The LeTip of Bridgehampton chapter, in Suffolk County, Long Island, New York, was founded in early April 2023. This dynamic chapter is growing by leaps and bounds and currently stands at 36 members and counting! This is no small part to work and dedication of the chapter’s Membership Chair, Ron Fisher, owner of Fisher Signs & Shirts. Ron joined the chapter in May 2023, about a month after its inception. We are proud to announced that in less than eight months since joining LeTip, Ron Fisher recently became a Silver Badge member! Talk about leading by example! We recently caught up with Ron and asked him to share about his business, the role LeTip has played, and any advice he had to share.
Here is Ron’s story:
Fisher Signs & Shirts was started in April of 2015, when my best friend and I saw a need in the market, and opened a sign and clothing shop in Southampton. Our goal was to be the best sign and custom clothing company on the South Fork. We learned early on that connections, both professional and personal, would be the fastest key to growth. We began evaluating networking opportunities in our area. We joined several networking groups that kind of focused on sharing business, but there was no structure. You didn’t really learn about other businesses. People sat with the same people, week after week and talked more about the meal than business. I left those groups feeling that, although I liked the people, it wasn’t helping me grow my business.
Then I found LeTip. Over the past year, I’ve seen the value of my seat increase to nearly $50,000. I have shared over $50,000 worth of tips to other members. The structure has helped me create an unpaid salesforce that understands my business, respects me as a person, and confidently recommends me to their networks. I have gained over 100 new customers thanks to LeTip members.
What I love most about LeTip, and the secret sauce, is the structure. During the meetings, the focus is on growing business. No two show boaters have ever been the same. Hearing a speakers’ story is captivating and educational, whether you have heard it once, or a dozen times. You really get to know the people in the room, and it is easy to root for their success. Every three months we do think tanks where we tackle common problems and learn from each other. The monthly socials allow a space to get to know each other personally. This structure combines the best of everything that other networking groups try, but fail to create.
I am really proud to have earned my silver badge in just 8 months. I am in a unique position that my company is business to business. Recruiting for Letip has become second nature, as I am constantly talking to my customers about what LeTip could do for them. I believe our organizational culture in Bridgehampton is the core of our chapter’s strength. There is such respect for each other, and a desire to see each other succeed, that you can feel it in the room. My guests are always impressed by the quality of the business owners in the room.
My advice for my fellow LeTippers is to strive to bring diversity to your chapter. I will only sponsor for membership minority owned business owners. I believe that too often in the business community, particularly here in the Hamptons, there are barriers to entry for
socioeconomically disadvantaged persons, and specifically immigrants. I think that skin color, ethnicity, nation of origin and sexuality provide unique obstacles and challenges in business. I think it is the responsibility of those without those obstacles, such as myself, to change it. There is so much strength in diversity and collaboration. When recruiting, I first look for legitimate, minority owned businesses that are passionate about growing their business, masters of their field, and capable of giving as much to the chapter as they get. I love NEW business owners because I know that being a member of LeTip is a fast track to success.
A core value of mine is that you don’t climb the ladder of success and then pull it up as quick as you can. You reach back down and help the next person coming up behind you. LeTip has given me a forum to do that, and I’m going to continue to share these opportunities with others.
Thank you for being an integral part of LeTip of Bridgehampton and our LeTip family, Ron!
