SPEAKER_00: 0:30

Hi, I am Tiffany Ball, and I'm the founder of Grow Networking. And we are a platform for entrepreneurs to get together and grow their business. And we do that by in-person events, for networking, where it's really more for service-oriented people. So if you're looking to come and shove your card in somebody's face, that's not the space to do it. We are about learning how people do business versus what you do for business. And then we have an online membership platform as well.

SPEAKER_01: 0:59

That is amazing. Okay, so bring me back. Okay. How did you get started in all of this?

SPEAKER_00: 1:05

Oh, that's a long story. I'm going to shorten it up for you. I have a 20-year background in hospitality. So I manage Hilton and Marriott hotels across the United States. And we uh when I was in Albuquerque, New Mexico, I got pregnant and I had my son, and we moved to Colorado, and I realized I cannot be a hospitality person running hotels anymore if I wanted to be a good mom. So we moved to Virginia and I started on my entrepreneurial journey. And if anybody's ever done that, you understand the ups and downs. I eventually had to go back and work for someone again. And in that process, I got fired. And I don't get fired. That's not who I am as a person. So it was devastating. And I ended up having to kind of reevaluate what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. And so I sold my home and 90% of my things and bought a 36-foot travel trailer and moved into that and was going to homeschool my son and travel around the country because I just didn't want to work for anybody ever again. Never again. And so that idea kind of got put to the side when I realized I was running and I was, I wasn't doing what I was meant to do. And I'm a believer in purpose. So I decided to stay, stick around. And I told my son's father, because we work really well, co-parenting, we're good friends, and he owns his own business. And so I said to him, I what do you think about not moving around? And he was like, okay, what do you want to do? And I said, I don't know. I want to be a public speaker, but I have no idea how I'm going to get there. No idea. And he said, okay, well, you're going to have to make money. So why don't you get your life insurance license and you go and sell for me? And I was like, I don't like selling. I hate selling. And he was like, just go to networking events and market us around and make appointments. I'll sell. And I was like, cool, I can do that. And so I started networking. And I was really good at it because I'm very good with people. I'm very good with making people feel comfortable around me fairly quickly. But in the process, I recognized that there was a space that needed to be filled. And that was for people who networked the way that I did. A lot of networking events are very ick. It's like the minute you go in, everything's transactional. You don't feel good. And therefore, people don't go back. And if you're not out there networking, building your social proof in person, then it takes a lot longer to build your business. And so I felt a lot of business owners were missing out on opportunity because they didn't like the space and how it felt. And so I decided to create grow networking where we get rid of the ick and bring business owners together and professionals together to network in a way that feels a lot more comfortable and nurturing, as woo-woo as that sounds and um enjoyable.

SPEAKER_01: 4:02

So you are speaking to the wrong person when it comes to the I had an event called My Growth Tribe Networking for Introverts. There you go. Back in the day. Essentially, because I believed in all of that stuff. Woo-woo, the it needs to feel good. Yes. Otherwise, it's kind of chore.

SPEAKER_00: 4:23

Exactly. And then you don't want to do it. And if you're not doing all the things to help your business grow, you're probably not going to be successful. Because what I mean, the success rate in entrepreneurship is fairly low. People give up really quickly. And so why not really put it? And one of the reasons is because I met so many business owners that I just wanted to help. It was like, you are seemed like a good person. What do you do? And they would explain. I'm like, okay, how can I know anything about foot massages, but let me figure out how I can help you? And so it's creating a passion or diving into my passion for helping others and being of service and growing a business and never working for anybody again.

SPEAKER_01: 5:05

Never traumatized. Oh my God, never again.

SPEAKER_00: 5:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 5:09

So you said that networking should feel authentic and inclusive. What does that look like in practice at Grill?

SPEAKER_00: 5:14

That's a really good question. So in practice, it's a lot of designing questions and taking the thought process off of their hands and out of their hands when you come in. So you know that the first part of it's free range. So you can talk to whoever you want to. Um and the environment's very comfortable. You have me and people like me who are around talking and, you know, laughing and connecting people and making you feel comfortable. If you're that introvert standing off in the corner, right? Looking at everybody. Exactly, because there's always food, girl. You got to have food. We bring you in and talk to you. And then the second part of it is intentional networking. So I design games, I design icebreakers, and I am the one that brings the questions and the theme to the event. And so each question is designed for you to get vulnerable. And not in the way we're not talking about, you know, traumas that happened to you when you were a child, but we're talking about maybe the struggles that you're going through as an entrepreneur, maybe the things that have helped you get through those hard things, or maybe some questions you might have about marketing or whatever it may be, it is an opportunity for you not just to say, oh, I'm this person and this is what I do for a living. It's an opportunity for you to connect genuinely with somebody because when you do that and you're vulnerable, it's an opportunity for people to like you, to become like likable. And what happens when you're likable is people remember you. And when they remember you, you're out though out there in those spaces where you're not. And so they can talk about you because they want you to succeed. And that's the type of networking that I want. Not, oh, I have to, I got this guy's business card. I don't know, he might be good. He's a plumber. Here you go.

SPEAKER_01: 6:59

Stanning into the CRM. Exactly.

SPEAKER_00: 7:01

And then now I have this list of plumbers versus, hey, I really have this guy named Jose who I really love. He's a great person. He's service-oriented, he's great in his community, and he's gonna pick up the phone when you call him. So that is the type of networking that I'm trying to nurture out there with Grow.

SPEAKER_01: 7:19

That's beautiful. And you talk about transactional networking versus relationship-driven networking. You kind of just now touched on it. Is there anything else you'd like to add to that?

SPEAKER_00: 7:29

I think I need for people to understand that there is value in all different types of networking. Just because you want to be transactional doesn't mean there's anything wrong with it. But there are a lot of people that don't like that. There are people who do like transactional networking, like BIs and things like BI, 212s, things like those, those are more like uh referral groups. I don't look at that as networking in a way because you're not growing anything. You're just kind of sticking with one person in each industry. But for me, you network the way that makes you feel good. So if you don't like to do vulnerability and, you know, somebody giving you the questions, you only want to talk about your business, then grow isn't for you. But it's okay. Like find what fits because the end goal is that you're out there building a network of people that will help you grow your business.

SPEAKER_01: 8:20

You just seem like somebody fun that I would want to know. Like I wish you was my wing person. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_00: 8:26

Like I am a really good wing person, but I'm also, I think I learned it at a very not a very early age. I'm lying. I learned when I was 33 years old that there is a power in being honest about the mess and who you are as a person. And I got the opportunity to take a mask off, you know, after 30. I that what I'm talking about is I'm sober. So I got sober 10 years ago. And in that process, I realized how inauthentic I was presenting myself to the world. And people find me very friendly and comforting and connectable because I'm just so honest about who I am as a person. I'm awkward, I'm messy, I drop the F bomb probably more often than I should, but it's just who I am. And I genuinely just want to be of service to other people because it makes me feel good. It's a selfish reason. It makes me feel good.

SPEAKER_01: 9:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00: 9:18

But thank you for that.

unknown: 9:20

Welcome.

SPEAKER_01: 9:22

Um, we're just speaking on authenticity. It's funny. It's leading me to my next questions here. Why is it important to create those spaces where entrepreneurs can show up as their true selves?

SPEAKER_00: 9:33

I think for two reasons. One, when we are able to be our true selves, people connect with us more. Um, there's a story I like to tell people about one of my premier partners, his name is Chuck Hall with Winston Timineys. And I just love him, but he is just authentically who he is. But he's a man's man, right? He's not about getting vulnerable. And we were at a networking event, and one of the questions was for him to talk about somebody who is like a mentor to him and he respects a lot and admires in his field. And as he was talking to this about this person, there was just this moment where he was so himself and so vulnerable and so open that I had a visceral reaction where I connected with him. And because of that, in that moment, even though before I wanted him to succeed, in that moment, I wanted him to succeed even more. So it was like doubled down on this feeling of whatever I can do to help you succeed. So when you're able to be yourself, people can connect with you more. The other part of that, and the other part of the coin is when you're able to be yourself, then you can do it longer and you can you can focus on things that mean more in your business and you can enjoy it more. The reason I wanted, I didn't like being in the structure of working for somebody, you know, in hospitality, in any management, I did management for a really long time. You're playing a role. You're being who somebody else needs you to be to fill that space. And it becomes very strenuous and it's a very, it's an energy sucker. But if you can go and be around people who are authentically themselves and be yourself, you leave and you have more energy. You leave and you love what you're doing. And therefore, when things get hard, it's easier for you to get through those, through those spots and those spaces because you can you can latch on to at least I get to be myself. I could be broke, but I could be myself being broke. You can go to bed and feel good. Exactly. Exactly.

SPEAKER_01: 11:30

What lessons from your own career shape the way that you approach building community?

SPEAKER_00: 11:37

Oh gosh, you're good with these questions. I probably will say with hospitality, I spent 20 years building a facade of who I was and who I thought other people needed me to be, whether it be driving a BMW, having a bunch of money, wearing the clothes, you know, going out in the spaces, telling you what I thought you wanted to hear. And when I got sober, I realized I had to start building a life that I didn't want to run away from. And in building a life that I didn't want to run away from, I had to recognize and start learning about who I was really. And in breaking down my loves, my hates, my, you know, the things I was insecure about and putting them out there, I started to attract the right people that were going to help me get to where I needed to be. And when it comes to networking, I recognized that this, these things and these lessons that I learned about being myself and showing up for myself, and then it in turn helped me show up for other people wasn't just something for my personal life. It was something that you can do in business. And I think that it gets really technical. You know, if I'm an insurance person, then I need to be really good at selling insurance or knowing about insurance. When at the end of the day, if I meet you and you sell insurance and you talk, start talking insurance to me, I don't want to keep talking to you. I don't have any connection with that. It's for you to know about insurance. I'm glad you know about it. But do you have a dog? You a dog or a cat person? Like, where'd you go on vacation? Who are you as a person? And so when people understand that it's okay to be themselves, it's okay to not talk business and it'll get you more business if you stop talking so much about business. I think that the world would be a better place if people veered more into that direction. I don't know if I just rambled or not.

SPEAKER_01: 13:35

No, it was a beautiful ramble because it definitely touches on the fact that people need to fall in love with you as a human first.

SPEAKER_00: 13:43

100%.

SPEAKER_01: 13:43

And then it doesn't matter what you sell, they want to support you.

SPEAKER_00: 13:46

Exactly. I could be selling shoes or I could be selling Diet Coke. It doesn't matter. They're like, Tiffany, we're gonna sell those shoes and the Diet Coke at the same time because I love you and I want you to succeed. Exactly.

SPEAKER_01: 13:58

Um, okay, so what values do you prioritize when building your team and your partnerships?

SPEAKER_00: 14:04

That is a really good question. Uh, the first thing that popped into my head is humility. I have learned in the short period of time that I've been focused on this networking business, um, but also in the long 10 years that I've been sober, humility is something people don't practice enough. And by that I mean being able to own your stuff without blaming, pointing fingers, because we're all human. It's something I'm teaching my son. It's a huge thing I'm taking teaching my son, is how to just be okay with getting things wrong. Admit that you're wrong, and then let's move on. Let's talk about it and let's move on. And I find that uh there's a huge value in finding individuals who are okay with being wrong and who can admit when they're wrong in a humble way, who can apologize, who can own their side of the street. And I think that goes hand in hand with another characteristic is kindness. Like the kindness is so lacking in the world. Not nice. I don't like nice. I'm not nice. I'm very kind because being honest with people is kind, being humble is kind, being generous is kind. Kindness is kind of the root of just the beauty that is being a human being. And I think that when you find these individuals and these nuggets, and these are the people that I'm trying to attract, because it's it's characteristics and it doesn't matter where you came from, it doesn't matter your background, it doesn't matter what you've done for a living, it doesn't matter what you do for a living, your color, your race, your sex, your nothing. Kindness and these characteristics are the foundation of the people who I want to be around and people who I want to support. So that I'm always looking for characteristics versus, you know, what you do or what you've done for a living.

SPEAKER_01: 15:51

Now you said you're kind, but not nice.

SPEAKER_00: 15:53

Correct.

SPEAKER_01: 15:55

I think I know where you're going with that, but can you just clarify?

SPEAKER_00: 15:57

Absolutely. Uh nice I find to be um manipulative. I'm gonna be nice because there's something I either want from you or something I don't want to do, whether it be say no to you, whether it be set a boundary. Nice is a people-pleasing trait. Kindness is not, kindness is just an act and it's a characteristic of how you want to show up for other people in the world. I was nice for a very long time.

SPEAKER_01: 16:23

I'm not nice anymore. Yeah, I'm kind when I'm not.

SPEAKER_00: 16:26

Yeah, exactly. It's a I'm I'm a recovering people pleaser girl.

SPEAKER_01: 16:30

You offer business spotlights and premiere partner opportunities. How do these features help members grow their brand in a meaningful way? And I know we haven't touched on the membership platform. I'm gonna ask you about that here in a second. But can you tell me a little bit about the spotlights and the premiere?

SPEAKER_00: 16:43

Absolutely. So one of the things that I think is the is very valuable when it comes to entrepreneurship or professionals who are trying to have a reach is exposure. And a lot of people don't know how to get exposure, whether it be being in a networking event and there be 30 people, how do you talk to all those 30 people in that time? Or it be social media. Girl, everybody in this algorithm and Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, what should I get? It's confusing. And so what we do with platforms andor premier partners and spotlights is we platform business owners in front of an audience. And it's an active audience. It's a business business owners and people who are looking either to be a client or looking to be to show and connect you and know how to do the networking thing, which is connection. Um, and so what we do is offer it's not just about exposure, it's about connecting, it's about giving you warm connects with people and teaching you. I also do a little bit of coaching. I don't tell a lot of people this, but I just did. I did, and I'm about to tell. And the only reason is because I don't like the word coach. I'm just I have my PTSD with doing that in the past. But I I like to tell people how to become friendly and to attract people in the two to three minutes that they get in front of an audience or when they're doing things on social media, how to attract the people that they want by being a good person, not by marketing strategic things. Because God, I don't know anything about that. So yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 18:16

Like how to warmly connect with exactly. I can do that all day. How do you measure success for grow? Not just in numbers, but like an impact in your community.

SPEAKER_00: 18:28

It's a oh it's a it's interesting because for me, it's how it feels. And again, it's the woo-woo thing, but it's the passion for me. It has to feel good. And it I'm a little slower in probably the growth that I can see with what I'm doing because I feel like if I go too fast, it's not gonna feel right. And the reason I started grow in the first place is because these other places weren't feeling good. They didn't feel good when I left or when I entered, and it was clicky. And I my the way that I measure it is we just had um an event last week at in Manassas at the R Factory. It's one of the places, venues that we have, and I love the space. And it was just like the perfect event. And afterwards, so many of you are like, You're on to something here, Tiffany. You have traction. I love this. This feels good. I'll be back. When's your next one? It's just on the word of mouth and what people are doing. And it's slower, right? Because it's organic, but I need it to feel good because as soon as I lose that, I lose the reason I started it.

SPEAKER_01: 19:32

Yeah, I love that. What advice would you give to entrepreneurs who feel hesitant or uncomfortable about networking?

SPEAKER_00: 19:39

Do it anyway. Because any when it comes to owning a business, when it comes to growing a business or starting your entrepreneurial journey, whether it be side hustle or whatever, you are entering in a space where you don't know what you're doing. None of us know what we're doing. And if you let fear stop you because you're gonna feel stupid, you're gonna feel like you don't know what you're doing, you're gonna feel like you're gonna mess up a lot. You're gonna get into certain spaces and be like, oh, I need a backpedal, need to do this. You're there's going to be a lot of fear. And it's the same with networking. Am I gonna meet the right people? I didn't get as many cards as I wanted, or I didn't sell anything in this. Whatever it is, whatever you're feeling that's keeping you from doing it, do it anyway. Because that's how you exercise the muscle and you get comfortable being uncomfortable. And that's how people, people who can continue and get through those things, those are the people those are the people who succeed, and those are the people who win. It's people who can say, okay, I'm scared and I'm afraid, and I don't know what I'm doing, and I don't know what's on the other side, but I'm gonna do it anyway.

SPEAKER_01: 20:48

That's beautiful. And speaking of stepping and expanding and growing, can you tell me a bit a little, tell me a little bit more about the membership platform?

SPEAKER_00: 20:58

Yes. And this is if we're talking about fear, I am so afraid because it's something new. We wanted to expand, not just in person, because there's only so many people you can reach in person, and there's only so much time that you can allot in a period. And I am one person, so I can't be in 50 million places. And so what we the idea that we have is to create an online community of people who have a paid, it's a paid membership, monthly membership at a low entry because people who pay, pay attention. And these are for entrepreneurs or business owners or professionals who are looking to expand on how to get to the next level of their business, not just with networking, but with sales, with marketing, and with any type of thing that's going to grow your business. And so we're creating a community online and we are doing a soft launch, which is going to be in October. Fingers, October 20th is our soft launch, and we're looking for entrepreneurs who are looking to be in our founder circle. And so if anybody's interested in that, of course, connect with me. But the reason we're doing this is because it is an opportunity for everyone to participate and to participate on their own time. Because maybe you're the entrepreneur that you're not free during the day. And so you can't make a networking event, or you have kids, or you have two jobs, or whatever it is. It's a way for you to show up in the time. If you've got an hour at three o'clock in the morning, then that's when you're there working on your business and learning from people and connecting with the people who are in the community. So it's just another level, the next level of connection that we're offering at Grow Networking. I love that. Thank you. That's exciting. Very. I'm when I say I'm afraid, I'm afraid every day when I wake up. But I my superpower is getting through it. I promise.

SPEAKER_01: 22:48

Looking ahead, what's your vision for Grow? And where do you see the community expanding in the next five years?

SPEAKER_00: 22:56

I don't know if I'm blushing. I am not little, right? And we're not talking about weight. I'm not little. I am very big. Anytime I do anything, my dream and my idea for it is big. So grow is gonna be nationwide. And at the end of the day, I'm hoping worldwide. You think B and I, that's as big as I want to be. I want to be everywhere. And it's not because I want millions. I do, I do want to make a lot of money, but it's mostly because I want to help people. The economy and society is shifting, right? Especially here in the United States. We're shifting. And people are not as secure in their nine to fives anymore and what that means for their family, what that means for just their livelihood and their happiness. And so people are shifting into entrepreneurship. And if I can be a stepping stone for those people to make it the transition easier, more comfortable, and more joyful and more connected and fulfilled, then that's what I want to do. And it's a big dream, girl. In five years, it's a big dream. I'm hoping. We're not gonna hope. We are just gonna do. In the next five years, we're gonna be nationwide and we're gonna be in cities that want to bring us there with events as well as the online player platform. But that is the uh that's the plan.

SPEAKER_01: 24:21

I love that.

SPEAKER_00: 24:21

Cross your fingers.

SPEAKER_01: 24:24

I love that. I love that. Is there anything else that you would like to share before we wrap things up that I haven't asked you about? One more thing, I think.

SPEAKER_00: 24:36

It it does not take anything, much of anything. It doesn't take any money to be kind and be of service and to do for other people first. And the reason I started this whole idea was because I am of the belief that the more that you do for others and the more you show up for others, the more the universe, God, whatever you want to call it, shows up for you. And so if I leave today with anything, if with giving any type of advice, it is don't forget that the more that you give, the more you you receive in return. That's all that I have left.

SPEAKER_01: 25:14

Thank you so much for being on this podcast. I cannot wait to see where Gro goes. It's my pleasure. That's so exciting. Thank you.

SPEAKER_00: 25:22

Thank you for having me, legitimately. I really enjoyed it.