Sometimes Business Is Built on a Softball Field - How Relationships can Help Grow Your Business

More than 20 years ago, I played on a corporate softball team in Manhattan.

We laughed. We yelled. We ran all over the city after work and convinced ourselves we were far more athletic than we were. There were bad calls, dramatic swings and plenty of happy hours.

It wasn’t networking.

It wasn’t strategic.

There was no business development plan.

It was simply people working together and then unwinding together.

One of those teammates was Michael Lamantia. We stayed loosely connected over the years. No agenda. No quarterly coffee. Just mutual respect.

Fast forward two decades.

Out of the blue, Mike reached out. He needed help with a website.

Not because of a sales funnel.Not because of an ad campaign.Not because I sent a perfectly timed email. He reached out because he remembered how I show up.

How I work.

How I communicate.

How I care.

A softball team from 20+ years ago turned into a client relationship for Second Life Careers.

And it reminded me of something important.

Why Relationships Are Important for Business Growth

If you’re asking:

• How do I grow my business sustainably?

• What actually drives referrals and long-term clients?

• Is SEO more important than networking?

Here’s the honest answer.

Relationships drive business growth. Marketing supports it.

Search engines, AI visibility and optimized websites matter. I build those systems every day. But none of them replace trust.

When someone hires you years later, it’s rarely because of one social post or one clever tagline. It’s because over time, they formed an impression of you.

They remember:

• Your integrity

• Your consistency

• Your responsiveness

• Your character

• The way you make complex things feel manageable

That memory compounds quietly in the background.

SEO, AI Visibility and Human Trust

In 2026 and beyond, your online presence absolutely matters.

Your website should be:

• Optimized for search engines

• Structured for AI and answer engines

• Clear about what you do and who you serve

• Easy to navigate and mobile-friendly

• Connected to your Google Business profile and content strategy

When someone searches for website strategy, business visibility consulting or SEO support, you want to appear.

But here’s what happens next.

They don’t just evaluate your keywords. They evaluate credibility.

Search engines and AI tools can surface you. Only relationships convert.

Even in an AI-driven world, people still hire people.

The Long Game Strategy Most People Overlook

Many entrepreneurs focus on short-term tactics:

• Quick wins

• Viral posts

• Aggressive outreach

• Constant pitching

But long-term growth is built differently. It’s built by:

• Doing excellent work consistently

• Treating every collaboration with care

• Maintaining connections without expectation

• Showing up the same way in year one and year twenty

I didn’t join a softball team thinking it would generate business two decades later.

But I showed up as myself. Fully. Authentically. Reliably.

That’s what Mike remembered.

Business Development Is Human

If you are building your business right now, here’s what I want you to know:

Your relationships today are assets.

• The coworker you laugh with.

• The client you overdeliver for.

• The colleague you support without a hidden agenda.

  
  

Those connections may not convert tomorrow. But they matter.

Because when someone eventually needs help with their website, SEO, AI readiness or digital strategy, they will think of the person who showed up consistently.

Not the person who shouted the loudest.

Build for Visibility. Lead with Integrity. Grow Your Business.

At Second Life Careers, I help entrepreneurs build strategic, visible and sustainable digital foundations. Websites. Messaging. SEO. AI-ready content. Google Business optimization.

Cohesive online ecosystems.

But underneath all of it is this belief:

Visibility amplifies reputation. It does not replace it. Relationships outlast tactics.

And sometimes business isn’t built in a boardroom.

Sometimes it’s built on a dusty softball field under stadium lights, long before you ever realize it.

If you’re curious how your website, SEO or overall online presence is performing, I’m always happy to have a conversation.

No pressure. No pitch deck.

Just clarity, strategy and a human conversation about where you are and where you want to go. Thanks to Mike for trusting us with his new website, check out his testimonial.

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At Second Life Careers & Solutions, our core values are Service, Loyalty & Compassion and the founder, Sarah Hannah is pursuing her passions and purpose in the support of others. Sarah is best-selling author and multi-passionate entrepreneur that pivots. She wants to work with you because she's passionate about helping you with where you are right now, embodying a spirit of boundless curiosity and diverse creative pursuits that define the essence of a modern-day Renaissance woman. She loves helping small businesses get visibility by creating a solid online presence through websites, google business solutions, creative content and SEO.

She is grateful to all her clients and colleagues for their trust and support in helping them with their businesses and would love to help you in support of your business, please feel free to reach out to her directly by clicking here.