EPISODE 29 - The Seb Rusk Show : BNI International Founder, Dr. Ivan Misner - Business Networking

SPEAKER_01 0:29

Oh, yeah, it is that time again. What is happening, everybody? I'm your host, Sebastian Rusk. As always, welcome to the show. I am really excited about my guest this week. This individual has built the world's largest networking organization over the past 32 plus years. It's called BI International. CNN has titled him the Godfather of Modern Networking. I firmly believe that your network is your net worth. And we're going to take a deep dive into what networking is all about and how this whole B I thing came to be. So, friends, without any further introduction, could you please help me welcome to the show, founder and chief visionary officer of B I International, Dr. Ivan Meisner, welcome to the show. Thank you. It's great to be on the show. It's really uh great to uh to to to see you briefly uh again, uh just a few moments ago and uh and finally get you on the show here. I know we chatted about doing this uh a few years back, and uh finally we're able to make that happen. So once again, thanks for your time.

SPEAKER_02 1:34

Yeah, it's my pleasure. This is the fun part of what I do.

SPEAKER_01 1:37

It really, really is. So for our listeners uh that that may have absolutely no clue or idea what B I is, um uh let's let's let's give a little history and how this how this how this all starts what it is and how it all started.

SPEAKER_02 1:53

Yeah, so BI is a business and professional networking organization. We allow one person per profession uh to join one of our groups. Uh they get together every week and they pass each other referrals. Uh it's really that simple. We have uh 8,116 chapters in um almost 75 countries around the world. Uh last year we passed 8.8 million referrals for our members and generated 11.1 billion with the B, $11.1 billion worth of business for our members all over the world. And so it's a referral organization, and we get together weekly. We literally have over 8,000 meetings a week all around the world.

SPEAKER_01 2:30

And I am part of one of them.

SPEAKER_02 2:33

And it's it's awesome to have you as part of one.

SPEAKER_01 2:35

Uh it's really exciting. It's been quite the journey. Um, well, I'll never forget uh walking into um it was a networking event, the networking nights uh events that they do on a monthly basis here uh in Miami. And I thought, wow, this is really cool. Everyone's dressed nicely. They have a name tag on, everyone's got business cards. People seem to see this seem like they're very eager to be here to give and get business. This is awesome. What is this all about? And then as I continued to learn more and more about it, it all made perfect sense. But I remember meeting you a few years back. Um we were at the director's conference in in Long Beach, and and and you telling me um, you know, you you never imagined that BI was going to end up what it is today. So so if we can let's back up to the early days, um to the to the very first um meeting that you had or idea to be able to get together for breakfast um uh with a few other professionals.

SPEAKER_02 3:26

Yeah, and so that that's a true statement. The first the first year of B and I, I had no idea that it was going to turn out to be a global organization. I was just looking for some referrals for my consulting practice. I was a management consultant, and and we don't teach this in colleges and universities anywhere in the world. We don't teach networking or referral marketing. I went to some groups that I felt were really mercenary. They were just about doing business, and you'd go home and you feel like you needed a shower because you've been slimed by people just trying to sell to you. And then I went to some groups that were so social, it was all about happy hour and drinks, and there was really no business done. And I was looking for something that merged the two that was about building relationships, but was also about some structure and had some accountability. And so I created BI and I created BI so that I could get some referrals for my consulting practice and so I could help my friends get business. And um, what I was really taken back by was that, you know, early on with that first group, we had someone who came to me and said, God, this is great. I could get a ton of business out of it. Would you help me open up my own group? Because we only take one person per profession, she couldn't join. And Sebastian, I actually said to her, and I don't I don't say this a lot, but I actually said to her, no, no, this isn't what I do. I'm a business consultant. I do management consulting. She said, Well, this is a kind of management consulting. You're helping me in my business. Like, yeah, okay, fine. So we opened up a second chapter, and we had a bunch of people come. Two couldn't join because of a conflict. They said, Wow, this is great. Would you help me open up my own group? And I said, No, this isn't what I do. I'm a business consultant. And they made the same argument. I said, Okay. At the end of a year, we had 20 chapters without trying. And I was like, wow, what just happened? And I realized that um this is a classic example of necessity being the mother of invention, that um that people desperately need referrals and they don't know how to generate them. And so uh it was at that point, Sebastian, that I did, in fact, sit down, create a plan. I did believe that this could be national. I wasn't quite thinking international then, but I felt that this could be a national organization at the end of that first year. And that's when I created my business plan for building BNI. And now we have 8,000 chapters. You said you went to a conference. Was it I I'm trying to remember, it was an international conference.

SPEAKER_01 5:49

Yes, that was the International Directors Conference in um, I believe that was October 2015.

SPEAKER_02 5:55

Yeah, uh it would be uh November uh 2015. And and um and it's like going to a United Nations meeting because you see these flags from all over the world and all the accents and languages. It's really it is uh it's humbling to see um what B and I has become. It really is.

SPEAKER_01 6:16

Yeah, and that that that was the biggest eye-opening experience for me because um I was really there to to get a peek behind the curtain on what is it really, what what what do what are what are all the mechanics that are involved with going from member to actually director. Um, but then most important, I also it was a huge eye-opener for me to see what a big deal BI Miami Date is, because we were book solid with dance cards for seven days straight of people that were just eager to learn about what we were doing in Miami to be one of the fastest growing franchises um throughout BI. So that Miami's great.

SPEAKER_02 6:53

And by the way, I haven't said this to anybody, but I think I'm gonna be there in October. Nobody knows this, so keep it just between you and I, okay.

SPEAKER_01 7:00

I'm gonna keep, I'm definitely keeping it between you and I, I promise. Um as I cross my fingers. Uh speaking of that, actually, I talked to um uh Jeff Stay briefly uh last week and let him know you were gonna be on the show. And uh uh he said uh he goes, Well, see if if Ivan can uh can can chat about the the member education aspect of of of being a B and I member and and and I I wanted to bring this up now because you had just said you know they don't teach this in school. And now that I'm back in as a member of B and I, uh went from m member to vendor back to back back to member. Um I I I see that there's so many. I just took MSP again and I was told because I did it once, I didn't have to do it again. But I thought, you know what? My buddy Will Dukes is teaching it, and nobody does it better. So I want to do it again.

SPEAKER_02 7:46

And I really man, I'm I'm I'm proud of you. That that is the right attitude is to go back and and brush up, you know, sharpen the saw.

SPEAKER_01 7:54

I, you know, I walked out of there with a brand new 30-second commercial and a tip from a who I believe Will Dukes is a seasoned pro that said, there's no need for you to introduce your name and your company at your own chapter every single week. You're eating up seconds of your commercial. If your fellow members don't know you, then that's a problem in and of itself and probably a one-to-one deficit on there. But if we could chat for a couple minutes about what BI has really been able to develop as far as an educational platform for its members, specifically our upcoming uh leadership uh training uh and member educations coming up next week, actually. Uh so it's pretty timely of this interview here. But if we can just chat for a few minutes on on really the importance of that for for members and and and how you guys started to say, you know what, we need to start providing as many tools and resources as possible to members.

SPEAKER_02 8:45

Well, you know, like I said, we don't teach this in colleges and universities anywhere in the world. I have 10 years of university and not one single class was ever available on business networking. I mean, we maybe talked a little bit about networking in one class, but just very briefly, and no skills were given. Uh it was just all about the university that you you're at and how you know you're gonna build a network. And that was it. Um and so I I think um early in the process, I started writing uh so that we could provide content. I wrote what is considered the very first book ever written on business networking back in 1989. Uh, and um have been writing books ever since. And so as a result of all that content, we actually have in our BI meetings an education coordinator each week who talks uh about uh how do you build your business through networking, uh, specifically in BI. I have over 500 podcasts that I have done at BNIpodcast.com. I've done more than a thousand blogs. I've got 22 books, most of them on networking or business. Um, and so there's there's more content. I remember when we first started doing the education coordinator, they were saying, What do we talk about? There's, you know, there's not a lot of stuff. Well, you can't say that anymore. Education coordinators have a just a ton of content. And and if you are in business, nobody's ever taught you be a sponge, pick up this material, learn from your chapters, and sharpen, sharpen your axe, sharpen your your your soul.

SPEAKER_01 10:16

Yeah, most definitely, and I mean I I see how highly engaged. I mean, LTME, I think happens twice a year uh down here. But I I love showing up at six o'clock in the morning. Call me crazy. Uh but I love you're correct. Um but I love showing up at six o'clock in the morning, knowing for a fact that I am going to be under the same roof with another fellow five or six hundred members, because of course we do it over the course of two days. And if you go for both days, you're and it's a great opportunity to really nurture those relationships that I felt that I've been carefully cultivating over the past five years and you know, life and schedules that just happen, it's it's tough to reconnect even with people that are outside of your chapter. So it's a great opportunity to reconnect with people, but then also really dig in, put a pencil to paper, uh, and sharpen the skills of, and I thought, wow, I'm getting excited. It's next week. I wonder what uh what uh what class I'm gonna go and take. And it's great because it's like this, it's like this volunteer education, but it and at the end of the day, it's it's it's in it's affecting my business.

SPEAKER_02 11:13

Um it is, and that's why we do it. It's to help uh our members with their business. You know, um Benjamin Franklin once said that if you empty your purse into your head, uh you'll gain something that no one can ever take away from you, and that's education. Well, you know, certainly in B and I, you don't have to empty your purse into your head. There's so much content that's free or really inexpensive, like uh the books, um, that can help you um be the most successful person that you can be.

SPEAKER_01 11:41

Absolutely. Uh so in 2015, that was kind of the year uh that um that uh it was kind of a year of a transition for you as as as Graham came in. You moved the business from Southern California uh to North Carolina and and assumed a new role as as chief visionary officer and founder of BI. That was a couple years ago, so lots happened in in 24 months. What what what's transpired since the since since all of the new changes and implementations to BI?

SPEAKER_02 12:10

Well, listen, I I think an entrepreneur is either working in their flame or working in their wax. And when they're in their flame, they're on fire, they're excited, they love what they're doing, they're passionate about it, you can hear it in their voice, you can see it in the way they act.

unknown 12:23

Sure.

SPEAKER_02 12:23

When they're working in their wax, it just takes all their energy away. It you can hear that in their voice, you can see that in their behavior. And so um I my advice to the listeners is you know, find your flame and focus on it. What I did um uh a few years ago, two and a half years ago, was really the next step of staying with my flame. I was tired of dealing with um, you know, listen, you build a global company out of your garage. I I built my company, I am the the perfect garage to to global story.

SPEAKER_04 13:02

Sure.

SPEAKER_02 13:02

You know, I it it started in in an office just above my garage, and my garage is where I started B and I. And, you know, we're now in more than 70 countries. So um when you when that happens, you just there's a lot of stuff you deal with that you don't particularly enjoy. Like if I never have to talk to another litigation attorney for the rest of my life, I'd be really happy. So, and even the accountants, it's like uh, you know, this isn't why I got into business, is to deal with accountants. So um I so I wanted to do my flame. And by bringing in um basically partners into my organization, they love it. They app Graham loves the stuff that became my wax over time. You know what my flame is, Sebastian? What we're doing now. This is my flame.

SPEAKER_04 13:48

Sure.

SPEAKER_02 13:48

I I I love doing interviews, I love writing, I love talking to members, I love talking to the public. I love teaching people how to build their business through referrals. That's my flame. And so that's why I did what I did so that I can spend the overwhelming majority of time now working in my flame, not my wax.

SPEAKER_01 14:06

Love it. Absolutely. That was and I that that kind of goes to the thing of like when if you find yourself doing something you don't want to do, then then hire somebody that likes to do it, right?

SPEAKER_02 14:16

Exactly.

SPEAKER_01 14:17

Um and uh well that that's that that that's fantastic. And I commend you on on continue to follow your passion and B and I continues to grow as you do that. So it's amazing that when you stay in your flame, things continue to grow um because you're aligned with it. So that's that's that that's fantastic. Um what what motivates you?

SPEAKER_02 14:34

So, you know, I am uh working in my flame certainly motivates me. Um I'm a real believer that nobody can motivate me. I have to motivate myself. And so by putting myself in situations where I uh feel motivated, uh that's what I try to do. So uh, you know, at the same time, some people are listening to this and they're in a different place than I am. I'm you know 61 years old. I've had 32 years of running BI. So I like to tell people though, I'm a 20-year overnight success. It it took me 20 years to build what what I would really consider to be a successful, truly successful business. Um, so you know, I think I think what motivates me is to be able to do the things I'm really passionate about. And and if you're not there and you're listening to this and you're going, well man, that's easy for him to say. Just just know it took a long time to get where I am. And and that I recognized many years ago that you gotta do what you gotta do to get to do what you want to do. And I put in 30 years before I am really a hundred percent where I want to be. Uh, you know, I think three years ago I was 70% of where I wanted to be, but still in the wax a lot. And um, and so it just takes time. Hopefully it won't take 30 years for everyone listening, but um, it takes time. What so what motivates me is doing the things I'm passionate about and things like this.

SPEAKER_01 15:58

Awesome. Um, who are your mentors? If any.

SPEAKER_02 16:01

Yeah, no, listen, I think everyone has mentors of some kind or or other. I'm I'm working on a a public edition of a book uh um called Who's in Your Room? We did a version for B and I. And um, you know, you can have um uh you can have mentors through reading as well as personal mentors. Uh so I've got you know real life and blood mentors that I've met, and I have mentors that um I have um have become mentors through reading their material. In a few occasions, they've crossed over, which is really awesome. I've gotten to know them. Uh I think my mentors begin with my parents. Uh I had great, great parents. I had a, you know, my I certainly got my work ethic from my dad. No question about that. He was a hard-working guy. Um, blue collar, uh, but hard working guy. And and and really smart. I mean, I remember I was 17 years old. I'm missing the handyman gene. You have to under you have to understand. I can't fix anything. I mean nothing. Me either. Yeah. So if I put a tool belt on, my wife was like, whoa, baby, that's like hot. I mean, I've never seen you in that. So uh, so but my dad could fix anything. Anything. He was just amazing. I remember I was 17 years old. He brought me out to the garage. He put his hand on my shoulder and he he said, Son, you better go to college because you're never gonna make a living with your hands. I'm like, all right, dad, that's cool. I can I I can do that. And, you know, he was right. My passion was different than his, and he and he was completely good with that. Um, and if I, you know, if I have any people skills at all, it's from my mother. So they were absolute mentors uh in that way. But other mentors, uh, you know, early on in my professional career, it would have to be uh Michael Gerber, who wrote the book, The Emith. Sure. And, you know, I I talked briefly about the crossover where, you know, you you uh you have a mentor, a a you know, a book mentor, a reading mentor that you read and I read his stuff and the emith and and and other material that he's done, and and I had a chance a few years ago to meet him, and we're now really good friends. Uh and um that that is amazing to be able to be in that situation. But Michael Gerber's a mentor, Jack Canfield, who wrote Chicken Soup for the Soul, I consider a really good friend and a mentor. And and uh I've met I've met Richard Branson probably six or seven times, and um absolutely have gone to school on um him and some of the things that I've seen him do, which have been amazing. Um so those are a few of my personal mentors.

SPEAKER_01 18:36

Yeah, it was funny. I I had um, I don't know if you know who Marie Forlio is, but um I had her on the show uh a couple of weeks ago, and she said she said, I I have no mentors. And I said, because I I just I I feel like I'm a I feel like I'm a sharp girl, and if I need something done, I have a big network of people and a tribe and I know exactly who to go to, and that's kind of my my my my mentor. So I always ask, who are your mentors, if any, now moving forward?

SPEAKER_02 19:00

Yeah, I think that was an answer I probably gave uh 20 years ago. Um it was, you know, I just kind of pushed forward. Sure. But I've learned over time that um you you do listen, I can't speak for her, I can't speak for anyone, I can speak for myself. I've learned that there are many things I've learned from people.

SPEAKER_04 19:21

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 19:22

And um if if being a mentor means, as it does to me, learning from others, then I have realized in the last 15, 20 years that I do in fact have a number of mentors, even though you know, if I asked Jack, you know, do you consider me a mentee of yours, he'd say no. Uh, you know, he can he he considers us friends. Um and the same with Michael. I'm not sure they can, but I'd like to think that I have mentored them in some ways and that they have mentored me in some ways.

SPEAKER_01 19:55

Yeah, it's definitely a reciprocal process sometimes. It can grow into that, most most definitely. What would you say the biggest lesson that B and I has taught you?

SPEAKER_02 20:05

Oh gosh, where can I begin? I mean, hold on a second, you're gonna grab my notebook. There are so many lessons um that B and I has taught me. I think the earliest lesson uh is that of um collaboration. And and and I say it's the earliest lesson because it was, you know, it was a relearning of of something that my mother taught me many years ago. And as a matter of fact, sitting here on my desk is a paperweight that my mother gave me when I was a teenager. And it says, diplomacy is the art of letting someone else have your way. I love that. Diplomacy is the art of letting someone else have your way. Now, I think it's important to understand that this is all about, for me, this is all about collaboration, not manipulation. It's about learning how to be diplomatic with people and to guide and coach the conversation in a way that is a win-win scenario. And I think B and I um has really helped me with that because you know, you you're you're on a chapter level, you're dealing with 30, 40, 50 people, our biggest groups have 100 people. You better learn how to get along in the in the sandbox.

SPEAKER_04 21:17

Sure.

SPEAKER_02 21:18

If you can't get along in the sandbox, you've got some real challenges. Yeah. But you go outside of that and you've got a region, uh, and then you've got uh a state, and then you've got a country. And now you're talking about countries. And when you have 8,000 groups, quarter of a million members, you'd better learn how to interact effectively. You you better develop amazing emotional intelligence if you're gonna be effective at B and I. And I think that's probably the biggest lesson.

SPEAKER_01 21:45

Sure.

SPEAKER_02 21:46

Because because I, when I was a young man, I gotta tell you, when I was a young man, Sebastian, I thought fascism was a legitimate management technique. You know, it's not. Right. You know, let me tell you what to. Do. This is it. And that's not a really good way to manage people. And you know, you you kind of learned that the hard way.

SPEAKER_01 22:05

Yeah, talking at people versus talking to people.

SPEAKER_02 22:08

Right.

SPEAKER_01 22:09

Yeah. Do you do you think that social media has had an had an impact on the on the growth of B and I uh as a whole? Yeah, no question.

SPEAKER_02 22:17

And and and people, you know, it's really funny that many people, especially the media, traditional media, uh thinks or says to me, wow, hasn't, you know, hasn't um social media hurt you? I said, well, let me tell you, let me give you a statistic. Uh our first 11 years of BNI, we opened 500 groups. So from 1985 to 1996, we went from one chapter to 500 chapters. And it's uh widely believed that the internet, the beginning of the internet was roughly in 1996. So the the wide just uh um participation in the internet began in around 1996. So from 1996 to 2007, the next 11 years, we went from 500 chapters to 5,000 chapters. Wow. So yes, the internet definitely has impacted B and I, but it's impacted it in a very positive way. And I think one of the reasons for it is the technology flattens the communication hierarchy. It enables B and I members from around the world to connect with me directly through multiple mediums, like the one we're on. You and I are in different parts of the United States, and we're having this conversation on via computer, uh, and we're recording it, and it's gonna go online, and it's you know, many, many hundreds or thousands or tens of thousands of people are gonna listen to this. And so it allows me to communicate in a way that I couldn't do uh 32 years ago. And the second largest line item in my budget in 1985 uh was the phone bill. That always it always blows people's minds when I tell them, you know, 1986, 1987, all the way until the early 90s, the second largest line item in my after salaries for employees. Wow. The phone bill was the second largest. Now, Sebastian, I couldn't even tell you where it is in my budget. I have no idea where the phone bill is.

SPEAKER_00 24:18

Right.

SPEAKER_02 24:19

So um technology uh has um progressed so much that it's enabled me to connect with people in a way I could never do before. And I think that's one of the reasons why um we've had so substantial growth. And people around the world feel like they know me because they listen to my podcasts and read my stuff.

SPEAKER_01 24:37

You know, it's funny. You see, you say that that um um connecting with people internationally or internationally, nationally, it doesn't really matter. But we um I remember specifically uh this is when we first launched the B I Buzz B I Mime Date social media campaign where we said we're B I Mime Dade is officially gone social. Um, and then I was the I acted as the BI Buzz evangelist and would visit uh several chapters a week and say, hey, here's what we're gonna be doing. We're gonna check into the venue and we're gonna use the hashtag and we're gonna take a selfie. Like we're doing this stuff anyway, friends. Let's just start implementing our BI um activities into that process. So um, of course, right when it we we started, I was amped and Jeff's like, I'm bringing you to California. We're going to the International Directors Conference. Yeah. And uh he goes, There's gonna be 800 people there from around the world. And I go, really? He goes, Yeah, you think they want to hear about BI Buzz? I go, probably. And I was literally booked back to back from people all around the world. But one, two, oh actually, there were two. There were two regions that stuck out the most. Brazil, because it was my understanding that we helped them get launched as Miami kind of being a hub there. And then, I'm excuse me, not Brazil, not Brazil, Spain. Uh and then um the other one was um Japan because um we had a dance card with them, and at the end we took a picture and I wanted to get a quick I wanted to get a quick um video clip. And I don't know if you ever saw this, and if you didn't, I'm gonna send you the link because you'll get a kick out of it. We said, smile everybody, so everybody smiled and we're with B and I Mime Dade and B and I Japan, and then on the count of three, say B and I Buzz for like one, two, three, B and I buzz. And then the photographer goes, now say it in Japanese, and they go, B and I buzz.

SPEAKER_00 26:12

Oh man, it was hysterical. Like there was no, there was no translation. There was no translation for it. No, no, no, no, there wasn't, there wasn't. There was I said, say it in Japanese. They go, B and I buzz. It was, I'll have to send you. I mean, it's about a six-second video clip, but it's I don't think I saw that.

SPEAKER_02 26:27

Yeah, I'd love to see it. You know, sometimes the translations are really funny. Um, one of my favorite translations in Scandinavia, most of the Scandinavian countries don't have a translation for word of mouth. So they call it mouth to mouth. Swear to God, mouth to mouth. A lot of Americans wanting to do mouth-to-mouth networking in Scandinavia.

SPEAKER_01 26:48

And I've been that might be a little challenging to uh to to brand. But I remember um actually I was looking through. It's fun to pull up the B I Buzz hashtag, either on Instagram or on Facebook, and it's fun to see what's actually transpired and been created since my crazy idea of Colin Jeff going, I think it's time for some B I Buzz, buddy, um, over a casual conversation. Now there's, I think I looked the other day, there was over 1,600 posts on Instagram with the hashtag B I Buzz, mostly consumed by BI Spain. That's funny. So um it was it would it was um and it's just fun to see how something like a hashtag and where we're at now with technology and me meeting leaders from all across the world within BI's organization over a course of a week's time, still connected with some of them on Facebook, but to be able to see the content that's being created on there. Um I just think that you know technology is just gonna get easier and easier and easier and made.

SPEAKER_02 27:54

So I'm a big fan of social media for communication and for brand building.

SPEAKER_01 27:58

Uh 100%. And uh so why did you just you said you've done over 500 podcast episodes for the B and I podcast? Um As of today, 520, but who's counting? Hey, well, there we go. There we have accurate numbers now. So um uh when when did you uh first when did you launch it and why did you decide to launch a podcast? When did you wake up one day and go, you know what, the next m the next digital move for B I is me doing a podcast?

SPEAKER_02 28:21

Uh, you know, that's a great question. Um I think it was launched about 10 years ago. Wow. Uh 2007, 2008 um is when I launched it. And really the purpose was to give another venue for um members to learn how to network. I mean, if you listen, I would guess 90% of the podcasts are evergreen. And they were meant to be evergreen. There are some that are very timely because I needed to communicate something directly to members uh and you know, are out of date. But the overwhelming majority of the podcasts were meant to be evergreen so that 10 years from now someone can listen to it and it's probably still completely relevant. You know, how do you build your business through referrals? How do you do a good weekly presentation? How do you interact effectively with other people you're networking with? What are the do's of networking? What are the don'ts of networking? All of these kinds of topics are what are on the podcast. Now, if you're not a BNI member, there's still a lot of great content there as well on how to network. And we have it at this point open to the public so that people can get a sense of what BNI is really up to and and how we're really making a difference in so many people's lives.

SPEAKER_01 29:32

Yeah, 100%. I uh, you know, it's funny you say that about the about the being able to get educated and get tools and resources, et cetera, as you know, as an additional resource that BI provides. Um uh a client of mine who's actually a fellow BNI member in my chapter, uh, Rich Barbara, uh, you had the opportunity to meet him and his wife and his daughter last year, I think, at the director's conference in November. Um, he talks, he's our educational coordinator, and he uh talks a lot about tuning into your podcast and being able to get little nuggets of information because he does a phenomenal job with the educational minute. It's really an educational two minutes or three some days. Um, but it it's always awesome and very entertaining, but but it there's a lot of value in it and very um uh so he he references it a lot, and that's why I I thought to bring it up. A we're on Tell him I said thank you. I m I most definitely uh will do that. But I was like, we've got to talk, we I've got to integrate the B and I podcast into here uh since we're on a podcast, right? Yep. Um but I think that um I you know I heard those listening, it's BNIpodcast.com. B and Ipodcast.com. That's right. And you guys can find that link uh in the show notes as well. So if you're listening on iTunes, Google Play, wherever you listen to podcast, uh if you look in the description of this episode, you will find um all of the show notes, appropriate links, how to follow um Ivan, etc.

SPEAKER_02 30:49

And if I can mention one other, uh my blog is ivanmeisner.com.

SPEAKER_01 30:53

Excellent. Ivanmeisner.com. That's in the show notes too, uh listeners. Make sure you have a chance to connect with Ivan. He is a wealth of knowledge and information. There is a reason that people refer to him as the godfather of modern day networking. Was is that the correct uh title?

SPEAKER_02 31:10

Yeah, that's what that's what CNN called me as the the the the the father of modern networking. God bless him. That was that was a very nice. I'm just glad they're not calling me the grandfather of modern networking.

SPEAKER_01 31:19

So So I want to finish things out. We're almost out of time here uh with one final question, and that is what is the best piece of advice you've ever received?

SPEAKER_02 31:30

You know, there's there's I've had so much great advice given to me over the year, over the years. I think one of the first that really stands out on my mind is um someone who said to me, because I was really fretting over making some mistake on something. He looked at me with a straight face and he said, Ivan, are you worried about making a mistake on this? And I said, Yeah, I am. He said, Don't be worried. You will. You'll make lots of mistakes. Don't worry about it. The the secret is to figure out when you make a mistake, to figure that out and correct it immediately. Throw yourself on the sword, let everyone know that it was a mistake, don't hold, don't, don't try and hide it. Um so be honest and fix it. And I'm like, wow. Okay, I can do that. And I and it was great advice, and I've used it for many, many years. Um, we all make mistakes, we all screw up. You have to define yourself by your successes in life, not your failures. If I decided if I defined myself by failures, I'd be the biggest loser on the planet.

SPEAKER_04 32:24

Sure.

SPEAKER_02 32:25

I've made lots of mistakes, but you have to define yourself by your by your by your successes. And so don't worry about making failures. Learn from them, uh, own up to them and move on. And it was great. It was a great piece of advice uh that I received, and that I continue to use. Unfortunately, I have to continue to use.

SPEAKER_01 32:42

Yeah, I think about that a lot too. Like we we talk about uh you know forgiveness being such a gift in this world and to individually and to others, etc., yet we fail to remember to forgive ourselves um quickly. Isn't that the truth? And uh some I I actually had a friend uh client slash mentor tell me that uh a few months back. You know, it takes a long time to finally get to a point where um it's okay if it works out. And if it doesn't work out, um that's okay too. And to forgive yourself quickly and be able to move on. So yeah, that that's awesome advice. Yeah, thanks. Well, hey, thanks. Uh thanks again, uh, Dr. Meiser. I really appreciate uh your time. And I know it took us two years to make this interview happen, but um, with technology, uh, as long when the when the calendars line up, then uh you know things like this are able to happen. So I'm excited to uh get this episode out. Jeff already said uh he'll have somebody on his team get it out to all of B and I Mime Dade uh to be able to hear it as well. And of course, I hope you share it with your uh with your.

SPEAKER_02 33:42

Yeah, listen, you send me the link, I'll make sure it goes out uh in in my social media. Uh happy to do that. If I could leave uh your audience with one last thought, um that'd be great. Please. Uh I think one of the um most important things that I've learned over the last 32 years is that networking is more about farming than it is about hunting. That it's really about building relationships with other business professionals. It's not a get-rich quick scheme. It's about building um trust with other business professionals so that you want to uh you really want to do business with them and they want to do business with you. And I think that's the basis of the success of BI.

SPEAKER_01 34:19

It really is. And I think people really misunderstand networking in general when they don't take a minute to really understand that it's not, it took me a long time to realize that I don't show up every single week to my chapter to get referrals. That is a direct result of me showing up with a giver's game mentality on who can I help, and then by default, you reap the rewards. Yep, absolutely true. Well, thanks again for your time. Can't wait to get this episode out here. Uh, keep doing what you're doing, uh, Dr. Miser. It clearly is making a difference and changing lives worldwide. So I appreciate you, and it's great to be associated with you.

SPEAKER_02 34:54

Hey, listen, thank you, Sebastian. I appreciate it. And then the next time we see each other, please call me Ivan. Ivan call me Ivan.

SPEAKER_01 35:00

Jeff told me that the first time I met you, you were gonna tell me that. Um okay, fine, Ivan. That's it.

SPEAKER_02 35:06

Ivan. Ivan, you know what PhD stands for, right?

SPEAKER_01 35:08

What's that?

SPEAKER_02 35:09

Pilot higher and deeper.

SPEAKER_01 35:12

That's fantastic.

SPEAKER_00 35:13

I think we'll leave off on that tip. All right. Thanks, Lyman. We'll talk to you soon.

SPEAKER_02 35:17

Bye bye.

SPEAKER_00 35:17

Bye bye.