What if your most powerful move in business development wasn’t the perfect pitch—but the perfect no?
Picture this: someone rings your doorbell, sees your toolbox, and goes,
“Hey, can you help me do brain surgery?”
You’re a plumber. You handle pipes, pressure, and the occasional mystery smell. Brain surgery? Not in your job description.
And yet, in the business world, too many of us nod, grin, and say,
“Sure, I’ll give it a try.”
Let’s end that madness.
You don’t hire a plumber to crack open skulls.
You don’t call Serena Williams to teach you golf.
And you don’t call me to raise your money.
What I do—and do damn well—is help founders become magnetic to the right people.
I don’t chase checks; I position companies so that capital comes to them. I fine-tune stories, fix energy leaks, open doors to gatekeepers, and give you the right mindset to walk through.
“It doesn’t make sense to hire smart people and tell them what to do.” — Steve Jobs
Exactly. You hire experts to do what they do best.
That’s where I live.
The Ask Audit (a.k.a. The Genie Test)
When someone says,
“Can you help me raise money?”
I don’t jump into pitch mode. I ask this:
“If I were a magic genie and could grant your business one wish that had absolutely nothing to do with raising money… what would it be?”
Cue the crickets.
Why? Because most folks haven’t actually thought about what they really need.
Money is just the default answer—the security blanket for not knowing what else to ask for.
But the magic is in the unasked questions.
That’s where I begin sculpting the gold.
“Risk comes from not knowing what you’re doing.” — Warren Buffett
The Illusion of the Favor
Another classic:
Someone asks you for a favor that’s completely outside your genius zone.
You feel that twinge—“Should I say yes?”
No. You shouldn’t.
Mastery is saying:
“That’s not in my wheelhouse, but here’s what I can do.”
And when they reply,
“That’s not what I want,”
you smile.
Because they just admitted they’re barking up the wrong tree.
“You can have it all. Just not all at once—and not from the same person.” — Oprah Winfrey
Exactly.
You get the favor you need, not the one you think you want.
Business development isn’t about being agreeable.
It’s about being aligned.
Top 10 Ways to Make Your Business the Belle of the Funding Ball
1. Clarify Your Story
Know your why, your who, and your where-you’re-headed.
“If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” — Albert Einstein
2. Simplify the Ask
Be specific. Know your number and stick to it.
3. Clean Up Your Cap Table
No chaos on the equity sheet.
4. Bulletproof Financials
Fluff-free numbers, please.
5. Show Real Traction
Early wins talk. Hype walks.
6. Own Your Market
TAM/SAM/SOM should roll off your tongue.
7. Tell a Team Story
Show why you are the right crew for this journey.
8. De-Risk the Deal
No landmines hiding in your pitch deck.
9. Paint the Exit
Show your investors the finish line.
“Begin with the end in mind.” — Stephen Covey
10. Be Coachable
Confidence is attractive. Arrogance is not.
Say no to what doesn’t align.
Say yes to what you were built for.
Say it with clarity, wit, and power.
You’re not just building a company.
You’re building gravity.
When you do it right, the right people, capital, and opportunities don’t need chasing—they orbit you.
💬 Shareable Quips
•“You don’t hire a plumber for brain surgery. So why are you saying yes to every ask?”
•“Raising money isn’t a strategy. It’s a result of doing the right things.”
•“Say no like a master. Say yes like a magician.”
•“Don’t ask for capital—build gravity.”
•“Business development is not about being agreeable. It’s about being aligned.”
