The Business of Giving

Unknown Speaker 0:00
You're listening to locally produced programming created in KU NV studios on public radio K, u and v 91.5. You're listening to special programming sponsored by the cars marketing Chamber of Commerce. The content of this program does not reflect the views or opinions of 91.5 Jazz and more the University of Nevada Las Vegas or the Board of Regents, the Nevada System of Higher Education.

Unknown Speaker 0:37
People live in the whole world addicted to the drama Hello, everyone and welcome to the business of giving podcast. My name is Guy Dawson and I am the founder and executive director of the cause marketing Chamber of Commerce. And we are an organization that brings businesses and nonprofit organizations together to create synergistic relationships that benefit the community. We created the business of giving podcast to do just that to highlight the successes and synergy of two pillars of the community, the for profit community as well as the nonprofit community if you'd like to learn more about what we do at the cause marketing Chamber of Commerce, cause marketing chamber.com This valuable show is made possible through the generosity of our series sponsor solar up an energy solution and conservation company specializing in solar and battery storage systems, including solar panels to learn more about them, Seoul up.com And as always, I am joined with the cars marketing coach Maria Perez. How are things going out there, Maria?

Unknown Speaker 1:49
Pretty good. How about yourself?

Unknown Speaker 1:51
I am doing wonderful. We are into the new year. There's a lot of great work for us to do. And I'm just always so excited to reconnect with you. We've got wonderful guests that are going to be coming in throughout the New Year and hey, let's go Maria.

Unknown Speaker 2:05
Yeah, let's do it. What do we have today?

Unknown Speaker 2:09
Today we have someone who has been a good friend of mine for a long time and in on many levels. I want to introduce you all to Lesley Taylor. She's the Executive Director and franchisee of BNI Las Vegas. She has been in Las Vegas since 1983. And with BNI since 1990. Lesley is a contributing author to the chicken soup style book masters of networking, building relationships for the pocketbook and the soul. She has been active in Toastmasters for over 30 years and joins less than 1% of Toastmasters worldwide as a distinguished Toastmaster and in a que si breeder of merit. And again, she's a part of an organization BNI which is the world's largest Referral Network. Welcome Leslie.

Unknown Speaker 3:00
Welcome to me to thank you guys. This is such a joy to spend some time with you today.

Unknown Speaker 3:06
Yes, Leslie and I know one another through our membership in Toastmasters International and she spoke about it I know I talked about it quite a bit on these podcasts is how I think it is just one of the greatest organizations that you could ever be a part of because of the types of people that you get to meet right Leslie

Unknown Speaker 3:22
and the education and the leadership and as a nonprofit itself of her Toastmasters truly creating leaders in the world.

Unknown Speaker 3:31
Yes, you just you meet amazing people. By the way. We have a Toastmaster club through the cause marketing Chamber of Commerce we meet on the first and third Friday of every month at 8am The club is called cause masters Toastmasters. And you can get more information about us cause marketing chamber.com 8am We meet out at egg works in Summerlin just and also online. So anyway, for more details about cause masters Toastmasters, you can just cause marketing chamber.com. But anyway, we're here to talk about networking. And Maria, do you have any questions that you want to ask Leslie?

Unknown Speaker 4:10
Well, absolutely tell us a little bit about BNI. And also some of the core values and the initiatives that you support in the community.

Unknown Speaker 4:19
BNI has been around since 1985, although it wasn't the business network international until we hopped into Canada. From the very beginning, it is founded on the philosophy and the number one core value of givers gain, which really means helping others to reach their goals. And eventually you'll help reach your own goals. And that truly is the number one core value of BNI. There are seven others having a positive attitude providing recognition. But the givers gain philosophy that Dr. Ivan Meisner created in the very beginning has been the founding core value of what we do. And the BNI Foundation has been around since 1998. And the local community supports it. We support it globally, because BNI truly has 318,000 businesses in 70 countries. And so we're supporting schools, initiatives, things like seats and feet, because the students are 100% of our future. You might think that kids these days, if you've ever heard someone say, that just can't do whatever they'll say that they are truly 100% of our future, and they need our support. And so getting school clothing, helping to get supplies, helping to get computers, uniforms. When we had the floods in Texas, we were donating books so that the library in Beaumont, Texas could at least have books for the kids. I can't imagine a world without books. That's the givers gain philosophy. How can I help you? It's loosely based upon Zig Ziglar. If you're familiar with Zig Ziglar, but saying you if you help enough people get what they want, you can get what you want. And it's about helping others.

Unknown Speaker 6:22
Yes, when you talked about the work that you're doing foundationally Leslie, I think for many people, when you think of business networking, of course, you're you join a group. My business started that way most of my friends businesses have started as a result of business networking. But this added aspect that you talked about this give back piece that you do through the BNI Foundation, how do you get the members have your chapters to engage in this.

Unknown Speaker 6:52
It's about giving in general, it doesn't have to be through the BNI foundation, it truly doesn't. But if people will think about what makes their heart sing, it could be that they could get involved with something that might be an animal charity, it could be working with the Alzheimer's and seniors, there are so many different things that are out there in the world that need help. And everybody has a little bit to give. And some think, well, I don't have any money. That's fine, too. You might have five minutes to make a phone call and mentor somebody. We had several different business people, some of them from BNI, some not meet at a high school and talk about their journey to get to doing what they are doing today. It isn't a straight line. Back in the day it was go take a college course get a college degree and then you can be something now it's be the best you and you might not get there in a straight line, join, join one of the branches of the military, learn a skill, learn some leadership, then start your own business. It might mean deciding that you have an engineering degree and now you want to sell insurance like one of our BNI people, it's whatever it is, that makes your heart sing that you can donate time to. So it doesn't have to be the BNI foundation. So we asked if they know someone that would like to donate school supplies when we collect school supplies. It's using the connections that people have is what the networking is about is connecting people doesn't have to be specifically the people involved with BNI. It's who do they know who knows somebody who says wait a minute, I would like to help that school get uniforms that makes my heart sing.

Unknown Speaker 8:49
Any thoughts about that? Maria?

Unknown Speaker 8:52
Yeah, really sounds like the core values of the members at large and the community is all about, I see the line our time treasure and talent. I think that's precious. Because everybody has something to give. And that's really, that's really what cause and social issues. Marketing is all about. And it sounds like it's just baked into the DNA of your organization. Can you speak a little bit to that in terms of your membership?

Unknown Speaker 9:19
The businesses that are involved vary from somebody with massage therapy, attorneys, CPA, Enrolled Agents, chiropractors, oh my gosh. Musicians, magicians, there's manufacturing companies. It's somebody who wants to meet on a regular basis with a roomful of people to help each other reach their goals, their business goals, and time and treasure. Outside of that can be anything that helps make somebody happy. The estate planning attorney might be saying Hey, who do you know that wants to give money to a charity? Did they realize they could arrange for that as part of a trust, or put it in their will? We don't know what we don't know. So we can share information to connect people with how they can give. And it could be through a charity. It could be through time and donating time to a student. Or going and reading to dogs because you have time. Or there's hospitals that need babies to be held. That could be somebody else's time and treasure. Yeah,

Unknown Speaker 10:42
the givers game mentality works in so many different aspects of life, Leslie is you had mentioned but specifically in business networking, something that I've seen through the years, I've been networking now for almost 16 years in this town. And something that I have noticed is that the people who are the most successful in business tend to be the biggest givers in in an event chapter on many different ways they give, as you mentioned, it's not just because maybe you give a whole bunch of money, I mean, yes, some people financially, they give a lot, right, there's so many different ways that a person can give. But specifically in terms of, if you want to do better in business, my experience is that the number one thing that you can do, while you could join a BNI chapter, obviously, that'd be a wonderful thing to do, or the cause marketing Chamber of Commerce. But whatever you're doing, start giving away a lot. Right? You can, okay, from

Unknown Speaker 11:42
end to end, it really does make a big huge difference. Even giving a compliment is still giving. Giving somebody some encouragement is giving. It's about how can I help you to move forward? Maybe it means I can just sit and listen to you complain for 20 minutes until you got it out of your system might mean that, but it does mean also contributing to the community. And people do it in big ways. And in little ways. They might give a discount to a senior because they can't afford it. They might give a discount or give special service to military. Or they might be passionate about kids charities, and so they can donate a few dollars. There must have been I can't tell you their I believe the number was definitely over 100,000. But there are a ridiculous number of students in Clark County that are not homeless but their home insecure. They don't have access to resources even to go get pens. So what can we do to help? Every little bit helps. There were radio stations, TV stations, B and I businesses, people we're collecting school supplies and bicycles and clothing and there's so many things. My daughter has a nonprofit called faith in humanity and she pulled all the charities together to put on an event and kids got free clothes. It's what can we do free haircuts. Everybody has something to give five minutes, 10 minutes an hour. It could be a compliment. Yeah,

Unknown Speaker 13:28
Maria, you always talk so much about walking the walk. That is a phrase that I just so resonate with it Maria uses a lot. And you know, in terms of walking the walk Alright, Maria, some of the things that Lesley is talking about, exemplify that.

Unknown Speaker 13:46
Yeah, you know, it's interesting because I do a lot of coaching, sales coaching. And we encourage folks to chatterbox and chatter boxing is really networking. It's kind of the same thing. But but the most important attribute of chatter boxing is that you tell everyone, you know, what makes your heart sing in order to advance your business. And it just sounds like your organization. It's that's what you're all about. And then I would assume that's why you're so successful. Because you are walking the walk, and you're having people brag about what makes their heart sing and then actually taking action.

Unknown Speaker 14:25
Isn't that true? That's amazing. 38 years of growth is huge.

Unknown Speaker 14:33
Yeah. Yeah, that's it work. I

Unknown Speaker 14:36
mean, oh, go ahead. Maria. I didn't mean to step on

Unknown Speaker 14:39
it. No, I'm just that's all I was. I wanted to say that, because you know, I'm working on some things like this in my business, and I was not aware of BNI but I am now and I would be proud to be involved with an organization

Unknown Speaker 14:51
such as yours. Oh, that'd be remarkable. It is. It is also sharing information. Because we don't know what we don't know. And suddenly, when you do know, you become an advocate for that. So if you don't know what a charity does, and how they do it, you need to get to know somebody. And that's we structure it around getting to know somebody. Specifically, what are your goals? And how can I help you reach them? I remember one time meeting with somebody, and one of my goals at that time was you ready for this? learning not to die. When I have to do a PowerPoint. I was pretty sure it's to overcome my fear of dying by doing PowerPoint. And that person laughed and took me into their office and we played for an hour and I'll be forever grateful. Yes, when COVID hit BNI went virtual 10,000 groups in 70 countries all started on Zoo. And it was absolutely remarkable. But all of a sudden, I wasn't afraid of PowerPoint either. So you don't know what you don't know. But if you surround yourself with other go givers, then you can get the help you need even if it isn't getting exactly what you asked for, but it's what you needed, which was learning how not to die to do PowerPoint in my case.

Unknown Speaker 16:17
Well, that is important that oh the Go Giver, by the way. Fantastic book by Bob love that I would highly recommend definitely resonates with what we're all about. With the business of giving podcast. For those of you who are just tuning in, you're listening to the business of giving podcast at K u and v 91.5. FM, jazz and more soul up and it's channel partners are providing complimentary solar to local charities supporting for Hope link transitional housing properties, feeding pets of Volunteers of America, an opportunity village, their founder sits on the board of Nevada Conservation League. Also wanted to invite all you to attend the cause marketing Chamber of Commerce's quarterly mixer event on Tuesday January the 23rd. From 6pm to 8pm. We're going to get together at Osaka Japanese bistro in Henderson, for networking for connections, we also have a featured nonprofit organization. The organization is called Heart and Soul hospitality. And what heart and soul hospitality does is it helps people to be healthier from a mental perspective. And as you become healthier from a mental perspective, they're encouraging people to get into the hospitality industry as being here in Vegas. Obviously, that's an industry that is always needing people, there's lots of opportunities in it. And this nonprofit organization begins the educational process that puts you in alignment with potentially getting a job in the hospitality industry. So they're doing a lot of great work again, we're going to be out there Tuesday, January the 23rd. For more info cause marketing chamber.com about this great event that's going to support a worthy nonprofit organization. And as I've been repeating for the last month or so we're going to have the first annual cars and business cruise October 19. Through the 26th 2024, we're going to cruise through the Hawaiian Islands network with giving professionals proceeds from your cabin purchase are going to go to benefit the nonprofit organization of your choice. We also had our board meeting for the cause marketing chamber yesterday and we made a decision that we're going to do some community service while we're over in Hawaii. We're gonna have a layover in Maui for about a day and a half. And of course, many of you know that Maui is really was devastated late in 2023. And they're still having a lot of challenges with things. So as an organization, of course, we're going to have a great time networking and we're on a cruise to the Hawaiian Islands. So obviously we're really going to be enjoying ourselves doing that. But of course, because we're a chamber and we're all about making our community better, we're going to be doing some community service over in Maui as well. For more information about this cruise that we're putting together cause marketing chamber.com and Maria and I have been speaking with a very, very good friend of mine, Leslie Taylor. She is the franchisee of BNI Las Vegas, an organization that brings a lot of businesses together and showing gratitude. I know you've touched on this a couple of times already. Leslie, what does that mean to you to be a grateful person?

Unknown Speaker 19:34
Recently, I found something that surprised me. Thankfulness is not gratitude. I realized there are two different words that consider this. You can be thankful that you show gratitude so it requires action. And I recall, the founder of BNI Dr. miser saying the Law of Attraction 10 includes the word action. So how do you show gratitude? So it's sending a quick note to somebody, thanking them publicly. dropping them a text, do something. If we spent 15 seconds a day, doing one thing, by an action, sincerely showing that gratitude, I believe, I have no proof. But things do come to those who give. And giving means giving without expectation. It's giving to be grateful to show gratitude. Does that sound different than what you might have had conversations before? Because that was an epiphany to me recently that thankfulness because I'm always thankful. What do you think showing gratitude is different? What do you think Maria, you

Unknown Speaker 20:57
have a perspective on that?

Unknown Speaker 21:00
Yeah, I actually agree wholeheartedly. And that idea of momentum and action, you know, that. That's the I think that's the only way that that it works, right. is to is to move forward with positivity and, and a sense of trying to support without expectations. Yeah, absolutely.

Unknown Speaker 21:28
And part of part of the giving, for some businesses and some individuals, it feels inauthentic. Like it's not actually a gift, it's a loan. I'm not giving it don't eat. It's not a gift. It's like I'm giving to you, but I expect this. And that's not a gift. That's a loan. And so it doesn't work that way. For a lot of people. They're like, why donate a lot of bass? And we're like, you didn't give anything you've loaned it? Well, mindset, mindset. Yeah.

Unknown Speaker 22:03
Yeah. So mindset. And I think a lot of people go down, especially small businesses crawl down the hole, and how, and they don't know how to get out. They don't remember if they didn't learn how to do it, or have to learn how to do it. But just helping somebody with a little bit of advice and networking, right to get them out of that hole. Yeah.

Unknown Speaker 22:23
Yeah. And that finding the why I mean, that's another important thing. Of course, as a business, we hear all the time about finding finding the why. In the nonprofit sector, the Y is usually really prominent, correct, Maria? I mean, we really, and sometimes it's too prominent, right? But for people who are in business, finding the why for a for profit business, maybe could be challenging for people as Lee, what is your perspective on that? How can you help the businesses that are in your chapters to really understand the importance of finding their why

Unknown Speaker 22:59
it's about what happens after you provide the goods or the services? How in the end, does that help that person? It isn't about buying or selling something, it's about the reason that they did it. So, for instance, so helping somebody they bought a house, why it's fine to your why, why did they buy it? What did they get out of it? It's because so their kids could go to a school and they didn't have to take a bus. That's why they did it. If businesses understand why their clients or customers are buying from them, and what their true benefit is, after they're finished, it makes it easier to do what they're doing. You don't There's a quote, you don't buy a lamp, you buy light, you don't buy a mattress, you buy sleep, and finding the why after helps to be able to offer because it keeps us from getting stuck in our box, while I do a b and c. Okay, but you also do D and E because people need that for the why after?

Unknown Speaker 24:14
Yes. It's just a really, it's a small distinction that can make all the difference in the world being in business, right, Maria? I mean, we're, we're engaged in a business, at least on the cause marketing side that the why is hyper present. But for others out there who are, you know, in a traditional business, part of what we're trying to do here through this process, this show is we're we're showing two sides, and we're really educating people so that they can can fall in alignment with that. Why right, Maria, do you have anything you'd like to say about that?

Unknown Speaker 24:53
Well, it's all about parody and affinity. And I mean, I just see that in Leslie's role as a leader in her franchise that, you know, this is baked into the earlier baked into the DNA of the organization. But, you know, at the cause marketing chamber, we're trying to help other businesses follow suit and identify the parody and the affinity and and, you know, take this type of action and everybody wins. It's just a win win. And

Unknown Speaker 25:20
finding the Why does help. And it needs to be authentic, instead of saying, we want to chase and donate money to x. And it means nothing to that person or the company, or the employees, or their clients. It could be to find the why that really makes a difference that you're passionate about. That is important.

Unknown Speaker 25:44
Yeah, specifically, Steve Amelie, with soul love, who's a regular guest, and of course, the title sponsor of the show, he comes on regularly. And he talks about how he engages his employees in volunteerism, and the value that he has found just in their, their perspectives, their, their approach to the way they do their jobs, and also their levels of gratitude, because that's become a part of the culture of what they do at soul up.

Unknown Speaker 26:14
So love is a part of BNI Oh, they

Unknown Speaker 26:17
are a member of BNI. So there you go. It's,

Unknown Speaker 26:19
I call it the law of attraction, if you like giving you love being around others who give.

Unknown Speaker 26:26
Right, yeah. Any any thoughts on that? Maria? I know you have thoughts on that person.

Unknown Speaker 26:32
Oh, wow. Yeah, you're there. That's my wheelhouse. Well, you know, we want to be around like minded individuals, and you want to surround you want your circle of influence to contain like minded individuals. So yeah, I

Unknown Speaker 26:46
agree with Leslie, the law of attraction. That's where you want to be? Yep. Good for you. It's good for your business. It's good for your community service. Good for your employees.

Unknown Speaker 26:56
It's okay. To have joy. Some people don't give themselves permission to be happy. Yeah, it's okay to have joy. Well,

Unknown Speaker 27:06
this has been a happy and joyful edition of the business of giving podcast today. Lesley, thank you so much for stopping by and sharing. The essence of giving really when you're again in the business networking. There's a lot of business out there, but the givers are the ones that are going to gain Absolutely. I endorse that I've experienced it. And for people who are interested in growing their businesses and 2024, how can they get in contact with

Unknown Speaker 27:33
you? They can look at B ni las vegas.com. Or if they're listening from another city or state B and i.com, because there are groups in 50 states 70 plus countries. We only track the closed business that we can and it was only $22 billion in business that businesses gave to each other in the last 12 months. Why not make it 25 You've had 800 million here locally, I'm looking for 1.5 billion this year. That's why not because we can and everybody takes the money that they make in their business to do good. It means another employee can put food on the table.

Unknown Speaker 28:24
Well, thank you again so much for stopping by Lesley and Maria for those out there who are listening who want help with their nonprofit or for profit endeavors in terms of sponsorships and fundraising which is your wheelhouse another one of your wheelhouse is how can they connect with you?

Unknown Speaker 28:41
Yep. If you would like to discuss cause marketing strategy with me, Coach Maria You can reach me at Maria at cause marketing consultant.com Or give me a call 702-245-7220

Unknown Speaker 28:56
We appreciate all of you who are continuously listening to the business of giving podcast. Did you know that you can also listen to us on Spotify, Apple podcast and Amazon music. And of course, learn more about the cause marketing chamber cause marketing chamber.com We welcome you to LIS tune in to the business of giving podcast every Sunday at 7:30am on KU envy 91.5 FM. The business of giving podcast was brought to you by soul lips underwriting of our series. Thank you so much again for tuning in and always remember to give and do business for good I can't wait to see you soon.

Unknown Speaker 29:53
The weight of the world on my shoulder. As I'm getting older your people get older. Most of us only care about money.

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