I have a rule in business: never do anything alone.

If you can't convince anybody to come with you, you're probably on the wrong path. This plays out on every level. Get a good business partner. I can't stress that enough. It is so crucial. It's like picking a spouse. Somebody you get along with who has complementary skills can make all the difference, hold you accountable, and get you out of your own head.

At a broader level, build coalitions and partnerships with other firms. Build things that can survive without you. Stuff I built 15 years ago is still going on without me. To me, that is success. Nothing I've built solo from that long ago still lives.

Beyond partners, get some advisors and mentors. My new business is in an adjacent industry. I've got an advisor who steers business my way, helps me learn the lingo, adjusts my strategy. I couldn't do this without him and wouldn't even try. My other business started that way too --- a pioneer in the field gave me a job and handed me responsibility and let me launch my own things. Gave me resources and advice and his rolodex. Hard to imagine that business existing without him.

If you don't have the right person in your corner, go find them. Ask for help! People love to be helpful. And the one weird psychological trick is that once somebody advises you, they are kind of on your team now. They are rooting for you and more likely to help you the next time you call. Just the act of putting themselves in your shoes to give you advice gives them empathy for your goals and efforts. And when you need more than advice, you need a favor, they are more likely to say yes to that too. And maybe they are more likely to ask you for advice and favors. That's one way professional relationships blossom and become genuine friendships.

I am grateful for all the people who have boosted me in my career journey. At this moment, when I am retooling and making a move, I guess I am reflecting on how lucky I have been to have that kind of help. And so I'm asking folks now: what are you all doing to make connections like that?