Why You Should Build a Strong Circle of Friends and Acquaintances: The Power of an Entourage 

Something I noticed about all successful people is they all have a strong community around them. And I mean immediately surrounding them, sometimes literally when they make appearances. Whether you are a prince with advisors, a Japanese businessman, a film director, or even an abundant mother who has a lot of kids with help to raise them. Success looks similar to everyone in this sense. At the end of the day, you need people personally and professionally to be successful in anything you want to do. 

This post was sponsored by Dixon Etiquette.

Note: All the vlogs featured in this post feature spending time with friends and are examples of fun things to do together.

What Is A Friend?

You should have a strong social circle of friends and acquaintances or start working on creating one. This means people you can call any time whose sofa you can sleep on when you are in any situation and vice versa. These are people you genuinely care about and constantly catch up with just because. You might be on the same trajectory or simply have similar interests. No matter, there is no ulterior motive and you enjoy spending time with these individuals. 

Are Professional Friends Possible?

A majority of my friends I make are from going out to restaurants and events whilst I try to keep people at work at an arm’s distance. You can become friends with people you work with, but this only works if you spend a lot of time together at work and truly have natural banter together. I would not try to make friends at work, because I feel like part of being professional is keeping your personal life out of your work. It also depends on your work, but I would steer clear of this altogether. 

I live in Los Angeles, and when movie stars go out to premieres, they have an entire production team of glamour, stylists, and publicists training them on their appearance alone. Not to mention their manager, agent, life coach, accountant – all the people you do not see behind the scenes when preparing for a role. 

Depending on your work, you can make friends. For example, if you are in a creative situation like this, and you keep finding yourself admiring someone’s work. For instance, if they are a hair stylist and every time they touch your hair, you look amazing – you can become friends with this person and bring them for every project. 

This happened to me when I owned a clothing company. It took me months to find the perfect model. It was really stressful shooting handfuls of new people everyday. Coordinating people alone was a full time job. Which is why successful people in a business have an entourage of people helping you. They are called employees. Professional friends are possible, but I highly recommend keeping your social life separate to not blur these lines. 

What Is The Point Of Having Acquaintances? 

The allure of friendship is a wide breadth. Everyone is on some sort of journey and we are all  making friends along the way, some closer than others. A lot of the time you might find yourself seeing friends of friends at the same events, because you might not be close, but they happen to be tight-knit with your peers. You might not know them very well or you do not naturally have banter and that is okay. However, knowing this person is a benefit, because you can grow and one day understand them a bit better. This makes them closer in your relationship over time. 

My Acquaintance Who Turned Into A True Friend

I have a friend who I never fully understood, because he is older (though he does not look it) and he always happens to be at almost every single event. So far, he has always been ten steps ahead and is an all-around fabulous person who incessantly has something positive to say along with brilliant life and business advice. He is one of the individuals I look up to that has always been around, and we have become closer as I am striving for at least an ounce of his understanding of anything he does. 

Everything he touches turns to gold, whether it is with family, friends, or business. I blinked and suddenly 8 years have passed since we have known each other. We have grown closer and clapped for each other on our journeys especially because they have become more aligned as we grow older. 

You never know who you are going to meet and sometimes there are circumstances that unfold where you can introduce someone that is perfect for a situation. This is your moment to shine. When someone needs a date – you know someone. When someone wants to settle down – you know someone. When someone needs a job – you know someone. You are the ultimate connector from now on, and this is one of the ultimate ways to make immediate connections. I will have a post diving deeper on how to build a strong circle of friends and a generally infallible network. 

The Mistake Of Doing Things Alone

I used to do things all on my own and it was one of the hardest, most challenging times of my life. I lived alone in a far part of the city away from friends, travelled to different countries on my own, and studied on my own. Supporting yourself is extremely important to understand when you need to do things on your own and a part of adult life. However, you do not need to do this. 

When I got married, there was such a sense of relief that someone else could help me do basic things such as projects around the house that were difficult for me at the time. Especially since I have the strength of a mouse. Also, I was not as experienced in fixing sinks or talking to banks about finances without them wincing at me. I did not even have family to help me because they are so far away. I am the only one who stayed in Los Angeles. 

Being alone also forced me to make a name for myself, make contacts I admire, and grow with them. Being alone is fulfilling, but it is hard. You need people with whom you can celebrate wins with and share falls. 

You Are Being Isolated In Exchange For Money

A lot of people blame social media and the next generation for not actually wanting to go out. Teenagers have built less relationships than ever, because of phones, anxieties it builds in them, and more fear of things potentially happening in general. Seeing the world’s options makes you overthink and stunts you altogether for action.

Companies are taking advantage of this new problem by charging you more for delivery because your relationship with your grandparents is broken and your parents cannot cook or are around when you are hungry. You are not learning basic significant skills on your own without social media or understanding that healthy food is cheap when you step into the market and choose your own produce from a small mom and pop halal shop on the corner.

Rideshare apps such as Uber and Lyft are taking over the transactions on your bank statements, because you do not have friends who are willing to take you places whilst your car is getting fixed. 

Nannies. Yes. Nannies are costing a fortune, because we do not live in multigenerational housing where an aunt, grandma, sister, and cousin would watch the baby for an hour each and there was no such thing as burnout. It was a bunch of people being together as a community doing something they loved, because it is family. There was a study done that the cost of a nanny for one child helped the household, however the cost of a nanny for two children was actually losing money. 

Everyone Is Special And So Is Our Time With Them 

A lot of people in this day and age seem to be glamourising not liking other people and/or not wanting to go out. There are rising costs of things to do in the city and not everyone has the means to go out, which is perfectly okay. You do not have to spend money to see each other when you can simply visit each other for free. This is also a sign that you are truly friends and there for each other at the end of the day. 

Even if you are dragging your feet to get ready for an event, you always feel good after catching up with friends. Sure, traffic is bad, but you can never see people you love and respect too often. Before you know it, time flies and all your friends are getting married, having babies, or moving away. The last time you saw them was two years ago. You wasted two whole years of not seeing them when they were only 20 minutes away. That is the definition of a waste of time. 

We underestimate the power of people and also the idea that we can do more in a small amount of time. People are worth the effort, so make a point of that. Others will see this in you, how you value them and we are human so we always want to be around people who treasure us. If you want your friends and potential friends to see you as someone they can rely on, just show up and be that person for them. 

High-Value People Attract Other High-Value People

Successful people often bring a lot to the table—vision, influence, opportunities—and naturally, others are drawn to that. They end up forming a social gravity, attracting talented, loyal, and brilliant people around them. 

A lot of new people I meet are intrigued by my life, because of the level of conversation we are having. The truth is, I am simply an amalgamation of the friends I look up to. I have absorbed the things I like about them and sort of emulate them in my way. Not copying them, but learnt from them and all the good things they do that make their life better and apply it to my situation. 

Make your circle yours.

It took me years to curate my social circle, because I wanted to get to know people properly, and I was going through a lot on my own. You want to take your time to see friends, build friendships, and become closer. The slower the better, because you want to look back and think, It’s been 10 years? That is a great feeling. 

Finding others who like martial arts, have the same discipline of waking up a bit earlier and working smart as I like to try to, people who are similarly athletic but on different levels. Everyone has their hand in business, we love travelling internationally together, nobody in our group drinks, we all biohack, and we all have great taste in good quality things. 

We all do things for our grandchildren and understand that everything we do today directly affects them. It is tough to find friends who think long term like us. As a matter of fact, it is rare to find people who are looking out for the best in you in every way. 

I can talk about everything with these people and they do not judge my outlandish dreams, because they are already working towards even crazier things than I can imagine. These are people I can sit down to eat with whilst playing a match of chess, smoking a cigar, and laugh my butt off with. All you have to do is pick a day of the week. 

An Entourage Means You Have More Skills

The more connected and supported you are, the more you can focus on what you do best. Successful people delegate, outsource, and surround themselves with people who enhance their lifestyle, brand, and business. Think of it like having personal leverage—each person in their circle multiplies their ability to perform and expand.

I have a group of friends who used to be classmates, friends from my early 20s I had adventures with, and then my highest regarded friends who are my closest – role model friends. These are people I look up to and I have someone from every period of my life where I fought hard to learn something new, build myself in a different way, and meet wonderful spirits on that journey. 

You all have something special to offer and fabulous stories to bring to the table when you get together. Have you seen “Sex And The City”? All the girls are very different, but they love trying new places together, contributing fabulous ideas to Carrie’s column, and looking good whilst doing it. Varying fashion senses make your lunches more interesting. 

They’re not just friends—they’re strategic assets. The right entourage offers skills, connections, and access most people don’t have alone. I love people who make you see things from a different perspective. 

Friends Make You More Functional And Resilient

Life can be lonely, high-pressure, and chaotic. An entourage is not only functional—they are also emotional support. Having a circle means there is someone to confide in, get feedback from, and stay grounded with. You stay humble with good people around. It is hard to find people who 

1. Understand you 
2. Want to consistently spend time with you even though you have busy schedules
3. Can see things objectively and be honest with your situation

Treasure these people.

Your Circle Is Your Superpower

At the end of the day, life is not meant to be lived alone. Whether you are building a career, a family, or a dream, the right people around you make every goal more attainable, every setback more bearable, and every success more meaningful. An entourage is not about showing off—it is about showing up for each other. Creating a constellation of people who lift each other, pour into each other, and move forward together.

You do not need a massive crowd—just the right few who energize, inspire, challenge, and support you. The power of a strong circle is unmatched. It is not just networking; it is soul-working. It is building real relationships rooted in trust, shared values, and mutual growth.

If you take anything from this, let it be this: relationships are the strategy. Your entourage reflects your energy, your standards, and your vision for life. If you want to go far, go together. Start investing in your people —because your future is too bright to do it alone.

I have an entire post on how to make and keep friends here I think you will absolutely love. If I posted it together, this would have been too long.