takeitupalevel.com

My entire life I have been surrounded by great people. I was born into this world with the best parents, the best family, and the best examples of what solid relationships should look like. 

Twenty seven years later I have the greatest friends I could ever ask for. As I browsed through my facebook friends tonight, I looked down the list and said to myself, “quality friend, quality brother, quality business partner, quality teacher, quality mentor…”.  The list goes on. 

Quality – a degree or grade of excellence or worth. Every relationship I invest in I want it to have a degree of worth. Somewhere along the way in my 27 years of life I figured out the key to success in anything is surrounding yourself with awesome people. The best teammates = championship teams, the best friends = having the most fun when you hang out, the best business partners and co-workers = prosperous company.

It’s no secret that the people you’re surrounded by define your character more than anything else. That’s why when we interview a candidate for APAX Software we ask the candidate, “Tell me everything about your best friend”. 

Some of my friends from around the country often ask me why I don’t just leave Lexington, KY and live somewhere with better weather, cooler scenery, a better entrepreneurial community, or a beach. I tell them this every time, “If I could pick 100 of my closest friends and move them with me to a destination of my choice, I would move tomorrow.”  (if you’re reading this blog, you probably make the cut).

While, someday I probably will live somewhere besides Kentucky, up until now it’s not the basketball, the inconsistent climate, or the horses that have kept me here. It’s the billionaire valuation of my relationships.

Before I violate one of the most important rules (rule # 2: intellectual property), I need to give credit where credit is due on the term “relationship billionaire” (Luke, Dec. 2008, derived at the location of this picture).