Why do you come to MABE on Friday
morning?
Mark Dreher - I enjoy the business
relationships and being around a group of entrepreneurs. I
pick up on comments that I take back and use in my business.
Dave Crissman - The size and volume
of my business has tripled since I joined MABE. This
"fraternity" has shaped me to be a better businessman. I
like the fact that I can have a disagreement in here and at the
end of the meeting that person puts their arm around me and says
"See you next week." There is honesty here.
Bill LaLonde - It is the one day a
week I don't have to make my own breakfast. There is no
one else to bounce ideas off of. I learn that I am not the
only one dealing with these problems. As a group we work
together to find good solutions. The friendships I have
made are fantastic.
Roman Okonowski - MABE is my
psychotherapist both personally and professionally. There
is a great deal of support here. There are people to talk
to. They listen and care. This is not readily found
today. There are a variety of benefits to being here.
To get the most out of the group we need to take and active role
in it.
Joe Zingale - It is cheaper than a
therapist and probably more effective. I enjoy dealing
with people I know. I like being able to trust somebody
when I need a service. It is good to network and share
problems.
Greg Stewart - I agree with
everything I have heard this morning. I like to buy and
use services of people I know. It is that small town
mentality. What separates us from other groups is that we
are all owners and decision makers. That is rare. I
walk away fulfilled. Friday is my best day because I leave
MABE feeling charged.
Roger Carpenter - I hear the same
sort of challenges that I deal with. I know that I am not
alone in my ups and downs.
Brian Verbraken - I truly like
everyone in here. I like doing business with everyone.
This group has fine-tuned my business skills.
Joe Hesch - Its not the food!
I have used 27 of the current members. That tells a lot
about the trust. There are 11 people in here that I have
not given leads to. That is my goal for 2005. To be
honest, it is not the weekly contact that brings me back.
It is the 7 years of built up comradery. It is the people
more than anything else.
Jim Crossman - I immensely enjoy
coming here and I feel very bad when I miss meetings. It
feels like being with family when I come.
Robert Busch - I miss it when I
don't come. I think it is the trust factor. If
someone screws up its gonna get around! It makes you a
better businessman. I also like to see how Chris's wife if
gong to dress him each week.
Chris Curran - Most of the time, by
Thursday evening I feel down on the world. I am able to
come in on Friday morning and feel like I am part of a
community. Whether or not you care, you always listen.
I joined for the business and I have benefited. But it
took me almost 18 months to understand why no one in the group
would ever sell their spot. I now understand and even if I
never got another lead, I would probably still come. I
liken the group to the movie Stripes. Most all of us have
been kicked out of every descent company and have wound up here
as business owners. One way to go into business for
yourself is to eliminate all other options.
Jean Batt - I come for the
association with other business people. There is not a lot
of local interaction with others in our industry. We have
received some nice leads but mostly it is about the
relationships and business advice. This group is an
important part of our lives.
Lisa Schnaidt - My profession is a
very isolated, lonely one. My competitors would lie to me
about business. I belong to our state and national
associations but they are worthless. I want to be around
people I can trust. I am so happy to know that I am not
the only one usually paddling upstream against the current.
I take the advice I get here back to the office and put it to
use. I feel safe and comfortable here. I am at home.
It is my favorite time of the week.
Pat Cox - I haven't been coming
much. Hopefully that will change starting today. I
knew I would not get a lot of leads when I joined. I
actually came to get a referral base. It is important in
my line of work to be able to give clients referrals of
companies they could trust. I also like to learn how to
run a business. And I have learned a lot.
Charles Hultstrand - I enjoy the
people. My best leads come from other lawyers, not here.
I have belonged to many types of organizations (political,
church, professional, etc.). This is the nicest and most
interesting group of people.
Denver Johnson - I enjoy being here
on Friday mornings and talking to other business owners. I
get good leads but I also like being able to do business with
all of you. I feel confident giving leads out.
Steve Chilton - I joined to
learn to speak better American and increase business. I am
still practicing my American. I have joined other groups
like this in other countries but they were all about the money,
prestige and leads. I never lasted more than a month.
Being a foreigner, its not to bad here.
George Booth - Frankly, I didn't
think this group would work at all. But now I repeat what
everyone has said. I come for the relationships, the
entertainment and the excitement. You never know what is
going to happen. There are times when I disagree with
people but it helps me to grow.
Mike Whalen - I find it refreshing
that we are not doing leads today. Its not necessary and
it wastes time that could be better spent discussing issues.
If I have a lead I will pick up the phone and call that person.
My business has grown a lot since joining MABE. There have
been difficult times. MABE keeps me motivated. There
are great ideas in here. To me MABE is a group of owners
that all have similar problems. It is a group of friends
that I meet with on Friday morning. It is a great break in
my week. It should be promoted as a group for business
owners and not as a leads group.
Fred Vandervort - I have a hard
time getting up other mornings. But I look forward to
coming to MABE on Friday mornings. You couldn't ask for a
better vendor source. It is the only breakfast I don't
have to fix for myself. I love the social trips.
This group has carried me through a stroke. It is a great
group of friends.
Don Ellis - It is quite an honor to
be a part of this group. The business development is the
best part for me. And I love to look at my picture in the
brochure!
Carol Weishaar - I echo the
sentiments of everyone. At the time I joined I was also
involved with the Chamber of Commerce, Rotary, and so on.
Now I only belong to MABE and my own foundation. I hate
getting up this early. But I remember a meeting where
Chris said "I don't know about the rest of you but my business
sucks!" And it hit me...That is why I get up on Friday
morning and come here. I could not have survived if not
for MABE. Not only for the business but for the personal
support. I come here to see the people. Thanks!
Amy Ahrensdorf - I am always
looking for the next door to open. I like to be
challenged. I am here for personal growth. I am able
to express myself here.
Jim Bache - I am a people person
and that is why I like MABE. This was an easy organization
to come in to because I already new several members. We
all like the leads but I don't think most of us come for that as
our primary reason. We like to laugh. There is a lot
of humor in this room. We never laughed when I was on the
State Board Ethics Committee. I can let my hair down here
(Insert giggle).
Stuart Schindler - I come because
of discussions like this. These round tables are a big
deal for me. This is the only day of the week that I get
up this early. I like to show off and act a little.
Where else do I get an audience of this size and they can't
leave the room! Some of the best friendships I've made
were made here.
Dave Lathrop - Mike had commented
that I was the most uptight customer he had when I first joined
MABE. But now life is great. I wouldn't be in
business for myself without this group. When I show up on
Friday morning, suddenly my business exists. This is an
important group for me. It has delivered more than I ever
expected to get back from it.
Althea Bussert - I have been a
member for 14 years. (Insert rude interruption by Joe Hesch.
Train of thought lost.)
Keith Miller - MABE is like a soap
opera to me. Some weeks I wonder why I do come. It
gets old, routine. It is not always exciting. Today
is sort of refreshing. Its not about the leads. We
leave here thinking "its not that bad" because we are able to
talk comfortably about our problems. My field is like
Lisa's. Your competitors won't talk honestly to you.
It is nice to come here and listen to people talk and find out
how the different industries work.
Phil Passante - I am proud to be a
part of this group. People think "Oh, a leads group" but I
say "No, you don't get it." It used to be that I only got
up early for 2 things, sex and fishing. I also felt
isolated in my business until I joined MABE.
Gus Dekavallas - I am part of a
community here. This group is part of our community.
People would love to come in if we had an opening for them.
It is an elite group.
Sandro Menasci - To summarize, most
of us are overqualified in what we do and most of us don't
concern ourselves with how much we make. It is about
having fulfillment in our lives.