors in SBA deals are often introduced as “third parties.” That phrasing is technically true. But strategically, it’s misleading. A good vendor—valuation, CPA, attorney, insurance—functions as part of the trust infrastructure that allows a lender to say yes. Because SBA lending isn’t just about credit.It’s about credibility. A lender needs confidence that the information is … Continue reading Vendors Aren’t “Third Parties”—They’re Trust Infrastructure