BNI Southeast Tennessee Podcast

In this episode of the BNI Southeast Tennessee podcast, Michael Crosa and Elaine Zambos explore the vital responsibilities of the Visitor Host within a BNI chapter. Often referred to as the "Director of First Impressions," the Visitor Host is key to creating a welcoming and impactful experience for guests, ensuring they feel valued from start to finish.

Michael and Elaine outline how this role contributes to chapter growth by buildi...

In this episode of the BNI Southeast Tennessee podcast, Michael Crosa and Elaine Zambos explore the multifaceted responsibilities of the Secretary Treasurer within a BNI chapter. Often regarded as the chapter’s CFO, this critical role goes beyond finances, ensuring smooth operations and effective member engagement.

Elaine breaks down the core duties, from managing speaker rotations and maintaining accurate rosters to tracking chapte...

In this episode of the BNI Southeast Tennessee podcast, Michael Crosa and Elaine Zambos take a deep dive into the responsibilities and expectations of a BNI Chapter President. As the "CEO" of the chapter, the president plays a pivotal role in orchestrating meetings, ensuring the leadership team is equipped for success, and creating a welcoming environment for visitors.

Elaine and Michael discuss the importance of energy, preparation...

In this episode of the BNI Southeast Tennessee podcast, Michael Crosa and Elaine Zambos break down the responsibilities of the Vice President within a BNI chapter. They explain how the VP oversees the activity, ensures proper attendance tracking, and facilitates the timely processing of new member applications. They also discuss the VP's role in running meetings in the President's absence and conducting monthly chapter success meet...

In this BNI Southeast Tennessee podcast episode, hosts Michael Crosa and Elaine Zambos discuss what a Member Relations Specialist does in a BNI group. They recorded the episode at Wavelength Space in downtown Chattanooga. Michael and Elaine explain that this job is about helping with problems or misunderstandings between members. Elaine shares how they handle complaints, including the need to write them down, and says most problems...

In this episode of the BNI Southeast Tennessee podcast, Michael Crosa and Elaine Zambos dive into the role of the Community Building Specialist within a BNI chapter. They discuss how this critical position helps grow and balance the chapter by identifying key industries for recruitment and educating members on attendance policies. From building a top 10 list of desired professions to ensuring substitutes are ready when needed, this...

In this episode of the BNI Southeast Tennessee podcast, Michael Crosa and Elaine Zambos continue their series on membership committee roles with a deep dive into the responsibilities of the Member Engagement Specialist. They explore how this role supports members through reviews, renewal processes, and personalized coaching to maximize engagement and success. Learn strategies for empathetic conversations, the importance of chapter ...

In this episode of the BNI Southeast Tennessee podcast, Michael Crosa and Elaine Zambos kick off a new series exploring key leadership roles within BNI chapters. Starting with the Quality Assurance Specialist, they discuss the crucial responsibilities of this role in maintaining chapter integrity and success. From conducting interviews and checking references to ensuring proper classifications and adherence to processes, the conver...

In this episode of the BNI Southeast Tennessee podcast, Michael Crosa and Elaine Zambos tackle listener-submitted questions that dive into the challenges and nuances of networking and business growth. From exploring why people struggle to follow processes to strategies for connecting in niche markets, this episode provides actionable insights for professionals at every level. Highlights include the power of specificity in requests,...

In this episode, we are so excited to talk with Beth McClary Walford! She is a sales expert and the founder of Superpower Strategies. Beth loves helping businesses improve how they sell things, find missing pieces in their plans, and make everything work better.

We also talk about how BNI one-to-ones are like discovery sales calls, how to make great connections, and why listening and learning from others is so important.

Beth explain...

In this special episode of the BNI Southeast Tennessee podcast, Michael Crosa is joined by Heather Hendrickson, sponsor, fellow BNI chapter member, and owner of the Hendrickson Agency—a local insurance agency dedicated to properly protecting your most precious possessions. Together, they discuss the importance of delegation in business. From challenges to strategies, Heather shares her journey in mastering delegation, emphasizing t...

Welcome to the BNI Southeast Tennessee Podcast! In this episode, Michael Crosa sits down with sponsor of the show Heather Hendrickson, owner of the Hendrickson Agency, a local insurance agency properly protecting your most precious possessions. Heather shares her experiences as a wheelchair user and reflects on the unique ways that visible disabilities influence networking and community interactions. Heather and Michael also connec...

Episode Summary:

In this episode of the BNI Southeast Tennessee podcast, Michael Crosa and Elaine Zambos explore the theme of core values, delving into how recognizing and aligning with these values can shape personal and professional success. Broadcasting from the vibrant downtown headquarters of BNI Southeast Tennessee, the conversation sheds light on why actions that feel "off" may indicate a misalignment with one's core...

Episode Summary:

In this lively episode of the BNI Southeast Tennessee podcast, Michael Crosa and Elaine Zambos discuss the importance of playing to individual strengths to build effective teams and achieve growth. Celebrating Elaine’s Halloween birthday, the conversation dives into tools like the Working Genius assessment, exploring how understanding what energizes (or frustrates) people can optimize performance. They high...

Episode Summary:

In this episode, Michael Crosa and Elaine Zambos dive into the concept of Profit First, a financial strategy designed to help business owners build sustainable profits by prioritizing savings. Elaine explains that many businesses fall into the trap of spending everything they earn, perpetuating a cycle of financial instability. Drawing comparisons to dieting and the classic envelope budgeting system, the du...

Episode Summary:

In this episode, hosts Michael Crosa and Elaine Zambos dive into the power of the 90-day sprint—a focused, quarterly approach to goal-setting that ensures you stay productive without feeling overwhelmed. Elaine shares how business coach Rick Powell introduced her to this method when she became the executive director of BNI Southeast Tennessee.

The 90-day sprint focuses on prioritizing tasks over shorter, dig...

In this episode of the BNI Southeast Tennessee podcast, Michael Crosa and Elaine Zambos discuss the impactful role of nonprofits within the BNI network. They reflect on success stories, including how the network has supported nonprofits with donations, volunteers, and connections to thrive—even during the challenges of the pandemic.

****

To learn more about BNI and find a chapter meeting near you, head over to https://bnisetn.com

****

...

Episode Summary

In this special episode of the BNI Southeast Tennessee podcast, Michael takes you along for our annual "Walk and Talk" event in support of local nonprofits. Recorded live from the beautiful Tennessee River Park, Michael chats with members of the BNI community and representatives from various nonprofits about the importance of giving back, building strong business relationships, and the impact BNI has had on their gro...

In this episode of the BNI Southeast Tennessee podcast, hosts Michael Crosa and Elaine Zambos talk about the value of Continuing Education Units (CEUs) in business networking. They explain how learning new things helps with professional growth and can increase earnings. They discuss BNI’s “Power of One” idea, which is to complete one CEU each week. Elaine shares a story about a BNI member who does daily CEUs and sees great results....