RelationshipOps of the Week #22.
Marketing & Communications Agency
|
Mar 20, 2026
“What began as a simple introduction became one of the most important professional relationships of my life, and it continues to shape my business in meaningful ways.”
Lisa Mullis.
This week, we’ve invited an incredible leader who’s built her agency on clarity, connection, and long-game relationships.
And the leader is none other than… Lisa Mullis from Paraphrase Communications.
Lisa is a brand messaging strategist with two decades of experience helping experts, founders, and service-driven teams communicate with more clarity and conviction. Her work sits at the intersection of strategy and storytelling… guiding clients through high-stakes positioning shifts, offer refinement, and message development that actually reflects what they stand for.
She’s not about punchy taglines or surface-level polish. Lisa’s approach is thoughtful, relational, and rooted in helping people own their voice so they can lead with integrity.
And in this piece, she shares the story of one of the most pivotal client relationships of her career; one that started with a casual referral from her husband, a low-expectation meeting at Starbucks, and grew into a 20-year journey that still shapes her business today.
She also opens up about how she stays connected without turning it into a chore… and the relationship she believes is more important than any external one.
Let’s get into it…
Pivotal Connector.
Leonard Chin: What’s an instance when a relationship led to a big win or a really great opportunity for your business?
Lisa Mullis:
“Back in 2005, my husband had a colleague named John who ran an adventure-travel company. John needed design help and my husband mentioned that his wife was a designer. Even though it had all the markings of a “my cousin can do that” situation, John agreed to meet me as a favor to a friend. I know he walked into the Starbucks with low expectations (he told me as much later). But I did well enough to assure John I was a legit graphic designer, he hired me.
That one small project opened the door to a working relationship that’s evolved alongside both of our businesses for more than 20 years. I started as his designer. Today I advise on brand messaging, marketing strategy, and function in a fractional CMO role inside his company.
Beyond the work itself, John became a pivotal connector in my career. He referred clients who helped me grow quickly in the early years in my design business and then again when I transitioned from design to messaging and copywriting. He also modeled the kind of client I love working with: respectful, values-driven, collaborative, committed to excellence—and fun!
What began as a simple introduction became one of the most important professional relationships of my life, and it continues to shape my business in meaningful ways.”
Identity Shift.
Leonard Chin: What's your daily/weekly routine for maintaining relationships that help your business?
Lisa Mullis:
“My relationship-building rhythm has one rule: it has to fit into the natural flow of my day. If it feels like a chore, it won’t happen.
Because my marketing is relationship-based, I bake it into how I move through my week. I subscribe to my clients’ and prospects’ newsletters so I can stay close to what they’re thinking about and building. When something they write sparks a thought or a resource, I reply. Those replies take minutes, easily done in between meetings and projects, but over time they create a steady, genuine connection.
I also pay attention to who comes to mind during the week. If someone pops in my mind, I reach out. I don’t overthink it. I usually don’t have an agenda or something specific to pitch. I simply trust the nudge and drop them a line.
Bottom line is I look at relationship-building as how I show up in my business, not a special task I force myself to do on Wednesdays from 10am-12pm. That’s an identity shift I made a long time ago and it keeps the effort sustainable.”
Relationship With Yourself.
Leonard Chin: What tips would you give to your younger self around relationships and how they impact business?
Lisa Mullis:
“Relationships are the whole game in business. Not only the ones with clients, collaborators, and team members, but the one with yourself.
I underestimated that last part early in my career. I really tried to keep my personal and professional parts separate. I thought that was the best way to be, and I didn’t understand how much my mindset, confidence, and inner steadiness would shape the trajectory of my business.
I’d tell my younger self to prioritize and protect the most important relationship she’ll ever have—the one she has with herself. To invest in her own voice, values, faith, and well-being as diligently as she invests in her clients. Everything else grows from there.
The external relationships matter deeply, but the internal one determines how far you can go and how much joy and fulfillment you feel while on the journey.”
Key Takeaways.
From designer to messaging and copywriting expert, she might’ve gone down a completely different path if she hadn’t shown up to that meeting with John. And that’s the thing about relationships… you never know exactly where they’ll take you.
You just trust that if you keep showing up, they’ll lead somewhere cool.
We’re glad to have Lisa Mullis with us on this week’s series, and here are a few key takeaways…
A single introduction that made the difference: a long-term client, pivotal referrals, and a shift from design into strategy… all rooted in trust and mutual respect.
Weaving relationships into her daily rhythm… replying to newsletters, following intuitive nudges, and showing up consistently without a strict system.
Relationship with yourself. Nurture it because that inner steadiness shapes everything else in your business.
That’s all for now.
If you're open to sharing your experiences in one of our future articles… or know of someone who is, feel free to drop me an email here.
Author.
Leonard Chin
Follow me on LinkedIn.
Lisa Mullis.
This week, we’ve invited an incredible leader who’s built her agency on clarity, connection, and long-game relationships.
And the leader is none other than… Lisa Mullis from Paraphrase Communications.
Lisa is a brand messaging strategist with two decades of experience helping experts, founders, and service-driven teams communicate with more clarity and conviction. Her work sits at the intersection of strategy and storytelling… guiding clients through high-stakes positioning shifts, offer refinement, and message development that actually reflects what they stand for.
She’s not about punchy taglines or surface-level polish. Lisa’s approach is thoughtful, relational, and rooted in helping people own their voice so they can lead with integrity.
And in this piece, she shares the story of one of the most pivotal client relationships of her career; one that started with a casual referral from her husband, a low-expectation meeting at Starbucks, and grew into a 20-year journey that still shapes her business today.
She also opens up about how she stays connected without turning it into a chore… and the relationship she believes is more important than any external one.
Let’s get into it…
Pivotal Connector.
Leonard Chin: What’s an instance when a relationship led to a big win or a really great opportunity for your business?
Lisa Mullis:
“Back in 2005, my husband had a colleague named John who ran an adventure-travel company. John needed design help and my husband mentioned that his wife was a designer. Even though it had all the markings of a “my cousin can do that” situation, John agreed to meet me as a favor to a friend. I know he walked into the Starbucks with low expectations (he told me as much later). But I did well enough to assure John I was a legit graphic designer, he hired me.
That one small project opened the door to a working relationship that’s evolved alongside both of our businesses for more than 20 years. I started as his designer. Today I advise on brand messaging, marketing strategy, and function in a fractional CMO role inside his company.
Beyond the work itself, John became a pivotal connector in my career. He referred clients who helped me grow quickly in the early years in my design business and then again when I transitioned from design to messaging and copywriting. He also modeled the kind of client I love working with: respectful, values-driven, collaborative, committed to excellence—and fun!
What began as a simple introduction became one of the most important professional relationships of my life, and it continues to shape my business in meaningful ways.”
Identity Shift.
Leonard Chin: What's your daily/weekly routine for maintaining relationships that help your business?
Lisa Mullis:
“My relationship-building rhythm has one rule: it has to fit into the natural flow of my day. If it feels like a chore, it won’t happen.
Because my marketing is relationship-based, I bake it into how I move through my week. I subscribe to my clients’ and prospects’ newsletters so I can stay close to what they’re thinking about and building. When something they write sparks a thought or a resource, I reply. Those replies take minutes, easily done in between meetings and projects, but over time they create a steady, genuine connection.
I also pay attention to who comes to mind during the week. If someone pops in my mind, I reach out. I don’t overthink it. I usually don’t have an agenda or something specific to pitch. I simply trust the nudge and drop them a line.
Bottom line is I look at relationship-building as how I show up in my business, not a special task I force myself to do on Wednesdays from 10am-12pm. That’s an identity shift I made a long time ago and it keeps the effort sustainable.”
Relationship With Yourself.
Leonard Chin: What tips would you give to your younger self around relationships and how they impact business?
Lisa Mullis:
“Relationships are the whole game in business. Not only the ones with clients, collaborators, and team members, but the one with yourself.
I underestimated that last part early in my career. I really tried to keep my personal and professional parts separate. I thought that was the best way to be, and I didn’t understand how much my mindset, confidence, and inner steadiness would shape the trajectory of my business.
I’d tell my younger self to prioritize and protect the most important relationship she’ll ever have—the one she has with herself. To invest in her own voice, values, faith, and well-being as diligently as she invests in her clients. Everything else grows from there.
The external relationships matter deeply, but the internal one determines how far you can go and how much joy and fulfillment you feel while on the journey.”
Key Takeaways.
From designer to messaging and copywriting expert, she might’ve gone down a completely different path if she hadn’t shown up to that meeting with John. And that’s the thing about relationships… you never know exactly where they’ll take you.
You just trust that if you keep showing up, they’ll lead somewhere cool.
We’re glad to have Lisa Mullis with us on this week’s series, and here are a few key takeaways…
A single introduction that made the difference: a long-term client, pivotal referrals, and a shift from design into strategy… all rooted in trust and mutual respect.
Weaving relationships into her daily rhythm… replying to newsletters, following intuitive nudges, and showing up consistently without a strict system.
Relationship with yourself. Nurture it because that inner steadiness shapes everything else in your business.
That’s all for now.
If you're open to sharing your experiences in one of our future articles… or know of someone who is, feel free to drop me an email here.
Author.
Leonard Chin
Follow me on LinkedIn.