The Question That Changed How I Think About Wealth

Whenever I give a keynote, there’s one question I ask that seems to stop people in their tracks:

What would you say your network is worth?

Think about it. As an asset. On your balance sheet. What’s the value?

Most people have never thought about it this way. They think of their network as… people they know. Contacts in a phone. LinkedIn connections.

But for me, my network is my most valuable asset. More valuable than any single investment, any piece of real estate, any business I own.

The deals I’ve done, the strategies I’ve learned, the mistakes I’ve avoided – almost all of it traces back to a relationship. Someone who knew something I didn’t. Someone who made an introduction. Someone who warned me away from a bad deal.

The 1,000 Lunches

I’ve spent the last 25-30 years intentionally building relationships. Lunches, breakfasts, coffees, dinners. Thousands of hours of conversations with people I wanted to learn from.

Every week for over 20 years, I’ve had lunch with someone new. Fifty-two weeks a year, times 20 years. That’s over a thousand people I’ve sat across a table from, asked questions, listened to, and learned from.

Picture that for a second. A thousand people, laid shoulder to shoulder. Business owners, investors, tax strategists, real estate operators, people who had figured out things I hadn’t.

I don’t take any of the credit. I give all the credit to those people. But it came from being intentional – from recognizing that the quality of your opportunities is directly tied to the quality of your relationships.

How to Think About Your Network as an Asset

Here’s a framework I use.

Think about the different “categories” of people you might need access to as you build wealth:

People who have deal flow who see opportunities before they hit the open market.

People who have expertise: tax strategists, estate planners, attorneys, operators in specific niches.

People who have been where you’re going – who’ve already walked the path you’re on and can tell you where the potholes and dead ends are.

People who are playing the same game – who understand the decisions you’re making because they’re making similar ones.

Now ask yourself: In each of those categories, who do you have? Who could you call tomorrow if you needed insight on a deal, a tax question, a business decision?

If the answer is “I don’t know” or “no one” – that’s your biggest opportunity.

The Practical Approach

So how do you actually build this?

Start by making a list of who in your existing network could help you play the game of life and wealth creation at a higher level. Not people to pitch. People to learn from.

Then start taking them out. Coffee. Lunch. Breakfast. Whatever works. Pick their brain. Ask real questions. Listen more than you talk.

Here’s what I’ve learned: Someone who has been really successful in their life is often energized when someone approaches them with genuine curiosity and follows it up with action. It’s the person who asks a million questions and never does anything — that becomes taxing.

So approach with curiosity. Take action on what you learn. And then go back and tell them what you did. “Hey, I took your advice on X, and here’s what happened.” That turns a one-time conversation into a relationship.

Join Rooms Where People Inspire You

The other thing I’d say: Be intentional about the groups you join.

I’m in 14 masterminds right now. People sometimes look at me sideways when I say that. Why so many?

Because I want to be around people playing the game of life, business, and wealth creation at a higher level than me. People who know things I don’t know. People who are going to challenge me to be a better husband, better father, better investor, better entrepreneur.

I put my money where my mouth is. I have a budget for what I spend on relationships and networks every year. Not a ceiling – a target. Because I’ve seen the ROI. It’s not even close.

Here’s something that was really liberating for me: I used to try to be thrifty about this stuff. Save money, do it myself, figure it out alone. And that served me… until it didn’t.

At some point I realized: The cost of not being in the right rooms was way higher than the cost of being in them.

The Compound Effect

One more thing about networks: They compound.

When you have lunch with one person, you learn from one person. But when you’re in a room with 50 or 100 people who are all learning and sharing – the insights multiply. Someone shares something, someone else builds on it, and suddenly you’re all seeing something none of you would have seen alone.

I’ve seen this happen so many times. Two people meet at an event. One mentions a deal they’re working on. The other says, “Oh, I know the perfect operator for that.” Or “I just went through something similar – here’s what I learned.” Or even just, “That’s a bad idea, and here’s why.”

That single conversation can be worth more than months of trying to figure it out alone.

I’ve seen people buy businesses from each other. Find tax strategies that saved them hundreds of thousands of dollars. Avoid deals that would have been disasters. All because they were in a room with the right people at the right time.

The Takeaway

You don’t need a billion-dollar portfolio to invest like the people who have one.

You just need access to better thinking, better people, better deals, and better strategies.

And the fastest way to get that access? Build relationships with intention. Join rooms that elevate you. Invest in your network the same way you’d invest in any other asset.

That’s what changed everything for me. And I believe it can do the same for you.

This wraps up the foundational series I’ve been writing. From here on out, I’m going to be sharing what’s happening in real time – the conversations, the deals, the strategies, the lessons I’m seeing every week. I’m excited for what’s ahead.

Until next week,

Justin

P.S. Who are the 3-5 people in your life right now that are actively elevating how you think about wealth and investing? If you can name them easily, you’re ahead of most people. 

If you can’t… that might be the biggest opportunity you have. Send me an email and let me know, and if you ever want to learn more about how our community works, I’m always happy to share.