By: Ali Elizabeth Turner
In 1985, Dr. Ivan Misner, who is the founder of Business Network International (BNI), found himself in a situation that most entrepreneurs face at one time or another, and that is that he lost his most important account — the one that paid for his mortgage and fed his kids. The word “pivot” came into play, and Ivan quickly contacted (what was back in the day) his people written on his Rolodex file, and they all came together in an effort to drum up new business. There was one other thing that Ivan did not want to have to do, and that is cold call. So, this tiny group of pioneers in the Gold Rush State began an approach that involved listening to people, identifying their needs and if appropriate, basically say, “I know a guy (or gal) that can help.” We now call it referral marketing, and it has become a global going concern.
What started out as one chapter in California has grown to 11,600 active chapters in nearly 80 countries, and has a membership of over 355,000. BNI has generated $215 billion by members passing referrals to each other, and continues to upgrade and grow with the times. They managed in a couple of weeks to help the Global BNI world go virtual through Zoom when COVID broke out, which was no small task. We were all relieved when COVID was over and we could get back to meeting in person, because face to face interaction is just plain better for everyone.
The reason why the concept has flourished is that local chapters are small and provide fellowship as well as financial strength through referrals and building relationships. In Athens-Limestone County, a chapter was formed in 2016, and Limestone Leaders is happy to report that millions of dollars have been generated, and we are looking to help you grow your business. There is a central value by which BNI operates, and it is called Givers Gain.® We know from the Good Book as well as from life that giving in order to get does not work, but true giving has a way of coming back to you when you least expect it.
One of the unique features of the BNI organizational framework is that if you are, for example, a cabinet maker, then you alone hold that seat or chair. Anyone else who is in the same trade would need to join another chapter in the region or start their own. This ensures that the person holding that seat becomes the “I-have-a-guy/gal” person for that specific type of business, and it is not at all uncommon for people who get too much business to refer out to fellow BNI members that are technically competitors in other chapters. One other thing: BNI members have come to understand that being in BNI is a privilege. Potential members who wish to join are vetted as to their reputation in the community.
Now, I am going to talk about our members so you can get to know them and their businesses, and I am also going to invite you to come check us out. We at Limestone Leaders have been described by the regional BNI leadership as being “small but mighty,” and we are both looking to grow as well as help Limestone County entrepreneurs prosper in every regard.
Amy Fiscus, Vollara
Amy is a founding member of Limestone Leaders, and represents the Vollara Company. She holds the Health and Wellness seat in the chapter, and her excellent products include whole food supplements, air and water purification systems, a laundry system that does not require the use of detergents, and most recently, a state-of-the-art surge protector. 256-233-5727/ amymsowell7@aol.com
Ali Turner, Athens Now and the TN Valley Spotlight Radio Show
I hold the Media Services seat in our group, and I will happily say that since 2019 I have been a glad member of Limestone Leaders. 256-468-9425/ ali@aliturner.com
Austin Duran, CPA Machen McChesney
Austin holds the Legal and Accounting seat, and seems to thrive on being able to keep people out of financial hot water through accountability and relationship while keeping his sense of humor! 334-332-4241/ aduran@machen.cpa
Bill Downs, D&D Agri
Bill is an Athens native, and his business is crop insurance. His good nature and gentle spirit are a welcome addition to all of us at Limestone Leaders, and farmers appreciate his knowledge, experience, and work ethic. 256-431-1780/ Wcd3bama@gmail.com
Boston Muse, River City Roofing Solutions
Boston is the son of River City Roofing Solutions co-founder Michael Muse, and River City is known throughout North Alabama for their boots-on-the-ground-go-the-extra-mile service especially during storm season, as well as their willingness to help clients deal with insurance companies. 256-701-6908/ boston@rivercityroofingsolutions.com
Clay Parris, Edward Jones Financial
Clay holds the Financial Advisor seat, and got his start in investments along with learning the world of finance while still a teenager. He has taught English, has worked in farm equipment sales, and found his purpose in helping make finance understandable to the average person — while helping his clients build for their future. 423-244-8629 /clay.parris@edwardjones.com
Darla Bunker, Crye-Leike Realty
Darla is another founding member of Limestone Leaders, and holds the Property Management seat in Limestone Leaders. She works especially hard at helping people find housing in the area who have come from other places and are not ready to buy yet. 256-497-3297 / darlalbunker@gmail.com
Katie Mucci, Alfa Insurance
Katie does Property & Casualty insurance, and spent 17 years working for a major cell phone company. A house fire and all that went with dealing with the insurance company is one of the things that inspired her to become an agent and serve her clients well. She is protective and thorough, and treats her clients like family. 256-658-2619 / kmucci@alfains.com
Les Ehart, K & L Property Solutions
Les partners with his wife Kaz in real estate investments, and is the newest member of Limestone Leaders. He absolutely loves helping people by getting them into properties to live, invest in properties to keep or sell, and giving investors opportunities to make solid, safe returns on their investments. 913-371-7123 /thisandthat913@gmail.com
Mona Marcy, Cypress Building & Construction
Mona is a Builder/General Contractor, and grew up living in several countries in Europe; Italy being the longest. She speaks English, Spanish, French, and Italian, and I have seen her in action with her customers when I went with her on a ride-along. She is thorough, hard-working and has an eye for detail. She also makes a real point of seeing to it that projects are completed on time and under budget. 256-738-8956/mmarcy@cypressroofingandexteriors.com
Robin Gerrish, Crye-Leike Realty
Veteran realtor Robin Gerrish holds the Residential Real Estate seat in our chapter, and has a special heart for making the buying and selling of a home as smooth as possible for her clients. She also has a grateful heart for veterans and compassion for those who are having to uproot their families in order to move. She is passionate about making it possible for people to get a piece of the American Dream through home ownership, and works hard for her clients. 256-374-9139/ robin.gerrish@charter.net
Stephanie Reynolds, Athens-Limestone County Tourism
Stephanie holds the Non-Profit seat for Limestone Leaders, and is our chapter’s president. She is always hard at work to make our county a better place to visit as well as live, and has gone above and beyond to help our county celebrate our nation’s 250th birthday by heading up Red, White & Boom tomorrow. 256-232-5411 / stephanie@visitathensal.com
Wes Atkinson, Attorney At Law
Wes specializes in title work and real estate closing, but is also familiar with criminal defense work as well as evictions. While the real estate side of law is his true joy, he is glad that he has had a goodly amount of experience with other aspects of the profession. 256-651-8336 / wes@jwesleyatkinson.com
We invite you to come visit us on Tuesday mornings at 8 a.m. in the downstairs portion of the Tourism office, located at 100 Beaty Street North, Athens, AL. See if we are a good fit for each other, and remember, we would love to help you grow your business, and will celebrate with you when you do.
By: Ali Elizabeth Turner
