Episode 911: Why I Invited My Competition

Summary

Episode 911: Why I Invited My Competition

Host: Dr. Ivan Misner
Guest: Jessica Korf, Owner of Jessica Korf Studios
Release Date: May 21, 2025
Podcast: The Official BNI Podcast

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Introduction to the Episode

In Episode 911 of The Official BNI Podcast, host Dr. Ivan Misner welcomes Jessica Korf, a distinguished portrait photographer and educator from Jessica Korf Studios. This episode delves into the unconventional yet highly effective strategy of inviting competitors into a BNI chapter to foster collaboration over competition.

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Setting the Stage: The Abundance Mindset

[00:50] Dr. Ivan Misner:
Dr. Misner begins by sharing his current involvement in Jack Canfield’s mastermind in Santa Barbara, setting a tone of collaboration and learning. He introduces Jessica Korf, highlighting her expertise in branding and boudoir photography, and her strong affiliation with BNI Sunrise Success chapter.

[02:24] Jessica Korf:
Jessica articulates the core theme: inviting competition into a BNI chapter challenges the traditional scarcity mindset prevalent in business. She emphasizes that shifting from competition to collaboration can lead to greater business momentum and mutual growth.

Notable Quote:
"What actually works today, I believe, and builds thriving businesses and chapters is going to be clarity, connection, and collaboration."
— Jessica Korf [03:33]

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Embracing Clarity and Focus

Jessica explains that clarity and focus are pivotal in creating an abundance mindset. By niching down, she didn’t lose business but rather attracted more of what she loves, specifically in branding and boudoir photography. This specialization aligns with her passion to empower women, fostering a supportive and synergistic environment within her BNI chapter.

[04:02] Jessica Korf:
"When you niche down, you don't get less, you actually get more of what you love."
— Jessica Korf [04:12]

Dr. Misner adds that focusing on a specialty helps businesses excel, reinforcing the idea that specialists thrive by being experts in their chosen niches.

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The Power of Collaboration Over Competition

Jessica recounts how her BNI chapter has grown to include various photography specialties, such as weddings, events, family, newborn, real estate, pet, and birthing photography. Each member leads with their unique "flame," ensuring that referrals are specific and beneficial to all parties involved.

[05:21] Jessica Korf:
"We all could do different things. That could even potentially cross over. But we really try and focus with, leading with our flame because that's what's going to make us unforgettable."
— Jessica Korf [05:29]

Notable Example:
Jessica shares a story of two landscapers in a BNI chapter who initially saw each other as competitors. Through conversation, they agreed to specialize in commercial and residential landscaping, respectively, leading to mutual referrals and a stronger network.

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Breaking Down the Scarcity Mindset

The episode challenges the traditional approach of guarding client bases out of fear of losing business. Instead, Jessica advocates for an abundant mindset where collaboration leads to increased opportunities and a more robust business ecosystem.

[07:23] Jessica Korf:
"I think that when we have that abundant mindset like that, everybody gets to win."
— Jessica Korf [07:23]

Dr. Misner echoes this sentiment, providing additional examples from other chapters, such as a group of attorneys who specialize in different areas but refer clients within their network, enhancing overall trust and client retention.

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Benefits Beyond Referrals

Beyond the tangible benefits of referrals, Jessica highlights the emotional and professional support that comes from collaborating with peers. This includes brainstorming ideas, mutual accountability, and reducing the isolation often felt by solo entrepreneurs.

[08:36] Dr. Ivan Misner:
"Collaboration builds momentum, accountability, and reduces isolation."
— Dr. Ivan Misner [08:36]

Jessica adds that operating from a place of trust and generosity makes a professional more magnetic, attracting clients and strengthening relationships within the chapter.

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Implementing Collaboration in Your Chapter

When asked how she decided to invite more photographers into her chapter, Jessica shares that it began with clarity about her own passions and a commitment to leading with her specific strengths. She advises others to identify their "flame" and consider how collaboration can enhance their business networks.

[10:20] Jessica Korf:
"Ask yourself, what do I love most about what I do? What's my flame? What type of clients and my work light me up?"
— Jessica Korf [10:20]

She encourages business members to build a trusted network by inviting diverse specialties, fostering an environment where everyone can thrive through shared support and referrals.

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Closing Thoughts and Encouragement

Dr. Misner praises Jessica and her chapter for exemplifying the benefits of collaboration over competition. He references a previous podcast episode on classification cowboys to contrast the evolving understanding within BNI chapters towards specialization and mutual support.

[12:00] Jessica Korf:
"When we give space for others to come in and work together, everybody wins, everybody gets more clarity. And the referrals come faster, stronger, and better."
— Jessica Korf [12:00]

Dr. Misner concludes by encouraging listeners to adopt a similar collaborative mindset to enhance their business networks and referral systems.

[12:15] Dr. Ivan Misner:
"Jessica, thank you so much. For anyone interested in Jessica's photography, her website is jessica korf.com."
— Dr. Ivan Misner [12:15]

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Key Takeaways

1. Abundance Mindset: Transitioning from a scarcity to an abundance mindset fosters collaboration, leading to increased business opportunities.
2. Clarity and Specialization: Focusing on specific niches allows businesses to become experts, enhancing their visibility and referral potential.
3. Collaborative Ecosystem: Inviting competitors into a network builds a supportive and robust business environment, reducing isolation and increasing mutual referrals.
4. Building Trust: Operating from trust and generosity attracts clients and strengthens professional relationships within the network.
5. Actionable Steps: Identify your core passions, specialize your services, and invite diverse specialties into your network to create a thriving collaborative ecosystem.

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Final Note

For those interested in exploring Jessica Korf’s photography services, you can visit her website at jessicacorf.com.

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This episode underscores the transformative power of collaboration within professional networks. By inviting diverse specialties and focusing on mutual support, businesses can transcend traditional competitive barriers, fostering an environment of shared success and growth.

Transcript

[Priscilla Rice]

Episode number 911, why I invited my competition.

[Dr. Ivan Meisner]

You're listening to the official BNI podcast with BI founder and chief visionary officer, Dr. Ivan Meisner. Stay tuned for networking and referral marketing tips from the man who's been called the father of modern networking, along with suggestions and insights into getting the most from your membership in the world's largest networking organization, bni.

[Priscilla Rice]

Hello, everybody, and welcome back to the official BNI Podcast. I'm Priscilla Rice and I'm coming to you from Live Oak Recording Studio in Berkeley, California. And I'm joined on the phone today by the founder and the chief visionary officer of BNI, Dr. Ivan Meisner. Hello, Ivan, how are you? And where are you?

[Dr. Ivan Meisner]

I am really pleased to say that I am in Santa Barbara, California, doing Jack Canfield. Jack's been a friend of mine for almost 20 years, his very last mastermind, and I'm co facilitating it. I'm honored to be co facilitating his very last mastermind in Santa Barbara.

[Priscilla Rice]

Oh, great.

[Dr. Ivan Meisner]

He's retiring from his work.

[Priscilla Rice]

Really? That's wonderful. Lucky him.

[Dr. Ivan Meisner]

Well, I think he'll miss it, but, you know, at some point we all. We all have to be put to pasture.

[Priscilla Rice]

So I know my.

[Dr. Ivan Meisner]

My day's coming, but hopefully not anytime soon. I have a guest here today. Her name is Jessica Corf. And Jessica, her topic is why and why I invited my competition. And there's a. There's more to the title and you might want to also. Jessica is a portrait photographer and educator in the photo industry. She's the owner of Jessica Korf Studios and she specializes in branding and. And boudoir photography. We all love boudoir photography, whoever we are. She's a proud member of the BNI Sunrise Success chapter, and she's been part of BNI Sozona for over eight years and has served as a support director for the past five. She's passionate about intentional leadership, collaboration over competition, and guiding others to lead with what they love in life and in business. Jessica, welcome to the BNI Podcast.

[Jessica Korf]

Oh, thank you for having me. I'm so excited and grateful to be here.

[Dr. Ivan Meisner]

Well, I'm glad you're here. And I love this topic and it's almost completely counterintuitive to what the average business person thinks, but I am 100% convinced that it is. What helps make many professions successful is this mindset of abundance, which is the first thing I want to talk about. Talk about the scarcity mindset around competition and how you thought about that with your group.

[Jessica Korf]

Yeah. So I really wanted to start by just naming the elephant in the room. Which you just did. Right. Why would anyone invite their competition into their BNI chapter? It does go against what we've been generally taught in business. Guarding our spaces, protecting our client base, being cautious about anything that might take our potential clients away. But I do think that scarcity mindset is super outdated practice. What actually works today, I believe, is and builds thriving businesses and chapters is going to be clarity, connection and collaboration. I've really seen it firsthand that when you lean into that collaboration instead of competition, you really don't lose business, you gain momentum.

[Dr. Ivan Meisner]

I agree. Can I add one word to it? I would say collaboration and focusing on your specialty.

[Jessica Korf]

Yes, definitely. I think that for me, clarity and focus kind of go hand in hand. So when I use the term clarity, it's definitely pushing towards that focus.

[Dr. Ivan Meisner]

Yeah. I have found businesses that are. That really want to be an expert in a niche in whatever field tend to do much, much better. So you talk to me about the clarity and how that creates abundance in your mind.

[Jessica Korf]

So I, I think that this is. There's this myth of loss that goes with it. And I have three main reasons that I actually think it's a game. So is this where I can go into those?

[Dr. Ivan Meisner]

Yeah, absolutely.

[Jessica Korf]

Perfect. Okay. So number one is I think clarity creates abundance. So focus, same thing. Right? Creates the abundance. And when you niche down, you don't get less, you actually get more of what you love. For me, that clarity was focusing on branding and boudoir photography because they aligned with how I wanted to empower women. That's my flame. In our chapter, we now have other photographers who lead with their flame. So we have weddings and events, we have family and newborn sessions. And we're currently looking to add real estate, pet and even birthing photographers.

[Dr. Ivan Meisner]

Wait, wait, I want everyone to hear this. You already have two, three and you're adding another.

[Jessica Korf]

Yes, we have three currently and we already have one visiting next week for real estate. We definitely want to continue to grow our niches within that photography category.

[Dr. Ivan Meisner]

Now, I want everyone to hear this. Here's a chapter that's going to have three or four photographers in the chapter, all focusing on their. Their specific classification and I'm guessing many of them, the other photographers are referring you for your category and you're referring them for their category. Is that accurate?

[Jessica Korf]

Yes, yes, that's absolutely true. We all.

[Dr. Ivan Meisner]

Totally counterintuitive, but incredibly impressive. Sorry, didn't mean to cut you off. Go ahead.

[Jessica Korf]

Oh, no, that's okay. Absolutely. We all could do different Things. Right. That could even potentially cross over. But we really try and focus with, leading with our flame because that's what's going to make us unforgettable.

[Dr. Ivan Meisner]

Yeah, yeah. And really, you get a reputation for being an expert in that. In that category, in that field, and a lot of people don't understand that. You, in some of the notes you sent me, you talk about generalists, tell us your thoughts on that.

[Jessica Korf]

Yes. So, you know, we say in VNI all the time. Specific is terrific. Right. So. And I think that generalists may find themselves blending in a little bit when we do all of the things. While specialists tend to stay top of mind as an example or a way to think about it. You wouldn't think to ref. You wouldn't think to go to a general doctor for brain surgery even if he could do it. You want the right specialist because it's clear what it. What it is they do and that they do it really well. And I think it's the same in business. So I know chiropractors who focus on women's health and others who specialize in pediatric care think they could apply this too. Honestly, I think this idea could work in most categories because clarity, to me, always creates more opportunity. If you're willing to invite it in.

[Dr. Ivan Meisner]

Yeah, yeah. But you gotta be willing to invite it in. You're going to be able to see past the potential competition and look at the collaboration. Dana, my assistant, talked about a chapter that she was involved in that had two landscapers showed up at a meeting and they said, sorry, we can only pick one. And the two of them walked out for a moment, had a conversation, came back in and said, well, I'll do commercial landscape work and he's going to do residential. Would that be okay? And they said, yes. And these two landscape people joined and referred business to each other. It's exactly the kind of thing you're talking about.

[Jessica Korf]

Yes. I love that so much. I think that when we have that abundant mindset like that, everybody gets to win.

[Dr. Ivan Meisner]

Yeah. So talk about collaboration being protective, not risky.

[Jessica Korf]

So I think that a lot of people worry that they. If when they bring someone else into a similar category, they're going to lose clients. I think that's a big fear they have. And I really have found the opposite to be true. When I have a trusted colleague that I can refer for things that don't like or that. Yeah. That don't light me up. Kind of like the landscapers. Right. Not only do I serve the client better, but I keep them in the room. They get to stay inside the trusted circle. It really creates a stronger chapter ecosystem for me personally. It also has taken away some of the loneliness that comes with being a solo photographer. Right. So I have somebody who understands my world. We can brainstorm, support each other, hold each other accountable. It's kind of like a mini power team. And also, I say this with love. I think you can feel when someone's operating from fear. Desperately trying to hold on to everything, I think really repels people. But if you show from a place of trust and generosity, that becomes magnetic. I've had people ask if I photograph weddings, and they don't. So I refer my wedding photographer, and the result is the client trusted me more. That kind of trust sticks. That referral gets to say in our chapter, and we get to protect that client by keeping them within that trusted circle.

[Dr. Ivan Meisner]

So I've seen the example of what you just talked about, you referring the photographer who does. I think you said weddings. I've seen this in a couple of chapters. One was in New York that had five attorneys, and they. They basically said the same thing that they refer another attorney with that specialty. And correct me if I'm wrong, Priscilla, but didn't. Didn't one of your chapters that you were in have, like, seven attorneys at one point?

[Priscilla Rice]

Oh, I don't think seven, but I think we had four or.

[Dr. Ivan Meisner]

Yeah. So. And when I attended years ago to that chapter, they told me that they got their MO On a per capita basis. They got most of their referrals from the other attorneys because of what you're talking about, Jessica. They know the language, they know the profession, and they also know what they want to specialize in. And they're happy to refer the business to other people.

[Jessica Korf]

Yep, absolutely.

[Dr. Ivan Meisner]

All right, so collaboration builds momentum, accountability. I love the fact that it reduces isolation. That's not something I had considered before, but I love that, and I think it's really, really quite accurate. It's one of the things with BNI Connect, and I don't know if you've gone on BNI Connect and. And look for photography groups, photographer groups, but I'm sure that there's every kind of profession imaginable on BNI Connect that has created groups. And I would urge anyone listening to this podcast to get on and look for your profession there, because it helps to reduce that isolation as a solopreneur, if you're talking to other people in your business. So I've got one other question for you, Jessica. How did you come to the decision to invite more photographers into your chapter. And what would you say to someone who's afraid of losing business by doing that?

[Jessica Korf]

Well, it definitely started with clarity. I realized that I wanted to focus on what I truly love and inviting others who love different parts of photography and didn't threaten that and supported it. So even though there were a few things that may cross over, we each lead with our flame. Like I said, our chapter members are more clear. They have all told me it gives them more confidence on exactly how to refer us, and it keeps clients in the trusted hand without within our room. So I'd say start with some important questions. Ask yourself, what do I love most about what I do? What's my flame? What type of clients in my work? Light me up and then ask what might shift if I gave myself permission to lead with that. And be. And I would talk about building a network we can trust. And this is one more way to do that, by bringing more of who we are to the table and trusting that the right people will meet us there.

[Dr. Ivan Meisner]

I love what you're saying, and I just gotta say I'm really, really proud of your group and of you and your fellow photographers for getting the big picture of how collaboration can effectively work. I want to mention a podcast that I did years ago, episode 477, which is a classic, and it talks about classification cowboys, how sometimes people try to take multiple classifications. What we're talking about here is the exact opposite of what you'll see on episode four. Seven, seven. I'm seeing more and more chapters understanding what you're describing, and I'm just proud as heck of your group, and I'd love for you to pass that on to them. And if you're listening to this podcast, really consider it strongly. Well, any last thought before we run, Jessica?

[Jessica Korf]

Um, no, that's really the best part. I think that you've already wrapped it up well, that when we give space for others to come in and work together, everybody wins, everybody gets more clarity. And I really think the referrals come faster, stronger and better.

[Dr. Ivan Meisner]

Yeah, absolutely. Jessica, thank you so much. For anyone interested in Jessica's photography, her website is jessica corf.com jessica korf.com Korf is spelled K O K RFF jessica. J E S S I C A Jessica, thank you so very much.

[Jessica Korf]

Oh, thank you for having me. This was fabulous.

[Dr. Ivan Meisner]

Thanks. Back to you, Priscilla.

[Priscilla Rice]

Okay, well, I think that's it for this week. Thank you so much. That was some great information. This podcast is sponsored by MeisnerAudioPrograms.com these audio programs will provide you with the tools and the inspiration to powerfully enhance your BNI experience. So check out the great material available to [e-mail] and then use the promo code IVAN5O for 50% off of everything. All of the proceeds go to the B and I Foundation. Thank you so much for listening. This is Priscilla Rice and we look forward to having you join us again next week for another exciting episode of the official B and I Podcast.

[Jessica Korf]

Sam.