TRBN™ is a Canadian business organization made up of local Professional Business Collectives: groups of independent business professionals who meet regularly to share knowledge, experience, ideas and perspective while helping one another become more effective and successful in their own professions.

Members strategize, advise, counsel, brainstorm and support one another, creating something much like an informal board of directors combined with a trusted circle of professional resources.

TRBN™ is about much more than exchanging business leads. Referrals and introductions are simply one of the natural results of members building genuine relationships, understanding one another's businesses and developing trust.

Our Collectives also share a commitment to personal growth and giving back to the communities where we live and do business.

TRBN™ membership is open to business owners, entrepreneurs, franchisees, independent professionals, sales professionals and others who represent legitimate businesses or professional services and who are interested in becoming active, contributing members of a local Professional Business Collective.

Each Collective also provides one complimentary membership to a local non-profit organization or registered charity that serves its community. Preference is given to organizations whose work supports people, animals or the environment, giving them an opportunity to build relationships within the local business community while bringing greater awareness to the work they do.

To protect the interests of our members, each Collective generally accepts only one member from each business or professional category. In some circumstances, categories may be divided when the services offered are clearly different, or an arrangement may be made with the member who already represents that category.

Membership decisions are based on business or professional considerations, not race, religion, political affiliation or other matters unrelated to a person's ability to participate positively within the Collective.

TRBN™ is a business-focused organization and does not permit its meetings, membership or communication systems to be used to promote political or religious campaigns, partisan advocacy or activities unrelated to the purpose and values of the organization.

What you gain from TRBN™ is closely connected to what you bring to it. Our Professional Business Collectives are built around a simple philosophy: giving comes before receiving.

Every member brings their own knowledge, experience, perspective, connections and willingness to help. When those things are shared freely within the Collective, everyone benefits. The more you participate, contribute ideas, offer support and take the time to genuinely know the people around you, the more valuable those relationships become.

So while it's natural to ask, "What's in it for me?", we encourage our members to begin with a different question:

"What can I do for you?"

Visitors are always welcome to experience a TRBN™ Collective before considering membership. Guests are often invited by an existing member, but you don't need to know someone in TRBN™ to visit.

If you've found us online or heard about TRBN™ elsewhere, simply contact us here and we'll help connect you with a local Collective that fits your profession and location.

The first step toward membership is to visit a local TRBN™ Collective. This gives you an opportunity to meet the members, experience a meeting and decide whether the Collective feels like the right fit for you and your profession.

Membership is by invitation. If there is a mutual fit and your professional category is available, the Collective President or Vice President can discuss membership with you and invite you to take the next step.

If there is no Collective in your area, or your category is already represented in the Collectives near you, contact us. We would be happy to discuss future expansion plans or the possibility of being part of a new TRBN™ Collective in your community.

Limiting membership to one person from each business or professional category allows members to build relationships without competing directly with someone offering the same products or services.

Over time, each member becomes the Collective's trusted resource for their particular business or professional category. Other members gain a better understanding of their expertise, the work they do and the kinds of people or opportunities that may be valuable to them.

This creates an environment where members can share ideas, experiences and opportunities openly, while protecting the professional position and relationships each member has developed within the Collective.

TRBN™ Collectives meet in local restaurants, cafés, lounges and pubs that provide a comfortable area with enough privacy for members to talk, exchange ideas and participate freely in our often energetic meetings.

We avoid venues that charge members for the use of a meeting room and don't require fixed-price meals. Members and guests are free to order what they like, although we ask everyone to support our host venue by purchasing at least a beverage and taking good care of the people serving us.

Meeting days and times vary by Collective and are established by the local Collective leadership. Current locations and meeting times can be found on our Collectives page.

Yes, but only briefly. Visitors are given an opportunity to introduce themselves and tell the group a little about who they are and what they do. There is no expectation that you be an experienced or polished public speaker.

TRBN™ Collectives provide a friendly and supportive environment where members and visitors can become more comfortable speaking about themselves and their professions. For many members, regularly speaking in front of people they know and trust has helped them become more confident and effective communicators over time.

TRBN™ members are expected to actively participate in building and strengthening their Collective, and introducing new people to the group is an important part of that responsibility. A healthy Collective needs new people, new professions, new ideas and new relationships in order to grow and flourish.

We don't invite guests simply to recruit new members. We invite people because we believe there is value in introducing them to a Collective of business professionals they may benefit from knowing, whether or not they ultimately become members.

Of course, we hope some visitors will enjoy the experience, see the value of becoming part of the Collective and eventually be invited to join. That's how our Collectives continue to grow and remain strong.

Building a successful Collective is a shared responsibility. When every member participates in introducing good people to the group, everyone benefits.

Yes. TRBN™ welcomes legitimate direct sales and multi-level marketing businesses when the member's primary focus is representing and selling an established product or service.

The Collective should not be used as a recruiting ground for building a sales organization or downline. Members are expected to be knowledgeable about the products or services they represent and participate in the Collective as business professionals.

Where a product or service requires professional licensing or certification, such as certain financial services, the member must hold the appropriate qualifications required to provide those services.

A TRBN™ Collective depends on the active participation and commitment of its members. Genuine relationships, trust and professional credibility develop through consistently showing up, contributing and becoming part of the group. For that reason, TRBN™ isn't designed as a drop-in or part-time organization.

Members are expected to make their Collective a regular professional commitment. That means attending consistently, participating in meetings, sharing knowledge and ideas, supporting fellow members and helping build and strengthen the Collective.

We understand that business, family, vacations and unexpected circumstances will occasionally prevent anyone from attending. That's very different from treating membership as something to participate in only when it's convenient.

Members may participate in more than one TRBN™ Collective when they are able to make a full commitment to each one. What we don't encourage is dividing a single commitment between Collectives by attending each only part of the time. Every Collective should be able to rely on its members to participate consistently, build relationships and contribute their knowledge and experience to the group.

A strong Collective isn't something members simply attend. It's something they help build.