​You don’t have to be a basketball fan to appreciate what happened in Madison Square Garden last night.

In Game 4 of the NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks, the Spurs were well on their way to tying up the series at two games apiece.

In fact, when I heard on the radio that the Spurs had a 17-point lead going into the fourth quarter, I figured it was a done deal.

Little did I know that the Spurs would grow their lead to 29 points and still be ahead by 20 with only nine minutes remaining in the game.

Then something remarkable happened. The Knicks refused to go away.

Possession by possession, they chipped away at the lead until they eventually won 107-106 on a shot with 1.2 seconds left on the clock. The largest comeback in NBA Finals history.

After the game, Knicks coach Mike Brown said something that caught my attention:

"You gotta have a little luck. You can also go make your own luck, too."
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I often draw parallels between sports and business development.

​I remember when people said the internet was a fad.

Some people embraced it early. Others dismissed it completely.

“People will never buy things online.”

“Clients will still want everything done the traditional way.”

“This whole thing is overhyped.”

Now it’s hard to imagine life without it.

Just look outside. Amazon trucks are everywhere. Ordering something online has become so normal that we barely think about it anymore. We’re practically on a first-name basis with the Amazon drivers who deliver to our house.

What once felt disruptive simply became part of everyday life.

I think we’re going through that same kind of moment again with AI.

Most professionals are not struggling with a lack of effort in business development.
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They’re struggling with where they’re putting that effort.

I often tell my clients that their most precious commodity is time. Most professionals today are already overwhelmed with client work, internal responsibilities, and constant demands on their attention. If you only have limited time to invest in business development, you need to invest that time wisely.

That’s where many smart professionals get stuck.

Sometimes that means spending too much time researching before a meeting. Other times it’s rewriting an email that was probably good enough two drafts ago, sitting through a networking event without a clear plan, or creating content without thinking about who it is meant to reach.None of those things are bad on their own. In fact, they can all be useful.The issue is whether they are helping you move a relationship forward, or simply helping you feel productive. 

​One of the biggest challenges in business development is not the outreach itself. It is what happens after you send it.

You reach out to someone you have been meaning to reconnect with.

You follow up after a good conversation.
You send an article or a quick note to stay in touch.
Then you hear nothing.

No reply. No acknowledgement. No clear signal that anything is happening.
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When that silence happens enough times, it can start to get in your head.

​Before AI tools became part of my workflow, I was spending a significant amount of time across many aspects of my work. Preparing for meetings, customizing proposals, following up after coaching conversations, researching companies and contacts, and rewriting emails to make sure the tone and message were right.

That preparation has always mattered to me because it leads to better conversations. It also takes time.

Over the past year, I have been experimenting with tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and meeting note platforms such as Fathom to better understand where they genuinely add value. The goal is not to shortcut the thinking process. The goal is to reduce the friction around getting started and capture information more effectively.

Lessons from the ABA White Collar Conference

One of the things I’ve been reminded of this week at the ABA White Collar Conference in San Diego is how powerful it is to meet people in person.

In a world where so much of our work happens over Zoom, email, and text messages, it’s easy to underestimate the value of simply showing up.

I almost didn’t make the trip.

Conferences require time, travel, and energy. And if we’re honest, there’s always that quiet question in the back of your mind: Will this actually be worth it?
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That said, I’m glad I came.

​One of the most common things I hear from professionals I work with sounds reasonable on the surface.

“I know I should be doing business development — staying in touch, following up, putting myself out there. I just don’t have time right now.”

They’re busy. Client work is intense. Deadlines are real. The calendar fills up fast. None of that is a surprise.
What stands out is what’s sitting underneath that response.

Most people aren’t short on time.

They’re carrying an assumption about what business development requires.

They picture long blocks of focus. A carefully worded message. The right moment. Something that feels thoughtful and polished enough to send.
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So they wait.

​One of the reasons I love working with experienced professionals is that they’re incredibly smart.

They’re deeply knowledgeable. Thoughtful about their work. They take pride in doing things well.

That intelligence is a real asset in their practice or role.

When it comes to business development, though, it can get in the way.

High-performing professionals tend to overanalyze every BD action. They think through every angle, anticipate every possible response, and try to optimize the outreach before it ever leaves their head.

That’s usually where things stall.
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I see this all the time, and it shows up both externally and internally.

​Every January, we watch the same thing play out during the NFL playoffs.

A star player has a great game. The cameras follow them. The highlights run all week.

But no one actually believes that one player wins a playoff game alone.

You don’t have to be a sports fan to know this is true. Complex outcomes are always the result of coordinated effort.

It takes protection up front. It takes teammates doing their jobs. It takes trust, timing, and adjustment in real time.
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In other words, it takes a team.

​The last couple of weeks gave me a good reminder of something I don’t say often enough.
It’s okay to step away.

We hosted family here in the mountains over Christmas, and we got lucky. Snow falling throughout the day. Quiet. The kind of white Christmas that feels like you’re inside a snow globe. No rushing anywhere. Just being together.

Then my wife, Aja, and I took the kids to San Diego to spend the last week of the year with her family. And for once, I really disconnected. No half-working. No checking email just in case. I was present with them and gave myself permission to be off without guilt.

Now I’m back, rested, clear-headed, and starting the year with full batteries.
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That reset made me think about what I see with a lot of professionals in early January.