There Is No Fast Forward For Business

Guest Contributor: Doug Emerson
Doug's Posts - Doug's Blog


My last post was about my mastermind group starting an experiment to review and study a popular internet marketing manual we had all purchased previously. Another form of a study group, the plan is to cover a chapter a week to take advantage of the wisdom printed on the pages of our only slightly used and slightly dusty three ring binders chock full of just under 300 pages . The discipline of the weekly mastermind group meeting is the force designed to pull us through the pages.

Here is the update.

We've made it through the first two chapters and will be discussing chapter three in our meeting this week. I expected us to be further along in the manual at this point and I'm disappointed in our progress in fast forwarding through the manual and putting more of the material to work for our businesses.

So what we have we been doing in our weekly meetings?

• Discussing cash flow crisis
• Announcing member's new book release and publicity
• Website makeover advice
• Pros and cons of various shopping cart providers
• The merits of starting a membership site
• Taking summertime holidays
• Regaining focus on the important things and ignoring the trivia
• Analyzing blog and newsletter numbers and their importance in marketing
• Speaking fees
• How to organize workbooks to accompany workshops
  

While I'm disappointed that we haven't been able to cram more marketing information into our busy brains, a review of the list above reminds me of the value each of us is getting from our membership in the mastermind group.

At first glance it may seem we have distracted ourselves from our earlier "chapter a week" goal to review the marketing material. But, since the purpose of our mastermind group is to be able to freely bring up topics for input, guidance and how-to at our meetings, my thinking was naive to assume the normal business of our meetings would be kept on hold while we dedicated ourselves to massive marketing efforts.

Our experiment proved what has been proved many times before. There is no fast forward in business. Just like building a wall, businesses are best built one brick at a time.

Mastermind Groups for Graduates

Guest Contributor: Doug Emerson
Doug's Posts - Doug's Blog


Graduation month, June, has just ended and many fine words of advice have been offered to the graduates of high schools and colleges.

The grads heard about the challenges they would face as they built their careers and shaped their personal lives. They were encouraged to move forward with setting goals and taking advantage of opportunities.

I wonder how often the commencement speakers, parents and friends advised the grads that while courageous independence is an important part of success, another contributor to success is giving and receiving help from others? Yes, I mean the benefits of a mastermind group.

High school grads who go on to college will do far better academically if they become members of study groups to help them through the harder courses. And isn't a study group, (like minded individuals helping each other with a common goal like passing organic chemistry) another form of mastermind group?

College grads looking for the fast track for career advancement in the corporate world will benefit from the encouragement and support of an unbiased mastermind group dedicated to career promotions and advancement for its members. The adjustment from college life to career life is filled with decisions about not only careers, but also auto financing, apartments, furniture, clothing, relationships and always life balance. Many of these decisions will be easier with some additional input from others who are going through the same learning process.

If you are in a position to offer some simple advice to a grad, let others do the speech about goal setting, discipline and drive. Don't be shy about recommending the value of the idea of making life easier with a little help from your friends in a mastermind group.