In today’s world,
with freelancing and business building,
no offices and no office hours,
the line between business relationships
and friendships
can blur.
This can be dangerous.
If you believe someone is a friend,
you expect her to be there
for you
when you need her,
when you don’t have
anything to offer.
If she views your arrangement
as business,
she likely won’t be there
for you.
If you, on the other hand,
believe you have a business relationship
and she believes it is a friendship,
you will likely be the person
who ends up disappointing her.
She’ll have expectations
for you
you’re not willing to meet.
One of the tells
I look for
regarding this
is…
are you playing a role
in the relationship?
If you are,
it is likely a business relationship.
For example,
I am often a cheerleader.
That’s the part I often play
in business relationships.
In one small writing group,
the members talk about
how we are all friends.
We aren’t.
Because if I venture
outside of the cheerleader role,
I am ignored.
That’s all they want
me to be.
And they’ll mention it
often.
“K, you always look
on the bright side.”
F*ck no.
I don’t ALWAYS look
on the bright side.
That is merely all
you want to see from me.
It is my f*cking job.
If you’re uncertain,
track when the other person
reaches out to you.
Are they always looking
for one type of thing?
(In my case,
business relationship folks will reach out
when they need cheering up.)
If that is the case,
hey, that’s okay.
Business relationships are important also.
Merely know
THAT is the type of relationship
you have
and look for friendship elsewhere.
Note: This holds true
when the person is related
to you also.
If your sister ONLY
reaches out to you
when she needs business advice,
don’t expect her
to help you
when you need her.