The unseen skill that grows partnerships and revenue
What if every growth deal you closed started with giving instead of asking?
Scott Kelly, founder of Black Dog Venture Partners, joins Phil to share his hard-won lessons from three decades in deal-making—from Wall Street to startup boardrooms. If you’ve ever wondered why some partnerships thrive while others implode, this episode is a masterclass in the art of going first, building trust, and playing the long game.
You’ll walk away with:
✅ A battle-tested framework for vetting potential partners (and walking away from bad ones)
✅ Scripts and signals to look for in first meetings
✅ Mindset shifts that will change how you approach growth forever
Want to grow your business through smarter partnerships? Start with this conversation.
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👉 Connect with Scott Kelly.
🌐 Website.
Key Insights:
✅ Scott Kelly has over 30 years of experience in deal-making.
✅ Building relationships is crucial for successful partnerships.
✅ Trust but verify is essential in partnerships.
✅ Entrepreneurs should focus on relationships, not just transactions.
✅ Partnerships can help fill gaps in skills and resources.
✅ Patience is key in business and partnerships.
✅ Clear communication and managing expectations are vital.
✅ Reciprocity in partnerships leads to long-term success.
✅ Social media has changed how we approach networking.
✅ Partnerships provide opportunities for scaling businesses.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Black Dog Venture Partners
03:01 The Journey of Scott Kelly
05:56 Understanding Deal Making
08:49 The Importance of Partnerships
11:48 Building Successful Partnerships
14:46 Lessons Learned in Business
17:45 Navigating Difficult Partnerships
20:58 The Value of Relationships
23:50 Rapid Fire Questions
26:39 Final Thoughts and Reflections
Share this episode via text, social media or email. Copy and paste this link: https://philhsc.com/interviews/scott-kelly
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