Go Beyond The Call Of Duty To Support Your Mastermind Group
Last week a TV producer from one of Canada's largest TV networks about a new show that they are going to be launching that focuses on entrepreneurs. The producer ran over a few of the topics they had in mind to launch and if I knew any up and coming successful entrepreneurs who would fit the profiles.
Whenever I get these kinds of requests I always think first to the members in my Mastermind Groups. Fortunately four out of the five topics she discussed were perfect fits with some of my members. This week I will be connecting her with the business owner members.
I have found that by going above the call of duty you win the loyalty of your Mastermind Group members. They sign up for the monthly meetings and weekly accountability program but there are a number of additional elements that they get including:
Evan On Search - A bi-weekly members-only newsletter packed with strategies to get top rankings and win at search engine marketing
Search Engine Reports - Over US$2,500 in free reports on how your website is doing compared to your top competitors and specific steps to take to rank #1
Entrepreneur Events - We hold regular social events like pool nights and barbeques for the members to get to know each other as well as business events where we learn from those who have accomplished more than us. See the video at the top right of this page for an example.
Entrepreneur Forums - A private, members only area for the members to share resources, discuss important topics, and stay connected to each other in between the meetings
What else can you do to support your Mastermind Group members? The more you go up and above the call of duty to help them grow their businesses the happier your members will be and the more referrals they will send you!
As small business owners we are typically strapped for resources. It can be hard to find the additional time in the day and money needed to start new projects. This is where your Mastermind Group can be of help to you.
Chances are the investments that you have made in your business can also be of benefit to your fellow Mastermind Group members. You have access to products, services, and information as well as experience in areas that the business owners in your Mastermind Group could use.
Similarly, the other members in your group have made investments in their businesses that could help you. As an example, at my meeting last week with Mastermind Group #2 - The Focus Group, one of the members is trying to build a media strategy. On top of the Press Release Builder Tool that I put together to help entrepreneurs, I offered to share my media contacts who have been helpful for my business.
My member will be able to use the media connections that took me years to build up. Similarly, he has helped other Mastermind Group members by sharing his knowledge, contacts and resources. By leveraging the resources of your Mastermind Group members you can quickly bypass the learning curve that is often required to make a project a success.
Napoleon Hill, in Think and Grow Rich, taught us that a mastermind can cause you to think bigger and challenge yourself to play on a whole new level. Having a mastermind group is becoming more and more common place for business owners. So why does it work? Here are five ways a Mastermind can help you grow your business.
1. See your opportunities from a different perspective. We often get blocked in our own way of thinking. A mastermind can help you see opportunities from a fresh point of view.
2. Get challenged to play bigger. When you see other people creating big business success, something gets triggered that makes us want to kick our game up a notch.
3. Be accountable. Often we can let ourselves down but to let a group of peers down is unacceptable. A mastermind group is a great forum for knowing that someone will notice if you don't complete your action steps.
4. Access to your peer's resources and referrals. What is a proven resource worth to a business owner? It's priceless. Referrals to tried-and-true resources save time, sanity and money. A mastermind group forms a very tight connection. The commitment to each other's success becomes the bond. You will get access to referrals you won't get any other way.
5. Feel connected to people who "get you." Entrepreneurs just want to feel understood. When you are in a group of your peers who "get you", your confidence increases and so do your results.
I recently joined another Master Mind group, this one more structured and professionally facilitated by a wonderful small business expert here in my area of Southern California. It is so different from my other 2 groups, yet similar in all the important ways, that I could not pass up the chance to participate. It is specifically geared toward small business owners who need a support system of like minds to help brainstorm any kind of business issues.
Here how it works: We meet once a week at an appointed time and location and go around the table sharing what accomplishments or big events have taken place over the last week. Then we break into small groups of 3 or 4 and have 10 minutes each to bring up a specific challenge we need help with and have others brainstorm solutions and ideas. At the end of the 10 minutes, we have to commit to an Action Step that we will take by next meeting. Better yet, we have to write that down on paper and turn it in to the facilitator! Powerful stuff. So not only are we like minds exchanging ideas and learning from each other, we're holding one another accountable for making progress in our businesses.
Back in 1937, Napoleon Hill was well aware of this power of Master Mind groups. In his book, Think and Grow Rich, he talked about the richest industrialists of the day who knew about the power of this type of group. Andrew Carnegie, Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, and Harvey Firestone were all Master Minders. What power they harnessed with each other and what success they achieved!
Today, we have this very same tool available. One of my groups is comprised of entrepreneurs like me in the Career Coaching business, all of us in different parts of the US and Puerto Rico - we talk specifically about our practices and client matters. The other is a group of 3 women locally, who have different career paths, yet similar spiritual philosophies and ways to support each other in whatever life issues we need help with. Now my third group provides even more emphasis on goal setting for my overall business success.
It's simply a matter of finding people who have similar goals as you, are willing to meet regularly to support each other, and build trust through confidentiality. Then creating goals and action steps (preferably writing them down) holding each other to the task of completing them, and then proceeding along the path toward progress. The sky's the limit on what you can achieve personally and in business when you put your head together with others!
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.
