In this episode of the Jim Lupkin Podcast, Jim speaks with Bill Brasso — a veteran video-production & podcast business owner in the Phoenix Valley — about the power of the relationship economy. They dive into how shifting from a purely transactional mindset to a relationship-first business leads to stronger client retention, referrals, and long-term growth.

You’ll learn how Bill built authentic relationships with clients, how he uses technology like “Six Sigma Funnels” and predictive social media to make connections that matter, and how identifying your ideal customer becomes simpler when your business is built on trust and value — not just one-time sales.

Whether you’re a small-business owner, marketer, or service provider, this episode will inspire you to rethink how you approach client relationships, funnels, and business growth.

👉 If you found this episode helpful, Like, Subscribe, and tap the Bell icon to receive more content on relationship-based business, networking, and growth strategies.

💬 In the comments below: What’s one relationship you’ll invest in this week — a referral partner or an ideal client — and how will you use a relationship mindset to serve them first?

#RelationshipEconomy #ClientRelationships #BusinessFunnels

In this episode of the Jim Lupkin Podcast, Jim speaks with David Waltz (founder of Wicked Awesome) about building business through authentic relationships. David — a U.S. Air Force veteran and financial strategist — shares how an abundance mindset, genuine connection, and personal growth helped him scale his business and expand internationally.

You’ll hear practical advice on: how to network by adding value (not asking for favors), how to overcome a scarcity or imposter mindset, and how businesses of any size can adopt a relationship-first strategy to create lasting community and referrals. This episode is packed with actionable takeaways — from relationship building and collaboration to the role of personal development in leadership.

If you’re an entrepreneur, leader, or networker: this episode will change how you think about growth. Instead of chasing transactions, learn how to create value and let relationships drive your expansion.

👉 Like this video if it helped, Subscribe for more episodes, and comment below: What relationship tactic will you try first — adding value, mentoring, or hosting a meet-up?

#BuildRelationships #BusinessNetworking #AbundanceMindset #relationshipeconomy #jimlupkin #sixsigmafunnels

Welcome to the inaugural episode of the Jim Lupkin Podcast! In this powerful conversation, Jim sits down with Kelly Keffer to kickstart the Relationship Economy — the concept that authentic relationships, not transactions, are the real currency of business growth.

In this deep dive, you’ll learn:
• Why the relationship economy is the next frontier in business — how trust, connection, and shared values outpace price wars
• The difference between transactional business vs relationship-driven models
• Practical strategies for building genuine relationships with customers, partners, and team members
• How Six Sigma Funnels creates a systematic, scalable approach to relationship-based success
• Real-world challenges: aligning company values, managing Gen Z workforce, and cultivating culture

Whether you’re a small business owner, entrepreneur, sales leader, or growth strategist, this episode gives you frameworks you can implement immediately. Kelly shares tactics from her work with Mesa Business Builder and Mesa Hub, and the mindset required to make the relationship economy your competitive edge.

🔔 If you found this valuable, hit Subscribe, give us a 👍, and share this with someone building a business that lasts.

In this episode, Jim Lupkin explores the concept of a relationship-based economy, explaining how intentional and systematic relationship building can significantly influence business growth. He differentiates between transactional and relational approaches, highlighting the power of genuine connections over traditional advertising. Through personal anecdotes and practical steps, Jim illustrates how creating trust, offering value, and maintaining consistency can drive higher conversions, stronger retention, and more referrals. The episode also discusses utilizing AI to enhance these relationship-building efforts without replacing the human touch, and provides actionable strategies for implementing a relationship-based economy in both digital and in-person interactions.

#relationshipeconomy #jimlupkin #sixsigmafunnels

AI is speeding up posts, images, and video, but authenticity still wins the room. Jim shows how to use AI as a lever for speed, then add your voice for substance, with clear boundaries for what to automate and what to keep human. We cover labels, disclosures, and why more real conversations are moving into groups, DMs, and private communities. You’ll leave with simple moves to protect trust, personalize your mix of text, images, and video, and design a clean handoff from public posts to one-to-one chats.

Sources

Pew Research Center — How Americans Use Social Media (Jan 2024): https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2024/01/31/americans-social-media-use/

Meta — Our approach to labeling AI-generated content and manipulated media (Apr 2024): https://about.fb.com/news/2024/04/metas-approach-to-labeling-ai-generated-content-and-manipulated-media/

YouTube — How we are helping creators disclose altered or synthetic content (Mar 2024): https://blog.youtube/news-and-events/disclosing-ai-generated-content/

Want to meet up to 30 new people a day? - www.sixsigmafunnels.com

Learn more about Jim and the Relationship Economy: www.jimlupkin.com

#SocialMedia #AIForBusiness #ContentStrategy #Authenticity #PersonalBrand #CommunityBuilding #GenerativeAI #DigitalMarketing

Jim shows why, in a relationship based economy, nimble beats massive, and how solos, small teams, and affiliates can scale real conversations. From a horse brand jumping from $20K to $100K a month to six reps creating 1,200 customers, he maps the rhythm behind daily outreach, clean handoffs, and fast follow up. You’ll see how local first social opens doors to in person meetings, compounding into national reach without losing your soul. He pairs people first tactics with simple systems inspired by Six Sigma so your outreach is consistent, measurable, and predictable. Walk away with five moves to launch your own small business revolution this week.


Sources

SBA Office of Advocacy — Frequently Asked Questions About Small Business (July 2024): https://advocacy.sba.gov/2024/07/23/frequently-asked-questions-about-small-business-2024/

PDF: https://advocacy.sba.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Frequently-Asked-Questions-About-Small-Business_2024-508.pdf

Nielsen — Global Trust in Advertising 2015: https://www.nielsen.com/insights/2015/global-trust-in-advertising-2015/

Nielsen — Global Trust in Advertising 2012 (92% stat): https://www.nielsen.com/insights/2012/global-trust-in-advertising-and-brand-messages-2/


Want to meet up to 30 new people a day? - www.sixsigmafunnels.com

Learn more about Jim and the Relationship Economy: www.jimlupkin.com



#SmallBusiness #RelationshipBasedEconomy #CommunityBuilding #Sales #AffiliateMarketing #LocalMarketing #SystemsThinking #SixSigma

Big brands like Amazon, Nike, Starbucks, and Southwest prove that relationships and community drive retention, referrals, and growth. Jim breaks down how they scale connection customer to customer, and how small businesses can outperform with a personal touch. We dig into why referrals beat ads, how social proof shapes decisions, and why a human face outperforms a logo. You’ll leave with practical ways to build community, design simple systems, and turn trust into conversions.

Sources

McKinsey – The state of AI: How organizations are rewiring to capture value (March 2025): https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-technology/the-state-of-ai-how-organizations-are-rewiring-to-capture-value

Nielsen – Global Trust in Advertising 2015: https://www.nielsen.com/insights/2015/global-trust-in-advertising-2015/

Nielsen – Global Trust in Advertising 2012 (92% stat): https://www.nielsen.com/insights/2012/global-trust-in-advertising-and-brand-messages-2/

Want to meet up to 30 new people a day? - www.sixsigmafunnels.com

Learn more about Jim and the Relationship Economy: www.jimlupkin.com

#RelationshipBasedEconomy #CommunityBuilding #CustomerLoyalty #WordOfMouth #BrandTrust #SmallBusiness #SystemsThinking #SixSigma

Jim breaks down why AI is now non negotiable in business, and how to use it without losing the human part. From a seventy five page marketing plan built in days to web copy finished in hours, he shows how speed becomes strategy when you use AI as a lever, not a replacement. He and his chief strategy officer even co build a cap table in days instead of weeks, with AI doing the heavy lifting and people doing the thinking. You’ll leave with five practical moves you can run this week, define the lever, set a speed benchmark, create a role board, design the handoff, and bring AI into your working sessions. Listen if you want to move faster and still build real relationships.

Sources

McKinsey — “The state of AI: How organizations are rewiring to capture value” (March 2025): https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-technology/the-state-of-ai-how-organizations-are-rewiring-to-capture-value

#RelationshipBasedEconomy #AIForBusiness #Productivity #SmallBusiness #WorkflowDesign #GenerativeAI #SocialSelling #SystemsThinking