The power of relationship capital when done right…

17 Mar 2026 · 1 min

Watch on YouTube

1:21

In this personal anecdote, the speaker recounts his journey from doubting the value of "relationship capital"—initially dismissing it as mere golf networking—to recognizing its power after a year and a half of consistent relationship nurturing. He describes an ongoing dialogue with a contact met through another group, who later encountered a family‑office‑run lending operation (minimum $250 million, now offering smaller deals). The contact offered to introduce the speaker to this lender for a potential private‑lending partnership, even though no business has yet been done. The speaker emphasizes that the opportunity exists because he "planted seeds" over many months—regular calls, relationship maintenance, and positioning himself as a trusted partner. He validates Mark’s advice to "lay your seeds" and underscores that even delayed returns are worthwhile when relationship capital is cultivated.

Chapters

When I first joined the group, Mark talked about relationship capital, and I thought he was full of crap. And it was just, you golf with people, whatever. And it took me about a year to believe him. I've been speaking with a guy off and on who I met in another group. We just have a good relationship. He's a great dude about what he does, what I do. We talk all the time. Well, he was at an event for one of his clients, met somebody who has a lending operation where they don't lend less than $250 million. Obviously, it's this big operation. Well, they have— they've set up a family office now to do smaller stuff. He's going to connect me with them because they, they expressed some interest in having us, Zach and I, put their money on the street for private lending. It may not go anywhere, but I've laid the seed, and this guy has it in the back of his head. When he sees somebody with money, he sends them my way. We've never done business. It's been, like I said, a year and a half. But it's constantly planting the seeds. Multiple calls, people wanting to put money with me, et cetera. But it's all stuff that I laid over the last year and a half. So when Mark says lay your seeds, absolutely. And he talks about relationship capital, and I'm the guy who thought he was full of shit for a year. 100% spot on. Lay the freaking seeds. And if it doesn't sprout for a year and a half, so what? Lay the freaking seeds, 'cause then suddenly it just boom, there you go.