Partner-centric Strategy

How partnerships can transform your business

I have always been fascinated with the idea of a partnership. When I worked in finance we syndicated one or two big real estate deals a year, each with over a hundred or so partners. The principal of the firm was the general partner, and that was clearly a remarkable role in itself. But the limited partners, the ones who came together to make each deal happen, were like rockstars to me. Lately I have been wondering why? Why did I see so much value in these business relationships?

My entrepreneurial journey has been punctuated by partnerships of all kinds. My first, in my early 20s, was with a best friend from high school. We had a travel business that we aimed to launch in an emerging destination in the Caribbean. We developed our initial concept, business plan and even branding, but when we actually traveled there, our due diligence was overwhelmingly negative and the opportunity felt too risky. We didn't move forward in the end, but the adventure we took as two budding business associates, friends, and dreamers has stuck with me. What could be defined as a failed first attempt proved to be a hell of a lot more than that. Looking back, it's clear that it was a step in the right direction and a reminder that a shared intention and vision is valuable, regardless of the outcome.

I ended up launching my first business about 5 years later and it was built upon a foundation of partnerships - some long lasting, some nearly instant failures. Owning and operating an international wellness and hospitality business was a highly collaborative endeavor - so partnerships in the traditional sense of shared ownership/equity were only one part of the equation. Each wellness event or travel experience we curated was a small business of its own - and I loved working with other facilitators, marketers, proprietors and business people to co-create these business projects. Success was a "we" thing not a "me" thing, and it was measured across all the stakeholders. Curating high touchpoint, transformational experiences in various parts of the world and with groups of all sizes is an art. And in my experience, art is created from a place that is not rational, organized or logistical. Art is created from an incalculable space, an X factor. All things being equal, even with the best planning and logistics, food, accommodations, teachers, and programming - the success of our retreats or events was always determined by that X factor. The collective who conspired, enrolled and contributed were that X factor or, as I like to call it - the organism that evolved from the moment the planning starts to the sentimental goodbye hugs at the very end of the retreat. This cadre was not only made up of our retreat participants and hosts but the local/regional/national level communities, weather gods, random encounters, natural elements, and animals of course. A predestined “generative force majeure”, of all the unexpected and potential contributors and interrupters, seen and unseen, truly shaped each experience. The intrinsic value of this remarkable partnership played an important role in my business strategy. A strategy, which by nature, had to be intuitive and rational - but that's a story for another time. For now, let's just say that "collective investment" in the form of dynamic partnerships enabled my business to consistently ship the work and deliver high-quality experiences around the world.

Human connection and collaboration and the generative force majeure ;) has been a source of meaning that sparked early on in my career and developed throughout a decade of launching and operating my first business. It's still developing actually. And so am I!

In more recent developments ;) my partner Ann-Clarke and I led a workshop at Boulder Startup Week about perspective earlier last month. At its core, our talk was about partnership and the creative space that lies between our fixed positions and our malleable ones. As life partners that are creating a shared vision, there are no shortage of opportunities to explore the depths of this connection. When business ideas surface, there are often personal considerations that come along for the ride. These personal perspectives can be highly charged, difficult to understand, or simple and pure of heart. Business priorities and considerations also find themselves nested in our personal choices and everyday life. Needless to say, this partnership is layered, complex, complicated and profoundly rewarding. There is never a dull moment. And there is always an abundance of material within us and between us to unearth and learn from. This "material" and the space this material lives in, is our X factor - our proprietary formula, the element that differentiates what we do and how we do it. It is the intangible that gives meaning and value (both in dollars and sense) to our work and our project. It is the collective investment that defines our strategy and vision.