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Your network is your net worth. Heard that before? I’ve said it for years because I’ve lived it. The right connection can change your life. The right introduction can change your business.
The problem is that most people think networking means working the room, shaking 50 hands and walking out with a stack of business cards. I used to think that too — until I realized the most valuable connections happen one-on-one.
That’s where Lunch with Legends came from.
Every weekday, I have lunch with someone new. Sometimes it’s an investor. Sometimes it’s a founder. Sometimes it’s a friend of a friend I’m meeting for the first time when they slide into the booth. The goal isn’t to pitch. It’s not to sell. It’s to connect because everyone’s happier with good food and good company.
Related: The 10 Commandments of Networking You Need to Know
Why meals are the secret weapon
Meetings are formal. Lunch is real. At lunch, no one’s watching the clock. No one’s hiding behind slides or an agenda. Food slows you down.
That’s when you get the truth. You hear about the deal they’re chasing. The challenge they can’t solve. The goal they’ve been sitting on because they don’t know where to start.
I’ve learned more over a plate of tacos than I ever have at a conference table.
How it started
When I was starting in real estate, I worked networking events like it was my job — because it was. I’d collect a pile of business cards, follow up with everyone, etc. One day, someone told me, “Forget the crowd. Take one person to lunch.”
It clicked. The best connections are personal, not rushed.
That first lunch turned into a connection that shifted my career. Not because I asked for anything, but because we built trust through conversation.
Since then, Lunch with Legends has been my daily habit. Networking isn’t about keeping score. It’s about showing up ready to help. Instead of leading with, “Here’s what I do,” I ask, “What’s on your plate — literally and figuratively — and how can I help?”
That changes everything.
- People remember you, not as “the guy from lunch” but as the person who introduced them to their next hire or shared an idea that unlocked a solution.
- The conversation flows. You’re not pitching. You’re listening.
- Opportunities come back around. When you help without expecting anything, your name comes up in rooms you’re not even in.
What it looks like in practice
Last week, I