Asking “WHO CAN” doesn’t always mean hiring someone, even if you’re already rich.

Ideally, you already have smart friends you can reach out to but do not despair if you don’t.

Even just one person can make a difference in your life, and you could meet that person tomorrow.

Did Warren Buffet Really Buy 24 Mclarens for Bill Gates?

In July 1991, Bill Gates’s dad was having a dinner party with some distinguished guests, including Warren Buffett.

Bill’s mom (the wing-mom) called and suggested he come to the dinner party as well. Bill reluctantly agreed to come, Warren and Bill met, and the two became quick friends. They’ve been playing bridge and drinking Coke (and probably chuckling) ever since.

In 2006, 14 years after they met, Warren signed papers to give $31 billion of his fortune to fund the Gates Foundation, making him the most generous donor of any kind in history.

What is the value of their friendship? Priceless. 

But if you break it down, the $31 billion over the 14 years that they had known each other comes out to over $2 billion per year.  

With 8,700 hours in a year, that’s over $236,000 per hour!

Did Warren buy Bill any Mclarens?  I don’t think so, but just imagine the day Warren and Bill met. Warren basically bought a stack of 24 Mclarens for Bill that day and every day since and stashed them away for 14 years.  That’s a lot.  

JUST ONE PERSON made that much of a difference. It could be no different for you. Maybe not $31 billion, but enough to change your life. Remember: It only takes one person.

Who Do You Invest Your Time With?

You don’t have to be a billionaire to see that WHO YOU KNOW and invest time with can impact your life far greater than what you know.

So look around; who do you spend the most time with? Are they helping you be the best version of yourself? Are they helping you get closer to your goals or not?

Friends can help with more than just money and career, so think broadly and be realistic.

Hi. I’m Loren Smith.

I help entrepreneurs and business leaders grow their confidence and influence through relationships, even if they haven’t spoken to anyone in years or they’re an introvert.

I grew up in the middle-class section of Mesa, Arizona, with an outgoing mom from Spain and a not-very-outgoing dad from England.

My dad struggled with confidence his whole life, which killed his ability to provide for our family.

So the other three siblings and I depended on my mom.

I struggled with confidence throughout junior high and high school. I didn’t go to any dances and always felt like an outsider.

I resisted anything that drew attention to myself and was afraid to speak up.

In junior high, I even was afraid to ask my teacher to go to the bathroom and partially peed my pants.

Luckily, I don’t think anyone noticed me shuffling my feet to the ‘boys” locker room so nobody could see the wet inseam. I must have a small bladder too.

My mom instilled a good work ethic in me, and I started working early doing all sorts of things for my neighbors: mowing lawns, washing cars, picking up dog poop, painting, and just about anything else they would hire me for. Arizona is hot, so no smart adult wants to go outside in the summer. those jobs pushed me out of my comfort zone and helped me develop more confidence.

One of my jobs was delivering pizzas for Dominos, where I met a guy that helped me get a job as a valet at the prestigious Biltmore Hotel.

If you haven’t heard of the Biltmore, at the time, it was one of Arizona’s top 2 hotels—an old money hotel with a cool history and rooms up to $2k per night.

Every president of the united states since the 1920’s stayed there.

Celebrities like Marilyn Monroe and Frank Sinatra stayed there.

I met numerous heroes: celebrities, models, athletes, and even President Bush senior.

There were all kinds of fun things going on: Dinner parties, galas, fundraising events, and larger events too.

I only worked there for a year, but it left an impression on me.

I wanted to be like them someday.

I wanted to be wealthy.

I wanted to be around cool people doing cool things.

A few years later, real life slapped me in the face, though. My dreams turned into struggling to find work I enjoyed, and that struggle cost me my marriage.

While trying to find my way forward again, I went to an entrepreneurship conference that changed my life.

I became friends and business partners with one of the presenters at that conference, and within 3 years, we built a million-dollar marketing automation business.

The crazy thing is in 2012, just 12 years after I left the Biltmore, my business partner and I were sponsoring a 3-day event at the Biltmore and ended up selling over $360k worth of marketing implementation services in just 3 days.

What a mind-blowing coincidence!

Since then, I’ve been building and licensing marketing systems, partnering and working closely with and coaching many great entrepreneurs.

I even ended up pitching and becoming business partners with one of the greatest business minds and godfathers of marketing. Dan Kennedy. That’s a crazy story.

I really can’t believe how far I’ve come from that shy junior high kid to helping leaders all over the world.

What I’ve Realized about Successful People.

Something I realized about successful people is that they make new and existing relationships a priority. It just doesn’t happen by accident.

• They go to events AND have their own
• They go to dinner parties AND have their own
• They join mastermind groups AND have their own
• They go to lunch meetings AND have their own
• They aren’t afraid to ask for advice
• They send thank you notes and cards for different occasions
• They connect people and get connected
• They send birthday cards and holiday gifts
• They travel to meet in person if needed

What’s Your Strategy?

When I worked at the Biltmore, I had no idea how I could make any of my dreams possible, but I knew that who I knew mattered.

When it came to building relationships, I used to think it was just serendipity, but I’ve come to realize that there’s a strategy to it. You have to make it happen.

If you don’t have a strategy, you can end up wandering and wasting a lot of time with people that aren’t aligned with your goals and values.

And if you’re not consistently in touch, people will forget about you, the relationship gets cold, and the communication lines start to slowly close.

There are many great books out there that help with these strategies and tactics I’m talking about.

Like How To Win Friends and Influence People, Never Eat Alone, and more.

But I assure you, reading a book will not be enough.

James Clear said that people will fall to the level of their systems, so if you don’t create a system for yourself, you will fall.

One of the systems people often forget is the level of their own accountability and discipline. Success can be a lonely road. (But it doesn’t have to be.)

There’s Got To Be An Easier Way

A couple of years ago, I was frustrated with my own inconsistency when it came to relationships.

I needed a better system.

I needed accountability.

I needed help.

I read books and paid for courses, but I needed more, and I couldn’t find anything that covered all my weaknesses. (I probably need more help than the average guy.)

So I built it myself.