When two or more people coordinate in a spirit of harmony and work towards a definite
objective or purpose, they place themselves in position, through the alliance, to absorb
power directly from the great storehouse of Infinite Intelligence – Napoleon Hill
Napoleon Hill, in his seminal work, Think and Grow Rich, devotes an entire chapter to the concept of setting up a mastermind group to “stream roll” ahead and achieve optimum results in our business and personal lives. Interestingly, this concept is still used today be all of the world’s modern icon’s in business.
A Mastermind Group focuses special energy on each person efforts, providing support, new ideas, challenging assumptions and limiting beliefs, so that each person can grow and develop to achieve their greatest goals and ambitions.
The basic philosophy of the Mastermind concept is that more heads are better than one. I believe that if we could have achieved all we could by ourselves we would have already done it by now. When people work together in an atmosphere of collaborative and mutual respect, with the best interests of each member at heart, then providence occurs and people move mountains to draw their dreams and desires to themselves.
In January this year I invited 7 women to join me in starting a Mastermind Group. We are a group of women who all own our own businesses, at various levels of “success” and we are all highly motivated to grow, both personally and professionally to live our best lives, and make a difference in our worlds.
The process has been quite extraordinary and it has been one of the most supportive, inspiring and satisfying things I have ever been involved in. Let me share some feedback from members of our Mastermind Group:
What is a Mastermind Group? A mastermind group is a group of like minded people who :
- Supportively call you on those excuses you give to prevent you from moving forward.
- Challenge you to step up and do something different to achieve a better result.
- Allow you to share your successes and your challenges giving valuable feedback in a caring respectful way.
- Offer you the opportunity to give back and assist others in the same way. Judith Brodie.
Before I joined Caron’s Mastermind Group I was the principal of a law firm, struggling with the monster that I had created. The benefit from being part of such a wonderful Mastermind Group is having like-minded group who have guided me in all the right directions, including: management; staffing; office procedures etc – without this, I would still be struggling.
I now have a very clear direction of where I wish to progress my legal practice and have my “team” go with me with a clear vision for the future. The greatest benefit from meeting weekly is that I feel that I am also accountable for my actions – in a very friendly way.
I couldn’t recommend this form of meeting highly enough and would strongly encourage anyone in business, looking to get a better understanding and guidance in a very supportive way to create their own group. Judy Morris.
Before I joined Caron’s Mastermind Group I was feeling unsupported and alone in my business.
I have benefited from the group by having a space in which to share without fear of judgement. The group generously give ideas, support, skills, mentoring and friendship.
The ideas shared in the group have assisted me in propelling my business and leading my team with confidence. I now feel supported and valued as a member of this powerful group. I highly recommend this for anyone looking for personal and business growth. Claire Connelly.
I am thoroughly enjoying being a member of our Mastermind Group, thank you for the invitation to join the group and for your expert facilitation. Before I joined the group I was struggling to determine my next steps forward in business. The group has provided enormous support and guidance and assisted me to explore new opportunities and ultimately make a business transition in a short period of time, with a result that exceeded my expectations before I joined the group.
By sharing with the members of the Mastermind Group I have been able to explore my ideas, maximise my potential, and the in return have received friendship and support beyond anything I could have expected. I have discovered an inner strength to strive beyond my previous goals and feel capable of tackling anything life throws at me with a new confidence. I highly recommend this environment for anyone who wants to make a change in their lives and achieve new goals, both personal and professional. Shelley Thomson.
Before I joined Caron’s Mastermind Group I didn’t have a group of women I could share business ideas with confidentially. Being part of the MM group has given me a group of other women facing similar business & personal issues all while running a busy family life.
This has helped me to prioritise my personal & business goals that sometimes appear to be in conflict with one another. I feel I have much more clarity in going after what I really want rather than being pulled in many directions at once. I have also made valuable friendships with other women outside my usual circle of friends and colleagues which has broadened my horizons and ideas.
I would recommend this to any career woman juggling the demands of running a professional life along with a busy family life as well. As a result of attending the MM Group I feel more centred and better supported in all my various endeavours. Katrina Wybrow.
I can’t thank Caron enough for facilitating our mastermind group. This group of magnificent supportive women, works together in such an environment of trust and professionalism to help each one of us advance in all aspects of our lives, both business and personal. I look forward to it with real excitement each week. I feel very fortunate to be able to benefit from and contribute to such a powerful and productive collection of women. I know each and every one of us has made progress that without the groups support; we may not have done so as quickly and confidently. Julie Beck.
Sharing this feedback for our group is not to impress you but rather to impress upon you the value of having a group of like-minded people who commit to excellence and hold each other accountable for the stretch goals we set ourselves. The synergy of bring people together with a shared vision is powerful beyond words!
This is the process we implemented:
- Decide on a set meeting time – we meet weekly from 7 am – 9 am over breakfast (it might be fortnightly or monthly depending on your commitments – more often builds trust and results faster).
- It is generally recommended to have about 6-8 members. We have 8 people in our group. More than 8 and there is not enough time for each person.
- Rotating leadership and a time keeper to monitor time for each meeting.
Initially (the first 8 weeks) – each member has 1½ hours to provide the group with information about their personal and business history (we are where we are because of who we are historically and holistically), our current situation, opportunities, needs, challenges and goals. The rest of the group then brainstorms ways to support that member. We used a template I designed to focus our thinking as a starting point.
Following each person’s presentation the person presenting is required to develop a detailed business plan based on the Business Plan Template provided. This contains their goals and actions and forms the basis for regular review. The 90 Days to Success Template also used to guide accountability and progress of each member, and to form positive habits to grow our businesses.
Once everyone has had a turn at presenting their business, which took 8 weeks, we moved on to a set agenda with strict time keeping. The set agenda is:
- Gratitude invocation for our special time together (we have labelled this our Sacred Space)
- Equal “air time” – 10 Minute update
Each member has 10 minutes allotted to spend with the group to discuss any pertinent issues or ideas etc that need resolving or developing. This will include actions to be undertaken and held accountable for. If a member has a big issue that needs addressing they can negotiate for more time. Some sessions some members my not require much time so will be happy to share it with other members.
The group listens and then offers ideas from brainstorming until the allotted time is up. Then the group moves on to the next member and repeats the process.
Discussions can be personal or profession and include things such as:
- I need referrals for…
- I am struggling with… and need help
- I need an expert to assist me to take this idea to market
- I need to raise $40,000
- I need advice on recognising and rewarding staff
- I need assistance in developing my online presence
Members need to feel they are getting value for their involvement to stay, so quality brainstorming is important.
- Commitment to stretch action
Each member must then verbally agree to a stretch action they will undertake over the next period of time. This will be reviewed at the next meeting or by email or webinar in between sessions to ensure accountability.
- End with a “Take-Away” from the session from each person – something of value from our time together.
Mastermind Presuppositions
For the process to work effectively, each member must agree to and uphold the following commitments:
- Maintain a positive and open mindset
- Share ideas and opinions freely, honestly and respectively
- Ask lots of questions, be curious and encourage innovation and discovery
- Ensure each member has an opportunity to speak – time is monitored and maintained
- Make a commitment to stretch and grow
- Remain diligent and commited to encouraging and supporting other members
- Be accountable
- Remain flexible
- Accept all ideas and consider them openly and in the light of the current situation rather than past experience
- Maintain absolute confidentiality for all dialogue that takes place.
The reality is that if you know you’re going to be asked next week about the commitment you made today, you’ll take steps to accomplish it by next week’s deadline – Jack Canfield
If you are interested in being part of a Mastermind Group please contact me as I am setting up this process as a new product. There are only 8 places in the group and each person will be interviewed prior to joining to ensure the group is the “right fit” for them.
If you would like more information about this please contact me on 0438 255510 or c.egle@ilad.com.au
As always, I would be delighted if you would share your thoughts and results with me at c.egle@ilad.com.au