In 2019, a surprise tax hit almost wiped me out financially. Pair that with some shaky deals, and I was staring down a serious setback. What pulled me through wasn’t a spreadsheet—it was a friend named Nick, who stuck around when things got rough.

That year taught me something no textbook ever could: relationships matter as much as ROI. Since then, I’ve made it a priority to show up for others the way Nick showed up for me.

Because in business—and in life—it’s not just about the numbers. It’s about who’s got your back when the margin’s thin.