The Referral Bench

After two years of recording The Referral Bench Podcast, Phil and Ian did the impossible - they talked themselves out! After a lot of discussion and soul searching, Phil and Ian have decided to make this the final episode of The Referral Bench podcast. In today's episode, they discuss the past two years of episodes, what they've learned, and some key takeaways. Thank you for being a part of this journey with us. It's been a great ride, and we've both enjoyed it immensely. Don't forget to keep in touch! Check out today's episode and let us know your thoughts on our social channels! Get Social! Check out our Facebook page Check out our LinkedIn page Contact Phil & Firestorm Phil's LinkedIn Firestorm Website Contact Ian & Mission Suite Ian's LinkedIn Mission Suite Website

If your goals don't make you uncomfortable, they're probably not big enough. In today's episode of The Referral Bench Podcast, Phil and Ian talk about the importance of thinking big and how to set goals that will help you catapult to where you want to be. Check out today's episode and let us know your thoughts on our social channels! Get Social! Check out our Facebook page Check out our LinkedIn page Contact Phil & Firestorm Phil's LinkedIn Firestorm Website Contact Ian & Mission Suite Ian's LinkedIn Mission Suite Website

It feels like something that's so simple, but for some reason it's missed by so many people. If you look for ways to contribute and add value first, you'd be amazed at how far it can take you. Check out today's episode and let us know your thoughts on our social channels! Get Social! Check out our Facebook page Check out our LinkedIn page Contact Phil & Firestorm Phil's LinkedIn Firestorm Website Contact Ian & Mission Suite Ian's LinkedIn Mission Suite Website

I'm sure you're heard of The Golden Rule. I'm pretty sure that we all heard it over an over again growing up - "treat others the way that you would want to be treated". Well, today we're going to talk a bit about The Platinum Rule - "treat others the way that THEY want to be treated". It seems like that's the only rule worth paying attention to when you're doing business. Check out today's episode and let us know your thoughts on our social channels! Get Social! Check out our Facebook page Check out our LinkedIn page Contact Phil & Firestorm Phil's LinkedIn Firestorm Website Contact Ian & Mission Suite Ian's LinkedIn Mission Suite Website

We all have the tendency to make things hard on ourselves. It seems like it's in our nature to come up with the hardest way possible to do anything. In today's episode of The Referral Bench Podcast, Phil and Ian talk about just how simple networking and referrals actually CAN be. Check out today's episode and let us know your thoughts on our social channels! Get Social! Check out our Facebook page Check out our LinkedIn page Contact Phil & Firestorm Phil's LinkedIn Firestorm Website Contact Ian & Mission Suite Ian's LinkedIn Mission Suite Website

Gratitude can make a massive impact in your life. From the way that you show up for work, networking events, and pretty much everything else in your life to the way that you're able to develop connections. How has gratitude made an impact on you? Check out today's episode and let us know your thoughts on our social channels! Get Social! Check out our Facebook page Check out our LinkedIn page Contact Phil & Firestorm Phil's LinkedIn Firestorm Website Contact Ian & Mission Suite Ian's LinkedIn Mission Suite Website

Entrepreneurial Problem Solver with a bias toward technical solutions, Rob Broadhead has a wide range of experience and tends to choose pragmatic solutions more than the latest "whiz-bang" solution. He believes that a great solution to a problem you don't need to solve is not a solution. His broad experience helps him quickly assess companies and systems to find where to dig to get at the heart of where a system is robust and/or weak. He also brings solutions from other lines of business to new areas to leverage the experience of those who have already solved similar problems. He would rather find new uses for "the wheel" than reinvent it. Check out today's episode and let us know your thoughts on our social channels! Connect with Rob Rob's LinkedIn Get Social! Check out our Facebook page Check out our LinkedIn page Contact Phil & Firestorm Phil's LinkedIn Firestorm Website Contact Ian & Mission Suite Ian's LinkedIn Mission Suite Website

LinkedIn studied the way that 20 million users were able to use their connections to get jobs. The goal was to find out who was more effective in helping those users get connected to those jobs - close connections or loose connections. The results were really interesting. In today's episode of The Referral Bench Podcast, Phil and Ian discuss the study and talk about how you can use your loose connections more effectively to build your business. Check out today's episode and let us know your thoughts on our social channels! Get Social! Check out our Facebook page Check out our LinkedIn page Contact Phil & Firestorm Phil's LinkedIn Firestorm Website Contact Ian & Mission Suite Ian's LinkedIn Mission Suite Website

Gary Marco is an emerging leader in the personal growth and leadership development industry. He is an American author, coach, trainer, and speaker. His courage, persistence, and ability to overcome adversity helped him survive a poor and abusive upbringing to succeed in life. He has had a varied and exciting career. Gary has played both pro beach volleyball and professional golf at the minor league level. He has also worked and consulted with organizations as big as fortune 100 companies to small family-owned businesses. He was also one of only three coaches selected nationwide to work with leaders at the Centers of Disease Control. He has been writing, teaching, and training about leadership development and personal growth for almost twenty years. He is the founder of Gary Marco and Associates and Thought Innovators, companies dedicated to teaching, training, and equipping leaders on how to enhance their businesses and lives by improving their leadership skills and corporate cultures. “The true measure of success is not what you have accumulated in life but rather how your life has impacted others. You have succeeded when you have left the Maximum Positive Impact on those you lead or have influence with.” Check out Gary's Social Profiles Facebook Twitter Instagram Check out today's episode and let us know your thoughts on our social channels! Get Social! Check out our Facebook page Check out our LinkedIn page Contact Phil & Firestorm Phil's LinkedIn Firestorm Website Contact Ian & Mission Suite Ian's LinkedIn Mission Suite Website

The Referral Bench Podcast just hit 100 episodes! And to celebrate this milestone, we brought a couple of our past guests, Nate Jorgensen and Justin Davis, back for a conversation to look back over the past couple years in the world of business and networking to see how things have changed, and what's stayed the same. This was a really great conversation and we'd love for you to check it out and let us know your thoughts on our social channels! Get Social! Check out our Facebook page Check out our LinkedIn page Contact Phil & Firestorm Phil's LinkedIn Firestorm Website Contact Ian & Mission Suite Ian's LinkedIn Mission Suite Website

Let's face it - more often than not, our close friends and families never turn out to be our best referral partners. We know this to be true...whether we want to admit it or not. But why? Shouldn't they know how great we are and how much of an impact we can make? No doubt they do, but they also know all the other, less flattering aspects of our history, too. In today's episode of The Referral Bench Podcast, Ian and Phil talk about why our closest connections probably aren't the right people to talk to about sending business your way, and more importantly, who we should be talking to. Check out today's episode and let us know your thoughts on our social channels! Get Social! Check out our Facebook page Check out our LinkedIn page Contact Phil & Firestorm Phil's LinkedIn Firestorm Website Contact Ian & Mission Suite Ian's LinkedIn Mission Suite Website

Introverts tend to get a bad wrap when it comes to networking and business development - and often times, it comes from the voices in our own heads. What so many people forget, though, is that introverts can still make for powerhouse networkers without necessarily sacrificing their need to recharge on their own. In today's episode of The Referral Bench Podcast, Ian and Phil talk about some of the differences that we face when networking as introverts and the strategies and tactics that we can implement when we go out networking that will help those of us that classify ourselves as introverts still make a big impact. Check it out and let us know your thoughts on our social media channels! Get Social! Check out our Facebook page Check out our LinkedIn page Contact Phil & Firestorm Phil's LinkedIn Firestorm Website Contact Ian & Mission Suite Ian's LinkedIn Mission Suite Website

Every time you go to a networking event, it seems like there's at least one person there who's regaling everyone they meet with stories of their background, where they went to school, and who they worked for in the past. And for some reason everyone there seems like they're soaking it in...but why? In today's episode of The Referral Bench Podcast, Phil and Ian talk about why we seem to care so much about the backgrounds of the people we meet in business scenarios...and whether we should care. Check out today's episode and let us know your thoughts in the comments! Get Social! Check out our Facebook page Check out our LinkedIn page Contact Phil & Firestorm Phil's LinkedIn Firestorm Website Contact Ian & Mission Suite Ian's LinkedIn Mission Suite Website

In business, it's really easy to become a pretty one dimensional person - at least to the people around you. It's so easy to focus exclusively on business and business conversations and leave everything about who you are outside of business out of your conversations. It may seem natural, but what are you missing out on? In today's episode of The Referral Bench podcast, Phil and Ian talk about the value of letting people see the other sides of you that may not be related to your business. Give it a listen and let us know your thoughts on our social channels! Get Social! Check out our Facebook page Check out our LinkedIn page Contact Phil & Firestorm Phil's LinkedIn Firestorm Website Contact Ian & Mission Suite Ian's LinkedIn Mission Suite Website

We learn more from our failures than we do from our successes. Whether it's in business, in sports, or in life in general, failure provides us with lessons that we'd never learn otherwise. In today's episode of The Referral Bench podcast, Phil shares the story of his attempt at the Leadville 100, along with some of the lessons that it taught him. Give it a listen and let us know your thoughts on our social channels! Get Social! Check out our Facebook page Check out our LinkedIn page Contact Phil & Firestorm Phil's LinkedIn Firestorm Website Contact Ian & Mission Suite Ian's LinkedIn Mission Suite Website

A couple months ago, Phil and Ian talked about how to make a graceful exit from your network to avoid ruining the relationships that you've developed. In today's episode, Phil and Ian are talking about how to redevelop your network if your exit wasn't quite as graceful as you would have liked it to have been. Check out today's episode and share your thoughts on our social channels! Get Social! Check out our Facebook page Check out our LinkedIn page Contact Phil & Firestorm Phil's LinkedIn Firestorm Website Contact Ian & Mission Suite Ian's LinkedIn Mission Suite Website

One thing that's been proven time and time again is that getting referrals comes when you believe in what you're selling. But it doesn't work so well if you just believe in it because of the paycheck. If you really believe in what you're doing, and you're working for a company that you know can really serve the people that they work for, referrals flow so much easier. In today's episode of The Referral Bench Podcast, Phil and Ian talk about some of the issues with working with a company that you don't believe in, or doesn't have a reputation equal to yours, and how much easier it is to get referrals when you're doing something that you really believe in. Check out today's episode and let us know your thoughts on our social channels! Get Social! Check out our Facebook page Check out our LinkedIn page Contact Phil & Firestorm Phil's LinkedIn Firestorm Website Contact Ian & Mission Suite Ian's LinkedIn Mission Suite Website

When you reach a certain point of success, it becomes a lot easier to give back and help other people grow and build their success along with you. But how can you help others grow? In today's episode of The Referral Bench Podcast, Phil and Ian talk about some ways that you can use your success to help inspire other people, mentor other people, or just make connections for them. Check out today's episode and let us know your thoughts on our social channels! Get Social! Check out our Facebook page Check out our LinkedIn page Contact Phil & Firestorm Phil's LinkedIn Firestorm Website Contact Ian & Mission Suite Ian's LinkedIn Mission Suite Website

I know that as professionals, we always follow through with what we say we'll do...but sometimes people do forget, or maybe they just hoped that you'd forget. How do you hold them accountable? In today's episode of The Referral Bench Podcast, Phil and Ian talk about some ways to hold your referral partners accountable for making introductions that they say they'll make, and what to do if they ignore you. Check out today's episode and let us know your thoughts on our social channels! Get Social! Check out our Facebook page Check out our LinkedIn page Contact Phil & Firestorm Phil's LinkedIn Firestorm Website Contact Ian & Mission Suite Ian's LinkedIn Mission Suite Website

Consider this Festivus and it's time to air out some grievances! We all have those networking pet peeves that make us roll our eyes and today's episode is all about those pet peeves. Sure, it's cathartic to vent our frustrations with networkers but, more importantly, our hope is to help identify the things that frustrate other people so that you can figure out if you need to do some fine tuning in your networking game. Do you have any networking faux pas that you want to share? Let us know on our social channels! Check out today's episode and let us know your thoughts on our social channels! Get Social! Check out our Facebook page Check out our LinkedIn page Contact Phil & Firestorm Phil's LinkedIn Firestorm Website Contact Ian & Mission Suite Ian's LinkedIn Mission Suite Website

I'm sure you've heard the old saying that we are the average of the people that we spend the most time with. Who are you spending your time with? In today's episode of The Referral Bench podcast Phil and Ian talk about how to think about the people who you're spending time with - are they challenging you and helping you grow? Check out today's episode and let us know your thoughts on our social channels! Get Social! Check out our Facebook page Check out our LinkedIn page Contact Phil & Firestorm Phil's LinkedIn Firestorm Website Contact Ian & Mission Suite Ian's LinkedIn Mission Suite Website

Tim was born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA. He realized he wanted to live in Colorado when he was a 10-year-old boy watching Wild America on PBS. Tim studied mechanical and biomedical engineering and received both his BS and MS in from the University of Colorado at Boulder. During that time he was a National Science Foundation Fellow developing curriculum and teaching science and engineering to K-12 students. He always wanted to learn and teach others how stuff works using hands-on approaches. Tim's first job after grad school was in forensic biomechanics - investigating how trauma to the human body occurred. After a few years he returned to healthcare. In his 15+ year career in healthcare as an engineer, administrator, and entrepreneur, Tim has focused on using digital technology to improve how people move. He began his study of Transactional Competence with Influential U over tens years ago and has applied it to create a healthcare innovation program and a digital health startup, as well as run a clinical department. He's now faculty and a client manager at Influential U where he again gets to learn and teach others how stuff works, this time through business education. He practices what he preaches and applies the Influential U methodology to referrals and sales and any exchange with other human beings. Tim also has certificates in Bioinnovation and Entrepreneurship, as well as Entrepreneurial Studies, from the CU Graduate Business School. He's a graduate of the Bovine Metropolis Theater Imrov School where he's performed in shows and brought the audience to the verge of laughter. He's also a Distinguished Toastmaster. And, he developed and leads a program at Rose Medical Center called “Becoming Dads” to help men prepare for childbirth and being the father of a newborn. Tim lives with his wife Kara and two daughters 6 and 3 years old, in Denver, Colorado. He loves spending time with his family, especially outdoors. His favorite outdoor activities are mountain biking and climbing trees. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tnicklas/ Influential U website: https://influentialu.global/ Free tools mentioned in podcast: https://influentialu.global/tools/ Check out today's episode and let us know your thoughts on our social channels! Get Social! Check out our Facebook page Check out our LinkedIn page Contact Phil & Firestorm Phil's LinkedIn Firestorm Website Contact Ian & Mission Suite Ian's LinkedIn Mission Suite Website

There are some places that just don't really have great networking groups. So, if you live in one of those areas, how do you build a good referral network? Well, starting your own group is always a good way to go! In today's episode of The Referral Bench Podcast, Phil and Ian talk about how to start your own networking group if there just aren't any good options for you where you're doing business! Here's the link to download Phil's PDF on how to start your own networking group! https://www.myfirestorm.com/start-your-own-networking-group Check out today's episode and let us know your thoughts on our social channels! Get Social! Check out our Facebook page Check out our LinkedIn page Contact Phil & Firestorm Phil's LinkedIn Firestorm Website Contact Ian & Mission Suite Ian's LinkedIn Mission Suite Website

Slumps. The Yips. Lost Mojo. Whatever you want to call it, we all go through it eventually. In today's episode of The Referral Bench Podcast, Phil and Ian talk about what to do when you find yourself in one of these slumps. How to understand it, how to deal with it, and, most importantly, how to get out of it. Check out today's episode and let us know your thoughts on our social channels! Get Social! Check out our Facebook page Check out our LinkedIn page Contact Phil & Firestorm Phil's LinkedIn Firestorm Website Contact Ian & Mission Suite Ian's LinkedIn Mission Suite Website

We've all been hearing a lot about a pending recession. Whether or not it's actually coming is something that remains to be seen, but those of us who've been through these types of things in the past have seen just how important it is to have a solid network to rely on to continue to grow your business regardless of what the rest of the economy does. In today's episode of The Referral Bench Podcast, Phil and Ian talk about the benefit of having a strong referral network when we see these occasional dips in the economy. Check out today's episode and let us know your thoughts on our social channels! Get Social! Check out our Facebook page Check out our LinkedIn page Contact Phil & Firestorm Phil's LinkedIn Firestorm Website Contact Ian & Mission Suite Ian's LinkedIn Mission Suite Website

Hindsight is 20/20, we all know that. If you were able to have a conversation with yourself at 21 years old and just starting your career, what advice would you give? In today's episode of The Referral Bench Podcast, Ian and Phil talk about advice that they would have given themselves at the beginning of their careers and how it could've impacted them and their businesses now. Check out today's episode and let us know your thoughts on our social channels! Get Social! Check out our Facebook page Check out our LinkedIn page Contact Phil & Firestorm Phil's LinkedIn Firestorm Website Contact Ian & Mission Suite Ian's LinkedIn Mission Suite Website

Sometimes it's easy to let our "wins" go unnoticed. That might seem like the natural course to just keep pushing forward, but it's also a recipe for networking burnout and the mistaken idea that "networking doesn't work". In today's episode of The Referral Bench Podcast, Phil and Ian talk about all the different ways that networking can be hugely beneficial and identify some wins that you may not see right off the bat. Check out today's episode and let us know your thoughts on our social channels! Get Social! Check out our Facebook page Check out our LinkedIn page Contact Phil & Firestorm Phil's LinkedIn Firestorm Website Contact Ian & Mission Suite Ian's LinkedIn Mission Suite Website

Accountability can be a huge challenge, especially given the fact that networking can be so engaging that sometimes it's pretty easy to let the real purpose for it slip away. In today's episode of The Referral Bench Podcast, Ian and Phil talk about how they stay accountable to really using networking to actually grow their businesses. Check out today's episode and let us know your thoughts on our social channels! Get Social! Check out our Facebook page Check out our LinkedIn page Contact Phil & Firestorm Phil's LinkedIn Firestorm Website Contact Ian & Mission Suite Ian's LinkedIn Mission Suite Website

Some relationships just don't work out. It's true in life, it's true in business, and it's true in networking. But with all of this talk of "not keeping score" when it comes to networking, how do you know when it's time to cut the cord in a networking relationship and just let it fade away? In today's episode of The Referral Bench Podcast, Ian and Phil talk about how they make those decisions, and how to deal with it when you have to do so. Check out today's episode and let us know your thoughts on our social channels! Get Social! Check out our Facebook page Check out our LinkedIn page Contact Phil & Firestorm Phil's LinkedIn Firestorm Website Contact Ian & Mission Suite Ian's LinkedIn Mission Suite Website

In a lot of places, there are enough networking opportunities to fill your calendar every day of the week. But how do you know which ones are actually worth pursuing? In today's episode of The Referral Bench Podcast, Phil and Ian talk about how to determine what's going to be a good event or networking meeting, and the ones that are just going to be duds. Check out today's episode and let us know your thoughts on our social channels! Get Social! Check out our Facebook page Check out our LinkedIn page Contact Phil & Firestorm Phil's LinkedIn Firestorm Website Contact Ian & Mission Suite Ian's LinkedIn Mission Suite Website

Over the past couple years, the world has definitely changed. We've felt it in our personal lives and our business lives. But how do we move forward to make sure we're successful regardless of the environment we're in. The hybrid networking model isn't new, but now it's probably really here to stay. So how do you make the most of networking in a hybrid environment? Check out today's episode and let us know your thoughts on our social channels! Get Social! Check out our Facebook page Check out our LinkedIn page Contact Phil & Firestorm Phil's LinkedIn Firestorm Website Contact Ian & Mission Suite Ian's LinkedIn Mission Suite Website

We're willing to bet that just about anything good in life can be traced back to networking or referrals. In today's episode, Phil and Ian walk back a couple particularly important relationships in their lives to their origin point to see how the value of relationships can really make a lifelong impact. Check out today's episode and let us know your thoughts on our social channels! Get Social! Check out our Facebook page Check out our LinkedIn page Contact Phil & Firestorm Phil's LinkedIn Firestorm Website Contact Ian & Mission Suite Ian's LinkedIn Mission Suite Website

Tom Ramar is a performance-driven global enterprise leader with a successful track record of driving business growth in digital technology services and consumer goods dedicated to fostering maximum performance while creating an atmosphere of teamwork, velocity and execution. Tom started his professional career by enlisting in the Navy and attending Naval Cryptology School. After graduating at the top of his class, he was deployed to serve the Fleet in several capacities, supporting the NSA. Upon completion of his initial enlistment, he put himself through college (UCSD) using the GI Bill and enlisted in the Navy Reserve. After college, his professional opportunities led him largely into technology companies and consumer goods, where he excelled at Sales, Business Development and Operations roles. Concurrently, he was commissioned as an officer in the Navy Reserve, eventually deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) working with II Marine Expeditionary Force in Al Asad Iraq, consistently rated as the #1 officer in his peer group, eventually retiring as a Lieutenant Commander. Currently, he leads sales for one of the most innovative organizations in the Application Security space, as well as advises for private equity and cyber risk management companies. Check out today's episode and let us know your thoughts on our social channels! Get Social! Check out our Facebook page Check out our LinkedIn page Contact Phil & Firestorm Phil's LinkedIn Firestorm Website Contact Ian & Mission Suite Ian's LinkedIn Mission Suite Website

Change happens. And sometimes that change requires developing new connections and leaving some of your old connections behind. But, like everything else in life, there's a right way to do this and a wrong way to do it. In today's episode of The Referral Bench Podcast, Phil and Ian talk about how to handle it when you have to move on from your current network, as well as some ways other people have done it that went very very badly. Check out today's episode and let us know your thoughts on our social channels! Get Social! Check out our Facebook page Check out our LinkedIn page Contact Phil & Firestorm Phil's LinkedIn Firestorm Website Contact Ian & Mission Suite Ian's LinkedIn Mission Suite Website

After earning a B.A. in psychology and spending a decade as a business owner in the performing arts Stacy was ready for a transition. Since 2019 she has enjoyed using her creative strategic and relationship-building skills to connect partners and bring both market awareness and new business to Fusion Legal & Tax. During off-hours you can find Stacy singing at a private event practicing her French engrossed in the latest binge-worthy TV series or exploring beautiful Colorado. Check out today's episode and let us know your thoughts on our social channels! Get Social! Check out our Facebook page Check out our LinkedIn page Contact Phil & Firestorm Phil's LinkedIn Firestorm Website Contact Ian & Mission Suite Ian's LinkedIn Mission Suite Website

Opportunity can be difficult to see at times. Being able to pursue it sometimes just means choosing to do so. In today's episode of The Referral Bench Podcast, Phil and Ian talk about the opportunities that are all around us and how we can apply the same idea to our referral connections. Check out today's episode and let us know your thoughts on our social channels! Get Social! Check out our Facebook page Check out our LinkedIn page Contact Phil & Firestorm Phil's LinkedIn Firestorm Website Contact Ian & Mission Suite Ian's LinkedIn Mission Suite Website

Everyone's on LinkedIn but most people aren't using it well, and they're typically not getting the results that they would expect to. In today's episode of The Referral Bench Podcast, Phil and Ian talk about how they're using LinkedIn to make connections, get referrals, and get results! Check out today's episode and let us know your thoughts on our social channels! Get Social! Check out our Facebook page Check out our LinkedIn page Contact Phil & Firestorm Phil's LinkedIn Firestorm Website Contact Ian & Mission Suite Ian's LinkedIn Mission Suite Website

Standing at a towering height of 4' 11”, Tish has always had a unique perspective on the world. She was a puzzle prodigy by the age of 4, learned chess at 5, performed her first oil change (solo) on a car at 8, full brake job by 12, and had rebuilt a carburetor from start to finish at 15. In High School as “queen of the geeks” she ran the chess club and took state her junior and senior years in team and individual competition. With great power comes great responsibility, so she used her chess skill to hustle extra money while she put herself through college to get her degree in graphic design. While she was working in the printing industry, Tish watched many epic failures of customers doing their own marketing, and decided needed to do something about the lack of common sense in design and small business. So she started Apexd by Design, her own Brand Experience Design business in 2015. Her love of cars and games has been as steady as her lack of filter between her brain to her mouth, all of which have gotten her into some great opportunities and also in some interesting predicaments over the years. She owns 3 vintage Fiats which she does most of the work on herself, is owned by 5 cats (don't ask how that happened), and met her boyforever Logan at her weekly board gaming group Get Social! Check out our Facebook page Check out our LinkedIn page Contact Phil & Firestorm Phil's LinkedIn Firestorm Website Contact Ian & Mission Suite Ian's LinkedIn Mission Suite Website

Tracking the value of a relationship can feel a little transactional and a bit counterintuitive, but it can be really important to make sure that you're focusing your time and attention on the relationships that are generating the best results. In today's episode of The Referral Bench Podcast, Phil and Ian talk about some of the ways that you can effectively track your referral relationships and make sure you're achieving your goals. Check out today's episode and let us know your thoughts on our social channels! Get Social! Check out our Facebook page Check out our LinkedIn page Contact Phil & Firestorm Phil's LinkedIn Firestorm Website Contact Ian & Mission Suite Ian's LinkedIn Mission Suite Website

If your only goal with networking events is to use them as a prospecting channel, then your efforts are bound to have a diminishing return. That doesn't have to be the case, though. If you take the opportunity to use networking events as a channel to help you deepen your relationships you'll find yourself getting something even more valuable than a single client out of your events. You'll get stronger referral partners who will help you grow far beyond that. In this episode, Phil and Ian talk about their perspectives on how to continue to get more referrals, even if no one new is showing up to your events. Check out today's episode and let us know your thoughts on our social channels! Get Social! Check out our Facebook page Check out our LinkedIn page Contact Phil & Firestorm Phil's LinkedIn Firestorm Website Contact Ian & Mission Suite Ian's LinkedIn Mission Suite Website

In today's episode of the Referral Bench Podcast, Phil and Ian talk about how to track the impact and effectiveness of the networking events that you're going to. Check out today's episode and let us know your thoughts on our social channels! Get Social! Check out our Facebook page Check out our LinkedIn page Contact Phil & Firestorm Phil's LinkedIn Firestorm Website Contact Ian & Mission Suite Ian's LinkedIn Mission Suite Website

All networking isn't created equal. Whether your focus is trying to find new clients or on trying to find referral partners, the different goals of networking can make you stick out like a sore thumb. Both goals are fine, as long as you navigate the terrain well...and don't end up being "that guy". In today's episode of The Referral Bench Podcast, Phil and Ian talk about the difference between going to a networking event for prospecting and going to an event to build your network. Check out today's episode and let us know your thoughts on our social channels! Get Social! Check out our Facebook page Check out our LinkedIn page Contact Phil & Firestorm Phil's LinkedIn Firestorm Website Contact Ian & Mission Suite Ian's LinkedIn Mission Suite Website

Any healthy relationship needs boundaries, and that includes our relationship with our businesses and the activities that we pursue to build that business. It can be really easy for that relationship to become unhealthy pretty quickly. In this episode of The Referral Bench Podcast, Phil and Ian talk about how networking can become unhealthy, and how to set healthy boundaries to make sure your efforts stay successful. Check out today's episode and let us know your thoughts on our social channels! Get Social! Check out our Facebook page Check out our LinkedIn page Contact Phil & Firestorm Phil's LinkedIn Firestorm Website Contact Ian & Mission Suite Ian's LinkedIn Mission Suite Website

In this episode of The Referral Bench Podcast, Phil and Ian dissect the anatomy of a referral that Phil brought to Ian from both sides - Ian's side as the person being referred, and Phil's side as the person doing the referring. Check out today's episode and let us know your thoughts on our social channels! Get Social! Check out our Facebook page Check out our LinkedIn page Contact Phil & Firestorm Phil's LinkedIn Firestorm Website Contact Ian & Mission Suite Ian's LinkedIn Mission Suite Website

It's easy to get lost in the planning when you're trying to figure out how to start to develop your network and ultimately close new business. In today's episode, Ian and Phil talk about why sometimes you just have to start taking action. Check out today's episode and let us know your thoughts on our social channels! Get Social! Check out our Facebook page Check out our LinkedIn page Contact Phil & Firestorm Phil's LinkedIn Firestorm Website Contact Ian & Mission Suite Ian's LinkedIn Mission Suite Website

The right questions can be the lynchpin of a successful referral relationship. In this episode of The Referral Bench Podcast, Ian and Phil talk about why they're important and the right kind of questions that you should be asking. Check out today's episode and let us know your thoughts on our social channels! Get Social! Check out our Facebook page Check out our LinkedIn page Contact Phil & Firestorm Phil's LinkedIn Firestorm Website Contact Ian & Mission Suite Ian's LinkedIn Mission Suite Website

The only way that you can develop relationships is to show people who you really are. In today's episode, Ian and Phil talk about why it's so important to be "fearlessly authentic" when it comes to the relationships that you're trying to develop. Check out today's episode and let us know your thoughts on our social channels! Get Social! Check out our Facebook page Check out our LinkedIn page Contact Phil & Firestorm Phil's LinkedIn Firestorm Website Contact Ian & Mission Suite Ian's LinkedIn Mission Suite Website

When you go to networking vents, there are almost always ways to make them more productive if you actually know who's going to be at the event that you can connect with. In this episode, Ian and Phil talk about why it's important to know who will be there, and how you can find out. Check out today's episode and let us know your thoughts on our social channels! Get Social! Check out our Facebook page Check out our LinkedIn page Contact Phil & Firestorm Phil's LinkedIn Firestorm Website Contact Ian & Mission Suite Ian's LinkedIn Mission Suite Website

In today's episode of The Referral Bench Podcast, Phil and Ian talk about why it's important to do more than just show up to networking events and networking groups, and actually get involved in the ones that you're going to. Check out today's episode and let us know your thoughts on our social channels! Get Social! Check out our Facebook page Check out our LinkedIn page Contact Phil & Firestorm Phil's LinkedIn Firestorm Website Contact Ian & Mission Suite Ian's LinkedIn Mission Suite Website

In today's episode of The Referral Bench Podcast, Phil and Ian talk about what they use as prompts to reach out to the different people in their referral networks. Check out today's episode and let us know your thoughts on our social channels! Get Social! Check out our Facebook page Check out our LinkedIn page Contact Phil & Firestorm Phil's LinkedIn Firestorm Website Contact Ian & Mission Suite Ian's LinkedIn Mission Suite Website

In today's episode of The Referral Bench Podcast, Phil and Ian talk about how to focus on the right activities to show get the results you're looking for. Check out today's episode and let us know your thoughts on our social channels! Get Social! Check out our Facebook page Check out our LinkedIn page Contact Phil & Firestorm Phil's LinkedIn Firestorm Website Contact Ian & Mission Suite Ian's LinkedIn Mission Suite Website