World's Largest Referral Networking Organization

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in business development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Dr. Ivan Misner, founder of BNI (Business Network International), located in Charlotte, NC, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

BNI is a business and professional networking organization that helps people build their businesses through referrals. Our clients are entrepreneurs, business professionals, and salespeople for large companies. Last year, BNI chapters passed over 13 million referrals resulting in more than $20 billion (USD) worth of business for our members.

Tell us about yourself

How I got started in my business:

In the 1975 hit movie "Jaws," Martin Brody, the Police Chief of a small summer resort town in the northeastern United States, utters one of the most quotable lines in film history when he gets his first up-close look at the Great White Shark. As soon as he sees it, he slowly backs into the wheelhouse and says to Captain Quint, "You're going to need a bigger boat." This is the prototypical 'Brody Moment,' a shockingly unambiguous realization that the current resources are no longer a viable option to achieve the results you're looking for. I hope to explain how my Brody Moment came about. However, the most important thing is for you to think about "your" Brody Moment as you read about mine. Understanding your Brody Moment can help you think about your motivations and move forward successfully with your entrepreneurial endeavors.

My Brody Moment came at the end of 1985 after I had opened 20 chapters of BNI by accident - without a plan, without even trying. That's when I realized that I had struck a chord in the business community. I was a management consultant in Southern California, and I needed referrals for my consulting practice. I needed referrals for my own business, and I hoped that I would be able to refer some of my friends. So, I put together a group where we could start passing businesses to each other. I had previously gone to networking meetings that were incredibly mercenary, and everyone was trying to sell to me. I went to other groups that were totally social, with happy hour and hors d'oeuvres, but there was no business happening at those events.

I wanted something that had a focus on business without being mercenary and was relational but not transactional, something that wasn't totally social because I wanted that relationship-building aspect that led to business. Therefore, I created a network that I hoped would satisfy those two considerations. I wanted to merge that focus on business with the relational aspect, and the glue that would hold it together is the principal core value of Givers Gain® - the idea that if I help you and you help me, we will all benefit by working together. That one networking group led to another and another until there were twenty chapters within 12 months! That first year, I was method-acting my way through the process. I was figuring it out as I went. I was young - 28 years old, and I really thought most businesses had this figured out. The thing is, nobody had it figured out because we don't teach business networking in colleges and universities anywhere in the world. What I didn't expect to find was that everyone has this challenge, and THAT was my Brody Moment. BNI was an example of necessity being the mother of invention, and it helped a lot of businesses. At the end of 1985, I figured out that I "was going to need a bigger boat." This way of business networking was going to be much larger than I anticipated, so I sat down and created my business plan to scale the company.

In June of 1986, I had a goal in mind. I went to the library to gather information on populations. (Remember, at that time, there was no such thing as Google.) After extensive research and many calculations, I felt that BNI could have 10,000 chapters someday. Shortly after that, I told a friend that I thought there could be 10,000 groups someday. And he said, "10,000?" I replied, "Yeah, I think it's possible." Then he asked me, "And how many groups do you have now?" I answered, "30." He said, "And you think you could have 10,000?" "Yes, I think it's possible," I replied. To which he said, "It's good to have goals, Ivan." Yes, it was a big goal. And every year, near the end of December, I took time to reflect. I had read the book, "The E-Myth," by Michael E. Gerber early on and used that as a baseline strategy. I looked at what was working well and what didn't work at all. Each year, I adjusted my plan and revisited the small goals that were all striving toward that one big goal of scaling my company into a global enterprise.

In December 2020, we reached it - BNI had grown to more than 10,000 chapters! And we continue to grow, helping BNI members around the world do business through referral marketing.

My motivation:

Work in your flame, not in your wax. When you do things you hate to do, you are in your wax—meaning you are doing things that are sapping your energy. When you are doing things that you love with the people in your room - in your life, you are living in your flame. You are energized and excited. If you want harmony, strive to do things that are in your flame, not in your wax. Say yes to people and activities that make you feel alive, align with your values, and add harmony to your room.

Do you have daily rituals for work / wellness / fitness / mindfulness?

Exercise 5 days a week.
Healthy eating (no processed foods, sugar, beef, or cow dairy).
Contemplative meditation almost every day.
A glass of red wine every day at “wine o’clock.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Creating business opportunities for almost 300,000 people in more than 76 countries around the world. If BNI were a country, there would be 77 countries with a lower GDP than the amount of business we've helped our members generated just in 2022.

What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?

Hire slow and fire fast. I've lost more sleep over the people I've kept than the people I've let go. It was one of the hardest lessons I've learned over the years. When I first started managing teams, I wasn't aware of the importance of hiring slowly and firing fast. For me, it was more about getting people on board quickly to help with projects and then figuring out later if they were a good fit for the team.

At first, this seemed like an efficient approach. But over time, I realized that taking my time to find great team members would have saved me lots of stress and many sleepless nights. As they say: "It's easier to hire right than to fix it later." When I finally understood the wisdom behind "hire slow and fire fast," I had already gone through many difficult situations with employees who weren't a good fit for their roles.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

Do six things a thousand times. Not a thousand things six times. It's not about doing something so many times you finally get it right – it's about doing it so many times you can't get it wrong! The six things you need to do a thousand times are simple. You have to be willing to practice, learn from your mistakes, and repeat the same action over and over until you master it. This could involve taking classes or watching tutorials on specific skills such as coding or playing an instrument or simply practicing something like public speaking.
Ignorance on fire is better than knowledge on ice. Hire people that are on fire and have a great attitude. You can train them how to do the job. You can't train people to have a good attitude, and we don't have time to send them back home to mom to get retrained. Enthusiasm and interest are two traits that can't be taught. When you hire someone, it's important to look for a spark — something that shows that the person is eager and motivated to do the job. An individual who already has enthusiasm and energy for the role will be more successful than someone with experience but a lackluster attitude. It's also much easier to train an enthusiastic novice than it is to retrain someone whose skills have gone stale or whose attitude has deteriorated over time. If you hire people with a great attitude, your team will become energized and productive faster as they learn the tasks required of them.
Networking is more about farming than it is about hunting. It's about cultivating relationships with other people. Networking isn't about showing up at an event, exchanging business cards, and waiting for the perfect opportunity to come your way. Successful networking requires a long-term investment of time, energy, and effort in cultivating relationships with people who have the potential to help you further your career. Talk to people, ask questions, engage in conversations, and listen carefully. Don't forget to follow up afterward so that you can stay on top of your mind for future opportunities. Networking is an essential skill for anyone looking to advance their career or explore new business opportunities. It takes patience and dedication but can yield great rewards if done right!

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.bni.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ivan.misner
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drivanmisner/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/IvanMisner
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivanmisner/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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