New networking breakfast unites professionals

Within minutes of dropping her business card in a fish bowl at the entrance of Nawlins Seafood Company on Woodcleft Avenue in Freeport, Dana Drasser Alford, from Oceanside and executive consultant at Rodan and Fields, made her way through the crowd. While waiting for coffee, she extended her hand to formally introduce herself to Antionette Drago, from Bellmore and director of sales and marketing for Rendezvous Travel.

By 8 a.m., on Aug. 16, a large group of over 50 business leaders and small business owners from a number of Nassau County communities were seen scattered about the Nawlins outdoor deck, drinking coffee and chatting about their careers or line of business.

It’s an early morning breakfast and the first of its kind in Freeport. The Boom Business Networking is an organization with approximately 12 chapters on Long Island and designed to provide business professionals from a diverse collection of fields with an opportunity to meet and share resources. The different chapters meet for breakfast on a biweekly basis throughout Long Island with the occasional luncheons and after work mixers.

“I’m so glad that I came out to this,” Dresser Alfrod said. “It was so motivating to see so many professionals of all types eager to talk about their work and willing to share resources and information.”

According to long time member of Boom and vice president of the Michael Magro Foundation, Terrie Magro, the group extended their meetings to Freeport and invited the Baldwin, Bellmore and Freeport chamber of commerce as an effort to increase networking within the members, local small business and individual professionals who may not opt to participate in the organization’s events held in other parts of Nassau County. Additional events are scheduled to take place in Freeport, making it a central location for neighboring South Shore community professionals more apt to meet up with the group.

Before heading into Manhattan to start his work day, John Meunkle, an underwriter at Title Gurantee, Inc., stops by Nawlins to meet and greet South Shore professionals he normally wouldn’t meet. For the most part, Meunkle, from Huntington, participates in the Seaford networking events.

“I’m not a sales man, per say,” Meunkle said. “But to grow your business [you] have to me meet new people and develop relationships with people.”

According to Meunkle, attending networking groups is a way not just to meet people for resources, but potentially develop a strong customer base in the long run.

The vice president of sales and marketing at Title Nest Abstract, Ingrid Schwartz, also agreed with Meunkle’s ideology and share that some of her best clients have been referrals from colleagues she’s met at a number of networking events through Boom.

“I love this group. This encourages meeting people on a one-to-one basis,” Schwartz said.