The Power of the Mastermind

There are a multitude of benefits of being your own boss for sure, I love it, but on the other hand there are plenty of challenges too! Not least being the isolation factor for the solo-preneur. It can be tough not having anyone to talk to, to bounce ideas off, to ask opinions of, to lean on, to celebrate with, to commiserate with, and so on.

That's why being part of a mastermind group has become more and more popular over the years. The concept was first introduced by Napoleon Hill in his book Think and Grow Rich where he explained that when two or more minds come together in harmony, the energy created is accessible to the whole group and so each individual actually becomes more powerful.

Sounds good doesn't it? Who doesn't want to have more power available to them in their own lives and especially for their business?

So what is a mastermind group and how does it work?

Well, the truth is that the mastermind label has been used to describe the coming together of many different types of groups and I have seen many different structures too. For the purpose of simplicity, I am going to describe the “classic” type of mastermind whether in person or virtual.

A mastermind group is a group of people who agree to meet on a regular basis with a common mission. They don't have to be of the same profession, gender, etc, in fact it is often reported that diversity produces better results because of the different perspectives brought to the table.

The group will meet for a set length of time, on a regular basis, and structure the meetings in a way that is conducive to all the members. A common structure will be to share celebrations, set intentions and ask for input or feedback from the group on particular subjects.

I have been a member of 2 different mastermind groups, one for a few months within TLN and the other for over 8 months, they are differently structured, but both have been extremely helpful, kept me on track, and been a place I can share in a safe space and hatch out new ideas.

There are 3 main areas I can honestly say the mastermind groups have truly helped me:

1.Encouragement. In both mastermind groups we share our celebrations. The great thing about this is that it makes me focus on the good stuff that has happened over the week, the parts of my business that have gone well. The natural tendency as human beings is to pick up on the things that have gone “wrong” or that we are not happy about and beat ourselves up about them. The celebration part of the masterminds has been brilliant for me to recognise just how much I have achieved, and what is going right. And it doesn't hurt to hear my mastermindees say “well done” or “congratulations”, not that I need to it because as per my article last week, I am aware of the addiction to approval seeking being detrimental.

2.Mutual Support. There is no competition in my mastermind groups, everyone wants each member to succeed. There maybe times when we challenge each other to step up and stretch, or question ideas and so on, but there is always respect, something that is very often lacking in a general business environment. Plus, one of the great bonuses, is that quite often someone in the group will know just the right person for a job or to partner with, or come up with someone who does know. And a double plus is that each member brings their own skills, knowledge, experience, wisdom to the table. We share all sorts from marketing strategies and technical know how, to spiritual teachings and relationship tips!

3.Accountability. Not everyone's favourite word, but something that is seriously lacking in a solo-preneur's business. I love this quote I saw recently, it's very apt for the solo-preneur - “If at first you don't succeed, deny you were ever trying”. Yep, if you don't tell anyone then no one will every know you didn't make it. Hiding out is so easy for the solo-preneur, and an easy way to stay stuck too. I like to look at accountability as an efficient way of staying on track, moving forward, and committing to my business which means I am committing to help my ideal clients who are in desperate need of my services! If I don't keep moving forward, neither can they.

If you like the sound of being part of a virtual group that offers mutual support, encouragement, resources, accountability, and so much more, an easy and economical way to do that with me is to join TLN. Click here* for more details or see my Recommends section.

If you are looking for something more exclusive and in person then the Platinum Plus Programme maybe your option. For more details click here* or send me an email at sheela@sheelamasand.com and we can have a chat about it.