TRUST IS EARNED, NOT ASSUMED
by reg laquindanum

By Reg Laquindanum

When I think about the lessons I’ve gained from BNI, one experience stands out—not because it was ideal, but because it shaped how I approach relationships in business.

It happened a couple of years into my BNI journey. One afternoon, I got a call from a member of another chapter whom I hadn’t met before. She was in a rush—her husband urgently needed a flight home the next day, and she asked if I could help arrange the booking. I was happy to support a fellow member and got to work immediately.

As with any transaction, I asked for payment before issuing the ticket. She gave me a post-dated check, and I trusted that all would be in order. But when I deposited it the following week, the check bounced.

At first, I was disappointed—not just by the outcome, but because I had acted on trust alone, without taking time to establish a relationship or verify the basics. It wasn’t the BNI experience I expected—but in hindsight, it gave me one of the most important takeaways of my journey.

BNI is built on Givers Gain, and we often assume that fellow members operate with the same values. But as with any professional network, it’s essential to approach every connection with clarity, communication, and care. Trust isn’t automatic—it’s something we earn through consistent 121s, shared values, and mutual accountability.

That moment reminded me to uphold the same standards within BNI that I do with all my clients: clear terms, good documentation, and professional boundaries. It’s not about being skeptical—it’s about being responsible. And over time, I’ve come to see that the strongest relationships in BNI are the ones built slowly, with intention and mutual respect.

This is what makes BNI so powerful—not just the referrals, but the growth we gain along the way. Every interaction is an opportunity to learn, to refine how we do business, and to become the kind of professional others trust without hesitation.