Building Relationships. Its a work in progress. Well, that’s true about building relationships, but I mean this post. I suspect I could come back to the post 5 years from now and continue to tweak the thinking. But you have to start putting down the thoughts so the clay is out there. It is wet, but at least it is out of your head and into the ether to benefit. Here is what I do know. Yes, it’s true you can study hard, get the GPA, work your tail off, and try your best, but I firmly believe it is the company you keep that is more often than not the true Portkey (yes, I’m a fan) of any career. And for some reason I am good at them. Could have been my upbringing, some part of the DNA helix, my first influential girlfriend, or all of them, but somehow I can see them, visually. It’s the reason I can step into entirely new roles and find my footing quickly. I have a network. I strong one at that. And I don’t abuse it. I try my best to nurture it; feed it information, advice, perspective, connections, humility, etc. I make time to meet people who have enormous power or none at all. As the sail boat floats on the water, I often find it is the network that kicks up, and fills the sail, and powers me forward.