Leonardo DaVinci Would Make A Great Marketer

If Leonardo da Vinci were alive today, he’d make a great marketer. Several years ago I spent a week cycling through the Loire Valley in France.  It was a highly memorable trip filled with stress busting rolling hills by day, visits to beautiful chateaus and vineyards, and then getting cleaned up at night to enjoy a 5-course meal in yet another chateau, while sipping local Vouvray.  One of my favorite chateaus, Clos Lucé in Amboise, was actually one of the most unassuming.  It was the home of Leonardo da Vinci in the last few years before his death.  Back in 1516, …

Entrepreneurial Success Advice from the CEO: Dr. Ivan Misner, BNI Founder

Today I had the opportunity to be part of an intimate “ask the founder” question and answer session with BNI founder and the father of networking, Dr. Ivan Misner about his recommendations for entrepreneurial success.  Founded in 1985, BNI (Business Networking International) is the largest business networking organization of its kind, with over 200,000 members worldwide and generating over $11 billion in passed business by its members.  That’s equivalent to the GDP of a small country! I always enjoy meeting CEOs of large companies to ask about their lessons learned, observe their particular CEO persona, and hear first hand the …