{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Episode 201: Building Trust, Leadership & Legacy through BNI with Mary Thompson","description":"Mary Kennedy Thompson's BIO:  Mary Kennedy Thompson has more than 30 years in franchising. She has led businesses and franchises of all sizes. She has extensive experience in global expansion, high-growth organizations, integrations, and leadership. Prior to starting at BNI in 2024, she served as the Chief Operating Officer at Neighborly, the world\u2019s largest home services company, where she worked since 2006. Her tenure at Neighborly included roles as the Executive Vice President and the President of Mr. Rooter, their largest brand. Her career began as a multi-unit franchise owner at Cookies By Design (formerly Cookie Bouquet), where she excelled in market penetration and sales\u2014essentially becoming the brand\u2019s corporate president after successfully selling her locations. While a multi-unit franchisee, she joined BNI in 1994, just a few years before Virginia. Her passion for helping business owners completely aligns with Business Network International\u2019s mission to support its members and franchisees, marking her appointment as CEO as a transformational opportunity for BNI\u2014and it has been.   In this episode, Virginia and Mary talked about: Mary\u2019s entrepreneurial journey  How to create operational excellence  The power of trust for generating referrals  Keys to pinnacle leadership  How to build trust   Takeaways: Be operationally excellent!  Be clear on your customer and put them first Deliver consistently  Building trust builds your business  Lead yourself first\u2014then others. Consistency and discipline drive referrals.   Connect with Mary on her LinkedIn account to learn more about her work and insights into networking effectively: LinkedIn URL : https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/mary-thompson-cfe-22074410\/   Connect with Virginia: https:\/\/www.bbrpodcast.com\/   ","author_name":"Business by Referral Podcast","author_url":"http:\/\/passionpurposeimpact.libsyn.com\/website","html":"