Today marks a special occasion! It's the first time I'm featuring a guest post and I'm really excited because I know that you guys are going to benefit from reading what my good friend Missy Cooke has to say about Mastermind groups.
If you don't belong to one yet, you'll find out just how beneficial one is and how you can go about getting involved in one. I've been part of a Mastermind group for over 18 months now (Missy is part of this group) and it has been invaluable to my freelancing business.
I have a group of people I can bounce ideas off, people who will help with feedback on landing pages, sales pages and just general ideas I have about my business.
Without this Mastermind group, I truly feel that I would not be as successful as I am – so ladies, you know who you are, thanks for ‘scratching my back'!
Enter Missy…
Table of Contents
What Is A Mastermind Group and How Do I Find One?
Three years ago I had never even heard of a mastermind group. But, as I prepared to quit my day job, people kept throwing the term around. Everyone was “checking in with their mastermind”, “setting up projects with their mastermind”, and all round running everything through their mastermind.
I had no idea what that even meant, but I suspected it had something to do with Voodoo and a Magic 8 Ball. These mastermind groups seemed to have it all – accountability, relevant feedback, advice, and networking. And everyone who was part of one was on fire!
They met goals and finished projects in record time. They weren’t making the same mistakes as people who weren’t part of a mastermind group.
[Tweet “And they generally seemed happier, more positive, and confident in their ability and direction.”]
Having never been part of a group, I wasn’t sure how to get started, but I knew that the people who had a support group were killing it, while the people who were trying to work on their own, regularly reported failures, frustrations, and a feeling of being “stuck”.
Voodoo magic or not, I knew I needed to find a mastermind group ASAP.
How to Start A Group
I took the plunge and asked Lise if she wanted to start a mastermind with me. I was certain that she would already be part of a group, and even if she wasn’t, that she wouldn’t want to be in one with me.
After all, who was I? Just some noob who didn’t know what they were doing and was trying to cash in on someone else’s success. At least, that’s the story I told myself as I frantically worked to convince myself that I didn’t have the skills necessary to bring any value to a mastermind group.
But then, in a momentary lapse of judgement, I wrote Lise an email and clicked send. What happened next was amazing.
Lise wrote back and was ecstatic about joining a group. In fact, she had been looking for one for some time! And, she had recommendations for two other people who were also looking for a group to join.
What?!?!
I couldn’t believe it was that easy, and that these women all wanted to work with me. But, that’s the power of a mastermind, and exactly why you should start one today.
[Lise here – I couldn't agree more. I have found that since I quit my ‘normal' job and went freelancing, it is increasingly harder to find and connect with people who are in the same place as you. A mastermind group like what Missy started, was exactly what I needed and I had been in talks with a couple of other ladies at the same time, it's just that none of us had a clue as to where to start – thank the Universe that Missy kicked our butts into gear!]
[Tweet “I couldn’t believe it was that easy, and that these women all wanted to work with me.”]
Benefits of a Mastermind Group
In the time I have worked with these women I have quit my corporate job, written an online course that teaches women how to finally finish their to-do list, coached women in New Zealand, the UK, the U.S., and the Philippines on how to blast through fear and go after (and achieve) their dreams; hosted several online workshops on procrastination, goal-setting and time management, and started a podcast that features women who have followed their passion to create something remarkable.
And those are just the highlights!
Joining a mastermind is the single most important thing I have done to move my business forward and I know I wouldn’t be where I am without the support of the women in my group. It’s hard to identify all the ways they have pushed me to keep going, but here are the top four:
[Tweet “Joining a mastermind is the single most important thing I have done”]
1. Accountability
Think you’re ready to quit your job and become a freelancer? Holding yourself accountable when you don’t have a boss breathing down your neck is a lot harder than you think, and it’s easy to let sunny days and afternoon trash t.v. get in the way of real work. But, when you’re part of a mastermind, they repeatedly ask you about your progress until you meet your goals.
[Tweet “Don’t want to look like a chump? Then get your work done.”]
2. Peer Pressure
You know what sucks worse than having your mastermind peers call you out for slacking?
Showing up to a meeting where everyone else has done something amazing with the past two weeks while you sat on your ass and did nothing. It’s like a friendly little sucker punch to the gut reminding you that someone else always wants it more.
If I don’t want to get passed by, I have to keep moving forward. And there's no way I’m going to sit on the sidelines and watch them level up their lives while I stand still and hope something pans out.
3. Networking
Wouldn’t it be nice if you didn’t have to work so hard to meet “influencers” or other people who were interested in your services or in sharing your content?
Well, when you’re part of a mastermind group, you don’t have to!
That’s because each person in the group is fully committed to your success. They share your content without asking, recommend you to their network when it’s the right fit, and make introductions to people who can give you specialized help or who might want to work collaboratively with you.
It has been estimated that the average American has over 600 social ties.
[Tweet “If there are four people in your group, your network now contains over 2000 people!”]
4. Clarity
Stuck on your latest project? Having trouble making a decision? A mastermind group provides incredible clarity. Instead of asking someone who doesn’t understand you or your goals (and who has no idea what you’re trying to do), you get instant feedback from several other people who are dedicated to (and care about) your success.
They care about you, but not in the “mother hen” kind of way. They won’t give advice based on their own fear of the end result. And they won’t tell you to do something because that’s what they would do.
They will listen to everything you have to say, give feedback and insights you may not have thought of yet, and they’ll be honest with you about the expected result.
They won’t hide ugly details of their own shame and embarrassment…in fact, they’ll probably fess up openly to help you avoid the same pitfalls.
And then they leave you alone to make your own decision. No guilt involved.
If you’re serious about becoming a freelancer and creating time and location independence from your job, I highly recommend joining (or starting) a group today. You’ll be amazed by how much you get out of it, and how quickly your life starts changing.
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Missy Cooke is a motivational coach, speaker, hula-hooper and presenter who helps women set goals, then identify and overcome obstacles to achieve success. With a sincere, yet straightforward, no-frills-attached approach, Missy inspires women to get out of their own way so that they can build a life that encourages, validates, and supports their dreams. Find out more at www.sixthirtyone.com.
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