Past, present and future Caerusnetters will be enjoying a fun day of golf and networking on Friday, September 23rd at Mystic Creek Golf Club in Milford, MI. Click here to register individually or as a team – and/or to be a sponsor and join in the fun!
Dr. Deborah Mooreland, from FirstLight Home Care of Brighton, became a member of the Brighton Tuesday 8AM team almost one year ago. We had a chance to connect with her regarding her experience being a member of a successful Caerusnet Zoom team.
How long have you been in your profession & how did you get into this field? Almost six years in my profession. I wanted to get into business for myself and ended up in a webinar on franchises. After reviewing five home care agencies, I chose FirstLight Home Care because of its training and culture of care. I knew I had no experience in home care or business, and I wanted to choose the best option for training so I could be successful.
What is the best thing about your business/career? I love to help people! Our mission is to keep people in their homes to age in place. We have worked with people on hospice for up to two years because people do better when in their own environment.
How are you different and/or what’s your niche? We are different, because as an owner, I get to know who all of my clients are. I do almost every home assessment so we can be sure to match the right caregivers to the right clients to have a successful and rewarding home care experience for the individuals needing care.
What is it about the Caerusnet model that you like most? I love the positive focus and how everyone has something positive to say.
Any tips on learning how to find situations where you can create a referral or invite a visitor? Just be aware of what everyone in the group can provide and share all positive referrals.
What is your strategy with your member minute and your spotlight presentation? I want to let everyone know why we do what we do and how having a little extra help can help keep family members safe in their own home.
What is your approach to positioning yourself as a resource in the community? I like to be thought of as an educator in home care. I have commercials on WLAJ and WLNS and like to share information about homecare, so others know their other options available besides assisted living or a nursing home.
Tips on how to be successful in Caerusnet? Be present! Do the Trust Builders. I am learning a lot about how to refer more to others by learning about their businesses and what they do and why they do it.
Share how your Caerusnet members have positively influenced you or your business besides passing referrals. I just love the positive focus because every day there is always something positive to be grateful for. Even if you are having a bad day, there is always something good in every day.
Do you have a referral success story (passed or received) that you’d like to share? Yes, I have connected with Stacey Frisinger, from Choice Senior Home Care, on the Ann Arbor Tuesday 1PM Caerusnet team. When she cannot get coverage for an area, she can refer to me, and likewise. It is also great to be able to discuss business and share how things are going. Even though we are in the same business, we can help each other. It is also great to get more connections such as hospices and facilities because everyone really needs some help now.
Trisha Turner has been turning heads in Caerusnet. Her energetic and honest presence is felt at every meeting. Until she joined Caerusnet a couple years ago, she didn’t know much about the farming process involved in growing a business by referral. That knowledge has come in handy this year as Trisha launched
Turner Design – a full-service landscape design and installation firm. It’s been great to watch Trisha grow her business by doing right in the community and we had a chance to connect with her to share her story.
How long have you been in your profession? 16 years. I started as a landscape laborer and worked my way up the ranks.
How did you get into this field? From a horticulture elective class taken at Michigan State University my freshman year of college. My parents said that I would ‘find my way’ with the programs available at State and they were right.
What is the best thing about your business/career? I get to play outside! Plus, free vitamin D😊!
How are you different and/or what’s your niche? I am different because I care about the lasting effects of my advice and designs. Right plant, right place is a real thing and I will not propose design solutions that are not realistic for a homeowner to afford or maintain. If you don’t like the color red, there will be no red roses in your design! I want clients to feel they can afford my services, so I offer complete design and installation as well as a la carte services for the do-it-yourselfer.
What is it about the Caerusnet model that you like most? I like that every member truly cares about their reputation and services provided. I know if I refer a client, friend or family member to any member of Caerusnet that they will be taken care of well above my expectations.
Share a success story about why giving referrals/bringing visitors are beneficial to you. I had a client last year that was new to the area. I was able to recommend a doctor to her and a pet sitter (both of which were members of Caerusnet). Experiences with both professionals referred made incredible impacts on her life! She was able to remedy her illness with holistic remedies and get off medication and able to enjoy vacations with her family out of state without worrying about her animals. It felt good when she told me, “Wow Trisha, you are quite the resource!” She was impressed with my network and I was happy to help. Taking care of my clients means more than making sure their landscape is flawless. We are all people with various daily concerns and when I can be more than ‘just your landscaper’ I jump to the chance!
Any tips on learning how to find situations where you can create a referral or invite a visitor? In the beginning I was too pushy, and it pushed people away. I didn’t understand why people were not as excited as I was about joining this referral group that has helped me so much. I realized, during a trust builder with another Caerusnet member, that I have to be more casual in my approach. I network with professionals at least two times a week. I don’t want to invite just any one to this group but people that truly care about their service and their clients. When I come across winners, I spread the word and follow up with an email. I verbally introduce them to Caerusnet and allow them to check out the website themselves. I have found that not all people are comfortable with putting themselves out there. I wasn’t either and was forced by a former boss to attend so I get it. Once you become part of the family, though, it’s hard to not shine!
What is your strategy with your member minute and your spotlight presentation? Talk about ‘hot’ landscape items and myself. People want to work with and purchase from someone they know and trust. By outlining my personal life along with pros and cons of hot topics I feel my message gets across.
What is your approach to positioning yourself as a resource in the community? To genuinely help people. I just so happen to be a landscaper and designer, so I can specifically help people achieve their plant goals! I recently joined the Howell Chamber of Commerce and am already feeling more incorporated in my community by getting to know other businesses and business owners in my neighborhood despite the challenges of networking due to COVID. I want my name out there and I want to refer others so I can be a complete resource for my clients.
Tips on how to be successful in Caerusnet? YOU MUST DO TRUST BUILDERS! One to one meet ups are critical to fully understanding what other members do in their professional and personal life. Both aspects are important to fully understand a person. I try to do one trust builder with everyone in my team once a year atleast and then reach out to a couple of additional Caerusnet members from different groups throughout the year as well. Motivated people seem to find other motivated people so it is not hard to find another member to enjoy a lunch with. Often times one meeting turns into, “ I know someone I think you need to meet!” The rest is history!
Share how your Caerusnet members have positively influenced you or your business besides passing referrals. Members have directed me to extracurricular programs for my toddler (more significant pre-COVID), I was connected with an incredible holistic doctor that has completely changed my daily life for the better and through a presentation in Caerusnet I was introduced to the Yes Network that opened my eyes to entrepreneurism and helped me take the jump into starting my own business.
Do you have a referral success story (passed or received) that you’d like to share? Recently, I met with one of the ambassadors of the Howell Chamber of Commerce. I casually mentioned Caerusnet and she was very interested. Just like myself, she is always looking for incredible people to network with. I sent her an email introducing her to my facilitator and wrote my positive experience with the group and why I think she would benefit. She will be visiting the group next week! That same day, a Caerusnet member called me and referred me to one of his clients for landscape services. He did, what we call a warm referral, and introduced me to her verbally and told her I will call her tomorrow afternoon. With him and I both being Caerusnet members, he KNOWS that I will call her tomorrow afternoon and take wonderful care of his client. What a day?!
Trisha shares a great testimonial here with her Brighton Wednesday 10AM Caerusnet team:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 12, 2021 – MICHIGAN – Caerusnet Facilitated Referral Teams is proud to present ReferralTopia LIVE online this year on April 22nd – Earth Day!
The 9AM-3PM event is exclusively made available to Caerusnet Members and non-Members, so long as they are Michigan based small businesses and service providers.
The all day event is going to be packed with value and for a limited time, tickets can be had for FREE by registering for the event on the Caerusnet website.
ReferralTopia is all about growing your referral network, making great new connections and learning from some amazing LIVE online speakers with serious credentials.
The day will feature three live speakers, an online live business expo and live online rapid relationship building sessions (think speed networking).
See the YouTube playlist to learn more about this amazing day! We look forward to planting the seeds of future referral relationships with you on Earth Day!
As a Member of the Caerusnet Canton team, Evan Raoof is passionate about helping his clients train for the performance of their lives. He helps his clients
understand how to approach fitness in a way they can successfully adopt into their lives to become a meaningful part of their daily living. We had a chance to connect with Evan to learn more about him and get his take on the world of referrals!
How did you get into this field? I have always been into to exercise and truly, exercise saved my life. I was born with a type of Cerebral Palsy that impacts a portion of the right side of my body (leg and arm). When attending summer camp at age nine, I didn’t wear my brace for three months. I was faced with walking the right way or being in a wheelchair. We all have a story that allows us to be who we are. In adversity comes strength and will to create happiness.
How are you different and/or what’s your niche? I love the opportunity to help someone get healthy though fitness. My business has transformed me from being simply a personal trainer to also a lifestyle mindset coach. The truth about weight loss and your life is that it is not actually about weight loss sometimes. It is the relationship with yourself first and to others -family and friends. It’s all connected. At FitLiving Academy, I help clients achieve much more than health. I have recently started implementing weight loss and wellness programs into other health related practices and am excited to create such possibilities to impact more people. This helps be broaden the scope of referrals I can create for our clients in all aspects related to fitness, health and wellness.
Share a success story about why giving referrals/bringing visitors are beneficial to you. The mindset of giving will come back to you 10 x! It took about 8 months to become the “know, like, trust” person and to get a referral from the team – yet that referred client is still paying me monthly. Months later, a Member referred someone who had money saved in a flex spending account without and they invested that with me to start a four-month health program. I value every relationship and take a stand for my clients results Referrals make it easier.
Any tips on learning how to find situations where you can create a referral or invite a visitor? The power is in the Trust Builder Meetings with Caerusnet Members.
As I connect with people I want to help make introductions for, I invite them to visit Caerusnet, where they can meet 25-30 of my powerful referral partners.
What is your approach to positioning yourself as a resource in the community? I want to be known as a resource for all things related to fitness, health, and wellness. Caerusnet
is critical in helping get connected to the right people to help me get the word out.
Tips on how to be successful in Caerusnet? Steve Zyskowski runs a fantastic organization with a lot different teams – each with a unique culture, yet they all speak the same language. Visit each team in your area or territories and expand your network. Treat it like an interview. Because it is! Build relationships based on wanting to help others and serving your customers by being a great referral source. Plan on entertaining and educating. Each Member minute is an opportunity to educate, engage and connect with all Members of the Caerusnet team. Educate your Members in your Member Minute, Spotlight Presentation, and the important Trust Builder Meetings. Wear your sales manager’s hat and help other Members see where and when it’s the right time to refer you.
Click here if you woulf like to connect with Coach Evan!
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On January 29th, 2021, Caerusnet Founder, Steven Zyskowski, along with participating Michigan Facilitators, welcomed and recognized the amazing efforts of the collective class of 2020 Caerusnet MVP award winners! This is a must watch for any Caerusnet Member an all passionate networkers in general, as these outstanding MVPs share their collective wisdom on how they leveled-up their referral game.
While most MVPs were able to attend the event, Roger Burnett from Social Good Promotions could not. But here’s what Roger had to say:
“Hi all! I’m participating in Leadership Livingston this year thru Cleary University and our classes are Friday’s from 8:30 to noon, so I’ll have to regretfully bow out of today’s recognition session. I’m very proud to have received this recognition and am offering here my virtual high-fives to all my fellow MVP’s! I was fortunate enough to have gotten a referral in December that led to a quick $9000 order and it appears that client is also going to give us a contract for all of their spend in our category for 2021 and beyond. The referral was the result of me being VERY specific about my ask during our member minutes and the trust I’d been able to build with Mary Beth who provided the referral. Put in the time into investing in your ask and building relationships and the sky’s the limit! I look forward to interacting more with each of you in the days and weeks ahead. Congratulations, MVP’s!”
Pictured: Proud recipients of MVP awards:
Rachel O’Connor from Massage Livingston, Howell, MI
Michelle Hlywa from Slingshot Designs, Fenton, MI
Wendy Caverly, Caerusnet Connections, receiving the first ever “Essential AF Award” (you guess what the “AF” stands for).
Kevin McGuire, Best New Facilitator of 2020 – Livonia Caerusnet
Thank you again to all of Caerusnet’s MVPs! You are an inspiration to the entire network and we appreciate all you do.
Finally, if you do business in Michigan or Southern Arizona and you count on local referral relationships to grow your business, then become a Member and let’s refer business together! 1-2-WIN in 2021!
When Shelter in Place orders closed Michigan businesses, Caerusnet founder, Steve Zyskowski was forced to migrate hundreds of members to an entirely online video-based experience. With precious little time and less experience, Steve was able to refashion the business, and many of the previous limits to the business model have disappeared in the process. Listen in for an enlightening discussion on how that was possible and the roller-coaster ride that happened along the way. The future of local referral networking has arrived. Be sure to like and subscribe to the “So, you’re in sales?” Podcast produced by 2020 MVP Caerusnet Team Member, Roger Burnett with Social Good Promotions.
Dr. Lisa Profera has been an outstanding Caerusnet Member on the Ann Arbor Tuesday 1PM team since March of 2016. Though Dr. Lisa may be busier now than she has ever been, she always makes time to pass good, warm referrals to other Members of the team. Dr. Lisa’s enthusiasm about Caerusnet is apparent as she regularly has visitors attending her team meeting to experience the positive energy and production of the showcase team she participates on. We had the good fortune of connecting with Dr. Lisa to get a sense of her journey as a small business owner and relationship farmer.
How did you get into this field & how long have you been in this profession? I am a former primary care physician with over 30 years of experience in patient care. About 5 1/2 years ago, I retired from traditional medical practice in order to have a more balanced life. I developed my own private practice of Aesthetics & Lifestyle Medicine called PROJUVU MD.
What gets you pumped up about what you do? I am passionate about helping people with whole plant solutions (medical marijuana, essential oils, and supplements) instead of synthetics (pharmaceuticals and over-the-counter medications) whenever possible. As a Biochemistry geek, I am fascinated by the science of Phyto-cannabinoids and other terpenes and how they interact with our Endo-cannabinoid System. I have been helping patients with medical marijuana for 5 years. I am a Certified Medical Marijuana doctor who primarily works with an excellent dispensary in Ann Arbor, Michigan called Apothecare Ann Arbor (https://www.apothecareannarbor.com/) for both medical and recreational cannabis use. Our goal is to be the premier dispensary in the area with great emphasis on community education and awareness in addition to providing safe, high quality, clean products to our patients and customers. We produce the only certified organic flower in the State of Michigan. I have also developed my own line of full spectrum CBD products called Dr. Lisa’s CBD Solutions https://drlisascbdsolutions.com/.
How are you different & what is your niche? I provide personalized and individualized treatment plans for my patients and strive to address all of their healthcare needs in a more natural way. I believe in being proactive and love to help people look better and feel better: Live Younger Longer!
How long have you been in Caerusnet & and what have you learned?
I joined Caerusnet about 5 years ago and it has been a wonderful boost for my business. Thanks to Steve Zyskowski’s (the founder of Caerusnet and also the Facilitator of our Ann Arbor team) excellent teaching and leadership, I have developed my skills as a businesswoman and entrepreneur (they don’t teach you how to market your business by referral in college).
What do you enjoy about being on a Caerusnet team in addition to getting warmed up referrals? I look forward to our Caerusnet meetings and have developed many good friendships within our group. It is wonderful to network with such a great group of small business owners in Ann Arbor and beyond. Being a part of Caerusnet adds value to myself and to my practice in so many ways, my Membership pays for itself many times over. My favorite part of our meetings is “Positive Focus”–I love to hear about the things that energize the people in our group.
Connecting with Dr. Lisa is easy and she would love to hear from you! Just click on any of the links or images found in this post for her contact information, or simply look her up on the Caerusnet Member Search Engine!
Vera Davis (dba Vera Davis Photography) just celebrated her three-year Caerusversary – three years as a Caerusnet Member! As a strong heartbeat on the high energy, Ann Arbor Tuesday 1PM referral team, Vera has given and received some wonderful referrals over the past few years. Caerusnet Founder, Steven Zyskowski, recently connected with Davis to learn more about her professional journey and the value she finds in being a Caerusnet Member. Let’s dig in!
How long have you been in your profession? 5 years.
How did you get into this field? I was a “mom with a camera” and finally about 6 or 7 years ago decided to get serious about learning the craft and starting a business!
What is the best thing about your business/career? Meeting people and bearing witness to who they are and the love they have for their families. I get to watch families grow and evolve and it’s amazing and deeply impacting for me. Our family photos are our most prized possessions and I consider it a great honor and responsibility to create those for people. I also love bringing out an individual’s personality and uniqueness in headshots and personal branding shoots!
What is it about the Caerusnet model that you like most? I love getting to really know other business owners in the community. Meeting regularly and having Trust Builder Meetings lets me know in a deeper way who my fellow Caerusnet Members are, where their passions lie, and how they can be of service to people I know.
Any tips on how to be successful in Caerusnet? Try not to miss meetings! I have regular Trust Builder Meetings with other Members. I also keep the Member roster at hand for when referral opportunities come up. I am subconsciously always looking for opportunities to refer and bring guests!
Share how your Caerusnet Members have positively influenced you or your business besides passing referrals. 
Having a regular meeting with other professionals helps keep me focused on moving my business forward. For me it is a bit of accountability and causes me to evaluate how things are going in a way I might not otherwise. During quarantine, continuing to have online meetings helped me feel less isolated and gave me some social interaction to look forward to!
Do you have a referral success story (passed or received) that you’d like to share? Barbara Zinser, the phenomenal real estate agent on our team, gave a client of hers one of my gift vouchers for a free photo session! That has turned into a lovely relationship with a family who has returned for photos several times.
Want to connect with Vera for a Trust Builder Meeting or to book a photography session?
https://www.veradavisphotography.com/ She’d love to hear from you!
Stay connected,
Steven Zyskowski
Chief Referral Officer – Caerusnet
(photo of Steve compliments of Vera Davis Photography)
David Kelley has been an outstanding Member of the Caerusnet Brighton Tuesday 8AM team since first joining in May, 2013. He attends at least 90% of the team meetings, gives referrals and invites visitors. With every word clearly enunciated, David always delivers fantastic information during his Member Minutes and would certainly be considered one of the heartbeats on the team. Since David has been in Caerusnet for over seven years, we felt this would be the perfect time to get his perspective on his approach to the world of referrals. Livingston & Commerce Hearing Centers is what Caerusnet is all about – serving people in the local communities we live in and love and going the extra mile to make a difference.
How long have you been in your profession? 18 Years as of October 3rd,2020. Wow, it is hard to believe that it has been this long ago that we started helping people hear better!
How did you get into this field? With my wife Kimber, being a Dr. Of Audiology, we always knew that eventually we would open a hearing practice to help people with their relationships.
What is the best thing about your business/career? We love the interactions that we have daily with our patients. The stories we share and the relationships that we have are the best. I always find it exciting when we have a new hearing patient, and they realize that this relationship that is just starting between us is probably going to be a great, long lasting one.
How are you different and/or what’s your niche? We pride ourselves on the ability to be successful with even the very hard to fit hearing losses of our patients. Kimber has a moderate hearing loss, herself. That puts us in a unique situation as practitioners who know the struggles and understands the frustrations that a hearing deficit can bring. This allows her to personally know which hearing aids are the best for each patient.
Any tips on learning how to find situations where you can create a referral or invite a visitor? I have had some success with finding new Members interested in referral networking from someone giving me a sales call from their own business. If I find out that they are local, then I will answer them with the name of my Caerusnet Member who already does that for me. Then I ask if they have ever considered visiting a referral networking group such as Caerusnet.
What is your strategy with your Member minute and your spotlight presentation? I always want to be informative with my Member minute. It needs to have value for most all other Members to give them another reason to refer to your business. Be clear and concise with asking for specific referral types.
Any tips on how to be successful in Caerusnet? To be successful in this referral network, All you really have to do is pay your $50 a month and the referrals just come flying in…LOL! No! You need to have the thought process that this is your team and that the other Members of your team want to help grow your business. As with any team you want to be respectful. Respectful of time, efforts of others and work as hard for them as they do for you. Always be a giver, someone that is helpful, and your success in Caerusnet will follow shortly behind you.
Share how your Caerusnet Members have positively influenced you or your business besides passing referrals. The ability to help our patients with challenges other than their hearing, really shows them that we care about them as a person and not just as a patient. That we don’t just see dollar signs with them, but we see the humanity in them. We all need to be helpful whenever possible.
Check out David Kelley’s awesome 10 Minute Spotlight Presentation to the Brighton Tuesday 8AM team:
Want to connect with David Kelley for a referral or Trust Builder Meeting? He’d love to “hear” from you!