In a world driven by algorithms, real connection is still the best growth strategy.
When I think about the moments that truly moved the needle — professionally and personally — they almost never started with a pitch deck or a pipeline. They started with a relationship. A conversation. A sense of being seen.
That’s become a guiding principle for how I lead, hire, sell, and build at Chief of Chaos: relationships before reach.
Connection First, Conversion Later
Early in my career, I thought trust was something you earned after a successful project. Now I see it differently: trust is the asset you invest up front. It’s what creates the conditions for meaningful work to happen.
The irony is, some of the most valuable professional introductions I’ve made started as personal ones — with no agenda at all. Some of the most fruitful partnerships we’ve formed at Chief of Chaos came from people who didn’t meet us through a funnel, but through a feeling.
Transactional Culture is Exhausting
In the performance marketing world — and frankly, across tech in general — everything gets optimized for conversion. Every message. Every moment. Every touchpoint.
But relationships don’t work like that. People aren’t funnels. They’re not metrics. They’re stories.
When you treat every connection as a means to an end, you miss the actual opportunity: to build something rooted in trust, reciprocity, and longevity.
How I Practice It
This isn’t just philosophy. It’s operational.
- I invest time in one-on-one conversations with no clear ROI, because clarity often comes later
- I choose authenticity in outreach, even if it doesn’t scale
- I prioritize energy alignment over follower count when building partnerships
I ask: Would I want to work with this person if no one was watching? Would I want to keep showing up for this even if it failed?
If the answer is yes, we go deeper. If it’s no, we let it go.
Mirror Moment
Where in your work are you chasing reach at the expense of real connection?
What would happen if your next strategic move started with a relationship, not a result?
Thanks for reading.
More signal, less noise.
— Brandon
