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Jul 15 2015

5 reasons you should join a mastermind group

sandra

When I first heard the term mastermind, I was intrigued.  I like the idea of a group of people working together to support one another with their respective goals.  I have participated in masterminds as a facilitator and as a participant.  I have seen and experienced the benefits from both perspectives and I strongly recommend finding one that suits your needs.  Here are 5 reasons why I believe every entrepreneur should be a part of a mastermind group.

  1. We can’t do it alone

    When we try to do it all on our own, we inevitably make painful and often very costly mistakes. Being a part of a mastermind allows us to learn from the mistakes and successes of others.  It also offers us the opportunity to realize that we are not alone in our struggles and challenges.  It’s nice to know that there is life after failure.  It’s even better when you know that you have a group of people that are committed to helping you achieve your goals as you are to them in the pursuit of theirs.

  1. Different minds, different perspectives

    Ideally, you want to be a part of a mastermind group that has varied skill sets, experiences and ways of processing information. You need you left and right brain thinkers at the table.  We can benefit from the creative viewpoint as much as we can the analytical.  Having these different thinkers in the group gives you access to a variety of viewpoints that you may never have considered.  I love the saying that we don’t know what we don’t know because it’s true.  Being part of a mastermind gives you access to the wealth of knowledge held by each participant.

  2. Accountability

    Meetings give each participant a change to update the group on who their week or month has been, depending on the frequency of the meetings. This is where each member celebrates their successes, talks about what’s working and what isn’t and what they commit to accomplishing for the next meeting.  Sharing your commitments holds you accountable to the rest of the group and allows the group the opportunity to offer any help they can in the achievement of your goal.  The magic happens because all of this help and support I s never one-sided.  Reciprocity is the magic ingredient that makes masterminds thrive.

  3. Expand your network in a meaningful way

    Sure Linkedin will show you how wide your network is because of your connections, but what does that really mean? When you’re a part of a mastermind group, you hear A LOT of “I know someone who can help you out with that!”  I don’t know about you, but those words are music to my ears, especially when that connection can help me with something I’ve been wrestling with for a while!  The more time you spend with your group, the better they understand your business and what you need.  Whether it’s someone to help you coordinate your next event or a client referral, your group members are there to support you, just as you are there for them.  Social media is great, but there’s still something to be said for that personal, intimate connection that can only be developed with time.

  4. Awesome camaraderie, support and encouragement

Here’s the thing –when you join a mastermind group, whether it’s a six-month or year-long commitment, you can’t help but develop a strong bond with the other members.  You’re baring your soul, sharing your struggles and celebrating your accomplishments with these people on a weekly, bi-weekly or monthly basis.  When you are committed to the group, the process and each other’s success, the magic really starts to happen.  There are groups that have been going for years, if not decades because they know firsthand that masterminds really do work!

Napoleon Hill, in his book Think and Grow Rich, describes a mastermind group as “a friendly alliance with one or more persons who will encourage one to follow through with plan and purpose.”  He dedicates an entire chapter to the concept in the book for a reason.  Being part of an effective mastermind group can be just what you need to help you take your business exactly where you want it to be, or even further than you ever imagined!

If you’re considering joining a mastermind, then you should definitely think about becoming a Canadian Small Business Women member! I’m pleased to be partnering with CSBW and offering preferred rates on participating in my 6-month mastermind program. For more information on the different membership options, visit the following link. I look forward to achieving massive success with you!

Sandra Dawes is a certified life coach specializing in helping women who feel unfulfilled with their 9-5 follow their dreams and pursue their passions. She holds an Honours BA, an MBA as well as a certificate in Dispute Resolution.She has completed her first book,Embrace Your Destiny: 12 Steps to Living the Life You Deserve!

Connect:

www.embraceyourdestiny.ca

www.facebook.com/embraceyourdestiny

www.facebook.com/embraceyourdestinythebook

www.twitter.com/sandradawes

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Written by Dwania Peele · Categorized: Sandra Dawes · Tagged: accountability, achieve, alliance, business, Canadian Small Business Women, coaching, CSBW, Embrace Your Destiny, encouragement, facilitator, goals, mastermind, mastermind group, meeting, membership, Napoleon Hill, networking, participant, perks, perspective, Sandra Dawes, support, Think and Grow Rich, working together

Apr 15 2014

Establishing your dream team

sandra

Entrepreneurship can be lonely. Especially if you’re a solopreneur like me! You can be left feeling very isolated from the rest of the world, and if you work from home, it can make things that much more challenging. That’s why attending networking events is great. It’s an opportunity to get out of the house and connect with people in the flesh rather than doing it through social media from the comfort of your own home.

Sometimes, however, networking isn’t enough. When you’re at a networking event, there isn’t usually enough time to talk to someone about the challenges you may be facing and seek guidance on how to overcome them. Let’s face it; most of us are wearing a mask of some sort when we’re at networking events. I don’t think I’ve never heard anyone at an event talking much about what isn’t working in their business. Everyone’s “really busy” and business always seems to be “great!”

So if networking events aren’t the place to talk about the challenges and obstacles you’re facing, where can you go? I’m lucky to have entrepreneurs in my circle of friends that I can talk to, but that’s not always enough. Mastermind groups are a great way to establish a formal team where each member supports one another in the pursuit of their business or professional goals (or both), a sounding board for ideas and a knowledge bank when difficulties arise.

If you’ve read the book Think and Grow Rich you know that a mastermind is what happens when 2 or more people come together for a common purpose. A mastermind group is like your personal board of directors. It’s about bringing the skills and knowledge that you don’t have to the table so that each member has something to contribute and can benefit from the knowledge at the table as well.

Creating a successful mastermind group can be a challenge. Everyone has hectic schedules these days and finding people who are willing and able to commit to meeting on a regular basis isn’t always easy. The mastermind group also has to be a conflict free forum. There can’t be competitors in the same group and everyone should be asked to complete a non-disclosure form. You want the members of the group to feel safe to share whatever they want and need to in order to help them and the rest of the team achieve their goals.

Putting together your dream team won’t necessarily be an easy task; however, once you have that team together, you’ll be amazed at the magic that takes place. The reality is that we can’t do it all on our own. As cliché as it may sound, the reality is that we don’t know what we don’t know. Putting together a team of colleagues with expertise that you each can benefit from accessing allows you to get varying perspectives. The team will ask questions you never considered, offer opportunities you didn’t even know existed, or have access to people you need to connect with.

“No two minds ever come together without a third invisible force, which may be likened to a “third mind”. When a group of individual minds are coordinated and function in harmony, the increased energy created through that alliance becomes available to every individual in the group.” ~ Napoleon Hill

If you’re interested in becoming part of a mastermind group, contact me for more information!

Sandra Dawes is a certified life coach specializing in helping women who feel unfulfilled with their 9-5 follow their dreams and pursue their passions. She holds an Honours BA, an MBA as well as a certificate in Dispute Resolution.She has completed her first book,Embrace Your Destiny: 12 Steps to Living the Life You Deserve!

Connect: 
www.embraceyourdestiny.ca
www.facebook.com/embraceyourdestiny

www.facebook.com/embraceyourdestinythebook
www.twitter.com/sandradawes

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Written by Dwania Peele · Categorized: Sandra Dawes · Tagged: board of directors, business, business development, Business Woman, Canadian Small Business Women, challenge, coaching, common purpose, Dream, Embrace Your Destiny, entrepreneur, entrepreneurship, mastermind, mastermind group, networking, networking event, networking events, Sandra Dawes, small business development, small business owners, social media, solopreneur, Think and Grow Rich

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