Relationships Rule

Sixteen years ago, Kevin Thompson introduced two people he admired. Eight months later, they were on stage in front of 300 entrepreneurs, telling the room their event wouldn't exist without him. That moment changed the direction of Kevin's business.

A few weeks ago, I was a guest on Kevin's show, Million Dollar Relationships. This week, I got to turn the tables. Kevin is the founder of the Impact & Legacy Collective, and his entire business runs on conversations and introductions. I've been curious about how that works for a long time, and he was wonderfully open about it.

We talked about how he structures his week around his family, why his podcast has become the front door to his business, and the simple test he runs before every introduction. He also shared a hard lesson from an introduction that went wrong, and a conversation with a friend that completely changed how he thinks about receiving.

Key takeaways:

• Trust is the real product. Kevin doesn't sell introductions. He protects the trust that makes them valuable.
• One question before every introduction. Kevin has used the same simple test for 23 years. You'll want to hear it.
• It's not a numbers game. Kevin records up to ten interviews a month and welcomes only two or three new clients.
• Givers need to learn to receive. When we refuse help, we take away someone else's chance to feel the joy of giving.
• Appreciation opens doors. Kevin's challenge to send ten messages of appreciation, asking for nothing in return, is one you can start today.

You can reach Kevin at: [email protected]

Or I’m happy to make an introduction if I believe it’s a good fit.

In appreciation for being here, I have some gifts for you:

A LinkedIn Checklist for setting up your fully optimized Profile:

An opportunity to test drive the Follow Up system I recommend by checking this presentation page - you won’t regret it.

AND … Don’t forget to connect with me on LinkedIn and be eligible for my complimentary LinkedIn profile audit – I do one each month for a lucky listener!

Connect with me:

http://JanicePorter.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/janiceporter/

https://www.facebook.com/janiceporter1

https://www.instagram.com/socjanice/

Thanks for listening!

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Every Wednesday morning at the University of Michigan, someone put out donuts to lure the programmers away from their desks and into a conversation. Greg Peters was one of those programmers.

When he launched his own web development business, Greg quickly learned that waiting by the phone doesn't bring in clients. He'd sit in the corner at chamber breakfasts, secretly hoping no one would join him. Today he's The Reluctant Networker, an association speaker, podcast host, and author of Hello and a Handshake.

I felt like I'd found a kindred spirit in Greg. We talked about the full-price lesson from his mom, the Networking Guru, why curiosity beats the elevator pitch every time, and his simple way of turning a keynote audience into real relationships. We also discovered we're both living by the same daily outreach habit.

Key takeaways:

• Networking is a skill, not a personality trait. Greg found comfort in learning there's a process behind every good conversation.
• Be the host. When you make it your job to help others feel comfortable, the focus shifts off you and your confidence grows.
• Skip the elevator pitch and ask "what's changed?" Anyone who has done their work for more than three years has an answer, and that's where you meet the real person.
• The business cards you collect matter more than the ones you hand out. Greg shares a simple rule for how quickly to follow up.
• Consistency wins. Three proactive outreaches a day now fill Greg's calendar with two to three conversations daily.

Connect with Greg: thereluctantnetworker.com | linkedin.com/in/thereluctantnetworker

In appreciation for being here, I have some gifts for you:

A LinkedIn Checklist for setting up your fully optimized Profile:

An opportunity to test drive the Follow Up system I recommend by checking this presentation page - you won’t regret it.

AND … Don’t forget to connect with me on LinkedIn and be eligible for my complimentary LinkedIn profile audit – I do one each month for a lucky listener!

Connect with me:

http://JanicePorter.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/janiceporter/

https://www.facebook.com/janiceporter1

https://www.instagram.com/socjanice/

Thanks for listening!

Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and

think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social

media buttons on this page.

Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a note in

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please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.

There is an old marketing saying that Don Wexler brought up on this episode. Nobody wants a quarter-inch drill bit, they want a quarter-inch hole. It is not his own line, but it is one he leans on often, and it set the tone for a very engaging conversation.

Don is a digital marketing and video strategist based in Lafayette, California. He got his start selling real estate, and today he has several businesses that focus on all things marketing.

One business that I have had some exposure to is his studio in which he turns real client reviews into short, powerful video testimonials.

We talked about why so many wonderful reviews sit quietly on a website or a LinkedIn profile, and what changes the moment those words become a face and a voice. Don walked me through how video works at every stage of a buyer's decision, from a first glance to the moment someone finally reaches out.

We also got into something close to my own recent experience. Don built an AI spokesperson for me, and on this episode, we talked honestly about where that kind of technology helps and where it could easily go wrong. His answer came down to one idea: focus on the message, not the messenger.

A few takeaways from our conversation:

• Most businesses talk about what they do instead of the problem they solve. As the old saying goes, get clear on the hole, not the drill bit.
• A testimonial becomes far more powerful once it moves from text to video, and it works at every stage of a buyer's journey.
• If you use AI to help tell your story, disclose it. Trust breaks the moment someone feels tricked.
• A business that depends entirely on one person is fragile. Building systems and bringing in help protects both you and what you have built.
• The two skills that will always matter are writing your ideas clearly and speaking them to a group.
• Don and I also talked about staying connected in a world that keeps pulling us toward our screens, and why relationships still close every deal in the end.

Don can be found at his various companies, and on LinkedIn at: linkedin.com/in/donwexler

dealquiver.com blastmybiz.com socialcamelot.com viscomstudios.com

In appreciation for being here, I have some gifts for you:

A LinkedIn Checklist for setting up your fully optimized Profile:

An opportunity to test drive the Follow Up system I recommend by checking this presentation page - you won’t regret it.

AND … Don’t forget to connect with me on LinkedIn and be eligible for my complimentary LinkedIn profile audit – I do one each month for a lucky listener!

Connect with me:

http://JanicePorter.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/janiceporter/

https://www.facebook.com/janiceporter1

https://www.instagram.com/socjanice/

Thanks for listening!

Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and

think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social

media buttons on this page.

Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a note in

the comment section below!

Subscribe to the podcast

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subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app.

Leave us an Apple Podcast review

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exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute,

please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.

Real growth in business rarely comes from being the loudest person in the room. It comes from being the person who introduces someone else.

That is exactly how Trish Tonaj built her platform, Share Your Stories. More than 600 entrepreneurs across five continents have had their business stories told there, and it all started when a stranger at a Harvard course told her there are no average role models. She came home, opened her own Rolodex, and shared one hundred stories in her first year alone. Today her site draws close to half a million visitors annually, and her podcast just passed its 285th episode.

What struck me most in this conversation is how simple Trish makes generosity sound, and how uncomfortable it can be for the people on the receiving end. She talked about a grant recipient who assumed there had to be a catch. There wasn't one. She also shared how every story she publishes includes a thank you to whoever made the introduction, because she believes credit is part of the gift.

We talked about her Micro Marketing Grants, her belief that the world holds room for all 665 million entrepreneurs in it, and why she has not owned a television in over twenty years. If you have ever wondered what it looks like to build a business entirely on trust, this conversation is for you.

A few takeaways that stayed with me:

• Personal introductions still create the deepest business connections, even now that so much of business happens on a screen.
• Collaboration over competition is not just a phrase Trish uses. It shapes how she runs her entire platform.
• Real mentorship, not just funding, is what helps entrepreneurs grow the most. Her grant recipients say the same thing every time.
• Being a true connector takes courage. It means opening your Rolodex and putting your own name behind someone else's.

You can visit Trish’s website and read the stories at: shareyourstories.online

In appreciation for being here, I have some gifts for you:

A LinkedIn Checklist for setting up your fully optimized Profile:

An opportunity to test drive the Follow Up system I recommend by checking this presentation page - you won’t regret it.

AND … Don’t forget to connect with me on LinkedIn and be eligible for my complimentary LinkedIn profile audit – I do one each month for a lucky listener!

Connect with me:

http://JanicePorter.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/janiceporter/

https://www.facebook.com/janiceporter1

https://www.instagram.com/socjanice/

Thanks for listening!

Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and

think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social

media buttons on this page.

Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a note in

the comment section below!

Subscribe to the podcast

If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can

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Leave us an Apple Podcast review

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exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute,

please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.

Picture a video call, a prospect, and a tiny zucchini plant. Maria-Katarina Johannesson once held hers up on camera just because she felt like it, and the prospect turned her own camera around to show off her plant too. That small, unplanned moment turned into a real bond, and it says everything about how Maria-Katarina runs her business.

Maria-Katarina is the founder of Linksandmaria, where she helps brands grow visibility through link building, SEO, and honest storytelling. In this conversation, we talked about why she believes link building and relationship building are the same skill, why people choose the brands and people they like rather than the ones that test as best on paper, and how becoming a new mom has reshaped the way she works.

We also talked about where visibility is heading as AI search keeps growing, and why she believes the most important relationship to invest in is the one you have with yourself.

Key takeaways:

• A link built on real collaboration keeps paying off long after it goes live, through workshops, calls, and ongoing connection.
• People choose the brands and people they like, not necessarily the ones that rank highest on a spreadsheet.
• The best place to start building visibility is with a clear, honest relationship with yourself and what you want to be known for.
• Becoming a mom pushed Maria-Katarina out of perfectionism and into simply getting things done, which made her work more human.

As automation grows, the human touch becomes more valuable, not less.

Maria can be found at: https://linksandmaria.com/ and on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/linksandmaria/

In appreciation for being here, I have some gifts for you:

A LinkedIn Checklist for setting up your fully optimized Profile:

An opportunity to test drive the Follow Up system I recommend by checking this presentation page - you won’t regret it.

AND … Don’t forget to connect with me on LinkedIn and be eligible for my complimentary LinkedIn profile audit – I do one each month for a lucky listener!

Connect with me:

http://JanicePorter.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/janiceporter/

https://www.facebook.com/janiceporter1

https://www.instagram.com/socjanice/

Thanks for listening!

Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and

think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social

media buttons on this page.

Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a note in

the comment section below!

Subscribe to the podcast

If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can

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Leave us an Apple Podcast review

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greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple, which

exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute,

please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.

Charles Reichelt built his business on introductions, with no cold calling at all.

That says a lot about how trust travels. Charles is the founder of FTG Squared in Baltimore, Maryland, where he helps small business owners set up retirement plans for themselves and their teams. After a long career with large firms, he started his own company and learned that trust has to be earned one person at a time, with no big company name behind him.

We talk about why setting up a plan is easier than most owners expect, why the human side matters more than the paperwork, and what his business coach taught him about pausing when someone says yes. We also wander into Baltimore, Hairspray, and the monthly jam session at his home.

Key takeaways

• Setting up a retirement plan does not have to be hard or time consuming. Charles sees his job as making it as easy as possible for owners.
• Sitting down with employees to understand their situation makes a plan feel personal instead of like paperwork.
• Trusted referrals work best when you slow down. When someone says yes, Charles now pauses and books another conversation so the relationship leads.
• Listening builds connection.
• Start sooner. Charles's advice for owners who keep putting it off is to begin as soon as they can, because time matters most.

You can connect with Charles at ftgsquared.com.

In appreciation for being here, I have some gifts for you:

A LinkedIn Checklist for setting up your fully optimized Profile:

An opportunity to test drive the Follow Up system I recommend by checking this presentation page - you won’t regret it.

AND … Don’t forget to connect with me on LinkedIn and be eligible for my complimentary LinkedIn profile audit – I do one each month for a lucky listener!

Connect with me:

http://JanicePorter.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/janiceporter/

https://www.facebook.com/janiceporter1

https://www.instagram.com/socjanice/

Thanks for listening!

Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and

think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social

media buttons on this page.

Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a note in

the comment section below!

Subscribe to the podcast

If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can

subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app.

Leave us an Apple Podcast review

Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and

greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple, which

exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute,

please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.

Talent is not what makes a career in comedy. Relationships are.

That is the case my guest Rosie Tran made on this episode. She has been a stand-up comedian for over twenty years, and she built Rosie Tran Presents, a show on Amazon Prime and Tubi that spotlights comedians who have the talent but have not always gotten their fair shot.

Her path was not a straight line. A comedy club manager once told her nobody wanted to see funny women. A special she shot for NBC Peacock left her feeling like things did not go the way they were supposed to. Both moments became fuel for something she built on her own terms, with her husband as her co-executive producer.

We also talked about running a business with a spouse, why she is careful about who she partners with, and a story about a man who sat two feet from people who could have helped his career and never asked them a single question.

Key Takeaways

• Relationships matter more than raw talent in comedy and in business.
• Rejection often becomes redirection. A deal that fell through sparked Rosie's own show.
• Choose partners with care. A past toxic partnership taught Rosie to be discerning.
• Being vulnerable in a relationship is different from oversharing online.
• Stay curious about the people already in front of you. You never know who they are.

In appreciation for being here, I have some gifts for you:

A LinkedIn Checklist for setting up your fully optimized Profile:

An opportunity to test drive the Follow Up system I recommend by checking this presentation page - you won’t regret it.

AND … Don’t forget to connect with me on LinkedIn and be eligible for my complimentary LinkedIn profile audit – I do one each month for a lucky listener!

Connect with me:

http://JanicePorter.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/janiceporter/

https://www.facebook.com/janiceporter1

https://www.instagram.com/socjanice/

Thanks for listening!

Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and

think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social

media buttons on this page.

Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a note in

the comment section below!

Subscribe to the podcast

If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can

subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app.

Leave us an Apple Podcast review

Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and

greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple, which

exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute,

please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.

Audley Stephenson has interviewed over 3,000 people, but the story he told me this week was his own. When the pandemic shut down professional basketball, it also took away his job as commissioner of a basketball league, and with it, the identity he had built his whole life around. He told me he did not even realize he was struggling until he said one sentence out loud to a friend: "ever since I lost basketball." That was the moment everything clicked.

What came next was audacity, a thread Audley says runs through every major turning point in his life. From talking his way into NBA locker rooms with nothing but a friend and a podcast, to switching team colors to coach his own daughter, to building a podcast with over 650 episodes, he keeps choosing to try things before he feels ready.

I still think often about one story from this conversation. A guest once left his podcast interview mid conversation to bring back his young son, so he could tell him, in real time, that outlasting adversity is the reason that child exists at all. Audley still gets emotional telling it. (I did too when he shared it.)

We also talked about his upcoming book, Living Your Best Audacious Life Ever, and the myths he wants to clear up about what audacity really means.

A few takeaways from this episode:

• Audacity does not require big, dramatic gestures. Speaking up in a meeting or setting a boundary counts too.
• The relationships you build with genuine curiosity often open the doors that matter most.
• Naming what you are feeling out loud can be the first step toward understanding it.
• Waiting for the perfect moment can cost more than acting imperfectly and early.

You can reach Audley, and check out his upcoming book here: https://www.bestaudaciouslife.com/

In appreciation for being here, I have some gifts for you:

A LinkedIn Checklist for setting up your fully optimized Profile:

An opportunity to test drive the Follow Up system I recommend by checking this presentation page - you won’t regret it.

AND … Don’t forget to connect with me on LinkedIn and be eligible for my complimentary LinkedIn profile audit – I do one each month for a lucky listener!

Connect with me:

http://JanicePorter.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/janiceporter/

https://www.facebook.com/janiceporter1

https://www.instagram.com/socjanice/

Thanks for listening!

Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and

think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social

media buttons on this page.

Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a note in

the comment section below!

Subscribe to the podcast

If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can

subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app.

Leave us an Apple Podcast review

Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and

greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple, which

exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute,

please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.

Kristen Nolan says the word pitch should not exist in podcast guesting. That one belief shapes everything else she teaches.

As a Podcast Guest Strategist at Interview Valet, Kristen helps business leaders and executives step onto other people's podcasts the right way. She reframes it entirely, treating every guest appearance as an introduction and the beginning of a relationship rather than a sales pitch.

In this conversation, we get into what that actually looks like in practice, from the first conversation with a host to the months after an episode goes live.

One idea that was interesting is what Kristen calls borrowed trust. When a host invites you onto their show, you are stepping into a relationship they have already built with their audience. You do not have to prove yourself from scratch. You just have to honor the trust that has already been extended to you. Kristen also shared her own metaphor for guesting; being invited into someone's home, which shifts the entire experience away from performance and toward genuine hospitality.

We also talked about why so many guests’ default to reciting their resume when a host asks them to introduce themselves, and why that approach usually falls flat. Kristen coaches her clients to lead with the problem they solve for the audience instead, which turns a guest appearance into something the listener actually wants to keep hearing.

Key Takeaways

• Borrowed trust means you do not need to earn your audience from zero. The host already vetted you. Your job is to nurture what they extended.
• The best guest appearances feel like two people talking in a coffee shop, not a rehearsed pitch.
• What you do after the interview, the follow-up, the promotion, the small gestures, often matters more than the interview itself.
• Choosing the right podcast is about brand alignment first, reach second.
• Showing up with curiosity about the host's audience changes the entire tone of a conversation.

Connect with Kristen Nolan

Interview Valet: interviewvalet.com

In appreciation for being here, I have some gifts for you:

A LinkedIn Checklist for setting up your fully optimized Profile:

An opportunity to test drive the Follow Up system I recommend by checking this presentation page - you won’t regret it.

AND … Don’t forget to connect with me on LinkedIn and be eligible for my complimentary LinkedIn profile audit – I do one each month for a lucky listener!

Connect with me:

http://JanicePorter.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/janiceporter/

https://www.facebook.com/janiceporter1

https://www.instagram.com/socjanice/

Thanks for listening!

Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and

think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social

media buttons on this page.

Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a note in

the comment section below!

Subscribe to the podcast

If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can

subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app.

Leave us an Apple Podcast review

Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and

greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple, which

exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute,

please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.

I sat down for pizza with my daughter and her friend, opened GoDaddy on my phone, and bought the domain before we finished lunch. That’s how Susan Dabbar describes the moment PROVOKED went from an idea to something real, and it tells you almost everything about how she moves through the world.

Susan has designed nuclear submarines, run brand campaigns for Disney and Nestlé, played professional poker in Moscow, built and sold half a dozen businesses, and at sixty-five, launched a media company for women who refuse to be told their best chapters are behind them.

What struck me most in this conversation is that none of it happened alone. Every pivot, from her college consulting business to PROVOKED itself, was carried forward by a mentor, a daughter, a friend at a café table who said the right thing at the right moment.

A few things I took away from our conversation:

• Reinvention is never a solo act. Susan credits mentors, family, and community at every turn, even in careers built on individual expertise like naval architecture and poker.
• Poker taught her more about business than she expected. Reading people and making decisions on incomplete information turned out to be the exact skill she needed for every pivot that followed.
• Paying every writer, even first timers, is nonnegotiable for Susan. It says everything about how she wants PROVOKED to treat the women who trust it with their stories.
• Passion alone is overrated. Susan's advice to anyone rebuilding a career is to look for the opportunity first, then match it to what you are good at and what you have the resources for.
• Everyone has a story worth telling. Susan's advice for anyone who does not think of themselves as a writer is simple: start with a few sentences on a scrap of paper and let it grow from there.

Susan and her digital magazine PROVOKED can be found here:

linkedin.com/in/susandabbar

https://provokedmagazine.com/

In appreciation for being here, I have some gifts for you:

A LinkedIn Checklist for setting up your fully optimized Profile:

An opportunity to test drive the Follow Up system I recommend by checking this presentation page - you won’t regret it.

AND … Don’t forget to connect with me on LinkedIn and be eligible for my complimentary LinkedIn profile audit – I do one each month for a lucky listener!

Connect with me:

http://JanicePorter.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/janiceporter/

https://www.facebook.com/janiceporter1

https://www.instagram.com/socjanice/

Thanks for listening!

Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and

think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social

media buttons on this page.

Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a note in

the comment section below!

Subscribe to the podcast

If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can

subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app.

Leave us an Apple Podcast review

Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and

greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple, which

exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute,

please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.