08/19/2026
Met Dr. Ivan Misner, founder of BNI, at a leadership meet and greet after his presentation on the latest edition of "Who's In Your Room?"
When I started Innersite Solutions in 2018, I knew how to build things. I didn't know anything about running a business, and I didn't know anyone in business. It took me far longer to work that out than it should have.
What ended up working was referrals. We have clients across the Southeast now, and every one of them traces back to Aiken - to someone who knew our work and put our name forward. Aiken's BNI chapter has been a big part of that, and a big part of the 150+ businesses we've been able to serve since. (It's also where I met my fiancé!)
Living on referrals shaped how we work, too. A referral is someone lending you their reputation - do the job badly and they don't get it back. That's a sharper motivator than any contract. Everybody wants to "have a guy" - we set out to be that guy for websites.
If you're a new business owner trying to work it out the way I was, BNI is a fast-track - and I'd love to have you as my guest. Our chapter meets over lunch on Thursdays, so you don't even have to weigh whether it's worth the early mornings.
