The Connect, Grow, Profit Network

By Glen Gould, Southeast Bureau Chief      Glen's Bio     Email article    RSS feed  

Phil Minnes knows networking. From successful network marketer to president of the Atlanta Jaycees, Phil has built his business and personal life around meeting, helping and sharing with others. Which is why his involvement in International Business Academies Limited (IBAL) is no surprise. What IBAL does for its members is different.

“It’s a peer support group more so than a networking group” explained Minnes as we chatted recently. “Our programming focuses on getting to know the person” he added. That’s exactly what I observed when I attended a recent IBAL Breakfast at The Buckhead Club in Atlanta. Business owners and high level executives from various backgrounds attend IBAL breakfasts, lunches, socials and strategy sessions each month, learning more about each other and themselves in the process.

Minnes was president of his BNI chapter when he first met Art Butcher of IBAL. Art invited him to an IBAL breakfast and Minnes was hooked. “I always left the meetings having learned something new, having met new contacts, and having closed business” he said. That made Minnes realize he was witnessing something unusual. He attributes his success (and that of others) in the group to the programming provided by IBAL.

The IBAL programming is designed to draw out special things about the attendees which tend to break down the barriers inherent in traditional networking events. C-level executives might find themselves discussing things as varied as their favorite book to their biggest life changing event in a non-threatening environment around a table in a small group of soon to be friends. “I’ve had people tell me things at IBAL that they would never share, or haven’t shared with their closest friends” says Minnes. He went on to say “I see some of the same people at other networking events and then really get to know them at IBAL. The people who will benefit the most are the people who will be the most open.”

IBAL also functions as a support group in that often members will come to a meeting with a specific, time-sensitive need. From closing a deal to scheduling a meeting with a key prospect, the members of IBAL help each other succeed. With so many successful and well-connected members, IBAL is an invaluable resource tool for its members as well.

IBAL is a compliment to a chamber of commerce and has a similar pricing structure. Minnes recently returned from a 10-day excursion to southern California where he met with many groups and has planted a new IBAL group. To learn more visit www.ibalnet.com or to be invited to a meeting email Phil Minnes.

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