I’ve learned that businesses rise and fall with people, not spreadsheets. When I started with a couple of partners, those relationships proved invaluable—mentorships, the right connections, the right centers of influence. You can’t figure it all out on your own. There’s a saying: nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care. That applies to both your internal team and external partners. If you want to build something lasting, you need to show genuine care—not just impress people with numbers or how smart you are.