Dr. Ivan Misner receives a Grand Indian Head Dress Honor in India

This was posted on Facebook by Ms. Misner and is very cool to watch!

President's Weekly Letter, Champions SoCal BNI

Woooooooo, CHAMPIONS!!!

Champions SoCal BNI went international today!! We welcomed two international guests that are in town to attend the International BNI Conference in SoCal this week. Bianca Kroon from the Netherlands and Tekst College and Fred van Zwieten, the Executive Director from Den Haag in the Netherlands as well. I had the honor of chauffeuring our two esteemed guests to and from the Hyatt and thoroughly enjoyed learning about them and then hearing their feedback about the Champions!!

Pictured at the right are Greg Beck, VP, me, Bianca Kroon, Fred van Zwieten, and Rosanne Grigsby, Secretary/Treasurer.

Bianca delivered to the Champions some of the best cookies I have ever tasted and the Champions chapter gave both guests a goodie bag filled with Champions swag. Today was truly a treat and we are soo happy that Bianca and Fred chose to visit our chapter. We also welcomed three other visiting BNI members...Randy Clement, a business attorney, Jim Reyes, a staffing services rep, and Liz Matthews, a Mary Kay cosmetics consultant! Stephanie Quick subbed for Doug Luchansky of ACI.


SMMs:
We called the Champions promptly at 7:45 and proceeded through the meeting with much excitement! The biggest hit of the day was the "Tabasco award" for the hottest SMM. Maurice Herron delivered the first SMM as the Tabasco winner from last week. The SMMs were all great and there were some VERY close encounters. In the end, Maurice chose Bo Lowe for his broken arm, stamped headed request for appreciation marketing. Next week Bo will go first and select his winner of the increasingly popular Tabasco award! Bianca and Fred plan to incorporate this idea into their chapter meetings in the Netherlands. I wonder if the have Tabasco there??


EC Moment:
Jim Sando reminded us in the EC moment that we are a sales organization and that we track stats. He encouraged us to reach out to those in the chapter that are in need of assistance delivering referrals and give them helpful tips to increase their volume.


VP and Membership:
The Champions, last week, passed 26 referrals, completed 62 1-2-1 meetings, welcomed 2 visitors, and achieved TYFCB of $12,944...Ka Ching!!


Keynotes: (video to follow)
Two terrific Keynotes were delivered by Ela Corcoran and Richard Lane. Ela spoke on aging. Ela's slogan is "how old you are is not her business...but how you age is!" Ela's keys to success are her drive, her faith, and her commitment. We are soo happy that Ela is a Champion.



Richard Lane spoke about his passion...computers. Richard skillfully outlined three key things to consider with respect to his services...Employ two screens, Have a good back up system, and configure your smart phone correctly. I recently bought a computer from Richard and he is the best. I know that Richard's message resonated with our guests! Bianca and Fred were trying to figure out how to buy a machine here and ship it to the Netherlands. Way to go Richard...visitors DO in fact buy!!



Stand and Deliver:
Fred gave his stand and deliver in his native tongue. Only two others understood...but Rutger said we were good!! Whew...

GRC:
Next week is a BIG week with stack day! Attention all business attorneys, hairdressers, and merchant service providers...WE WANT YOU to be a Champion!! Come to our meeting next week!!

The meeting was closed with an action quote from the late Robert F. Kennedy!

Make it a Champion Week!!

Harvey Mackay in SoCal, What a Treat

Harvey Mackay will be the guest speaker this Friday, November 12th at the International BNI Conference in Garden Grove, California. I have followed Mr. Mackay's sage wisdom throughout the years and have benefitted greatly from his advice on networking, relationship building, and professional selling. I read his "Shark" book early in my career in real estate and have incorporated his Mackay's 66 into my customer data base. Mr. Mackay writes a syndicated column that appears in the business section of the Orange County Register. Yesterday's column, in my belief, was quite timely on the subject of networking. The column, which you can read by clicking here, is entitled, Expanding Your Network Expands Your Business.

In the column referenced above, I particularly enjoyed the letters "R" "R is for reciprosity. You give, you get. You no give, you no get..." and "V" "V is for visibility. You've got to get involved in organizations and groups to get connected, but don't confuse visibility with credibility..." BNI members share the common "giver's gain" and "VCP" priciples with Mr. Mackay.

A You Tube Interview with Mr. Mackay on Networking:

A Brief Bio:

Harvey Mackay is the author of the New York Times #1 bestsellers Swim With The Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive and Beware the Naked Man Who Offers You His Shirt. Both books are among the top 15 inspirational business books of all time, according to the New York Times. In total, Harvey's books have sold 10 million copies worldwide, been translated into 37 languages and sold in 80 countries.

Harvey is a nationally syndicated columnist for United Feature Syndicate, whose weekly articles appear in 52 newspapers around the country, including the Chicago Sun Times, Rocky Mountain News, Orange County Register, Minneapolis Star Tribune and Arizona Republic.

He also is one of America's most popular and entertaining business speakers. Toastmasters International named him one of the top five speakers in the world.

At age 26, he purchased a small, failing envelope company in 1959 which has grown to a $100 million business employing over 600 people. MackayMitchell Envelope Company is one of the nation's major envelope manufacturers, producing 25 million envelopes a day. As chairman, Harvey's philosophy is engrained in the company, beginning with its motto: Do what you love, love what you do and deliver more than you promise.

Harvey is a graduate of the University of Minnesota and the Stanford University Graduate School of Business Executive Program. He is an avid runner and marathoner, and former #1 ranked tennis player in Minnesota.

He currently sits on the board of the Minnesota Orchestra and is a former director on Robert Redford's Sundance Institute and the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management. He has been a guest lecturer at various universities and business schools, including Harvard, Stanford, Michigan, Cornell, Wharton and Penn State.

Central to Harvey's business, and to his books, is the ability to stay competitive in the often cut-throat world of business, to 'swim with the sharks', without sacrificing one's personal integrity or doing it at the expense of other people. He does this by focusing on building strong relationships with both customers and employees.

In fact, Harvey is a master of networking. He believes most people make the mistake of only turning to their network when they need it; for example, when they're looking for a new job. Harvey says that networking is a lifelong practice that provides you with new knowledge and experiences, job security, expanded financial reach, and the strength of the group. The secret to maintaining a great network is, above all, knowing the value of the personal touch.

In spite of his hectic schedule, Harvey still finds plenty of time for family and fun. He's an avid golfer (11.4 handicap) and recently won the Super Senior Men's Championship at his home club in Scottsdale!

He and his wife, Carol Ann, have been married over 45 years, and enjoy spending time with their nine grandchildren. They are avid travelers, taking an annual trip to Italy, and planning upcoming tours of China and Africa.

President's Weekly Letter, Champions SoCal BNI

Woooooo, CHAMPIONS!

Today marked another great meeting with the Champions! We welcomed two visitors, Janell Ruck, an account executive with Merchant Services and Fred Chen, the VP and Manager of Preferred Bank in Anaheim. We were also honored to have Jay Fullman, a business attorney from La Habra and an active member of the Go Getters BNI chapter in La Habra and Marieke Hensel, the owner of Branding Personality, a star from Liaisons BNI and the wife of our very own Rutger Hensel. Rutger had a late night conversing with international clients, so Marieke subbed for him.

New Member:

Today was also highlighted by our first new member induction of the 2010-2011 term, and my first as President of the Champions...Douglas Luchansky of ACI. Doug's induction was enhanced by the presence of Patrick O'Kane who invited Doug to attend and his new mentor (Rutger), Marieke Hensel. Doug sells and services software for the manufacturing industry and should prove to be a great resource for our chapter. Welcome Doug!! Please schedule a on-to-one with Doug and learn about his vast knowledge of the Mass software system!

EC Moment:

Steven Stakley, our Head Mentor delivered the EC moment with a breakdown of the mentors and their mentees. The goal of the mentors this year is to follow a member from "cradle to rocking chair" with the same mentor, build our skills and retain our strong chapter membership!

VP and Membership:

Greg Beck reviewed the chapter's goal progress with one-to-ones, visitors, referrals, and TYFCB. Membership is considering two applications. Victoria, our Collette's Catering server, received the "spark plug" award and is officially the only non BNI member to achieve the honor. Our meetings wouldn't be the same without the diligence of Victoria!!

SMMs:

The Sales Manager Moments were crisp and pointed and the Champions are getting very good with the "ask"...critical in receiving quality referrals. The evidence of training is apparent in our delivery. Of note, Rosanne asked for intros to bankers that originate SBA loans...Chuck Tipton?? Jody Houseman would like introductions to interior designers as the holiday season is approaching and everyone wants to "spruce up" their homes.

Keynotes:

We were enlightened by two wonderful keynote speakers...Patrick O'Kane (his maiden voyage) of Turnkey Mortgage and Bo Lowe with Graceful Appreciations...a BNI vet but his first keynote since changing categories. Some irony existed as Patrick is now the home loan specialist of the Champions...Bo's old category. Bo doesn't know home loans anymore but Patrick certainly does!

Patrick explained the difference between a "captive" mortgage lender and a mortgage broker...Patrick's specialty. The primary difference is the fiduciary responsibility of the broker to the borrower in insuring the borrower gets the BEST loan. Patrick skillfully outlined great referrals for his services which include: a borrower that is upside down, your mom or dad or other relative, someone desiring a fix from a variable rate loan, a new home buyer uncertain how much they can afford, or a borrower in a pinch. Please work hard to deliver Patrick those referrals...he won't disappoint!

Bo Lowe eloquently listed the five reasons that clients look elsewhere for services: pricing, competitive offer, an unresolved conflict, a move, or a perceived indifference. Graceful Appreciation, through the Send Out Cards platform allows busy professionals to "thank" their clients for business and keep in touch with them on a personal level that faxes, emails, blog posts, or texts just cannot accomplish. My company, Lee and Associates Commercial Real Estate Services, is a believer and we are a satisfied customer of Graceful Appreciations!

GRC:

Dr. Hercules Real circulated a phone script which will be used as a follow up to the invitations that SoCal BNI emails. More to come on inviting...Don't forget, Stack Day is November 16th and we want to fill the room with Business Attorneys, Merchant Service providers and Hair Stylists. We grew exponentially last year with Stack Days and this year should be no different if we all invite, invite, invite!!

Secretary/Treasurer:

Rosanne Grigsby covered the monthly fee increase to $75 per month commencing November 1, 2010 and a special assessment for the months of December, January, and February. Members are encouraged to pay monthly, eliminate the quarterly payments to ease the payment vacuums. Thanks to all for your support!!

Announcements:

International Member Day is the 12th of November at the Garden Grove Hyatt! You don't want to miss this event!!

The meeting was adjourned with a quote and several members scurried downstairs for their committee meetings and one-to-one meetings!

Make it a CHAMPION week ya'll!!

BNIs International Conference in SoCal!!

From Jenni Nering, our Executive Director:

BNI's Int'l Conference is soon approaching and I'm excited to share that registration is now open for the once-a-year Members' Session Day.

Members' Session Day

At the BNI Int'l Conference

With Harvey Mackay

November 12th, 2010

Join us at BNI's 25th Anniversary Celebration! Network with over 600 hundred Directors and members from around the world!

Our keynote speaker is Harvey Mackay, syndicated columnist, and author of the #1 bestseller Swim With the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive. His newest book Use Your Head To Get Your Foot In The Door: Job Search Secrets No One Else Will Tell You, was released this year. Toastmasters International named him one of the top five speakers in the world!

The cost for this event is only $45.00 per person, including a continental breakfast, event manual, and BNI gifts. In addition to our keynote speaker, there will be numerous educational and informative breakout sessions.

The event will be held on Friday, November 12th, 2010.

Check-in & networking at 7:00am and program begins promptly 8am & concluding by 1:30pm.

It will be held at the Hyatt Regency Orange County, 11999 Harbor Blvd., Garden Grove, CA 92840, (714) 750-1234. Seating is limited! Tickets will NOT be sold at the door: you must pre-register!

Please note: Self-parking is $15.00 and valet parking is $19.00 at the Hyatt.

Important Registration Details:

Reservations can only be made online at www.bnievents.com.

Credit card payment required at the time of registration. Please print your confirmation receipt for your records.

No registrations will be accepted after 5:00pm on Friday, Nov. 5th.

If you have any questions, please contact Lonie Misner-Feigerle at Lonie@bni.com; 909.608.7575 ext. 129.

I will see you there!!!!

Jenni Nering

Executive Director

SoCalBNI

jenni@socalbni.com

888-476-5350 ext 3 (office)

www.socalbni.com