After years of avoiding vendor conversations, I learned that professional courtesy and direct communication create more value than ghosting. Weekly vendor conversations now provide strategic insights about the security landscape, early-stage partnership opportunities, and market intelligence that can’t be found in analyst reports.

Six years after receiving ‘Getting Naked’ during Slalom onboarding, I finally read it. The three fears that sabotage client loyalty - embarrassment, feeling inferior, losing business - hit hard. Being vulnerable is terrifying, but it’s also where growth happens.