Biz Builder Mike

You can't sail Today's boat on Yesterdays wind - Michael Noel

EO Global

7,209 Connections Made Between EO Members: How the 1-ON-1 Connections Program Increases Member Value

It’s been two years since EO Atlanta members Brad Stevens and Jason Rhoades came up with a brilliant initiative to enhance member connection and create impact during Covid shutdowns: EO 1-ON-1 Connections.

During those 2020 pandemic days when in-person meetings were rare, Brad and Jason combined their expertise for a common cause: To strengthen the weave of relationships between EO members to drive value. Using virtual assistants in the Philippines from Brad’s company, Outsource Access, and technology from Jason’s firm, Toolbox9, they created a method and technological algorithm to help increase member connections and engagement—and 1-ON-1 Connections was born!

It was a huge success across EO Atlanta: 1-ON-1 Connections created over 600 connections in its first 90 days, significantly strengthening human connections among chapter members.

Providing connection and engagement worldwide

Next, Brad and Jason did what entrepreneurs do best: Scaled the initiative. Word spread quickly within EO, and they now run the 1-ON-1 Connections program on an in-kind basis to EO chapters worldwide. Nearly 20 participating EO chapters are already reaping the value from this initiative, including EO Toronto, EO New Zealand, EO Brisbane, EO South Florida, EO MEPA Bridge, EO Fort Worth, EO Europe and EO Western New York.

The model is simply to rapidly build intentional, consistent relationships between more EO members at scale via email. While ‘chat’ platforms are very valuable, they require members to go there to engage. 1-ON-1 Connections delivers right to each member’s inbox. 

And, 1-ON-1 Connections is turn-key, so it requires nearly zero work for chapter staff.

“The feedback has been incredible,” Brad shared. “It rapidly ‘thickens the weave’ of member-to-member relationships with the intent to drive engagement and retention.” And, it is fully “private label,” so it looks like it is created by and coming from each local chapter—for example, the EO Brisbane 1-ON-1 Connections Program.

In addition, 1-ON-1 Connections has applications for:

  • Events and conferences. Recently deployed before XCentric, EO’s US Central regional event, the program connected conference attendees from different chapters, so they knew a few more familiar faces at the event.
  • Strategic Alliance Partners (SAPs) and chapter sponsors. EO members can opt-in to be paired with a chapter SAP a few times per year. This can substantially increase value for the SAPs, who often struggle to get member “face time”.
  • EO Accelerator participants.
  • Sister chapters.

In brief: 1-ON-1 positively impacts member engagement through rapid 1-on-1 connections that dramatically enhance value by systematically pairing members together with customized introductions that increase the likelihood of a beneficial personal collision.

Though Brad and Jason didn’t originally intend to “make it a business,” at the encouragement of fellow EOers, they recognize opportunities for monetizing the program outside of EO for other member-based organizations and conferences. 

They see their niche as being “the only full-service, private label, 1-on-1 connections program for member organizations and conferences.”

What EO members say about 1-ON-1 Connections

“We all need to be knocked out of our relationship bubbles, and this is a perfect tool! —Jon VanderMeer, EO Atlanta,  Kiosk & Display

“Every time you meet another EO member, you get to experience share, learn and grow from them―no matter how different your businesses are. My first 1-ON-1 Connection meeting was just what I needed: I had been so stuck in an area, and Jeb Stewart suggested an exercise to try. He gave me accountability, growth and a good challenge.” — Melissa Davis, EO South Florida, Elev8 Hire Solutions

“Two EO Toronto members shared that they ended up doing a $40 million dollar deal together that never would have happened if not for the EO 1-ON-1 Connections program!” — Shane Bennett, EO Toronto past president, Integrated Automotive

“I was just launching a new fitness business and wanted to add a supplement line. Through 1-ON-1, I got paired with a new EO member who happened to have a supplement manufacturing business. We had an awesome Zoom call, and I ended up touring his facility to understand the process and its outstanding additional revenue potential.” — Ethan King, EO Atlanta, 6 Pack Dads and Zeus’ Closet

“My second connection was with a super successful entrepreneur with multiple exits. The timing was perfect, as I’m launching my second business with an eye to sale. I got tons of value and even shifted my thinking entirely on my growth approach. It would have never happened without that 1-ON-1 Connection.” — Kara Brown, EO Atlanta, LeadCoverage

“It is always on my list to be more intentional about building relationships within EO. This program handles all the legwork to set up efficient, impactful conversations so I can focus on the fun part of connecting.” — Shantel Kriss, EO Atlanta, Imagine Media

How 1-ON-1 Connections works

Here’s how the 1-ON-1 Connections program works:

  • No major work is required from chapter staff or board members. Software and virtual assistants (VAs) manage it all.
  • It is “private label” for your chapter (ie, The EO Detroit 1-ON-1 Connections Program)
  • To start, all you need is a list of chapter members. The program will email the connections—typically once per month—“colliding” two members to prompt a meeting. The email will include each member’s company, bio, website, LinkedIn profile, and any other data you specify. All information is held in full confidentiality.
  • Proprietary software creates “pairings” so everyone is uniquely matched. Forum members who know each other well are not matched together.
  • Chapters receive a dashboard report showing stats on connections, open rates, click-through rates and survey results on connection feedback.
  • See a sample 1-ON-1 Connection email.

Are you ready for 1-ON-1 Connections?

“Human connection creates value,” Brad said. “The 1-ON-1 Connections program brings EO members together in an easy, turnkey way that requires no additional administrative work. As a result, members experience greater value from their EO membership, which increases engagement.”

Is your chapter ready to connect, collide and create value? Then it’s time to explore 1-On-1 Connections.

For more insights and inspiration from today’s leading entrepreneurs, check out EO on Inc. and more articles from the EO blog. 

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The Power of In-Person Learning

Carrie Santos GLC 2022Contributed by Dr. Carrie Santos, CEO of Entrepreneurs’ Organization

Sometimes you just need to be in the room—to feel the vibrations of energy and possibility all around you. When hundreds of EO entrepreneurs under the same roof connect with a speaker at precisely the same time, that energy is exhilarating. That is our Global Leadership Conference (GLC).

I’m still digesting the wisdom and inspiration shared by our speakers during EO’s 2022 GLC this past April, and yet, here we are, planning for the next flagship learning event in 2023:

EO is going to Cape Town, South Africa for GLC next April!

In a sense, Cape Town will be a return for us. As many of you remember, EO was meant to go to Cape Town back in April 2020, when the COVID-19 outbreak put a hard stop on all our plans. We learned, as every business leader did during those first unsettling months, how to embrace the pause and lean into the unknown.

I was so proud to see EO members offering support to each other during lockdowns, while we learned to collaborate without regular in-person meetings. We created an “EO Together” fund to make sure no member lacked EO support when they needed it most—so many lost more than half of their revenue. Some members launched and signed a “No Layoff Pledge”, committing to no employee furloughs or layoffs during the initial several months of lockdown. Our inclusive, supportive network showed that we can ride out unprecedented global crises together—that’s who we are.

South Africa next year will bring together and amplify everything we have learned about ourselves over the last three years, and plot a course forward.

In-person events encourage learning and transformation, drawing on all our human traits and best instincts. They create an environment where you can form real, meaningful connections that last a lifetime, and participate in a community that’s larger than yourself. At GLC 2022, across both Washington, D.C. and Barcelona, Spain, this was palpable. Our joy at being able to resume face-to-face connection was in every hug, handshake and in-person introduction enjoyed by the more than 1,100 EO members who attended. Together We Grow.

While we went “back” to in-person, we kept moving forward and included nearly 6,000 people who joined GLC online. They could take in the keynote speakers with special online questions and answer sessions and engage in virtual chats with fellow entrepreneurs around the world. This online group included an amazing 4,600 new friends who expressed curiosity about becoming part of EO’s global community. (We hope to meet you!)

In the coming weeks and months, we will share more news about GLC 2023’s theme and guest speakers. Yet some of the lessons from GLC 2022 are too good to leave behind. Many of those messages can help us in our roles as business leaders, peers, parents and community members.

For example, so many people told me how impactful the session was from inventor-filmmaker Mick Ebeling, who challenged us to think about barriers this way:

“Think of something that’s possible today, that we thought was impossible yesterday. Everything that surrounds us today, was impossible first. So the inversion of that is also true: Everything that’s impossible today must be on the trajectory to go to the possible. Impossible is a fallacy. It is a temporary state of being. It is our job as entrepreneurs to figure out how to put our shoulders into it, to transition things from impossible to possible.”

Mick’s nothing-is-impossible spirit and entrepreneurial mindset captivated all of us and left us with new belief in possibilities. If you are an EO member, I strongly encourage you to watch the video of Mick’s stage presentation on our website here. It might just change your life. 

Sometimes taking a step back to reflect on how our brains work and recognizing they have their own operating systems can really help us when we are trying to tackle a difficult problem. In EO, we see the benefit of taking time to take a step back and to reflect every day.

That’s why the 2022 GLC presentation from brain performance and memory coach Jim Kwik, who overcame a childhood brain injury, was so compelling. Jim’s session focused on supercharging our minds to learn faster, retain more, and overcome our own limiting beliefs. As business owners and CEOs, the mental input we receive can feel overwhelming at times. Jim’s training offered immediate, tangible takeaways that we can apply in everyday life. One memorable analogy was: “Your mind is like a parachute. It only works when it’s open. We have to overcome the curse of expertise. So be open.”

THIS is why GLC counts as work. GLC is our opportunity for all of us to be open. To practice that Thirst for Learning we value so much.

Experience sharing is central to everything we do at EO. We must be open to listen and learn. During her experience share on stage, supermodel-turned-entrepreneur Tyra Banks offered aspiring entrepreneurs this perspective: “You’ve got to be the dumbest in the room, but have the biggest vision.”

GLC gives us all that confidence to lead by listening and learning. Tyra went on to tell us how her mother, Carolyn’s, guidance has been essential to her success over the years. “You have to plan for the end, at the beginning”, she told Tyra. In Tyra’s case, she had to plan for her future career as a mentor and business owner when she was taking her first steps on fashion runways as a teen. Since then, Tyra has formed a production company that’s created hundreds of award-winning television hours, taught a course on branding at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business, and launched an innovative ice cream company called SMiZE cream, to name a few of her accomplishments.

I cannot wait for GLC2023. It’s magic when we all come together in the same room to learn and be inspired to take our next step. Hope to see you there.

For more insights and inspiration from today’s leading entrepreneurs, check out EO on Inc. and more articles from the EO blog. 

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3 Reasons EO Global Speakers Academy was transformational for me—as a speaker coach

Contributed by Andrea Heuston, an EO US West Bridge chapter member who is a Speaker Coach to leaders at Fortune 100 companies, a best-selling author, and CEO of Artitudes, a full-service design firm specializing in executive presentations, branding and visual marketing.

EO’s next Global Speakers Academy will be held in-person and virtually from 21 October – 4 November 22 in Cancun, Mexico. Applications open 15 July!

“Never become so much of an expert that you stop gaining expertise.” – Denis Waitley

There is nothing more humbling than a teacher becoming a student again. Whenever I find myself facing the opportunity to grow within my current zone of genius, I leap for it.

This is what EO Global Speakers Academy (GSA) was for me: the most impactful experience I’ve had within EO—to my utter joy and some surprise!

As a Speaker Coach with over 20 years of experience, I know what it takes to become a highly effective public speaker. Yet as an EO member, there exists a dichotomy within me: On one hand, a deep level of expertise in and passion for my field (speaker coaching); on another, an unquenchable thirst for learning and a deep love of growth (which, depending on the day, sometimes feels more like impostor syndrome). You might relate.

Like many entrepreneurs, my speaker coaching expertise had an informal start. Colleagues, leaders, friends and members of my network would say things like: “Andrea, you are great at public speaking—can you teach me how to be great, too?”

Originally, I felt unsure: Could I teach someone how to be great on a stage? Is it something innate some of us simply have, or is it a skill that can be learned?

I formalized my knowledge and methodology and since then have had the privilege of working with C-suite leaders from Fortune 100 companies across the globe, shaping each one of them into what I like to call a “superhero.” Over the years, I’ve honed best practices for giving impactful talks, as well as habits and tricks for everything from cadence to body language to content.

In the process, I’ve even been dubbed the “Script Whisperer.”

So when the opportunity to attend GSA presented itself, a five-day program that helps entrepreneurs design their signature talk, I was skeptical at first.

In the spirit of radical candor, I remember asking myself: “What more could I possibly learn on this topic?”

Furthermore, the thought of stepping away from the business for 9+ hours each day for a full week seemed daunting. Yet, every entrepreneur I knew talked at length about working “on” the business rather than “in” it. I could overcome that concern to step away and focus on something bigger for a period of time, couldn’t I?

So, despite my breadth of knowledge and experience at a professional level, I gave GSA a chance—and the results truly took me by surprise.

GSA was an immersive and intense experience—almost like a boot camp. The team of instructors was remarkable (I even had several of them on my podcast as guests long after GSA had wrapped). They had worked with the highest-tier names in business, sports and live entertainment. We were in capable hands.

Still, I felt some uneasiness. Like many (all) entrepreneurs, I don’t do particularly well with being told what to do. Yet, at GSA, the opposite seemed to occur: the material was so fascinating I found myself eager to be coached, to be corrected, to be taught something new and to see myself from an external perspective.

Specifically, here are three things I gained from GSA that every entrepreneur could benefit from:

1. Confidence

Confidence is a staircase—one on which we can always climb higher. It is especially true for all individuals, but in the rollercoaster of daily entrepreneurial life, confidence comes at a premium. GSA provided tools each cohort member could use in their daily lives, whether they find themselves in front of five or 500 people. We learned how to not just “speak” to someone but how to truly engage with them on a meaningful level. We left with heightened confidence not only in how we speak but in the value of what we are speaking about and why it matters.

2. Community

The EO community is unquestionably one of the highlights of our membership, and immersive environments like GSA elevate it to another level entirely. We truly felt like a little family. I felt grateful to have formed relationships with individuals from Canada, the US, Mexico, the UK, and the Middle East—wonderful people I wouldn’t have necessarily met otherwise. When you spend full days in an immersive context sharing some of your most personal stories, vulnerability tends to help form bonds, and these bonds impacted me in a real way. Instamacy, at its deepest. Those connections also offered new perspectives, new insights and new ideas, many of which I could never have seen for myself.

3. Capability

My greatest takeaway from GSA came to me in the form of a good reminder: public speaking is not something solely to be practiced or learned by “public speakers” or those with aspirations to appear on stage. The skills and capabilities we develop by means of speaker training can be applied to our everyday professional lives, whether we have dreams of giving a TED Talk or want to better connect with our teams; whether we need to pitch for new capital raises or want to engage in more networking. Having these transformative storytelling skills can be game-changers for entrepreneurs.

Since GSA, I’ve adopted new skills in both my own keynote talks and my coaching practice for others. I’ve honed in on confidence that will bring greater value not only to my company but to my personal life as well. Yet the residual effect I feel particular gratitude for is the reminder that no matter how deep our expertise, we can always learn something new—and feel genuine joy in the process.

For more insights and inspiration from today’s leading entrepreneurs, check out EO on Inc. and more articles from the EO blog. 

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