I read a statistic recently that 71% of people quit their New Years Resolutions after the second week. If you are like me, and just recently set some goals (or new years resolutions), then it’s time to start getting things into high gear.
I had the opportunity to attend WooConf back in October. Over dinner one night, some friends and I were discussing the topic of Masterminds.
I’ve heard of masterminds before, but never really did a lot of research into them. I was fortunate to join some friends for dinner one night. We went to a greek restaurant and spent much of the time talking about masterminds.
Being a CaboPress alumni, I understood the basic concepts of masterminds, but always thought they were more conference styled. I didn’t think people would do them virtually. I thought they were something people would do regularly. I was impressed that this group of friends had been involved with a mastermind for over 4 years!
What is a Mastermind?
A Mastermind is a small group of likeminded people looking to grow their businesses. The group meets regularly to talk about the tasks they are working on in their business. They discuss everything from finances, sales, marketing plans, development plans, purchasing, and so on. It’s very personal and in your face.
The great thing about masterminds is that you don’t all have to be in the same industry. And it might be best to not be in the same industry. The purpose of the group is to discuss the challenges that are going on in your business.
After all, if you want to be successful, you have to talk about the challenges.
How Do I Get Involved with One?
Facebook groups
If you are a part of any type of business facebook group, you can ask there if any one has an opening. You could even ask if anyone wants to join you and start your own.
Forums
These are a little older, but they still exist. There are a ton of forums out there that for small business owners or freelancers. Post in a forum that you’re looking at creating a small mastermind and anyone that’s interested will get in touch.
Connect with small business owners and freelancers on Twitter. Create a tweet that says you’re looking at creating a mastermind and see what happens.
Your Website
Create a blog post on your site talking about creating a mastermind. You can use this on the other channels you’re sending messages out on and your readers can see that you’re looking for a mastermind as well.
Local Network
And don’t count out the value of doing some local networking. I’ve often found that some of my first customers came from the local community. Depending on your community you might have small businesses or freelancers that are looking to join a mastermind as well.
Get At It!
Working on your business is just as important as working in your business. So just as it’s important to set goals or milestones, you need the opportunity to talk about the challenges that you are facing with others, for example in a Mastermind.
There’s a saying that when you get too focused on your business, that’s it’s often harder for you to see things clearly. A Mastermind can help with that. As you share your goals and challenges with others, you’re able to get different perspectives that you wouldn’t otherwise get.
As you continue to strategize, set goals, and start executing on those goals, consider looking at getting into a Mastermind to help you accelerate. I’m currently considering several options for Masterminds right now.
