What happens when you stop “trying” BNI and actually commit to it? In this episode of the BNI San Diego Podcast, Lindsay Curtis (A Smart Move) shares her real journey from dipping her toe into BNI… to building a referral system that now generates 10% of her total business. This is a raw, honest, and highly practical conversation about what actually works in business networking, referral marketing, and long-term relationship building. 🚀 In This Episode You’ll Learn: ✅ Why BNI is a long game—not a quick win ✅ How Lindsay turned connections into a full “army” of referral partners ✅ The true power of one-to-one meetings (and why most people underuse them) ✅ How to generate referrals across multiple chapters and cities ✅ Why consistency and patience are critical for business growth ✅ The difference between givers vs takers in networking ✅ How to build trust that leads to high-quality referrals ✅ Why showing up matters more than immediate results ✅ How networking can open doors you never expected 🔥 Real Stories from This Episode • How one simple question — “Are you in BNI?” — turned into real business opportunities • How cross-chapter connections led to unexpected referrals • A powerful example of Givers Gain® in action, helping someone in need with no expectation of return • Why the strongest business growth often comes from relationships—not transactions 💡 Key Takeaway - BNI isn’t about quick referrals, It’s about building a trusted network that grows your business over time. When you commit to: ✔ One-to-ones ✔ Relationships ✔ Consistency …the referrals follow. 🎯 Action Steps for you take right now 📅 Schedule at least 2 one-to-ones per week 🤝 Focus on learning—not selling 📈 Build relationships BEFORE expecting results Because as Lindsay shares: “It’s not a byproduct… it’s the product.” Follow Lindsay and A Smart Move San Diego on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asmartmovesd/ Have a topic you’d like us to highlight? Please share with us via email at [email protected] us online: https://bnisd.comBNI is the world's most successful organization of its type in the world. Members pass millions of referrals which translates to billions of dollars in business.BNI San Diego(619) 255-2620Visit a chapter: https://bnisd.com/en-US/findachapter

Ask this episode

“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

Transcript

Related