"When group members take a turn talking about their own companies they must pose one to three issues on which to get comments from other forum members. Sometimes people will try out upcoming presentations they must give to financiers or others.
In one case, forum members made someone throw out a presentation set for a meeting with venture capitalists. "They stopped him and really constructed a whole new strategy for him," Carlson said. In the end, the executive realized he didn't have to go the venture capital route to get the money he needed. "That's a pretty impressive conclusion to come out of a meeting with," Carlson said.
Members of the group have developed a friendship, said Marcus, of South Bend Warehouse & Distribution, but "aren't soft on one another. "When one brings up a tough subject, that person better be able to take tough responses or they are in the wrong group," Marcus said. "We are fair and respectful to one another, but not necessarily easy," he added. "I use it as a sounding board for different issues that come before me. The knowledge and experience in the room is awesome, and being able to tap into it affords me information that I otherwise would have limited access to."