Why Connection Is the New Competitive Advantage

Business often rewards speed, scale, and efficiency. Companies invest heavily in technology, funnels, and optimization. Yet the leaders who consistently create opportunity, build loyalty, and open unexpected doors tend to share a quieter skill: they know how to build real human connection.

On The Bliss Business Podcast, we sat down with Steve Ramona, a “super connector” and host of the podcast “Doing Business with a Servant’s Heart.” Steve has helped generate hundreds of millions of dollars in partner deals and project impact through intentional introductions, simple acts of service, and a deep belief that people are the most valuable asset in any business.

His story is a powerful reminder that in a world saturated with digital tools, connection is still a competitive advantage you cannot automate.

Connection Is Not Networking

Most people say networking matters. Far fewer practice it in a way that changes anything. As Steve points out, traditional networking often looks like exchanging business cards, collecting LinkedIn connections, and moving on. True connection feels very different.

His approach is simple. When he jumps on a call, his first question is, “How can I help you today.” He is not there to pitch, impress, or extract. He is there to serve. That one question does three things at once:

• It shifts the spotlight away from him and onto the person in front of him.

• It surprises people, because they rarely hear it in business settings.

• It opens the door for a deeper conversation about what they actually need.

Connection, in this frame, is not about quickly qualifying prospects. It is about understanding people well enough that you can create value for them, whether or not they ever become a client.

When you operate this way consistently, you stop being “another contact.” You become the person others think of when they need help, advice, or a trusted introduction. Over time, that is where opportunity and deal flow come from.

Business as a People Asset Game

Steve likes to remind entrepreneurs that they are in the “people asset business.” Financial assets are only valuable if they grow. People are no different. The more high quality relationships you build and nurture, the stronger your business becomes.

He shares story after story of how relationships have compounded in his own life:

• Mentors at his family’s health club who took him under their wing as a teenager, buying him lunch, sharing books, and teaching him basic wealth principles.

• A financial advisor who handed him a simple book, asked him to save ten percent of his income, and indirectly helped him accumulate tens of thousands of dollars by his late twenties.

• Billionaires and highly successful founders who happily offer time and guidance because he took the time to treat them like people, not targets.

What stands out is the direction of the value. He did not ask, “What can they do for me.” He asked, “What can I learn, and how can I share what I learn with others.” He sees himself as a conduit. Wisdom and opportunity flow to him so they can flow through him to dozens or hundreds of others.

When you see people as assets in that sense, you stop keeping score on every interaction. You start building “business marriages,” as he describes them, where trust is built over time through service, honesty, and shared wins, rather than quick transactions.

Simple Practices That Make People Feel Seen

Connection is not mysterious. It is the accumulation of small, intentional behaviors that tell people they matter. Steve’s practices are straightforward and repeatable.

Use names often.
He makes a point of using people’s names at least twice in a short interaction. At the grocery store, in a restaurant, or during a meeting, he intentionally reads name tags and addresses people directly. “Tony, thank you for bagging my groceries. Tony, have a great day.” It seems small, yet he consistently notices their energy shift. People stand up a little straighter. They feel acknowledged.

Ask, then listen.
He runs conversations around a simple pattern he calls ASLA:

• Ask a question.

• Stay quiet.

• Listen intently.

• Ask another question.

That pattern is especially powerful for introverts who may feel intimidated by networking. You do not need to dominate the conversation. You need a few thoughtful questions, the courage to be quiet, and a genuine curiosity about the person in front of you.

Edify people in public.
Steve looks for something positive to acknowledge in every interaction, whether it is someone’s courage, work ethic, generosity, or story. He calls it “edifying.” It is not flattery. It is specific, sincere appreciation. Most of us underestimate how rare and impactful that is.

These practices are not complex. They do require intention. When you make them part of your daily rhythm, you start to notice that people remember you, reach out more often, and are eager to open doors for you because they feel genuinely seen.

Serving Without Attachment

One of the biggest barriers to connection is the need for validation. Many people hesitate to introduce others, share ideas, or give freely because they worry about how it will reflect on them if it does not “work out.”

Steve takes the opposite stance. When he makes an introduction, he focuses on clear edification and then lets go of the outcome. He might record a quick video saying, “Tullio, meet Stephen. Here is why I think you two should know each other.” After that, he steps back. If the connection leads to a partnership, a friendship, or nothing at all, he does not take it personally.

He leans heavily on a Stoic mindset. His responsibility is the quality of the effort, not the result. That posture keeps him from being paralyzed by “what if this is the wrong intro” or “what if they do not like each other.”

Interestingly, the more he serves without attachment, the more the universe seems to respond. He tells the story of taking forty minutes to mentor a man whose father’s chiropractor had referred him. They walked through ideas and next steps. He charged nothing. The next morning, an unexpected five hundred dollar affiliate payment hit his account from a referral he had made months before. There was no direct line between the two events, yet the pattern is consistent in his life. Service out, value back.

When you remove the demand for immediate validation, you free yourself to act from generosity. That shift tends to change what flows back over time.

Love as a Leadership Operating System

In the final part of the conversation, Steve returns to a theme that runs through everything he does: love in business. For him, love is not sentimental language. It is a standard.

Love shows up as:

• Being willing to have hard conversations with respect when performance is not where it needs to be.

• Helping an employee or contractor land somewhere better suited for them instead of clinging to them out of fear.

• Staying grounded and grateful during seasons of momentum, rather than letting ego take over.

• Letting go of relationships that chronically disrespect your time and energy, even while you wish those people well.

Love also keeps him from enabling. There was a time when he kept meeting with people who never implemented any of the advice he offered. It felt generous on the surface, yet it was not actually helping them grow. He eventually realized that real care sometimes means saying no. Servant leadership is not about doing the work for people. It is about equipping them, then holding them capable of taking action.

When love and service become the operating system, connection stops being a tactic. It becomes the natural expression of how you see people and the role you believe business should play in their lives.

Key Takeaways

• Connection is different from networking. It starts with serving the person in front of you, not pitching them, and asking how you can help before you ask for anything in return.

• People are your most important asset. The more you invest in relationships, mentorships, and introductions, the more opportunity compounds across your career.

• Small practices create big trust. Using names, asking thoughtful questions, listening deeply, and edifying others make people feel seen in a way that stands out.

• Serve without attachment. When you give value freely and release the need for instant validation, you create more room for unexpected opportunities and reciprocity.

• Love belongs in business. Holding people to a high standard, making tough calls with respect, and leading with a servant’s heart are not “soft.” They are what make cultures resilient and relationships durable.

Final Thoughts

Connection is not an accident. It is a choice to show up with intention, curiosity, and generosity in a world that often rewards speed over depth.

Steve Ramona’s journey as a super connector is a reminder that the strongest growth often comes from the most human practices: remembering names, asking good questions, making thoughtful introductions, and serving people in ways that outlive a single transaction.

Check out our full conversation with Steve Ramona on The Bliss Business Podcast.