151. The Power of Mastermind Groups

Masterminds bring people together to problem solve and make things better. I think it’s important, especially for business women, to sign up for Masterminds because the feeling of going it alone can increase your struggle without you even recognizing it. You can get involved directly in the program, or you create your own group by calling together some peers and colleagues whose opinions you trust. They could be people who are further down the road than you are, maybe some people who are behind you on the road, and you can share ideas and help each other move forward. There is no leader in a Mastermind group – each person has the opportunity to give and receive advice.  There are so many Mastermind possibilities out there – even international ones held virtually. People from every time zone can show up. Here are some of the benefits of joining a Mastermind group or creating your own. If you’re in business, it can be really lonely. Sometimes it might feel like nobody else could possibly understand the struggles you’re going through – it’s like you’re shouting into the wind. I think it’s important to talk about that. One of my most opened emails in the history of my business had the subject line that read: I just want people to know I exist. Masterminds can offer that connection. They can make us feel understood, heard and offer levels of accountability. Masterminds also offer the opportunity either to share your successes or to be reminded of them. I was speaking to my groups recently about feeling stuck and the idea that momentum is not kicking in and that can happen when we don’t recognize how far we’ve already come. It’s so easy to let that happen.  It’s easy to look down the path that you’ve been walking all this time and not lift your head up, look back and see how far you’ve come. Women especially tend to downplay our successes. We speak minimally about them like, “it’s no big deal, just a regular Tuesday for me.” But what you’re doing is extraordinary and moving the business forward. Your successes can be acknowledged more easily when you’re in a Mastermind. And when you’re around people who are up to something, people who are ambitious, people who are excited, do you notice how much energy you feel? If you don't know what I'm talking about, I want you to imagine going to an event or a concert, even a sporting event. You feel the energy of all those people right when they get excited or they do, when they're super inspired and happy. That energy is so intense and that is what happens when humans come together. Big groups are fantastic for much more energy, that kind of vitality feeling like “I can conquer the world.” But on the daily or weekly or monthly, when you're visiting with your Mastermind, you will always feel a shot of energy. When you're actually with your people and you start talking about what you're up to, they're going to get excited with you, or if they share what they're up to, you're going to get excited for them. That congruence matters. If you’re thinking about starting your own group, it can take about six months to a year to really connect to each other. Small tight-knit groups of trusted colleagues who are willing to be vulnerable with each other can offer high value quality feedback. This differs from online groups offering tips for market research because in those groups of hundreds, sometimes thousands, you don’t know those people, their qualifications or their motivations. You don’t know how far along they are in their business or why they might think their advice is appropriate for you.  And that matters, because the quality of the feedback really important. So having a tight group you can turn to and trust is really important to avoid sinking revenue and time into ideas that aren’t the right fit. Promo Code Offer If you don’t know, I produce my podcast through Lybsyn.com. They’re a fantastic hosting company for podcasts and right now they’re running a special.  If you use the promo code “GIRLFRIEND” you can get up to two months of free podcasting. Go ahead and head on over there, they have a ton of free podcasting guides, tutorials and videos to help you create, record and promote your own podcast!  Other Game On Girlfriend podcast episodes you might want to check out:  Never Ask, “So What Do You Do?” Again: https://sarahwalton.com/colleen/  You Asked! My Daily Routine and Habits: https://sarahwalton.com/routine-habits/  3 Things to Do When You Feel Stagnant: https://youtu.be/fpqyqS4eBYc  You can check out our podcast interviews on YouTube, too! http://bit.ly/YouTubeSWalton   Thank you so much for listening. I’m honored that you’re here and would be so grateful if you could leave a quick review on Apple Podcasts by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, and clicking “Write a review.” Then we’ll get to inspire even more people! (If you’re not sure how to leave a review, you can watch this quick tutorial.)