Every great team understands the same unglamorous truth. Championships aren't won by superstars alone. They're won by depth. They're won by preparation. They're won by the people who weren't supposed to be in the spotlight but step into it anyway.

That’s the “next player up” mentality.

When someone goes down, the team doesn’t panic. They don’t lower expectations. They don’t rewrite goals. The next player steps in, ready to contribute, because the standard never changes.
​
It sends a clear cultural signal:
We don’t depend on a few heroes. We depend on all of us.

When I started my consulting and coaching practice nine years ago, I set up my website with a blog section. I did it because I thought that was what credible coaches were supposed to do. Write articles. Share ideas. Build authority.

There was one problem. I could not bring myself to write the first post.

I was not sure if I would be any good at writing. I was not sure if I would enjoy it. I kept waiting for the perfect idea and the perfect draft. That approach kept me stuck for more than a year.

At one point, I even asked my webmaster to hide the blog link in the navigation bar because it sat there empty. The truth was simple. I was trying to avoid the feeling of not being good enough.
​
Most professionals do the same thing. They wait for confidence that never comes.

Most professionals treat pricing conversations like a test they’re about to fail.

Here’s what changes when you stop defending and start asking.

A bankruptcy lawyer once faced a client with a budget of $250,000, well below what the engagement would normally cost. He had two choices: push for full scope or walk away.

Instead, he got curious.

He asked what outcomes mattered most, helped the client prioritize, and designed a hybrid solution that fit the budget.
He didn’t make as much on that first project, but he earned something far more valuable: trust. The client came back with multiple matters worth ten times the initial fee.
​
When you bring curiosity and transparency into pricing, the conversation stops being a negotiation and starts becoming the foundation of a partnership.

Most professionals make a deal with themselves in Q4: I'll get back to business development when things slow down.

Except they rarely do. When BD pauses during busy periods, the silence shows up a few months later as what I call the "lumpy practice" — great when you're buried, suddenly quiet when projects end.

Years ago, when I was leading business development for Deloitte's forensic practice on the West Coast, I asked a colleague who ran our global investigations practice if he still made time for BD during his busiest stretches. He didn't hesitate.
"Absolutely. That's when I have the most to talk about, and I'm coming from confidence, not need."
​
That stuck with me. The best time to engage isn't when you have space on your calendar. It's when you have momentum. You're active, sharp, and full of stories that make connection easy.

Experience is invaluable, until it becomes a trap.

The strategies that built your book of business 15 years ago might be the same ones slowing you down today. But the flip side is true as well. Many younger professionals are building their practices in an AI-driven world yet missing the deeper lessons about consistency, relationship-building, and trust that take time to learn.

Technology and communication are evolving fast, and even the most capable professionals, at any career stage, can find themselves playing catch-up.
​
AI technology is moving so fast that it is almost mind-boggling. What worked smoothly last quarter might already feel outdated. The pace of change can be overwhelming, but it also opens doors for those who are willing to learn and adapt.

With Halloween around the corner, it feels fitting to talk about a different kind of ghosting. The kind that happens in business.

We’ve all been there — you send a thoughtful email, maybe after a great meeting, and then… nothing. Days turn into weeks. Silence. You’ve been ghosted.

Even seasoned professionals get stuck in that awkward limbo between interested and ignored.

Several of my clients have told me how frustrated they get when this happens. They expect their contacts to respond as quickly as they would — but that’s not how business works today. Inboxes are overflowing, priorities shift daily, and even with good intentions, your message can disappear into the noise if it’s not urgent.
​
So what do you do? How do you stay proactive without sounding desperate?

When I think about the most impressive people I’ve known, my uncle is always at the top of the list. He spent his career in Major League Baseball—first as a player, then as a coach with the New York Mets for over 30 years. By all accounts, he had an illustrious career. But what struck me wasn’t the stories he could tell about the game, even though he was an incredible storyteller. It was how he showed up in conversations with me—both when I was younger and, even more so, in my adult years since starting my practice. Every time we talked, he wanted to hear about my world. How was my business going? What was I working on?

Here was someone who had every reason to lead with his accomplishments, and instead, he led with curiosity. He had nothing to prove. His genuine interest made me feel seen, valued, and connected.
​
That same quality—intellectual curiosity—is one of the most underrated advantages in business development. Too often, professionals fall into the trap of thinking they need to showcase their expertise, credentials, or successes. But the people who win the trust and loyalty of clients are the ones who turn the spotlight around. They ask thoughtful questions, they listen closely, and they show real interest in what matters most to the other person.

There were two lawyers in the same firm, from the same practice group, with nearly identical credentials. Their approach to business development sent them down very different paths.

Susan stayed in touch with past clients — sending relevant articles, asking thoughtful questions, and making introductions. One day, she sent a short email asking how business was going. That email led to a conversation, which ultimately resulted in a six-figure engagement. Why? Because she stayed visible and engaged.
​
Stephen, on the other hand, focused solely on client work. He assumed his expertise would speak for itself. But over time, his pipeline dried up. Not because he was less capable, but because he was out of sight and out of mind.