LeTip of Suffolk Virtual, NY

Jan 3, 2022 | Articles, Featured Chapter

LeTip: How did you start a Virtual chapter?

Member, Lori Anne De Iulio Casdia: The How to start a chapter is easy with LeTip. The why is perhaps a better question. LeTip has options of morning, afternoon and now evening chapters. As a Life & Business Coach, Marketing Strategist and Mentor I have worked virtually with people all over the world for over 5 years so going virtual during the Pandemic wasn’t even a shift for me it was a natural way to do business.

LeTip: What value did you see in a virtual chapter?

Member, Lori Anne: I saw the value in jumping on our meeting, getting “face time” with my colleagues in my chapter and then jumping off and being able to either go into another meeting or immediately start work. The time management of this is extremely helpful when working in and on our respective businesses. It just made perfect sense to me that there are others who see the value in this platform from a time management standpoint and beyond.

LeTip: Who did you speak to first about this idea?

Member, Lori Anne: I brought the idea to Cliff and Saranto to start this chapter. They were openminded, and being entrepreneurs saw the possibilities. Even if they might not have seen it as I did, they took the leap and gave the go ahead to “Give it a try”.

LeTip: Does being virtual make it harder to build relationships.

Member, Lori Anne: Absolutely not! It is just another way to network and build relationships. Just this past June I was able to go to a convention and meet many of the people I’ve developed strong relationships with over Zoom and it was magical to meet in person. I already knew so much about them it was more like a reunion than a first-time meeting.

LeTip: How will the chapter operate?

Member, Lori Anne: The virtual chapter will follow all the LeTip bylaws in its entirety with the exception that we hold our weekly meetings online.

LeTip: What obstacles do you think you may face?

Member, Lori Anne: The only obstacle we have faced to date is the labeling that this is a chapter for “lazy people”. It is the farthest thing from the truth. The people in our virtual chapter are conscientious, hardworking individuals juggling and balancing a busy productive and success life no different from everyone.

LeTip: What makes your chapter different for the members?

Member, Lori Anne: Our meetings are exactly like the in-person meetings with a few advantages over the in-person meetings. We actually have more tools at our disposal. Our showboating has gotten more creative; our presentations can be PowerPoint or tours/site visits; the conversation is great, and we can do break out rooms for our power partners, our round table discussions and more.

LeTip: How are you filling your chapter?

Member, Lori Anne: As we are a new chapter the list of categories we are seeking to fill would be too long to mention. However, we do ask to be mindful of two items one should think about before coming or referring people to our chapter to be considered as a member. First is you need to be able to serve all of Suffolk County and secondly you need to be able to tip us. So, if you are in another state it may not be a good fit as you may not be able to tip us. To be a successful member and to be a successful chapter we need to uphold our Bylaws equitably.

LeTip: You’ve been a chapter for two months now, how is it going?

Member, Lori Anne: So many things are going great, and we are successful as we are creating a culture within our chapter. For example, NTS training must be accomplished in the first three months. That is important to the success of the member and as a member of the chapter. Anyone on the board must level up from a white badge within the first three months of serving. When you are in a leadership role you need to be a role model and reach beyond that of a member. We believe the bar is and should be higher for leadership. We need to lead by example as board members in order to hold our membership accountable to things like tipping, attendance, and the importance of leveling up badges for the expansion of the chapter therefore we are and should be held to a higher standard.

LeTip: What is the key to your success?

Member, Lori Anne: Our board is the success story – they walk LeTip and they are talking LeTip every day. They are true leaders, role models and I for one am truly grateful for their service and unbounded commitment to the success of each member and this chapter. It is humbling and an honor to search on this board and for our membership.

LeTip: What else has made this chapter successful?

Member, Lori Anne: Another success story is obviously we know as LeTip members this is an exclusive organization where unlike other networking organizations you are guaranteed business. It’s not merely getting a collection of cards, an opportunity to socialize at breakfast, nor a race to be the largest chapter. It is a privilege to be a member. We treat it as such and hold the bar of expectation equal for every member. Most recently two individuals had a speak off for a seat. After their presentations, it was determined that neither person would be invited in as a member, albeit they were extremely lovely people. That sent a clear message to all of us that our membership or seat is exclusive and not to take that lightly. We want both the member to be successful, receive tips and make lots of money (because in the end isn’t that why we are here) and for the member to be able to tip, show up every week and contribute to the success of the chapter.

LeTip: What make you different from the other chapters?

Member, Lori Anne: The only difference other than the culture we are building is how we meet weekly. We still have monthly in person gatherings, we still do visitations, we still do lunch bunches, we still have power partner meetings and more. Most importantly our membership has indicated they look forward to our meetings because they are productive, informative, there is variety and extremely fun!