Evaluating New Members - What Are Their Goals?

Before any new member is accepted in one of my Mastermind Groups they must submit a one page overview of their business which will be reviewed by the group. The one pager typically covers the candidate's business experience and shares some personal information their own skills and background.

This overview is submitted to one of the Mastermind Groups who will review it and decide if the candidate should be invited as a guest to the next meeting.

As my groups develop and get more mature, each one takes on its own personality depending on members in the group. They start to decide what characteristics they are ideally looking for when recruiting new members.

On Thursday evening, my third Mastermind Group named itself The Visionaries (instead of PMG-3 which stood for Peer Mentorship Group #3) and we discussed the profile of a new potential member for the group. The group named itself The Visionaries because each member had big visions and dreams for where they wanted to take their companies. They, therefore, also want to bring on new members who share the same philosophy.

A suggestion from one of the group members was to ask new candidates to share with them on their one pager what their 3-5 year vision of their company is. Where does the candidate see herself going? This way the members can decide if the candidate had a big vision and would be a good potential member in the group or not.

I thought it was a fantastic suggestion and will be implementing this rule for all my groups. Any new candidate now who submits a profile to be reviewed by one of our three groups has to include in that profile a 3-5 year vision of where their company is going.

The strength of a Mastermind Group comes down to the people in the group. Anything you can do to improve the chances of getting the right people will make the experience more pleasurable and valuable. I am looking forward to implementing this new tactic and helping my groups attract more ideal members!

The Mastermind Within

Guest Contributor: Janet Napora
Janet's Posts - Janet's Blog


Your mastermind group is a wonderful place to advance your skills, help others and take advantage of the positive power that surrounds the group. It's a place to focus your energy and attain common goals. Different group have different meeting schedules whether it's once a month or once a week each meeting is important.

Actively participating in discussions is very important. It doesn't matter if you're new to the group or are just starting out on your path to your goals. Everyone has something to offer. Each individual is an integral part of the group.

What happens the other days, in between the meetings? Are you applying everything you've learned? Your road, whatever it is must be an ongoing process. Life throws many challenges our way. The difference between success and failure is based on how we handle those challenges. When you are faced with a situation that seems disastrous, with no solution in sight, you need to look to the mastermind within you.

Your mastermind group is with you even when you are alone. When you're involved in a mastermind group you get to know these people intimately. You know how they think, how they face their challenges. Reach into your mind, think about everything you've learned and discussed. You will find exactly the answer you've been looking for or at least a place to start.

Your mastermind might be about marketing, photography, business building or any kind of training. One common thread should be personal development. We are all changing and growing every day. Work on your personal development every day. It can be as simple as spending a little time reading a good book or listening to an audio. It's not only the people around you but the confidence you have in yourself that will help you conquer all the challenges you face.