Over a few months, I had been reaching out to someone I already knew—someone I genuinely respected and thought could be an amazing addition to something I was working on.
This wasn’t some random cold outreach. We had a small relationship. We’d crossed paths before.
My plan?
✅ Grab some lunch on a weekend.
✅ Break bread.
✅ Have a real conversation, human to human.
✅ And—if it felt right—offer them a job.
Their plan?
🚫 Block me.
Yep… didn’t see that one coming.
At first, I had that sting we’ve all felt. “Wait… what… we know each other, and I still got BLOCKED?!”
But after the initial ego bruise, I realized—I never told them WHY I wanted to meet.
Even with an existing relationship, I just sent a vague “let’s meet up for lunch” message—no context, no purpose. And why would they agree to that? They had no idea there was a real opportunity behind it.
This is exactly what Marcus Lemonis talks about over and over again on The Profit and The Fixer.
Marcus always says that every business comes down to People, Process, and Product—in that order. People first. Because without people, the process doesn’t matter. The product doesn’t matter.
But here’s the part I forgot: valuing people also means being transparent with them. It means respecting their time enough to give them context, clarity, and honesty.
Marcus is known for sitting down with business owners—sharing meals, hearing their stories, and understanding what drives them as people. He invests in relationships first, long before he invests money. That’s how he builds trust, which is the foundation of everything that comes after.
I skipped that crucial step.
Instead of saying, “I’d love to meet, hear your story, and—if it feels right—talk about a role I think you’d be incredible for,” I sent the equivalent of a generic “Hey, we should meet up for lunch sometime!”
And it backfired.
💡 Lesson learned: Breaking bread is powerful, but you need to tell people why you brought the loaf in the first place.
Marcus often says, “If you don’t have a good relationship with your people, you don’t have a good business.” That applies whether you’re hiring someone, partnering with them, or even just networking.
Even when you already know someone, you can’t skip over trust and communication. Familiarity can make us lazy with how we approach people—but the basics still matter.
Next time, I’ll lead with clarity and intention. Because relationships come before revenue—but trust is what gets you to the table in the first place.
Marcus Lemonis fixes businesses by focusing on the people, because he knows something simple but profound: companies don’t succeed—people do.
So here’s my takeaway: If you’re reaching out—even to someone you already know—don’t assume they’ll “get it.” Respect them enough to be transparent. Definitely a generational thing. Growing up, I learned to always listen when someone is willing to talk. Always take the time that someone is willing to invest in you.
And if you’ve ever been blocked, ghosted, or left unread—don’t take it personally. Sometimes, the best “fixer” moment is realizing the solution is just sharing your why.
👉 Who’s someone you’ve built a better relationship with by being more open about your intentions?
#Leadership #PeopleProcessProduct #MarcusLemonis #TheProfit #TheFixer #Networking #BusinessRelationships #LessonsLearned
