A life coach, a wine merchant, and a publisher, brought together by building relationships, a positive attitude, and the spirit of givers gain. What happens next? Magic.
Lucy: I joined BNI in July 2024 as a Life Coach, eager to immerse myself in its core values and to connect with my chapter. During one of these meetings, I was introduced to Lilianne Scully, an importer of exquisite wines and olive oil from Croatia. It was during a casual chat that I mentioned a college project I had worked on, titled ‘The Right Shoes’, and how I’d considered transforming it into a book. That’s when Lilianne, embodying givers gain, responded with the classic BNI mantra—”I know someone!”
Enter Orla Kelly, an expert publisher, thanks to Lilianne’s thoughtful referral via the innovative BNI Connect App. Orla and I met for a 121, leveraging BNI’s traditions and innovation as the foundation for our collaboration. From that meeting, inspiration and structure took shape. Recognising each other’s unique skills and contributions allowed us to build a seamless working relationship.
Fast forward to January 2025, and my book, ‘The Right Shoes – A Journey of Self-Discovery and Meaningful Connections’, was published!
Orla: Our introduction and collaboration came about Lilianne’s dedication to givers gain and in alignment with the traditions of BNI, spotted an opportunity to connect us both. Despite having never met in person before, Lilianne’s belief in the power of BNI and calibre of it’s members made her confident enough to connect us both. What followed was the start of a professional relationship formed on trust, mutual respect, and the power of BNI’s values.
I was thrilled to finally meet Lilianne in person at a BNI networking event where I got to thank her also in person and purchase some of her outstanding wines. Her enthusiasm for building connections didn’t stop there—she even mentioned how she collaborates with a German BNI wine merchant, proving that BNI’s value of collaboration knows no borders.
BNI isn’t just a networking organisation—it’s a hub of opportunities waiting to be realised. For me, it meant new relationships, invaluable collaboration, and the creation of something truly meaningful. Lucy and I are still in regular contact and I will be ordering more wine from Lilianne!
To anyone looking at getting the most from BNI, I say this—embrace the core values. You never know where the next connection will lead!