Breakfast Club Philosophy

Breakfast Club Philosophy

The Breakfast Club International is a networking group which was created by Steven Wain and Marc Gagnon. There are two groups in Broward County which is aimed at directing business to its members which are local business people. The philosophy of the group is much different than other networking groups as BNI, NPA, Le Tip, PNA and other groups. The philosophy is catching on and there appears to be groups forming in New Hampshire and Massachusetts through the Innovation Forum groups which is a community based group, comprised of 13 chapters.

Here is the philosphy:

There are many such groups as PNA, BNI, NPI, Le Tip and Tri County and all of them essentially have the same philosophy as each other, What’s In It for Me.  The problem of this philosophy is that everyone is waiting for a referral for themselves which results in the same, a failed group.

The Breakfast Club analogy of working together is like a Fleet of Fishing Ships. There is a famous statue in Gloucester, Massachusetts which is a Memorial Statue of all fishermen that have died on the open seas. Instead of They That Go down with Their Ships; ours is THEY THAT DON’T GO DOWN WITH THEIR SHIPS.

The Breakfast Club is an assemblage of professional members aimed at business and personal improvement and to be a catalyst in growing each other's business.

The Breakfast Club is like a group of Fishing Boat Captains.

The Breakfast Club is looking for Captains (essentially leaders) but at the same time developing relationships and working together by investing in each other as a Fleet of Fishing Boats.  In essence, we all fish in the same waters and we go out at the same time to reel in the fish.

Every day they steer their boats to the mouth of the harbor and then out to the open sea to catch FISH. What makes them so special? Instead of heading out alone in different directions, they form a circle and drop their anchors and cast out their nets. Each one invests in each other to catch these fish.  We share our expertise, experience and sometimes materials. Remember, we have some 22 people that are loyal and dedicated to each other to help each other with a big catch. But, if individuals only state, “I have not gotten a referral or minimally received referrals, then that particular person has not enlisted in the Fleet.” By being focused on just themselves, they are not focused on each other. The only way a group can be successful is to look to each other to give.  If you are looking to the group to get your referrals like an Amway or Juice Plus person would instead in the rolodex that all of us have, then you will most likely never or seldom ever receive referrals.

They all have fish finders and the latest equipment aboard and let EVERYONE know where the FISH are.

And when the Captains are back at the dock, they're ALWAYS SHARING THEIR IDEAS, BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS AND HELPING EACH OTHER.

It is not every day that all of them will come back with a boat load of FISH. What really matters is that by working together, ALL the Captains are happy to get their fair share.

 The group’s main focus is the following:

·         Getting to know each other including what they do, what makes them different, how they began, their experience, signs on referring them business and their hobbies.

·         Sharing best practices of marketing, business strategies, information on their industry, pitfalls of their industry, etc. If the person has written a column with regards to their industry for example, maybe that person will share their book or written material with the group. Remember, if this is a typical networking group, then the group will eventually fall apart, in other words go down with their ship.  Invest in each other is like investing time in yourself.

·         Look for other ship captains to bring to the group to expand it.

·         A referral or example of investing in the group is having one on ones periodically, introducing the person to clients or circles of influence and by bringing in a guest.

·         Using the group for advice such as reviewing a business plan, questions on marketing and advertising your business. Looking for expertise in each other.

Avenue Productions- Are They a Real Agency?

Avenue Productions- Are They a Real Agency?

Elina Sol, a model that I work with regularly recently visited Avenue Productions for her children. Avenue Productions attempted to sign Elina to the agency. Avenue Productions made claims that they get all types of work for their models. Personally, I have known some 46 models that have visited Avenue Productions and each of them never received work. Instead, they were sold photography and comp card services. This is known as a photography mill. They claim that their photographer is good and the models can attain work because of these photos.

Many years ago, I brought three models to CED (Cunningham Escott & Dipene), a NY based commercial print agency. The agency is now called CESD (Cunningham Escott Slevin & Dougherty). This was in the 80s and I was not an accomplished photographer at that time. They did not try to sell the models on photography and comp card services. Instead, they took the comp cards that I did and stickered the comp cards with their comp cards.

Elina Sol is only one of 3 models that I currently work with in South Florida. Elina has been paid for a number of photographic art pieces. My works are hanging in the Smithsonian, 4 United States Presidential Libraries, and my work has been featured on NBC News, WXEL Public TV, cover of the Sun Sentinel, Miami Herald, Indian Life and Style Magazine in India, the United Kingdom, and United States, Chicago Tribune, Photographic Society of America Journal, Nashua Telegraph, Framingham News, Lowell Sun, NH Magazine, the Concord Monitor, The Broadcaster, The Rangefinder Magazine, Via Magazine, Boca Raton News, Our Town News, The Coral Springs Forum, Parklander Magazine cover, Afrocentric News, Wiscasset News in Maine, Southbay News in NY, and a variety of other magazines. These are not published articles, they are featured articles. In other words, articles featuring my photographic art works.

Avenue Productions was making claims that their photographer is better. Of course, the photographer would charge some $600. Every model I have sent agencies to have never paid a dime to any agency. I question whether Avenue Productions is a legitimate agency based on the above information. I have also approached Avenue in the past in hiring some of their models. They literally did not know how to respond to this. Since I also refer models to agencies that have work to give models, if Avenue Productions was real, I would be considered a source of quality models.

Avenue Productions does not have headsheets, or an agency book such as Ford, Elite, Zoli, Click, Next Models, etc. This blog will be auto feed to all of the offices through Marc Gagnon Inc. throughout the country including the offices: Marc Gagnon Inc. - NH, Marc Gagnon Inc. - MA, Marc Gagnon Inc. - NYC, Marc Gagnon Inc. - Chicago, Marc Gagnon Inc. - Atlanta, Marc Gagnon Inc. - Charleston, Marc Gagnon Inc. - San Francisco, and Marc Gagnon Inc. - Florida. Marc Gagnon Inc. simply markets the photographic artwork to the public and private collectors. Some of the artwork is marketed on merchandise.

Merchandise of Marc Gagnon Inc.
Documentary Website

Below is a sampling of merchandising of Marc Gagnon Inc., photo of Marc Gagnon and Bryant Gumbel, Dan Marino and former Governor Charlie Crist, the art piece The Colonial Woman, the art collage The Edgar Alan Poe collage, and Gagnon and Press Agent about to lift off in a private plane.