06/11/2026
Since bringing on a marketing department, Synctivate Inc. has been exploring dedicated networking organizations around Virginia. We’ve spent time with groups connected to BNI, TwoTwelve, and others where there’s usually a clear “champion” of the room.
This week, we made the drive up to Tysons Corner for an event at The Tower Club.
The commute was worth it for Katie Nelson alone.
Being in a room with Katie feels like being back in your favorite classroom growing up. You know the teacher is paying attention, so you can only get away with so much. But also... the teacher is paying attention.
You’re not getting away with inauthentic answers, surface-level conversations, or the same step-and-repeat networking script everyone falls back on eventually.
One of the notes we wrote down during the event:
“I like it when she yells at me.”
Which sounds absurd out of context, but everyone in the room immediately understood it. Applauded the statement.
There’s something refreshing about being around people who challenge you to think harder, communicate more clearly, and show up more honestly instead of just exchanging business cards and rehearsed elevator pitches. People who want you to make money, too.
Katie also said:
“Your vibe attracts your tribe.”
As Synctivate continues evaluating networking communities, we keep coming back to the same non-negotiables:
Trust
Integrity
Partnership
Innovation
Resourcefulness
We’re less interested in finding the biggest room, and more interested in finding rooms that make people better operators, better partners, and better humans. What other networking groups are worth the drive?
