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WHIMBY members gather for their December meeting at the Westwood Club. (Photo by Justin Chesney)
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WHIMBY members gather for their December meeting at the Westwood Club. (Photo by Justin Chesney)
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Leslie Crowley, co-owner of Inussi Marketing and one of WHIMBY’s December sponsors, describes her business. (Photo by Justin Chesney)
An old truth, that who you know is more important than what you know in determining your business’ success, serves as the cornerstone for the Richmond networking group, What’s Happening in My Back Yard? (WHIMBY).
That’s been the group’s mantra since its founders, Sterling Durham, president of Sterling Business Credit Network Corp., and Harry Garmon, put their heads together and gathered their business and professional contacts and held the first meeting in 2008.
“WHIMBY members are principals and managers in established businesses and professional practices,” says Garmon, who describes himself as a serial entrepreneur. “Its tenets are based on the value of personal relationships that foster professional growth, personal camaraderie and mutual support in achieving individual-member goals.”
Garmon believes the art of networking is about developing and cultivating quality, mutually-beneficial professional relationships. “A good guiding principle,” he says, “is that networking is connecting with people, not collecting people.”
WHIMBY provides more than a handshake and a business card swap. According to Garmon, the gatherings are about seeking opportunities that will result in “reciprocal synergistic relationships.”
There is a networking opportunity available in metro Richmond to match most any entrepreneur’s business field, background or interest. Most, like WHIMBY, are set up in a traditional meet-and-greet setting, but some follow a different tack.
Helena Richardson likes to make her business connections on the go. The owner of the tech company HRichNetworks in North Chesterfield is also the founder of a networking group, RVA-B2B, whose members get together monthly for walks. She founded the group about three years ago as an alternative to sit-down, food-focused gatherings of people in suits. With RVA-B2B, you talk as you walk. “It’s just a different environment,” she says.
Networking can open doors and offer ways to give back. “People buy from who they know, like and trust. A referral from your trusted business relationship immediately sets the stage for these critical factors,” Garmon says. “It is proven time and again that you will enhance your success both personally and professionally by ‘knowing and being known’.”
Participants at an Urban League of Greater Richmond Young Professionals session in March 2017 include (from left) Suhail Khan, Antione Green (president of the group), Jon Bibbs and Will Morris. (Photo by Jacque Vaughan courtesy Urban League of Greater Richmond Young Professionals)
Making the Connection
Whatever your interest or field, there is a networking opportunity out there for you. Here’s a sampling of some metro Richmond groups:
Networking All-Stars (NAS-RVA)
This is a by-invitation only group (though you can request to join) that meets monthly on third Thursdays and was organized in late 2017. It’s set up to socialize and meet new people, and pitches and selling are prohibited, according to its organizer, Chelsea Bookbinder, a talent advisor for the Richmond office of Kelaca. They also promote charitable work. For instance, if you bring a canned goods or school supply donation to benefit the YWCA, your first drink is paid for by the host. Bookbinder describes the group as a laid-back way to meet people in various fields and to give back at the same time. Find them at meetup.com.
What’s Happening in My Back Yard? (WHIMBY)
This 117-member group meets from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. on third Thursdays at the Westwood Club, 6200 W. Club Lane. Guests are by invitation only, and potential members must have recommendations from two club members. Candidates must be employed by an existing firm or have a business for at least a year if self-employed before they apply. Membership is $75 per year and members sponsor a meeting at 18 months at a cost of $300. whimbyrichmond.com
Real Estate Investors Networking Group (RING)
The group has 280 members from any profession involved in real estate, from agents to attorneys, lenders and accountants. They “do deals amongst each other,” according to Zack Broaddus of RVA RealEst., a founder of the group. Monthly meeting guest speakers include attorneys, lenders, tax accountants, and appraisers. It was started about three years ago, and about 50 to 60 people on average attend the meetings, which are at 6:30 p.m. on second Wednesdays. Find them on meetup.com.
RVA-B2B Network Walk
This group meets for a walk and talk at 6 p.m. third Wednesdays at Byrd Park by the pedal boats and at 10 a.m. third Saturdays at the Rockwood Park Nature Center. There are no fees. Water is provided. hrichnetworks.com
Urban League of Greater Richmond Young Professionals
This group is open to ages 21 to 40 and has about 320 members, but also has special sessions open to all comers. They meet at various restaurants and other gathering spots around the city. Ebonie Atkins, a workforce business analyst for the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, has been a member since moving to Richmond from Michigan in October 2016. The group proved a great way to build personal and professional connections. “It was a good way for me to connect with other young professionals,” she says. ulgryp.org
Midlothian Business Alliance
This group has a different focus than most business networks, seeking to promote the well-being of the community at large, according to its president, Frank Petroski, co-founder and web strategist for Midlothian Web Solutions. “Midlothian is a special area,” he says. “It’s a pocket that kind of has everything and works well together.”
There are about 60 to 75 members in the alliance, which is open to all Chesterfield County residents and organizations. Meetings are monthly, but the format varies. There are social gatherings, breakfasts where the agenda may be a presentation on the state of the county, and lunches that may focus on changes such as generational shifts in the workforce. “We try to be a little bit different,” says Petroski. $75, midlobusiness.com
