Partner & Lead Evangelist
Our business transformed the day I met Morrie Elstein; by far the most impactful meeting of my professional career, and perhaps the most personally rewarding in decades of memory. It was Friday, July 1st, 2016 at 230pm in the afternoon, when my paradigm changed. There’s a book in here no doubt, but perhaps a paragraph or two testifying to the results we recognized stemming from those initial ninety minutes together that summer afternoon are satisfactory enough.
My business partner and I own a large format printing franchise, just over a year old at the time I was introduced to Morrie. While we had exceeded all revenue benchmarks of the franchisor, our expectations and desires went well beyond creating a simple life-style business. When Morrie explained his philosophy of networking, he articulated a system, a process, a formula, a methodology that we had been unable to crystallize on our own. While we believed in what he did and had been doing it to a far lesser degree in our initial pursuits, we were now armed with insightful approach into developing and managing an effective networking strategy. We could take 2016 and divide it in half at the point I met Morrie on July 1st; upon instituting Morrie’s approach, my company did twice as much business in the back-half of the year as we did in the first, a 6-figure delta! In the first full-calendar year of embracing his methods, we broke the 15-year franchise record for revenue performance by over $100k. In the second full-calendar year, we enjoyed an 83% increase in revenue and beat the all-time franchise system record for a studio of our experience by nearly $470K.
Most importantly, through the invaluable connections Morrie has made on our behalf and by employing his unique approach towards business development, we ourselves have come to be regarded in the marketplace as great connectors—our connections are now our currency. It has changed our relationships from vendor or service provider to partner, creating implicit switching costs for many of our client’s, as the introductions we offer are equally, if not more valuable than the products we sell them.
It is without reservation that I enthusiastically support MorrieConnect—it changed our lives in the most profound way imaginable and it cannot be given due justice in just a few sentences. I am forever grateful for that July day in 2016.
Regional Managing Director,
Experis Finance
I have known Morrie Elstien for more than a decade. His name is synonymous with “Connector”. As a fellow connector, I am behind Morrie by 2 decades and I can only aspire to reach his level and reputation.
Morrie not only has an expansive network, he has deep relationships and delivers on requests for introductions. He has helped me and my relationships with personal and business introduction requests over the years. Anyone who has the opportunity to hire Morrie as their Trusted Advisor will realize results beyond their expectations. He is an amazing person and I am grateful he is my business peer, friend and in my inner circle of trusted advisors.
Founding Member, FVLD Law
Morrie Elstien is the consummate connector. He embodies the maxim that “what goes around comes around.” With the combination of Morrie’s prolific network of business leaders and professionals, his unique, wise, and pay-it-forward approach, and his gracious willingness to share his network, Morrie has introduced me to several remarkable people. As a result, I have made some wonderful new friends (especially Morrie) and have been fortunate to garner new business for my firm. Perhaps most important, Morrie’s shining example has inspired me not only to reciprocate with him and others whenever I can, but also to pay it forward.
Founder and CEO, Tenant Advisory Group
Morrie Elstien is without question the single most important person in my network. He has single handedly been responsible for a tremendous amount of clients of my firm and some of the most notable transactions we have completed. I have affectionately referred to Morrie as the “Godfather of Networking” as he’s taught me so much about the “paying it forward” mentality and how the best way to grow your own business is to help someone else grow theirs. If there has ever been a time when I have been trying to get in front of an owner or C Level executive and have come up short, I will reach out to Morrie and his typical response is, “Of course, I just had him and his wife over for dinner last week. I’d be happy to make an introduction.” He has the single most valuable network of anyone I have ever met and anyone he has ever introduced me to has been immediately willing to connect with me. Morrie Elstien has secured an incredible amount of business for a tremendous amount of people in this city and not only do we all owe him a debt of gratitude, but we would all have more successful businesses if we adopted his approach. His approach and his value are second to none. I can’t speak highly enough of the value he has created for me and the impact he has had on me both personally and professionally.
Retired CEO, Hu-Friedy Manufacturing
President, The Wax Group
Morrie has a lovely way of bringing people together even when, like myself, they may have previously expressed little or no interest in meeting anyone. It is a very special knack that Morrie seems to have in somehow recognizing the potential of a meaningful connection to be made. Though having initially protested, I admit to having enjoyed getting to know many of the people to whom he has introduced me (and me to them) and have often found myself enriched for the experience. Perhaps, some of them feel similarly.Incredible as it may sound, Morrie seems to know everyone. I’m not sure just how he does it and how he recognizes common interests. Over the past 25+ years that I have known him, Morrie has grown an impressive portfolio of “pay-it-forward” business friends like me with whom he comfortably, and with permission, makes an introduction. In my case, many introductions have been over drinks in a casual setting on his patio. I can only imagine the hundreds of folks he and his charming wife, Cindi, have entertained in their home where I have observed, experienced, and advanced numerous friendships. Morrie, by the way, is an incredible chef no stranger to the kitchen. He is also on a first-name basis with those managing some of the top restaurants in the city, always securing one of their best tables. I imagine it’s a rare moment, that Morrie isn’t “farming connections” …. planting seeds” and “fertilizing the soil.” I have found Morrie to be one of those truly genuine and straight-forward people. While having tended to be insular in my business orientation. Morrie has expanded my horizon. He has been a catalyst in developing supportive business connections. I have also discovered that I quite like the stimulation of having moved out beyond my comfort zone. It is also especially amazing to me that he is able to consider all of us his “friends.”
Mike O’Meara
Managing Partner,
O'Meara Capital Group
If you are growing a business in the Chicagoland area and you are not connected to Morrie you are missing a significant business opportunity. My very first meeting with Morrie in 2014 changed my thought process and the way I connected withOthers. Over the last 4 years I have adopted Morrie’s pay it forward approach to connecting and not only grown my business but developed a large and meaningful network comprised of like minded professionals