My husband Allan and I have a photography business called “Identity Headshots”; Allan is the photographer and I’m the business manager and chief brand strategist.
From left to right: Allan and Bernie Gojar
I first heard about BNI 3 years ago when the owner of the property we lease recommended that I speak to a friend of his who was a business insurance adviser. Though I had a policy in place already, I thought it wouldn’t hurt to check if I had the right cover.
My first taste of BNI
It turns out that our current business insurance policy was fine. During the conversation, I was asked by the adviser if I could be a substitute for him at his BNI chapter. I thought the idea of visiting a business networking group was a good one. I went along with no expectations and remember coming away having had a great time.
A few weeks after that visit a colleague suggested that it would be a good idea to visit a local chapter (we live in Milford on the north shore of Auckland) and see how BNI could work for us.
I found BNI Takapuna and was surprised to see one of my very good friends was a member. After two times, I had started to form a real connection to the group.
Like any small business, all costs are something we need to think about. We decided to join for a year to see what BNI could do for our business.
Sharpening one’s message
The first thing I realised about belonging to BNI was that the opportunities for personal development were endless. Week in, week out as a member at BNI, one has the valuable opportunity to improve his speaking ability.
Belonging to BNI Takapuna helped make our business proposition clearer, more specific and unique. By doing the 60 seconds, I learned how to present our business succinctly and more importantly, communicate our point of difference from that of our competitors. If the members at BNI cannot grasp my message, then I can improve the delivery of my message the following week
As my message became clearer and more focused, my business started to flourish. Not only did I experience an increase in business growth, but also, I developed strong business relationships with members as we all have the same objective in every meeting: to grow our businesses.
Building one’s confidence
In the years I have been in BNI, I have seen many business owners have gotten sharper with their 60 seconds as they learn to refine their message and build their confidence in public speaking. Even introverts blossom as they practice their presentations having been encouraged by fellow members.
Based on my experience, getting an invite to substitute was a great way to get a taste of BNI. When the chemistry is right, it leads to the substitute eventually joining the chapter. Growth then is experienced by the substitute (now a member) and the chapter as a whole. Everybody wins.
BNI Takapuna, Bernie Gojar’s current BNI Chapter
