One trip = 100x ROI

Today, I’ve got a story. 

The one where a single trip made me 100x in ROI.

All because of one thing.

Showing up.

A couple of months ago, I touched down in New York.

A trip to see friends, shake hands, vibe a bit.

You know the drill. 

But there was more on my mind than just catching up.

See, there’s a company that’s a major player in Fintech based out of New York that I’d had my eyes on. And when I say “eyes on,” I mean I’d been relentlessly messaging the founder for months.

Not in a creepy, over-the-top way, but let’s just say “persistent” might be putting it lightly.

I knew what we could bring to the table.

It wasn’t just about ego. I’d seen their LinkedIn presence. Knew we could make it better, louder, more impactful. 

But here’s the thing about founders—they’re busy. 

And I wasn’t C-suite material in their contacts list; I had to work my angle.

Cue my point of contact at the company—a good guy but not the big decision-maker. I hit him up: “Hey, I’m in New York. You in the office?”

Next thing you know, 

I’m standing in front of their building, ready to knock. 

No calendar invite. 

No “scheduled meeting.” 

Just me, showing up.

Walked right up to the founder. Introduced myself. 

Told him I admired what he was building. No fluff, just raw respect for what he’d accomplished. 

The guy’s a legend. I reminded him—straight to his face—that I’d been messaging him. FOR MONTHS. 

“Got 15 minutes?” I asked. “Just give me two minutes to make it worth your time.”

He paused. Nodded. And that’s all it took.

And that Fifteen minutes turned into a half hour.

I showed him exactly what we do. 

Where his LinkedIn game was lacking. How he was getting played by a ghostwriter charging four times our premium package—and delivering meh results. 

The founder’s head was spinning. He knew I wasn’t talking out of thin air.

In the middle of our talk, he called in his Head of Partnerships. “Listen to Josh,” he said. Suddenly, gears were turning. What would it look like if we partnered? How would this work with our executive team? What if…?

All of it? Just because I showed up.

Hopped on a plane, walked up, and put myself out there.

That’s it. No perfectly timed email sequence. 

Crazy how one bold step can change everything.

It still makes me wonder—how often do we miss out just because we don’t take the shot.

If this hit home, you might wanna peep at my recent post. Here’s the link to the post.

I’ve talked more about taking these leaps in my last newsletter, DO BOLD SH*T

Oh, and here’s a snapshot from my trip to New York!

Till next Thursday, 

Josh 🥷