What happens when I tell people I'm in BNI?

Often they look at me like I'm an insurance agent, from an MLM, or even from some cult. Indeed in the past there were people who tried to sell me the idea, and they made BNI sound like a get-rich-quick scheme. I almost swore never to touch BNI again.

I have spent almost a year in BNI now, and it was time to consider whether to renew my membership. As with all things, when we come to decisions like this, we naturally think about what we are putting in, and what we are getting out of it. What we are willing to give, and what we expect to get. As I reflect on this, I come to appreciate that for me this is now a community I am part of. It is not just a transaction where I spend time and money to get more business. It is more about what kind of person I want to become. I am here because I get to know a group of people who are smarter, kinder, more experienced, more successful, and more generous than me, and they make me a better person. When I am a better person, I run a better business. If you want to explore BNI, or any other organisation or company to be part of, look past the pitches and spiels. Look for the right community to be part of, and look for people who will make you want to be a better person.