By John Gifford
Publisher & Editor
For my interview with Hazel Walker, she invited me to a wine-tasting and Networking Event that was raising money for The No Boundaries Family Foundation (an organization that helps those with Muscular Dystrophy).
I learned that Hazel’s preference would be a white zinfandel over a dry red wine, and as the Executive Director of BNI Indiana, she is in charge of the overall operations for the over 40 Chapters serving more than 1,000 members of BNI Indiana.
As additional guests arrive at the event (at Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar), Hazel introduces them and makes them feel at home. She hopes that I will let people know BNI’s purpose. I will include this at the end of the article, but I believe by her actions at this charity event Hazel embodies these networking and business connection principles.
Hazel introduces me to Chris Moore of Stone Mortgage Corporation. We chatted about Jerry West from Chris’ home state of West Virginia, Mike Ditka’s Restaurant in Chicago, and then discussed real estate issues. Chris and I have since had lunch, he has attended one of the seminars with which I am associated, and we are looking to continue our potential business collaboration.
Hazel looked back over her shoulder to see Ervin Picha, who was the CFO at Noble Industries for many years. He and I discussed working in the field serving those with Developmental Disabilities, and then veered over to the current not-for-profit with which he is currently associated — a potential story for Indy Smallbiz and exposure for them.
Toward the end of the evening, Hazel indicated I should meet Aaron Prickel of Lushin, a professional sales trainer. By that time of evening the wine-tasting had slowed my networking capabilities, but Aaron and I spoke briefly, traded business cards, have since met again, and I have attended one of his sales
workshops.
Hazel has the knowledge about business, networking, and dealing with people, but her actions speak louder than her knowledge. The three introductions she facilitated for me were invaluable. I forgot to mention that halfway through the networking event I told Hazel that Stan Gurka (a member of BNI and photographer for Indy Smallbiz) was distributing Indy Smallbiz in two or three BNI Chapters.
She immediately said that she would distribute Indy Smallbiz to the Chapter leaders when they have their meeting with her. We marched out to my car, I got 500 copies of the paper, lugged them to her van, and dumped them in. Here is the BNI summary she wanted me to include:
When someone belongs to a BNI Chapter they have a room of individuals who are there to help one another. From creating visibility in the market place by carrying each other’s message to creating credibility with each other allowing members to pass referrals to one another that close into business. The structure and organization assures a higher level of
success for the members who take advantage of the system and use it to its full potential.
Members do business with each other as a natural course of action but the primary function is to promote and refer each other. What one person cannot do alone, a team of people can do with amazing results. BNI members are the team members for each other, meeting weekly to build each other’s business. All evening she was promoting and referring me. Thank you Hazel.
