Some of my closest friendships started as business relationships. There's something about working through challenges together, year after year, that builds genuine connection. Celebrating their wins. Supporting them through tough times. Watching their businesses grow.
The professionals say you should maintain boundaries. Keep things strictly business. Maybe they're right. But some of the best moments in this job have been the personal ones. The coffee catch-ups that have nothing to do with IT. The wedding invitations. The genuine concern when something difficult happens in their lives. Business relationships don't have to be transactional.
