You rarely know the significance of someone when you first meet them.

The person sitting next to you at a conference might become a client, friend, investor, advisor, business partner or future colleague. They might introduce you to somebody who transforms your company.

You may not discover the significance of that first conversation for several years.

That is one of the reasons BluZinc CEO and Founder Jonathan Pearson is returning to the Health Optimisation Summit in London for his fifth HOS, once again as a VIP Guest.

His experience over the last eleven years demonstrates what can happen when you combine ambitious businesses, talented people and trusted relationships.

It Started With One Introduction

In September 2015, BluZinc’s first client in this industry was Bulletproof.

Jonathan placed Amanda Nolan-Durbin as Head of Europe in London, reporting to Zak Garcia in the USA, Bulletproof’s CMO at the time.

During 2016, BluZinc also placed Faraaz Jamal as Canadian Country Manager and Kiran Gowda as CTO, all before Jonathan attended the Bulletproof conference later that year.

The interesting part is how the relationship began.

Jonathan’s friend Ben Hunt met Michael Fishman while Michael was speaking at an event.

Michael introduced Jonathan to Zak.

One introduction became a relationship. Trust developed and successful work followed.

Zak subsequently invited Jonathan to the Bulletproof conference and recommended him to Baby Bathwater.

That recommendation opened another community of entrepreneurs, founders, investors and business leaders. Over the years, it has produced tens of relationships, many of whom subsequently became BluZinc clients.

Relationships Compound

This is where the story becomes relevant to you.

When you’re building a company, developing your career or attending an event, it’s easy to evaluate every interaction according to its immediate return.

Is this person a potential customer?

Could they become a client?

Will this meeting produce business?

That approach can cause you to overlook something much more powerful.

Relationships compound.

One conversation leads to an introduction.

An introduction becomes a relationship.

You help somebody.

Trust develops.

They introduce you to somebody else.

Months or years later, an opportunity emerges that neither of you could have predicted when you first met.

From Startups to $20MM-$400MM Businesses

Across Jonathan’s network and the BluZinc client portfolio, startups and scale-ups have subsequently grown into businesses generating approximately $20MM to $400MM in annual revenue.

Some doubled, then doubled again, within two or three years.

Many were exhibiting, learning, networking and developing relationships at events within the health, wellness, longevity, biohacking and human performance ecosystem during earlier stages of their growth.

An exhibition stand alone doesn’t create that success.

People do.

You still need a proposition customers desire. You need strategy, capital, technology, processes, leadership and execution.

Crucially, you need the right people.

When Your Business Doubles, Your People Requirements Change

As your company grows from startup to scale-up, your leadership and talent requirements change.

The people and organisational structure that successfully take you through one stage of growth may not be what you need for the next.

You need to keep asking:

Who do you need next?

Where are your capability gaps?

What should remain with your Founder or CEO?

What should somebody else now own?

Which leadership appointment could unlock your next stage of growth?

Do you need a permanent executive, an interim leader, contractor, advisor or specialist?

These decisions become increasingly important as your business doubles, then doubles again.

This is where BluZinc’s world intersects with the Health Optimisation Summit.

Work, Rest and Play

Health optimisation also provides a useful parallel for business and life.

You can optimise endlessly for revenue, valuation, productivity or growth, yet sustainable success requires more than work.

You need the health, strength, energy, curiosity and resilience to enjoy what you’re creating.

You need opportunities to learn, be reminded, share, support, heal, grow and thrive.

In work, rest and play.

Jonathan will be attending HOS this week with all of those things in mind.

There is a commercial objective too.

The desire is to meet interesting Founders, CEOs, investors and leadership teams, understand what they’re building and discover where BluZinc might genuinely be able to help.

A conversation at HOS might become a follow-up meeting.

That meeting might identify an important leadership or talent requirement.

A proposal might follow.

A new client relationship might begin.

Perhaps two or three years later, you’re looking back at another business that doubled, then doubled again.

You Never Know Where One Conversation Could Lead

Jonathan’s own chain started when Ben met Michael.

Michael introduced Jonathan to Zak.

Zak trusted BluZinc with three senior Bulletproof appointments.

Zak introduced Jonathan to Baby Bathwater.

That community created tens more relationships.

Many became clients.

Those people introduced still more people.

Eleven years later, the chain continues.

If you’re attending the Health Optimisation Summit in London this week, perhaps the most valuable thing you take home won’t be something you buy, a presentation you watch or something you write in your notes.

It might be a person.

Speak to somebody you haven’t met before.

Be curious about what they’re building.

Listen.

Share something useful.

Make an introduction when you can.

You don’t need to know immediately where it will lead.

You may only understand the significance of that conversation years from now.

If you’re attending HOS London this week, look out for Jonathan and say hello.

You never quite know where one introduction could take you.