The beautiful relationships I’ve nurtured over the years, the privilege I hold, and a lifestyle of giving, have enabled me to tap into many unexpected opportunities.

From free RV rentals, sailing trips, and expeditions to charming accommodations, adventures, and tours, I’ve found myself in places, spaces, and situations that I would have never been able to afford if I had to pay for them.

These transactions have all been a byproduct of the often intangible relationship capital that I’ve accumulated over the years.

The last decade has been interesting. My salary hasn’t changed much, but the amount of relationship capital I have at my disposal has increased exponentially.

A new experiment I’ve been playing around with is converting the outcomes of great relationships into dollars. Seeing the numbers side by side is interesting. It helps justify a tiny part of why relationships are more important than dollars, even only looking through a capitalist lens.