BNI Heartland's Regional Podcast

Executive Director Vince Vigneri and Regional Director Brandon Souba share how much of your success depends on how active and involved you choose to be in your business and in BNI.

Executive Director Vince Vigneri, Regional Director Brandon Souba, and Omaha Area Director Ray Huse discuss the importance of keeping a clear mind when considering drinking at networking and social events.

Regional Director Brandon Souba and Simone Douglas, Executive Director of BNI Adelaide North in Australia discuss questions that make the GAINS Exchange conversational, and can help you get more out of your next One to One. For Simone's full blog on this topic with all 20 questions, click on this link.

Executive Director Vince Vigneri and guest Peter Higgs, Executive Director of BNI Birmingham in the UK, encourage us to examine what we are focusing our energy on, especially if we aren't quite reaching our expectations of excellence.

It's beneficial to have a sub at a meeting when you cannot attend, but some people have evolved into "professional substitutes" that attend meetings regularly. Regional Director Brandon Souba and Area Director Ray Huse discuss some concerns about choosing them to sub for you.

Bharat Daga, an Executive Director for BNI in India, sits down with BNI Heartland Executive Director Vince Vigneri to share three essential aspects of referral networking.

Regional Director Brandon Souba and Omaha Area Director Ray Huse revisit the topic of CEUs from a previous podcasts with updates on where to find material and how to track your activity.

Executive Director Vince Vigneri and special guest Mark Graber from the BNI Innovation Task Force discuss how using elements of play can lead to creative solutions and make problem solving fun!

Ever have a member tell you they would like to use your services, but they're not ready yet? Regional Director Brandon Souba and Omaha Area Director Ray Huse have some suggestions on how you can help them get ready.

In this podcast, Regional Director Brandon Souba and Executive Director Vince Vigneri discuss how growth in your business and growth for your BNI chapter are linked, and they offer some tips to help with both areas.

Regional Director Brandon Souba and Omaha Area Director Ray Huse update our look at VCP for 2020 with some suggestions on how you can "level up" in the process.

BNI Heartland member Jessica Pierce won a spot on a recent BNI Cruise as part of last year's Membership Extravaganza. She tells Regional Director Brandon Souba about the experience and why everyone should pay attention to those incentives!

Swearing is a part of our language and human habits. But does it belong in BNI? How about outside of your meeting? Regional Director Brandon Souba and Executive Director Vince Vigneri discuss this and more. Thanks to NPR's "Stuff You Should Know" podcast for insight and information used here. Originally presented in BNI Heartland Podcast #36

Regional Director Brandon Souba invited BNI Central Virginia Director Donna Kunde to speak about how the messages and materials of BNI can impact non-members by sharing how it helped her son.

Executive Director Vince Vigneri joins the podcast to talk about 4DX with Regional Director Brandon Souba. Find out how these four discplines and their execution relate to BNI and your business.

At a recent chapter meeting, Regional Director Brandon Souba and Omaha Area Director Ray Huse heard a member describe BNI as a "fast pass" for their business. They develop this idea further in this podcast, and talk about what it takes to make the fast pass work.

BNI Heartland Executive Director Vince Vigneri joins Regional Director Brandon Souba to share what he learned and experienced at the recent 2019 BNI Global Convention in Warsaw, Poland.

There are different types of referral givers. How are you looking out for opportunities for your fellow members? In this podcast, Regional Director Brandon Souba and Omaha Area Director Ray Huse discuss how to change your approach and mindset to find more referrals.

Regional Director Brandon Souba's special guest on this podcast is BNI South Carolina Lowcountry Executive Director Ron Kirby. From Ron's experience launching and growing chapters in his region, he's heard many reasons for not wanting to join BNI. In this podcast, he shares five of those reasons, and his responses to them.

We have heard "specific is terrific" in BNI. In this podcast, Heather Venenga Whipple from Professional Connections in Watertown, SD tells why she switched from a popular classification to something more specific, and how she sees it benefitting her and the chapter.

As the holiday season approaches, some chapters will choose not to meet in observance, and so members can spend time with their families. Regional Director Brandon Souba and Omaha Area Director Ray Huse have some ideas on how to keep your business and BNI in members' minds when you know you won't be meeting.

Executive Director Vince Vigneri and Regional Director Brandon Souba go back to BNI basics in this podcast. They discuss why the GAINS Exchange is important and how it will help you build relationships with other members more quickly, leading to more referrals.

BNI Heartland Executive Director Kris Vigneri and Regional Director Brandon Souba describe how BNI Chapters are formed through the Core Group process. They talk about what it takes to get things going, and some of the benefits of being a founding member of a chapter.

Regional Director Brandon Souba and Omaha Area Director Ray Huse describe how an invitation to a BNI meeting can be an excellent introduction of your business to a potential client.

Regional Director Brandon Souba and Executive Director Vince Vigneri tackle the question whether a member should have a One to One with a visitor, and how that individual meeting may be more of an interview. Find out what meeting up with a visitor can mean for your chapter - and your business.

Regional Director Brandon Souba welcomes Executive Director Kris Vigneri to our podcast for the first time. She has played an important role behind the scenes with BNI Heartland for years. Find out why she was invited to BNI as an HR Director, and her part in our continuing growth and support throughout the region.

Regional Director Brandon Souba and Omaha Area Director Ray Huse discuss how stepping out of your comfort zone to attend networking events that are directed toward a different industry can benefit your business. How does that make sense? Givers Gain has something to do with it.

Sometimes we find it hard to hold our friends accountable. In this episode, Regional Director Brandon Souba talks to Omaha Area Member Karissa Williams of the Multiply Your Profits Chapter about a time she held her friend accountable and how she is now helping raise funds for this friend's son with Cystic Fibrosis. To learn more or to donate, go to https://finest.cff.org/omaha/Donate/Index/1039305?submit=continue

BNI Heartland Executive Director Vince Vigneri ad Regional Director Brandon Souba share some details about our upcoming fall growth incentive and... competition? Chapters - get ready to go head to head with others throughout the Heartland region.

Has it been a while since you looked at your Power of One Report? (It's been a while since we did a podcast on it! Look up Episode #90 for that one.) This podcast features BNI Heartland Executive Director Vince Vigneri joining Regional Director Brandon Souba to discuss the elements of BNI's Power of One Report, what it measures, and how improving your score there helps you and your business.

Jodi Freeman, member of BNI Business Boosters chapter in Lincoln, NE and Regional Director Brandon Souba tell the story of how Jodi's dream came to life at her chapter meeting, and grew through the connections and efforts of the members. Find out more about Jodi's mission at https://www.facebook.com/DreamCatchersRide

Executive Director Vince Vigneri and Regional Director Brandon Souba discuss how this famous motto applies to your BNI activities - and your business.

Throughout our BNI Heartland area, we've heard chapters say they're "focused on quality of visitors and not quantity." While this sounds good, not having enough visitors also poses challenges. Regional Director Brandon Souba and Executive Director Vince Vigneri discuss the importance of both quality and quantity of visitors in this podcast.

BNI Heartland member Chuck Mathias from Effective Connections in Cheyenne, WY first encountered BNI in India. He talks to Regional Director Brandon Souba about the similarities, differences, and some things we all can learn from each other.

There are some words and phrases we've found to be more effective than others when it comes to inviting people to visit your chapter. Inspired by the BNI Passport to Success program, Regional Director Brandon Souba and Omaha Area Director Ray Huse discuss some phrases you might want to avoid, and some to use, when you're looking to invite.

Regional Director Brandon Souba and Executive Director Vince Vigneri go back to the basics with this podcast. They take a solid look at why BNI was founded and why everyone joins - REFERRALS.

As BNI members, we have connections to a wide variety of professionals. Regional Director Brandon Souba and Omaha Area Director Ray Huse remind us not everyone has this kind of network, and how to talk about it to help you refer others.

The middle of the year is a great time to assess your annual goals. Regional Director Brandon Souba talks to member Yvette Morehouse of Southwestern Consulting about three things you can do to help you re-focus and reach your goals.

BNI Heartland Executive Director Vince Vigneri and Regional Director Brandon Souba discuss what you might be saying nonverbally in your meetings, one-to-ones and other networking situations. They mention some behaviors to avoid, and some tactics to opening up communication.

Are you approaching your BNI activity as a task that needs to be accomplished or a box to check? Executive Director Vince Vigneri and Regional Director Brandon Souba enourage you to look deeper into the purpose of what we do to feel more fulfilled and driven, and they discuss the purpose of several BNI activities.

Regional Director Brandon Souba talks to member Jordan Van Maanen of BNI Referrals In Action chapter in Sioux Falls, SD. Jordan shares a method he used to make connections through BNI to find referrals outside of his group, and even outside our region!

Regional Director Brandon Souba and Omaha Area Director Ray Huse continue their discussion on meeting substitutes. This time the focus is on what steps your substitutes can take to help you stay top of mind with your chapter members and build your credibility.

Regional Director Brandon Souba and BNI San Francisco Bay Executive Director Mike Macedonio share insights and tips for entrepreneurs and others who find themselves working in sales, and may not be entirely comfortable with the process. Get more of Mike's tips at bni-educationalvideos.com

In this podcast, Regional Director Brandon Souba and Omaha Area Director Ray Huse discuss some good resources for finding substitutes for you at your BNI meeting. They also discuss why it is important to get them your weekly presentation in advance when possible. Look for a future podcast for more on how to train substitutes.

Regional Director Brandon Souba once again joins up with Executive Director Vince Vigneri to provide encouragement and ideas for members who would like to see greater quality or quantity of referrals from their BNI chapter. Brandon and Vince refer to Mike Rayburn who recently spoke at the BNI U.S. Conference. More information on Mike and his "What If?" challenge can be found at https://mikerayburn.com

Regional Director Brandon Souba and Executive Director Vince Vigneri talk about the importance of not inviting people to your chapter with a mindset of desperation, and point to some places to find the inspiration needed to be successful.

Why should nonprofit organizations join BNI? In this week's podcast, Todd Bradwisch of Professional Partners Chapter in Sioux Falls, SD tells Regional Director Brandon Souba some of the benefits Special Olympics South Dakota has found as BNI members.

BNI Heartland Regional Director Brandon Souba and Executive Director Vince Vigneri have an in-depth discussion about the "Three E's" that explain why businesses prefer to work by referral.

BNI Chicago Executive Director Rachel Cherny joins Brandon to discuss why letters are still an effective way to invite visitors. But to work, it's more than just a mass mailing effort. She describes a system of inviting that has been proven to be successful.

Executive Director Vince Vigneri joins Regional Director Brandon Souba to share more details about our strategic plan for the year. They look deeper into some things that were presented at our Regional Awards events, and look to the future with BNI at the local, national, and international level.

Regional Director Brandon Souba's special guest on this podcast is Dawn Lyons, Executive Director of BNI in the San Francisco Bay area, and co-founder of Asentiv. She shares a simple method that can help you make better testimonial statements when presenting, and when referring other members.