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The New England Business Alliance (NEBA) is a virtual networking group based in the Boston area, but with members around the world. This group was founded by professionals interested in building relationships and passing leads, introductions, and referrals to the best possible professionals in their fields. This podcast is a platform to showcase the members of NEBA and their extraordinary businesses.
Narrator 00:00
Welcome to the New England Business alliances podcast. Connect your business with the right resources.
Merrill Loechner 00:09
Welcome to the New England Business Alliance Podcast, brought to you by NEBA, a great networking group based in the Boston area but with members around the world. I'm Merrill Loechner, founder of Smith Douglas Associates, a creative agency down in New York. And now let's meet the Board of Directors of the New England Business Alliance. Greg, would you please introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about yourself?
Gregory Klein-Hertzel 00:36
Hi, my name is Greg. I am the founder and CEO of ConnectivTech. ConnectivTech is a fractional CTO organization that really specializes as a technology advisor for businesses to help them select the right vendor for different technology needs.
Merrill Loechner 00:54
And David
David Joyce 00:57
Hi, David Joyce here DJ Consulting Services. My business: I help individuals and businesses reduce their overhead expenses through risk free services, solar and energy management services.
Merrill Loechner 01:11
And Jane.
Jane Harris 01:13
Hi my name is Jane Harris I am a national sales director with a company called Primerica, nationwide company all over Canada. Been here for 32 years helping families in all areas of finance but more importantly, coaching a team of representatives all across the country.
Merrill Loechner 01:29
And finally, Trevor.
Trevor Harris 01:31
Hi I'm Trevor Harris, I work with my mom, Jane with Primerica and I also helped to start the networking group NEBA.
Merrill Loechner 01:41
Thank you, everyone for joining us today. And that was going to be one of my first questions. Why did you guys start NEBA?
Trevor Harris 01:48
We decided to start NEBA because we are sick and tired of spending money on networking groups. And especially for me, we were going to the same type of networking group, seeing the same people over and over. So we wanted to start a new platform where we can run it our way and really call our own shots and network how we want to network.
Merrill Loechner 02:11
What about you, Greg?
Gregory Klein-Hertzel 02:12
Yeah. And just to add on top of that, I totally agree. Trevor came to us and was like, Hey, let's redo how networking groups run. Let's figure out a better style that where we can maximize our networking potential, find like minded people. We were just so sick of paying 1000s of dollars for groups where they mostly just do education. People really aren't there to share their story, to see what they need or even help each other. And so really, Trevor was like, Hey, let's let's do this differently. Right. So Trevor was like, the main guy who was like, let's, let's do this. And so we all put our heads together and be like, how do we format this? How do we find like minded people? How do we give to others, the way that we've seen our best networking partners gift to us? And so that's what I'll add to what he said on top of it.
David Joyce 03:09
No, and I'd like to add to that, as well. And, you know, one of the main reasons why we found it, that is, I think, what we were, paying a lot of money for networking groups, and I think all of us had the same similar understanding. And we felt that virtual at the time was the right way to attract new people, and be able to still meet, and then when things got better, we'd be able to reconvene live. So that's what I'd like to add.
Merrill Loechner 03:40
Why is networking so important to you? You're all business owners or part of a corporation. Why does networking work for you?
David Joyce 03:48
Well, if I could go. Networking, to me, is just the key to business and personal for me. I'm a very outgoing person. I enjoy meeting new people, building new friends, and business relationships, and that's what's helped me over my years. And I just want to continue to do that.
Merrill Loechner 04:13
What about you, Jane.
Jane Harris 04:15
Well, I think for me, I'm being in the business for 32 years. networking and referrals is the lifeblood of our business. Eventually everyone always says I run run out of my warm market. So people know people who know people who know people and if you can get into a good networking group like this is honestly that's what what we're all about.
Merrill Loechner 04:37
Greg?
Gregory Klein-Hertzel 04:39
Yeah, I think Dave mentioned something really important is that there's a business side of it and there is a personal side of it. People really under value or don't really think about the personal side of networking where you can really gain, you start finding like minded people, there's as much value that can come out of networking, in your personal life that can in your business. And in your business all of us have so many groups that are referral based or businesses that are referral based. Right? But no one can hire a full blown sales team. So if you're networking properly, it's almost as if you've developed a salesforce for yourself, because you have people advocating for you because you're giving to them, they're giving to you. And that's, that's one of the values of NEBA is that there are people that let's say, have graduated from the networking groups, because they've surrounded themselves by the right people in the group and outside the group too. I think it's so important.
Merrill Loechner 05:45
No, absolutely. And you're not just networking with the people in the room, so to speak,.You're networking with their entire network. So it grows exponentially, it's the whole six degrees of separation. There are so many networking groups out there, God knows I belong to easy, a half a dozen of these things. What makes NEBA stand out to you. Trevor?
Trevor Harris 06:13
I think what separates NEBA from other groups is we take a very relationship focus to our group, when people come in, it's not a quick sell, to have people look at your products or your services or whatnot. It's more so about building those trusting relationships. And I think our core group in itself is very much friends first before business partners, and you don't really see that a lot networking groups nowadays. It's usually you see it maybe once a month at an event or maybe on a virtual meeting or whatnot. But to be able to talk to them on a personal level, share life stories, and, help each other outside of business as well. That's really where I think NEBA is different from other groups.
Merrill Loechner 07:05
Anything to add, David?
David Joyce 07:06
I guess I just like to say, I guess reiterate the personal effect of that, I think it's over time, the more time you spend with people, the more you get to know their business and we're not so lead driven in this group. Right? We're more relationship driven, and we know leads will come. It's a matter of time when we will have an introduction, or somebody will think of me or Jane or Trevor or Greg. So that's what I'd like to add.
Merrill Loechner 07:41
What do you get out of NEBA, Jane?
Jane Harris 07:42
I mean, I think for me is it's an exciting one hour that you have a week to see people. And sometimes people went away and people come back and they asked about their vacation. So it's a lot more than just networking. But I think for me, it's definitely a way to get to build those relationships. And depends on your industry, like in my industry, it takes a little longer maybe to get leads. But people do have financial people. But once you're in there, we do find that people start to like you and trust you. And then they'll start to refer people over to you over amount of time.
Gregory Klein-Hertzel 08:19
Really, one of the things that separates NEBA from other networking groups are several factors. Trevor's right, some of the best people I have had the pleasure to working with are really in this group. But also, this is a free virtual networking group. And it really started with people mostly in New England, but now has gathered people all over the world. And we literally have hundreds of people that are subscribed to this. On top of it, we're trying to figure out how to add more value to the businesses by adding features like this, but have your business featured on this podcast, which is one of the many features. For example, we also have one member record a presentation every meeting for 10 minutes or less. We record it, put it on YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, where we can all support that person by liking it, sharing it, and doing so much more to support each other's businesses. So that's one of many factors. I don't know Dave, what do you think?
David Joyce 09:25
Yeah, I think to just emphasize on that, you know, we when we first got started, I mean, it was free. We weren't really, lead based, which I really enjoyed. I like just the networking piece of it. And I think people that are just open and agenda free are really what we're trying to attract. What about you, Jane, anything to add?
Jane Harris 09:53
I think that the most feedback that I get when when we're in our breakout rooms is that people who number one can't wait to be here on Tuesdays. They actually look forward to it. So that tells you something about what separates us from other networking groups, because I've heard other people that go to other groups that kind of dread going in some cases. So I really find that we are very different and we're a standout. And then I think the second thing is that we have an incredible support system. There's a lot of people that volunteer time that don't get paid for it, but trying to help people in the group. And I think that that really is - we're not all just business. We really have developed friendships, and will, most of us will do everything for each other if need be.
Merrill Loechner 10:41
What kind of person will be successful in NEVA? I mean, people can join any hundreds of virtual groups anywhere in the world. What's a good NEBA fit, who is going to say Ah! I found my family?
Trevor Harris 10:54
I think the type of person that would be successful here are people that are just looking to not only network, but also build relationships. There's a lot of people that come to networking groups, at least what I've seen is they'll calm and you can tell that they're in it for themselves. And they're not really there to give just to receive. I think Greg touched on that earlier. So we have that standard pretty set forth with our group. And people that we see come like that in NEBA, either don't stick around long, or usually they leave themselves.
David Joyce 10:57
Yeah, and for me, I like I believe that open minded people and agenda free people are truly going to be the ones that enjoy this group the most. We have a mix of business to business and business to consumer type of people that join this meeting, and just developing the relationships is going to open up opportunities for most of the people in the group.
Gregory Klein-Hertzel 12:02
Yeah, and just to add to that, I really think there's an interesting mix of attorneys, bookkeepers, CPAs, we have people who sell individual products, massages, haircuts, it's really very diverse. And so I'll be honest, if you're the type of person who only wants to talk to B2B for people, this group isn't for you. If really you're interested in collaborating, because you never know where your next opportunity is going to come from, right? Interested in collaborating with other business owners, and people who love what they do and love collaborating, this is the place to be.
Merrill Loechner 12:47
Absolutely! You, like Trevor, was saying, it's self editing, if you come in saying I've got my 30 seconds, I'm gonna give my pitch and I'm looking to make sales, I'm looking to... this probably isn't for you. It's much more casual. It's much smaller, more community based, much more relationship based. And there's an incredible amount of useful people here. I have used many members to help grow my own business. If I have a computer problem, my IT guy is in this group. If I want to say, send fudge as a gift to a client, my my fudge dealer is in this group. So it is an incredible way, especially when you're a solopreneur, to surround yourself with people that can help grow your business. And those are some of the results I have got. If I'm a new member for NEBA, what kind of results can I expect? Dave?
David Joyce 13:51
Well, I mean, I guess I would say in my case, just introducing my services to people was... I helped like five people in the organization, in this group, save some money, okay? So and it was just building that relationship, giving them an overview of what I do. And I was able to help and, you know, that's just a gratifying feeling when you can help somebody. I remember when I first came in here, Greg had a need, and I helped him out with, I don't remember what it was, but it was a maybe was a pickup of some computers or salvage stuff. And it was a good deal, right. It was a referral, and it just happened to be there. So I mean, those results happen. And moreover, I think the results of being able to refer people to other people in this group is even more gratifying. Because I was able to refer a friend of mine, got 18 videos from Jojo. So I mean, phenomenal. So I'm, this is this lots of results that can happen from New England Business Alliance.
Merrill Loechner 15:01
What about you, Jane?
Jane Harris 15:04
As far as results, I would say I've helped Rob Hartigan with at least three or four clients, he's an injury attorney. And they're all super happy with him. And I know that as soon as I hear someone's in a car accident, guess what I do? Call Rob Hartigan . And I say I don't know, if it's gonna work, I'm gonna give you his number, he's the first phone call you can make. So I mean, that's the loyalty in the group, we always try to work with one another. But the results have been great. You know, as far as people that, you know, we refer people to I love helping people. And I think that's the kind of people you want to NEBA, people who legitimately aren't requesting something always in return, but are definitely giving and enjoy the giving. So I've we've received some great referrals too
Merrill Loechner 15:48
Yeah, absolutely. It is definitely an organization full of givers, which really helps because also, since we meet every week, it kind of stays top of mind. So if I'm on a conversation with a client, or an another networking group, and someone says, Hey, do you know anyone who does this? I know everyone in this group, I know what they do. I've had long conversations with each of them. So they stay top of mind. So if someone says, Do you know anyone who? Usually my response is Yeah, I got someone. What about you, Greg?
Gregory Klein-Hertzel 16:19
It's so... I think Jane and Trevor may be the best example of this. I'll be honest, it is maybe the hardest thing for financial advisors to get into networking groups and get referrals. And Trevor and Jane have done a great job of this. But why? Not only are they givers, but they have showed up. And they've committed to helping others, right. And then after a while, they saw results of how you impact others and how you can get value out of this group. And just like you Merrill, selfishly, personally, there's so many resources that have helped my business. Whether it's a small gift for a referral, the fudge that you're talking about, a video for my business, all resources that I've gotten to use that I probably wouldn't have had. And everybody I think really wants to be the person with the Rolodex that everybody comes to. Do you know, anybody who does blah, right? Well, it's really enabled, certainly me that with the ability to really service almost anybody, because of the diverse group that we have. A simple haircut, to a personal injury attorney, estate planning - it's really fun to have those resources to give out.
Merrill Loechner 17:42
So many networking groups before the pandemic, were diner based. Everyone met at the diner, passed around referrals ate breakfast. And then the world shut down and everyone moved virtual. And then finally, COVID, settled down to a dull roar. And some people went back out to the diners. Why stay virtual? What's the benefit of virtual networking?
Jane Harris 18:10
Well, I guess I'll start with that. I think even in my own business, virtual was never around until COVID. And we have to get extremely creative. But one thing that I found with our business is that I was able to be in the state of Texas. And then an hour later, I'm in San Francisco. And you can't do that drive time, flight time, you know, anytime. And I think that with the virtual, as far as networking groups, first of all, people were hurt, and people were very much affected by the pandemic financially. So to avoid drive time, and spending money, right now, was not a good thing. So for people to meet on a virtual level, that we could have different parts of the country here, which we couldn't before. And we also could really keep it cost effective, and have just as much fun. And we've I think we've created an incredible environment to that virtual doesn't even it's not even a word anymore. It's just like a norm. So that that would be my answer.
Merrill Loechner 19:26
What about you, David?
David Joyce 19:27
Well, being in the virtual environment that's in the telecommunication space. I think COVID brought on the whole virtual environment, right? I mean, we've been trying to promote that for years. And it had it took a pandemic for people to adapt to it. And it's really great first time introduction. I mean, when you're introducing yourself for the first time, first one or two introductions, you can do what we're doing here. Get an introduction in a personal view, look, feel eye contact with people. And then when you meet them, it's even better.
Merrill Loechner 20:07
Absolutely, I've gone almost completely virtual. I am based in New York, I have clients all over the world. I have 37 main clients, two of whom I met face to face. And people say, oh, you can't get that personal touch. Yeah, actually, you can. Because talking to you, again, most of you are in the Boston area. I'm in New York, we have people in San Diego, in Michigan and Florida. And because of the way the world works, now, my IT guy's in Boca Raton, something goes wrong with my computer, he just logs on, it fixes it. You don't need to have everyone right next door. Did you find this the same way? Greg?
Gregory Klein-Hertzel 20:50
Yeah, it's so interesting, you know, this was born, right around COVID. And business has to go on, right? We had to do something and there was no more in person. And there is a certain value of being in person, certainly. But I remember those days being a road warrior, where I had to just meet everybody in person, go to events. And you know what, sometimes it was a waste of time, sometimes it wasn't. In this environment, you really get to like target who you want to get in front of, who you want to get in person. This is not the end, this is the beginning of a relationship, right. And that's what we want to foster new and beginning relationships. And then we realize, oh, this can apply to everywhere in the country. And so that's why we stayed virtual, in order to really expand upon our reach. So yeah, I agree.
Merrill Loechner 21:50
So we were talking the difference between personal and virtual, does NEBA have any personal events?
Jane Harris 21:58
They do! We've had a few, especially when the COVID broke. So I had one at my own home last September. And we had a great time. We live on a golf course. So some of the guys went golfing, and I was bringing them out some adult beverages during their golf game. So we and the ladies, we all just hang out in the backyard and had everyone brought stuff. It was amazing. But we do love to get together, we have a place here called Wamesit Lanes, and it's a big, huge facility and have bowling alleys and golf simulators. So we meet there, we've met there twice already with the group. And you're right, we get to find out how sure people really are and how tall people really are. Because that's one thing you don't get on the virtual amounts. Me and Trevor had lunch with Greg for the first time one time and we're like, Hey, Greg, we're looking at him. But it was fun. It's fun to meet people in person as well. No doubt.
Merrill Loechner 22:51
Oh, absolutely. I remember meeting my accountant for the first time and he's six foot eight. It's like, Oh, you look much taller than you did on Zoom. What is the structure of NEBA? Every live, every virtual networking group kind of has a pattern a way things are done. How does NEBA work?
Gregory Klein-Hertzel 23:13
So it's so interesting. We spent a long time talking about what is the best way we should structure this group. So here's what we've come up with. We think that guests are maybe some of the most valuable people that enter our group, right? To start the meeting, if this is your first time coming to the meeting, you get to introduce yourself to everybody before we go breakout rooms, right? You have about 45 seconds to say who you are, what you do, because right after that what we do is actually do breakout rooms. So we do a 15 minute breakout room, with about six to eight people in each room. Now we're going to provide you a list of questions really, it's all about who you are, what you do, what referrals leads or intros have you made to the group? And then we change up the third question. Sometimes we make it a personal one, sometimes we make it a business one. But after 15 minutes, everyone gets to go and have a more of an intimate connection in a larger setting. Right, we come back to the main room, we do one more 15 minute breakout room just to get you introduced to more people, and you have about two minutes in these groups to really actually educate people about what you do and what you need. Once those two sessions are done, we come back to the room and then it's all about giving to others. Thank yous, shout outs or I have a need or I have a client who has a need. And that's really all about giving back and giving to others. And then lastly to wrap it all up, we have one member a week, and Jane coordinates the schedule right of who presents, we pick someone who's been to the group pretty consistently, and we give them up to 10 minutes to show a PowerPoint. We record it with their permission of course We put it on YouTube, Facebook LinkedIn, so we can all support it, like it, share it. And every week is a similar structure. So the ideas coming back, and we have anywhere between 30 and 50 people pretty regularly, with over 200 people on our list of people that constantly come in and out. So every week, you're gonna get to have an intimate conversation and meet new people every single week. And so this is how we maximize our networking in one hour.
Merrill Loechner 25:31
When does NEBA meet? What day, what time?
Jane Harris 25:35
Every Tuesday, and we meet at 8:30 in the morning, and we're done promptly at 9:30. Greg make sure of that. He does a phenomenal job of keeping everybody online and right to cutting people off on their presentation if you have to. But the time is well respected. And Greg does a phenomenal job on keeping everybody's time for their businesses in a number one position.
Gregory Klein-Hertzel 25:59
Excellent. And that's Eastern Standard Time. I just wanted to make sure people knew that listening.
Merrill Loechner 26:05
Yes. So we have some people who wake up very early in California to join us on a weekly basis.
Merrill Loechner 26:12
Excellent. How long has NEBA been around. When was it started?
Gregory Klein-Hertzel 26:19
Three years ago, guys, would you isn't that right? Just over three years ago, I think two months ago, we were celebrating our three year anniversary, I think.
Jane Harris 26:29
I believe it was St. Patrick's Day, St. Patrick's Day, three years ago,
Trevor Harris 26:34
Right before COVID.
Merrill Loechner 26:37
So someone's really interested saying, Oh, this is great. How do they join? Do they need a super secret password? Do they need to be brought in by a member of the group and secretly vetted by the Cabal? How do people join?
Trevor Harris 26:54
Yeah, so there's a couple of ways to do that. Obviously, there's a meeting link, we meet on Zoom. So if someone's in the group, and they have someone that they want to invite, they could either just send them the link, or we have a landing page that goes into some details about our group when we meet this and that, and they can add themselves onto our email list. And then they get an email every Monday, just with the link on there, the person that's a spotlight for that week, and any other information that pertains to that meeting. And then following the Tuesday meeting, they also get an email as well, with the meeting chat, people put their information in there, so we can follow up and set one to ones. So that's a great resource that people can have. And, Greg, you want to add to that?
Gregory Klein-Hertzel 27:41
Yeah, just, you know, if you don't know someone in the group, because that's really our biggest factor is everybody's referring someone else in. But if you're hearing this podcast, you don't know anyone in this group, hop on LinkedIn, look up NEBA. If you're on Facebook, look up NEBA networking. Really, that's what you want to look under New England Business Alliance, and there's direct links to register to be a part of this meeting. It's just one of many ways to check it out.
Merrill Loechner 28:11
And we'll also be adding these links into the show notes, so you can see that directly under this podcast as well.
Merrill Loechner 28:19
We've been around for a while. We know what the past has been. What do you see the future being? What what is what do you have planned for the future of NEBA?
David Joyce 28:29
I think we need to just continue to invite new people to the group to join the weekly calls. And it's important to continue networking and we're gonna just try to come up with creative ways to draw more people to this group. It's grown already tremendously. So, I mean, I think we're just we're on the right path. And I just think we need to offer value added services to new members to drive more and continue networking.
Merrill Loechner 29:07
What do you think, Greg?
Gregory Klein-Hertzel 29:09
Yeah, it's so interesting. We started off with, I think, seven people, eight people at most. We're now very consistently sometime between 30 and 50 people. We wanted to structure the group so we can offer as many people as possible. So I think the number of people coming to each week will be increasing. So that's the first thing we're going to see. Two, we are always looking for more resources we can give back to businesses, in addition to a lot of networking, right? This podcast is going to hopefully be one of many resources we can give back to everybody coming to the group. Instead of paying for a networking group, this is going to be resources you can add to your business to get real value besides just networking. And so I think that's the network more people, more resources for to help grow your business, I think those are really going to be some of the future things that are going to be coming out of this group.
Merrill Loechner 30:13
Jane, anything to add?
Jane Harris 30:15
Yeah, I think as far as the future of NEBA, I'm a big thinker, and I could see a NEBA South, a NEBA North, NEBA West, and NEBA east, you never know. I think that people really are attracted to this kind of networking. And, again, I've been told so many times during our breakouts, that this is their favorite networking group, so I hear that all the time. So if that's the case, then I really see this thing expanding nationwide, honestly, and becoming larger than we're even able to imagine right now.
Merrill Loechner 30:47
There are so many other Zoom networking groups, but this is one of my can't miss. And it's not because it's virtual, I belong to a bunch of other virtual groups. And it's not because I get referrals, I get referrals from the other groups. It's the people. This group, everyone here is thrilled to talk with you and dedicated to see you succeed. Anytime you talk about your successes, they're thrilled, if you come and say, you know, I'm having a challenge here, they will trip over themselves, trying to help you or introduce you to people who can help you. Everyone in this group actively wants to see you succeed, like you were saying, it is a group full of givers. And everyone is enthusiastic, thrilled to be there at 8:30 in the morning, Eastern Standard Time. But still they make it every time - some are driving to work, some are picking up their kids, they don't want to miss the meeting. Because the people around them give such positive energy, it is such a great way to start the day and start the week, Trevor, anything to wrap up with?
Trevor Harris 31:55
I just want to say how grateful I am that we even started this in the first place. It was during COVID and we didn't really know what to expect. Our original plan, believe it or not, was to be an in person group. And as we were planning things out, COVID hit. So we had to make that quick adjustment and go virtually. And that's going to be the best decision I think we've made. Because we would have never met our people in Florida, we have people in the Midwest, we have people everywhere that we would have never even talked to if we just limited ourselves to being in person. So I think that was the best decision we made was making this virtual. And yes, the name's New England Business Alliance, but it's not limited to New England. I want people to understand that going, you know, out of this podcast and into the group.
Merrill Loechner 32:48
I think we even have a member from old England. So yes, we have members from all over.
David Joyce 32:54
And really, even though it's not all New England, a lot of the members have New England ties from other parts of the country. And it's expanding beyond that now. So exciting. I think we did a really good job. And I look forward to the growth and grateful like Trevor said,
Merrill Loechner 33:14
Thank you, everyone. This has been fantastic. I will add all the links we described in the show notes for anyone who would like to check us out. Thank you very much for joining us and have a fantastic week.
Gregory Klein-Hertzel 33:28
Thank you.
David Joyce 33:29
Thank you. Thank you, everybody.
Narrator 33:33
Thanks for joining us for The New England Business Alliance Podcast. Join us next time for more business resources.