“Your brand is what you say about yourself. Your reputation is what people say when you're not in the room. The fastest way to ruin both? Leading with a sales pitch instead of a real relationship.” - Mark J. Carter
What if the secret to growth, referrals, and real influence wasn’t your pitch—but your people?
In this episode, I sit down with Mark J. Carter—interviewer, author, and relationship marketing strategist—to unpack what it really means to build meaningful relationships. Spoiler: it’s not about handing out more business cards or sending cold DMs. It’s about how you show up, who you choose to help, and how you become unforgettable by actually giving a damn.
Mark shares how he built a career around intentional networking and curiosity, why “no like and trust” is still undefeated, and how your brand and reputation are created in the moments you’re not in the room. We talk LinkedIn outreach that doesn’t suck, how to ask the right questions, and what it takes to build a reputation worth talking about.
If you're tired of transactional networking and ready to build a business on trust, alignment, and authenticity—this one’s for you.
Transactional vs. Meaningful: Building long-term, value-driven relationships takes time—but the return is exponential.
The 90-Day Ask: Instead of pitching, ask: “Where do you want to be in 90 days—and how can I help?”
Brand vs. Reputation: Brand is what you say. Reputation is what they say when you're not around. Align both.
LinkedIn Done Right: Start with curiosity—“What exciting projects are you working on?”—and skip the sales pitch.
Build in Public: Interviews, podcasts, and informational outreach are some of the fastest ways to create authentic connections.
Mark J. Carter began facilitating mastermind experiences for entrepreneurs when he moved to Chicago in 2022 and never looked back. His unique brand of focusing on meaningful dialogue and action-oriented outcomes stands out from most mastermind groups that don’t set clear expectations and don’t provide a proven structure.
Mark has always been curious about how successful people got where they are in life. He has been interviewing and researching successful people for 25 years, in the last few years he’s published over 100 podcast and radio show interviews.
Mark still enjoys interviewing people and posts many of the interviews on his YouTube station (https://www.youtube.com/@markjcarter).
In 2022 Mark’s interviews culminated in his book, “Idea Climbing: How to Create a Support System for Your Next Big Idea”.
Learn more about Mark at www.MarkJCarter.com or https://www.linkedin.com/in/mjcarter/
