I've never had those kind of friends, even friends who own businesses we talked about so much more than just business.

Marc, over the course of my adult life I've ended many relationships when the single thing we had in common was no longer common. People change, they go in different directions.

You don't understand why someone might not want to spend all of their conversational energy on how to turn a profit that day. I do. I also understand why someone might not want to talk only about politics, or celebrity gossip, or any other topic.

I've never run into anyone only interested in talking about how to not make money, but I imagine that they might become as boring as someone who only wants to talk about how to make money.

Hey Marc,

People are more than money. One of my favorite advices to give about money is that you should always remember behind the money are the people who give it to you.

You don't get money from a list, from a tactic, from a strategy, from a promotion, etc. People pay you money. Living, breathing individuals with thoughts, dreams, fears, responsibilities, and a multitude of other "things" which might be on their minds along with thoughts about how to earn, save, or spend money.

If you want someone to "show you the money", well, you gotta first look to the people who have it to give. It's always about people - never about money. Get the people part right, and the money issue takes care of itself.

People have feelings, and when someone gets the "feeling" they are not important, that all you care about is money - whether it's getting it, saving it, spending it, whatever, a relationship break may occur. Hey, people like to feel they're worth more than money. <shrug>

Maybe this friend of yours felt less important because you made it sound like you only cared about money? Maybe this person was appalled to think you'd written "people" out of the equation? Who knows?

Still, I'm sure if you made it clear this wasn't the case, your friend would feel better. I'm betting that person misses your conversations as much as you do.

I'm with your friend. I don't want to sit around talking about making money and turning a profit all day long. There's just so much more to life than that and someone with such a one track dialog would bore me to tears.

I have plenty of friends who share my love of business and the entrepreneurial life, but we rarely talk about money itself, unless we are talking about the concept of money, what money is, economics, politics, etc... but that is more of a philosophy conversation than a money conversation.... if that makes sense....

Even with my business friends though, the conversations tend to move away from business and to more fun friendly topics...

I'm curious, was this a friendship that started as a business relationship, which became friendly, or a friend relationship, which became business-like? Those can be two pretty different dynamics...

Hey Marc,

Awesome post, by the way Felix Dennis is one of my idols!

I think i hear what you are saying, some people like the "idea of things".

It is awesome to watch inspirational videos, seminars, read the books etc... but the work has to begin somewhere and this is where a lot of people fall down.

Some people don't like focusing on JUST the money, maybe they find it callous or maybe deep down they know the idea won't make money so they don't want to think about it.

If you are JUST speaking business or making money you need to speak to people that are making money.

I am guessing your friend was not making money that is why he got a bit peeved.

A guess of course.

My point:

"If you want to be a banker hang around with people that know banking."

"If you want to be good with numbers hang around with accountants."

"If you want to make money hang around with people that make money."

Chris

I don't see a problem with it.

Let me reframe. I see a problem with talking about it 99% of the time. But I definitely don't see a problem about having a common interest, and talking about that common interest at least 50% of the time.

I mean me and my brother have been talking about money ever since we were teens.

And guess what? We still talk about it. Not all the time, at least half the time we talk its about business.

Now if its someone from WF, thats a different story. I'm not on here to make friends. I'm on here to talk about nothing but business/numbers/money. If someone doesnt want to talk about that stuff, then I question what you're doing here in the first place.

-Red

Really the only people I talk to are business related, anyone I grew up with or family members can't relate to me on so many levels, and I can't relate to them so there is really nothing to talk about.

And that's perfectly fine with me.

There is a plethora of components that make up any kind of effective relationship.