Creating Your Own Mastermind Group

One of the key ingredients to building your business, reaching your big vision and creating the lifestyle you desire is to surround yourself with people who support your efforts and will hold you accountable for reaching them. They don't just tolerate your dreams - they embrace them, hold them for you and offer ideas and resources that allow you to build and expand them. They want you to achieve your goals and will cheer for you the entire way, holding your vision when you get discouraged or lose focus.
Unfortunately, most entrepreneurs don't have an abundance of people who are willing or able to do this for them. Too often, business owners are surrounded by well meaning friends, family members and collegues who don't understand their visions or aren't comfortable taking risks so they caution them to be careful, play it safe - to stay small. In order to bust of out careful, safe and small every entrepreneur must have enthusiastic support to step up to courageous, brilliant and big. If you are ready to take your business to the next level and you don't have support, create your own. Build a Master Mind Group!
1. Set the Stage. Decide what values you want to build the group upon and invite people who share those values to join. If honesty, authenticity and integrity are important business values for you, then make sure that everyone who attends the meetings has a business model that supports those values in practice.

2. Be Generous. Shift from the "competitive" paradigm to the "cooperative" paradigm. This can be a challenging shift for many people as we are trained from an early age to view others as competition (for attention, love, recognition, acceptance). Set the intention that everyone in the group will be there to genuinely help and support each other - even if they are in the same industry. There is plenty for everyone - business, ideas, support.
3. Mix it Up. Make sure you have a nice mix of people who are at various levels of success and who have a variety of life and business experiences. This is a sharing, mentoring and accountability environment. The creativity and brainstorming will quickly go flat if everyone is at the same level or has the same experiences. Encourage everyone freely share ideas so they can mentor and be mentored.

4. Safety First. Create a safe, confidential environment in which people can share their successes, failures, questions and ideas. You and the other members must have a safe place to express frustrations, challenges, victories and top secret plans without fear of judgment, criticism, gossip or information leaks. Respect is essential. Productive feedback and clear accountability must me offered respectfully and compassionately.
5. Be consistent. Set a schedule to meet regularly. Based on group needs and availability, it can be weekly monthly or quarterly. Consistency is key to building trust, creating support and maintaining accountability. Since masterminding is an essential part of growing your business, make attending the meetings a high priority. Get the meetings on the calendar and have all the members commit to being there

Homework:

1. Make a list of the business people in your area or on line that you would like to learn from.

2. What values and business practices are important to you?

3. Reach out to at least 3 people on your list and discuss the idea of forming an in person or on line mastermind group.
Take action on your homework - it will help! If you do nothing, nothing will ever change. Let me know how you did! Email me melanie@melanieyost.com

Melanie Recommends:

The Business Acceleration Group. This group is for entrepreneurs who are serious about taking their business to the next level, getting new clients and make more money with less effort. In the last few years, I have spent thousands and thousands of dollars along with hundreds of hours learning how to create the mindset, marketing, messages and systems of a successful entrepreneur. In the group you will benefit from everything I have learned for a fraction of the time and money. By the end of the group you will have a step-by-step workbook and a concrete customized action plan for your business so that you can take your business to the next level.
You will learn:
• The mindsets of a successful entrepreneur
• How to create a user friendly business plan
• How to find your target market
• What your natural brand is and what makes you unique
• How to create a powerful marketing message
• How to leverage you strengths and knowledge to make more money with less effort
• The importance of creating a team to support your business growth
• The most effective way to attract your ideal clients
• Much more . . . .

If you are tired of trying to figure your business out on your own and you would love a step by step plan with experienced guidance, then this is the next step for you.
A new group is forming now. For more information, email me melanie@melanieyost.com.