How it works
A referral group built on a constraint
Open networking groups run on volume: more members, more categories, more overlap. This one runs on scarcity. 28 seats, one company each, and a waiting list instead of a signup button.
- 01
A seat opens
There are 28 categories and 27 of them are currently unheld. A seat opens when the roster expands, or when a member leaves and their category returns to the table.
- 02
Someone vouches
A current member puts your name forward, or you request an invitation and we go looking for someone who has worked with you. Unreferenced applicants are not rejected out of hand - they are checked harder.
- 03
You are vetted
References, licensing where it applies, and a look at how you handle work that goes wrong. The standards are published so you can read them before you spend time on this.
- 04
The seat is yours alone
You are listed in the directory with your direct contact details, and no competitor in your category is admitted while you hold it. Every referral in your category from every other member comes to you.
The mechanics
What actually happens in the room
Members meet on a fixed cadence. Every meeting has the same spine: a short update from each seat, one member presenting their work in depth, and open time for specific asks. Nobody pitches the room. The room already knows what you do — what it needs is the situation that should make someone think of you.
That is why every seat in the directory publishes a trigger rather than a services list. A member does not need to remember that the commercial insurance seat writes surety bonds. They need to recognise that their client just got asked for one.
Between meetings
The directory is the working tool. When a member is sitting with a client who has a problem outside their lane, they pull up the seat, get a direct line, and make the introduction on the spot — not a promise to send an email later.
Accountability
Referrals are tracked and closed out. The member who received an introduction reports back to the member who made it. Seats that consistently take without giving are reviewed, and the category is reopened if the pattern does not change. That is the unglamorous part that makes the rest of it worth anything.
Questions
Before you ask
What does "one seat per industry" actually mean?
Each of the 28 industry categories is held by exactly one company at a time. While a firm holds a seat, no competitor in that category is admitted. If a member leaves or is removed, the seat reopens and is offered to the next qualified applicant.
Why only one person per member company?
A seat is held by a named individual, not a brand. That person attends, builds the relationships, and takes the calls. Publishing a direct line and a direct inbox is the point - a referral that lands in a shared sales inbox is not a referral, it is a lead form. If the representative leaves the company, the company must nominate a replacement or the seat returns to the table.
How do I join?
You are referred by a current member, or you request an invitation and we find someone who can speak to your work. Either way there is a conversation, a reference check against our published standards, and a decision. There is no signup page and no self-service tier.
What does membership cost?
Dues are discussed during the invitation conversation and depend on the category and the commitment involved. We do not publish a price because we are not selling seats to whoever will pay - the vetting comes first, and a seat is only offered once the fit is clear.
What is expected of a member?
Attend the meetings. Learn the other seats well enough to recognise a referral when you see one. Respond to an introduction within one business day. Close the loop with the member who sent it, whether the work landed or not. Members who take referrals without giving them do not keep their seat.
What geography does the group cover?
Washington, Oregon, and Idaho, with the centre of gravity in western Washington. Members are expected to be able to serve a client anywhere in that footprint, directly or through a documented partner.
Is there a fee for making or receiving a referral?
No. There are no referral fees, splits, or kickbacks inside the group. Introductions are made because they are right for the client. Any private fee arrangement between two members is theirs to disclose to their own client, not a function of membership.
Still unclear on something? Ask us directly — a person answers.