Quote from James A.Hart on July 16, 2025, 11:20 pm

When you’re building a business in your 20s, it’s easy to believe that every minute should be spent on growth—reading books, listening to podcasts, working long hours, and chasing the next result. And while ambition is important, there’s one area many entrepreneurs severely underinvest in: friendships.

Outside of your romantic partner and your family, friendships are one of the few things that bring true joy, clarity, and balance to your life. Yet they’re often neglected in the name of hustle.

Why friendships matter more than you think

Business can be stressful. It comes with wins and losses, pressure, and uncertainty. Having a close circle of friends—people who have nothing to do with your KPIs or product launches—can keep you grounded. These are the people you can talk to without having to perform. You can laugh, decompress, and be human again.

And here’s something important: your closest friends don’t need to understand your business. In fact, it’s often better if they don’t. Time spent with people who live outside your professional world can help you shift your perspective and remind you that there’s more to life than conversions and metrics.

You don’t need many—just a few solid ones

The goal is not to maintain a massive social circle. As you get older, quality far outweighs quantity. A few genuine friendships—ones built on trust, shared values, and mutual support—will give you more energy than 100 LinkedIn connections ever could.

These are the friends who check in on you when things are rough, celebrate your wins with no hidden agenda, and bring clarity when your mind is cluttered. This type of support system is hard to build if you’re always too busy to invest in people.

Don’t wait until burnout to realize this

Many entrepreneurs learn this lesson too late—after years of isolating themselves in pursuit of success. But by then, the damage is already done. Relationships don’t grow without time, intention, and consistency.

If you’re serious about building a long-term career in business, treat your friendships like a long-term investment. Protect time for them. Show up. Listen. Reach out even when you don’t need anything. It may not feel productive in the short term, but it will pay off in ways that no course or mastermind ever will.

If you’re building a business, don’t lose sight of the life you’re building it for. Prioritize people. Not just your audience or customers—but the ones who remind you why you started in the first place.