You’re Doing Everything Right, So Why Aren’t You Growing?

Relationships Are Rocket Ships

If there’s one thing I’ve learned building a creative business, it’s this: talent doesn’t take you far on its own. Relationships do.

In Episode 8 of Dynamic Range, Alfredo and I talked honestly about something most creatives struggle with but rarely admit, the tension between business and relationships.

We want a genuine connection.

But we also don’t want to be used.

And we don’t want to feel like we’re using people either.

Here’s the truth I’ve learned the hard way.

Growth Requires Vulnerability

Every meaningful relationship requires risk.

There’s no shortcut around it.

One of my college professors explained vulnerability like this: it’s handing someone the knife and trusting they won’t use it against you. That’s uncomfortable. But without that level of openness, relationships stay surface-level.

And surface-level relationships don’t change your life.

When Business Still Hurts

Sometimes relationships end because it’s “just business.”

And sometimes it still hurts deeply.

I’ve lost clients I genuinely cared about. Not because of conflict or failure, but because seasons changed. I had to learn how to release those situations to God instead of replaying them in my head.

Peace came when I realized I didn’t need to fix everything.

Stop Chasing the Wrong Signals

One of the biggest mistakes creatives make is chasing followers instead of character.

Some of the best relationships in my life came from people with no online presence and no platform. They were simply good people who showed up consistently.

People don’t remember your gear.

They remember how you made them feel.

Church Is Not a Stepping Stone

Volunteering at church changed my life, but only because my heart was in the right place.

Ministry isn’t a ladder to climb. It’s the destination. When service becomes strategy, people notice. God notices too.

Forgiveness Is Part of Growth

Family might not support you.

Friends might not show up.

That doesn’t mean your calling isn’t real.

Forgiveness isn’t approval. It’s freedom.

Final Thought

Relationships are rocketships.

They’ll take you places you never thought possible.

But only if they’re built on authenticity, humility, and generosity.

Listen to Dynamic Range Episode 8 wherever you get podcasts.