These days, everywhere you turn, you are bombarded by news of gloom and doom about our economy. It's like Halloween got here way too early this year. I try my best to avoid the TV and radio news altogether. No, I'm not in denial or being naive. There's no doubt that something is very wrong in this picture. However, if you focus your attention on the bad news that's broadcast 24/7, and hang around the water cooler whining, bitching and complaining, your chance of success is doomed.
Research has shown that the right mindset and attitude can make or break a person/business. How do you maintain a laser-sharp focus and unwavering success mindset during these challenging times? That's where masterminding comes in.
The right mastermind group can provide abundant resources for building your business. Mastermind groups can be made up from a group of peers in the exact same industry that you are in, a group of companies that focus on the same vertical market or market segment, or a group of business leaders that are ready to mentor those who are starting out. When you are in a group of like-minded, success-focused, positive business professionals, there are infinite possibilities, creativity and resources to be shared. Oftentimes, we cannot see what's missing in our own business. It's extremely valuable to have someone else to point out your blind spot or offer you solutions you would not have thought of by yourself.
During these turbulent times, perhaps the most important value of having a mastermind group, is to have an army of your own, so to speak, against the ugly beasts of fear, negative beliefs, doubts and worries. If you are familiar with the Law of Attraction and the success principles taught by masters such as Napoleon Hill, you know that you can't afford the negative thoughts and beliefs -- not in your personal life, and definitely not in your business. If you have taken all the right steps to select the right kind of people for your mastermind group, you would have an unbreakable support network to always keep you in the positive energy field.
Next time you meet with your mastermind group, may I suggest that you set a group intention to lift and keep one another in the success-oriented positive energy field. Select some empowering affirmations that you'd like to recite and affirm at your meetings. Absolutely no whining, bitching or complaining allowed in and outside of the group. Set up some type of buddy system so you can call for support, in case you fall into a negative slump. Do everything you can to safeguard your positive energy, and watch the success come to you.
Our group has been alive for over a year now and it continues to evolve. Looking backwards, I suppose I could summarize our first year by saying we've concentrated on having our relationships get closer and more important. And we've tried to organize ourselves, despite our penchant for talking, We've carefully grown from our four initial people to a stable six in the group, The increased size has forced us to become more organized.
Recently, we've looked at how we can make our requests for coaching extend beyond the few minutes for coaching in the call itself. For example, one of our group wanted coaching on recreating his passion and enthusiasm for developing his new business. I called him two days later and spent about 20 minutes having him specify his problem and I then recommended an exercise which he reports as being highly effective. Another member wrote to him suggesting that he modify his mission statement to be more forceful and immediate. And worked to provide a possible revision for him.
What this amounts to is that we consider our MM group increasingly important in our lives, worth much more than an hour;s worth of time a week.
My dear, inspirational friend Charlie "Tremendous" Jones just passed away. His memorial service is November 7th. His most famous quote is "Five years from today you will be the same person you are today, except for the people you meet and the books you read". I carry his torch, as do many of my colleagues, to encourage people to read more. "It's all in the books", he used to tell me, referring to the secrets of success, the stories of life, the encouragement, the drama, the humor, the wisdom of the ages. That is one of the most powerful things about this website..it is full of so much valuable information.
One of the best things you can do in your MasterMind Groups is share titles of books that inspired you, helped you along the way, gave you a new perspective, or gave you great ideas. Titles of books come up very often in the discussion. When someone is struggling with something and needs a little "boost" or some extra knowledge in a specific area, be thinking of the books you have read that will help that person. The title of a book can be one of the greatest contributions you can make to the individuals in your group.
For those of you who don't have time to read, consider getting executive book summaries (condensed versions on CD you can listen to in your car), or loading audio books onto your Ipod to listen to while you work out or go for a walk. I just got a "Kindle" and I absolutely love it. I am addicted, in fact. In one device, I can have all the books I'm reading all at once, and no more toting around a huge briefcase full of books when I travel! It's the coolest toys, in my opinion. You can be just about anywhere and order a book, which downloads immediately (no more waiting for 3 days for it to arrive at your doorstep), and your Amazon account is charged immediately. The price is lower than the book, because there are no costs of shipping, etc.
In addition to sharing titles of books, I have seen some groups decide that a book study is an appropriate framework for their success as a group; for instance, studying "Think and Grow Rich", one chapter at a time, and discussing how you can implement the ideas in the book, and having the accountability and support in place......how could you go wrong with that as a format?!
There is no way I can list the books here that have made a difference in my life here. The list is far too long. I know Charlie was a fan of Oswald Chambers, Og Mandino, James Allen, and many others. Let's pick up Charlie's torch and carry it to our MasterMind Groups. Share the books that have made a positive difference in your lives. That is one of the greatest contributions you can make to your fellow group members.
Charlie will be missed. But I believe his heavenly mansion has a huge library! Until next month, may you find the answers in your books, and have exponential success!
Have you ever noticed how there never seems to be enough of the three resources?
On 1st October 2008, I ended 22 years of self-employment and have been reflecting on my time as a solopreneur.
There has never been a moment during those 8,000-odd days that I haven't bemoaned the fact that:
I never had enough money to allow my business vision to reach its full potential. I started in 1987 with a 10,000 pounds unsecured overdraft facility with HSBC and, by 2007, that had grown to a 30,000 pounds facility for The Dental Business School.
The businesses that I operated had good and bad years, just like everybody else, but even in the good years, although I usually reinvested some of the "fat" in the business, mostly I just went shopping;
In the bad years (and there some very bad years), I battened down the hatches, stopped shopping and borrowed extra money to tide me through - but had to repay those loans with sheer effort on my own part - often selling time and thus damaging my work/life balance;
My support team were always talented, loyal, fun people - who were in a constant state of overwhelm with the sheer quantity of transactions they had to deal with - just to keep the status quo - never to expand. That's why nobody ever stayed longer then 4 years - I burned them out;
So I spent years dreaming a dream of a "proper" super-sized company - one in which I wasn't responsible for 80% - 100% of the income generation PLUS all the duties of finance, marketing, sales, operations and H.R., head cook and bottle-washer.
But I never managed to build the dream into a reality.
Because I never had enough money, enough people and enough time.
Now, I have relinquished my "independence" to become part of a 500m pounds(?) company, working with a very talented leader and team of Executive Directors.
I spent time in September with them, agreeing the 3-year vision, 12-month plan and 90-day goals for the Private Sector Division of Integrated Dental Holdings.
I have had the pleasure to join forces with an Operations Director who has until recently been running the national sales division of one of the world's top computer companies.
I have interviewed for acquisitions manager and enjoyed meeting some very talented people.
We are building a team that is going to create a unique and pioneering new dental corporate.
I can see the money, the people and the time coming together.
It is very exciting.
And there is a moral here for all readers of this article.
Don't spend 22 years waiting for a self-employed miracle. Expecting you can somehow build a proper business from sheer effort and humongous sales.
It won't happen.
Think deeply about what has to happen to get your business properly capitalized - supported by either private equity, institutional investors or private investors to get you operating at the right level.
I'm beginning to realize that its going to be simpler to run a 50m pounds company than it was to run a 500,000 pounds consultancy.
And the real crunch moment is when you also understand that the market values a 500,000 pounds business at 3 times earnings, a 2 million pounds business at maybe 6 times earnings and a 50 million pounds business at perhaps 10 times earnings.
Why?
Because there is more money, there are more people and they have the time.
Running a mastermind group includes many responsibilities. It's important that you be organized, consistent and show your ability to be a leader. But what if you are not an organizer but a member, what is your responsibility then?
Attending your meetings or conference calls is obviously important. Shutting off distractions and listening to what's being discussed is also very important. Distractions like the tv or the radio playing are easy to take care of if you're participating from home.
If you have children at home that may be more challenging but not impossible to accomplish. Sometimes it's a challenge when your spouse or significant other doesn't quite understand whythis time is so important to you. Let's face it, in this busy world time can be a precious commodity.
Your responsibility goes far beyond your meetings, your job, your business and your day to day responsibilities of earning a living. A mastermind group's goal shouldn't just be about furthering your career or growing your business because everything in your life is connected.
Success, real successalso includes you, your family and all things important to you. Distractions include the dinner with your wife or husband that you were late for or your kid's soccer game that you missed. How do you measure your success? Picture your life without one of your loved ones. How important is your career or business success now?
The important thing you need to understand is that you need balance in your life. You need to be just as serious about the rest of your life as you are about your career or your mastermind meetings.
Most of us have heard the saying "don't forget to stop and smell the flowers" well guess what? That is one of your responsibilities. Life is filled with wondrous moments, don't miss any of it.
As I touched on last month, one of the strongest principles of Masterminding is the sharing of ideas - that more heads put together are better than one. When I first joined a group, I thought of this from my own point of view, in so far as that one of the benefits of joining would be hearing other people's points of view and creative ideas on whatever we were discussing.
I'd like now to turn that idea on it's head and advocate Paul Martinelli's advice, that when you start each Mastermind session, ask not what you will get out of it for yourself, but what you can contribute to the group. Reminding everyone of this at the top of a session helps everyone frame the right mindset to really put the most into, and thus get the most out of, masterminding in the true sense of the word.
We live in a free market society, and at the moment 'crisis' seems to be the keyword of the moment. Old adages like 'every man (or woman) for themselves', 'it's a dog-eat-dog world', and 'tough call' spring to mind. This perpetuates a general mindset of scarcity and a win-lose mentality that we could well do without if we are all to get through these challenging times.
Masterminding is about cooperation, exchange and collaboration. This creates a win-win mentality and fosters a mindset of abundance. This is a much more productive tool with which to move forward and create active, thriving businesses, generating creative ideas for new solutions, better services, different products.
So do your bit and defy the credit crunch, all you Masterminds out there! Think abundance, contribute openly, without fear, and know that in doing so you're one of the true pioneers able to see limitless opportunities in this ever-changing reality...
Thanks for inspiration to Joe Vitale for featuring 'Killing Sacred Cows' by Garrett B. Gunderson on his blog - it's a great book!
Guest Contributor: Debbie Lousberg Debbie's Posts - Debbie's Blog If you've been thinking about joining, or even starting, a master mind group, now's the perfect time. With many things in upheaval around the world, being with supportive people on a regular basis is right where you need to be. With uncertainty and discomfort, comes lots of speculation and possible negative outcomes. Well, what about the possible positive outcomes? Sometimes it takes the power of a master mind group to help you see through the fog where those positive results are. I like this perspective on masterminding from Benjamin Franklin:
"It's like a man traveling in foggy weather. Those at a distance, he sees wrapped up in the fog, as well as those behind him and also the people in the fields on each side are enveloped by the fog. But near him all appears clear, though in truth he is as much in the fog as any of them. To be wise, you need to be aware that you too are in the fog, that there are many options, many truths out there and the more knotholes we can see through, the more eyes we can see with, the more people we can listen to, then the wiser we become."
I've written many times here about how my own groups help me get right to the heart of whatever issue I'm wrestling with, mainly related to my Career services company. Be it a location for a transition support group, clarity on marketing activities, or brainstorming a new product name, getting help from others is not only wise, but very necessary while we are surrounded all this news about turmoil. Come out of the fog, get clear, stay focused, and lean on the support of your mastermind group!
Sometimes in our Master Mind group we talk about disappointments.
In our last meeting I mentioned how my freelance writing business is struggling and I may have to look for a job to supplement our family's income.
I ended by sharing how during the last 3 months I had helped organize a volunteer group called Stitches of Hope (www.stitchesofhope.com). We crochet, knit caps for people who have lost hair, due to cancer, burns, or other illnesses. In our first three months we've made and distributed 300 caps, scarves, blankets in our area and other states.
I realized as I told my Master Mind friends about our progress how much time I've spent on the volunteer group. I've sent emails, made phone calls, run to the post office to mail packages to hospitals, written letters to people who might be interested in helping us, etc.
As we discussed my work with Stitches of Hope, I realized most of this work has occurred during the day, so it has undoubtedly cut into my work time. For years I dedicated myself to raising a family. I don't regret this as my husband and I now have three well-adjusted young adults who are making significant contributions to the welfare of society through teaching and military defense.
Now I'm making up for it with a satisfying volunteer program that so many people are finding helpful. But my career goals seem to be faltering.
My Master Mind friends listened, then suggested I could limit my volunteer efforts to times when I'm least productive in writing. I'm most productive in the mornings and can usually produce one story in the early morning hours between 7-10 am.
They thought I should broach the volunteer program more in the evening when my brain shuts down for the day - sending out emails, crocheting, packaging the items, folding brochures while watching TV. Of course, I couldn't run to the post office during the day or deliver caps to local hospitals, but I could combine trips to those places with a trip to the library to pick up materials for research.
By talking over my dilemma with my Master Mind friends, they helped me see that while the volunteer efforts are worthwhile, they should not conflict with my career goals.
Have you noticed how I've used the word "friend" in referring to my Master Mind group? I consider them good friends at this point and highly prize their advice. You can bet when they speak, I listen. I'm readjusting my work schedule to work in more writing during the day and disciplining myself not to let my volunteer work overtake my work hours.
What situation can you bring to your Master Mind group that they might help you with?
The experience of spending a month nudging and supporting each other daily through our decluttering experience has left a strong positive impact on my mastermind group. In fact, its really gelled us better than before and increased the level of trust in the group.
You know what? As seemingly mundane and undramatic as the tasks were, most of us were experiencing how by having a common vision, and by holding ourselves accountable to each other, we could advance our goals.
Let's face it, life's never plain sailing, is it? And some people got thrown off course by events, circumstances, illness or lack of energy. No, we didn’t all end the month on a glorious high, a rush of new found energy from having let the energy flow freely through now totally clutter free homes and work environments.
Yet funnily enough, even before the assigned month was over, members were asking, if having a common vision on which we all focus daily works so well, what else could we work together to achieve in this way?
Well, simply stated, the next challenge centered on using the power of manifestation. Our common purpose here is to improve the quality of our lives in some way and that will inevitably be different for each of us.
Here's the deal. Our decision this month was to tap into a higher consciousness, a 'Third Mastermind' or source of universal power, and using the Law of Attraction, begin a process of manifestation of the changes we wanted in our lives through a structured exercise.
And we would continue to do this as a daily exercise, connecting firstly with the Greater Mastermind and secondly with each other. And as with the daily decluttering, we would support each other in an exercise of manifestation.
This involves writing in a four step sequence of:
asking clearly for what we want and attaching our feelings of having gained those things already
making it known that we support ourselves in achieving our goals and are thankful for what we have been given
creating a picture as if we have already achieved out goals, talking about what it feels like to already have them, what we can see, hear, feel, smell, taste now we have what we want and to really get comfortable with creating this scene in our minds
expressing gratitude again for what we now have.
Believe it or not, one member already reports the magic has started for her and we are only into day 4. Is this a kind or craziness? The bottom line I think, is a matter of belief. What else can we achieve if we can conceive and believe, and work together to keep the spirit of the mastermind alive in all of us? Yes, get that pen out and keep scratching away.
I am grateful to Deena Douglas in Seven Steps Into The MasterMind Consciousness for these affirmations that I now share with my mastermind group.
'I lovingly and gratefully accept that the Master Mind supplies me with an abundance of all things necessary to fulfill my desire. I know that the miracle working power of the Master Mind has responded to my every need. I assume the same feeling I would have if my requests were already fulfilled.'
And
'I affirm this covenant with the Master Mind and I go forth into my life with a spirit of enthusiasm, excitement and expectancy. I am at peace.'
I am at peace.
Gratitudes of the day
1. We have been so blessed these last couple of days with great autumn sunshine and a gentle warmth. When the world news continues to be so depressing, it just feels good to still be able to catch the occasional sunshine on my skin and to see how the emerging colours of autumn are enhanced by it. Good to look at, great to feel.
2. I open my purse and there's still money in it. An economic 'crisis' such as we are having could be the difference between life and death for many people in the world so I am indeed blessed by not having to face the harshest decisions of being completely without funds in the world.
3. My 16 year old swings in his moods but today he has his sense of humour and his continued determination to succeed at his work and we've been able to laugh together and feel proud of him together.
So why would I choose this particular title? Well, for two reasons actually.
First, many business owners come to me with the misconception that their only real need for help is in beefing up marketing, which will then increase sales and make them more money. The reality on this is two fold.
First of all, marketing prowess and then hopefully increased sales, will only result in a better "top line". How you have your business structured will actually determine what your next "only problem" is in running your business.
Increased revenue actually brings about a huge change in any business. It causes the need for more employees to handle all of the additional work, if not contractors of some sort. Will you have the time and upfront money to handle the sudden need for more people? Do you have the ability to hire the best people possible in what is often a very short time period since you didn't already plan for this need?
You now also must have in place a way to handle your finances through systems and possibly accounting/bookkeeping help. Client management will also now be on your plate so your newfound customers are happy and stay with you as well as your original customers.
Sadly, without the right infrastructure, you could end up like many who experience a growth explosion in their business. It actually causes them to lose money or sadly altogether causes the business to implode.
The second main reason I chose this particular subject/title was to point out that marketing is often the only thing an entrepreneur will admit to not knowing. And that's frequently because nothing else has been a major issue yet due to low sales or they are just fooling themselves into thinking they are great managers with all the knowledge they need about handling employees, financials, clients, etc.
Very few people are born into being good at every aspect of running a business and even if they are, there will always be other things to get help with from others as well as a knowledgeable facilitator. Maybe all you need right this moment is marketing help, which a well-run mastermind group will provide. But more importantly, a mastermind group will keep you on track with the other parts of your business as well as give you other entrepreneurs that understand what you are going through to communicate with.
Even for the best of the best business owners, it's lonely at the top. Just having other like minds to talk to makes a mastermind group worth its weight in gold. And that's why thinking there is no need for a mastermind group when only marketing help is needed will be a huge mistake for any entrepreneur to make.
In an earlier post I discussed how being part of mastermind group can lead you in a different direction until you're on a whole different road that you expected to be on.
Let me give you an example. when my husband and I joined our first mastermind group several years ago, my whole goal was to learn how I could make more money in mlm. You see, at the time, all I knew was that I wanted to make money from home so I could stay home with home with my children. And the only option I knew was mlm even though I hated it.I followed what my mlm uplines and sidelines told us what to do, but I remember looking in the bathroom mirror one night while I was getting ready for yet another 'hotel" meeting and thinking, "What the hell am I doing? Am I helping anyone like I set out to do? Is this just about the money? Am I even using any of my skills by standing in the back of the room waiting for guests to sell them a service I had absolutely no passion for? Ugh, I thought, there has got to be a way I can make money doing something I love."
Low and behold by the powers of the Law of Attraction I won't get into detail about we were introduced to a mastermind group and it blew my world away. It put me into shock because I met a group of people though my mastermind group who unlocked the door to a whole new world - internet marketing. I discovered that I could use my skills and passion as a writer, not have to run all over town with my babies, I also discovered how to speak in front of others, learned more about marketing and uncovered a spiritual journey to a better mindset that I didn't know existed. It soon poured over into my personal life and helped to unlock my potential. I was soon on a path to learning how to blog, market, copywrite, speak and do videos. And I have since started a blog geared towards other mothers who want to work from home like myself - something I had been wanting to do for a long time and also starting a second business from home as a dayhome operator.
Being part of a mastermind group removed one of the biggest obstacles that stop most people from launching a new business - FEAR. So remember, just because you have a plan of where you want to go and the path is set out, the universe is always at work and you may end up in a whole different place without even knowing how and when you're going to get there. Just remember, detours aren't necessarily a bad thing.
This weekend was our Mastermind Group Yearly ReSet. What is a Yearly ReSet?
It's where all of the Mastermind group members stop their busy lives, get away to a fresh location and spend a full eight hours focusing on the upcoming year. It's a time to reflect on the previous year and build upon our successes for the next year.
The agenda for our group looked like this:
8 a.m. Coffee, chatting 8:30 Short hike outside to wake up 9:30 Guest Speaker
This year, our guest speaker was Janet Ott and she spoke about the path from goals to reality
Your Yearly ReSet might have a different program and that's okay. It's all about finding a time to sit down, be quiet and get out of your comfort zone to define what you really want out of the next step of your life. Ideally, it's great to have an overview of your ten and twenty year plan so you can marvel at your progress and continue to chart your path. This ReSet isn't just about looking forward though. It's also about celebrating the successes of the previous year and focusing on the positive forward progress on your ultimate life goal.
EvanCarmichael.com is the world's #1 website for small business motivation and strategies. Evan also runs a series of successful Mastermind Groups in Toronto for entrepreneurs.
Guest Contributor: Hueina Su
