The traditional business mindset screams, “Guard your clients! Keep your competitors at arm’s length!” But what if this ingrained fear is actually holding you, and your entire professional network, back? It’s a counter-intuitive idea, but as highlighted in a fascinating BNI Podcast #911 discussion featuring as ever Dr. Ivan Misner and guest portrait photographer Jessica Korff, collaborating with your competition can be a powerful catalyst for growth, clarity, and surprisingly, even greater client protection. So, let’s dismantle the “elephant in the room” and explore why this seemingly risky strategy is, in fact, a savvy move.
Ditching the Scarcity Mindset: The New Competitive Edge
The old playbook preaches protecting your turf, fearing that any shared space means lost clients. However, Jessica argues this “scarcity mindset” is an outdated practice. Instead, she champions three pillars for thriving businesses and BNI chapters today: clarity, connection, and collaboration. “When you lean into that collaboration instead of competition,” she insists, “you really don’t lose business, you gain momentum.”
1. Clarity Creates Abundance (Niche Down to Level Up)
One of Jessica’s core tenets is that clarity creates abundance. This ties directly into the BNI principle that “specific is terrific.” When you niche down and define what you truly love doing – your “flame” – you don’t get less; you attract more of the work that energizes you.
For Jessica, this meant focusing on branding and boudoir photography, areas aligned with her passion for empowering women. Her BNI chapter now boasts multiple photographers, each leading with their distinct flame: weddings and events, family and newborn sessions, with plans to add specialists in real estate, pet, and even birthing photography.
“Here’s a chapter that’s going to have three or four photographers… all focusing on their specific classification,” Dr. Misner emphasised, “and I’m guessing many of them, the other photographers, are referring you for your category, and you’re referring them for their category.” Jessica confirmed this was “absolutely true.”
Think about it: you wouldn’t go to a general practitioner for brain surgery, even if they could technically perform it. You seek the specialist. The same applies in business. Generalists risk blending in, while specialists stay top-of-mind.
2. Collaboration is Protective, Not Risky
A major fear is losing clients to a competitor you’ve welcomed into your circle. Jessica has found the opposite. “When I have a trusted colleague that I can refer for things that don’t light me up… not only do I serve the client better, but I keep them in the room. They get to stay inside the trusted circle.”
This creates a stronger chapter ecosystem. If Jessica doesn’t do wedding photography, she can confidently refer a client to her chapter’s wedding specialist. The client gets excellent service, the referral stays within the trusted BNI network, and the client’s trust in Jessica (and by extension, the chapter) deepens.
Dr. Misner recalled a chapter with two landscapers who initially seemed to be in conflict. They resolved it by specialising: one took commercial work, the other residential. They joined and referred business to each other – a perfect illustration of Jessica’s point. He also noted chapters with multiple attorneys thriving by referring specialized cases to one another.
3. Collaboration Builds Momentum and Reduces Isolation
Beyond client referrals, collaborating with those in similar fields offers other perks. For solopreneurs like many photographers, it combats isolation. “I have somebody who understands my world,” Jessica shared. “We can brainstorm, support each other, and hold each other accountable. It’s kind of like a mini Power Team.”
This collaborative spirit is magnetic. “You can feel when someone’s operating from fear… desperately trying to hold on to everything, I think, really repels people,” Jessica wisely noted. “But if you show up from a place of trust and generosity, that becomes magnetic.”
How to Make the Shift
If you’re hesitant, Jessica advises starting with introspection:
- What do I love most about what I do? What’s my flame?
- What type of clients and work light me up?
- What might shift if I gave myself permission to lead with that?
Inviting “competitors” who specialize in areas you don’t passionately pursue, or who serve a different segment of the market, isn’t about giving away business. It’s about building a more robust, trustworthy, and referral-rich network.
As Dr. Misner proudly stated about Jessica’s chapter, “I’m really, really proud of your group… for getting the big picture of how collaboration can effectively work.”
The takeaway? When you focus on your unique strengths and foster a spirit of collaboration, everybody wins. You gain clarity, your clients receive more specialized service, and your referral network becomes exponentially more powerful. It’s time to stop seeing competitors as threats and start seeing them as potential collaborators in a thriving ecosystem.