Confessions of a Six Figure Professional Blogger

Why You Need A Mastermind Group

November 20, 2009 | Advice

Yesterday, I was over in Celebration, FL for a meeting of the minds. It was a mastermind meeting. Several people in internet business gathered in a board room and talked shop for several hours.

The way it worked was this:

  1. First, presentations. Nothing formal, but if any of the group members wanted to present some useful information, that would happen.
  2. Hot seats. Each of us would take our turn on the hot seat. We could talk about our businesses and our challenges, and get help from the rest of the group.

It is incredibly powerful.

Picture 22

In 2009, one of the biggest contributing factors to my business has been the power of others. I routinely mastermind with folks here in the Tampa Bay area and occasionally from elsewhere in the state.

Forming A Group

I highly recommend that you work to create a circle of people around you who are doing the same things. If you are interested in growing your blog, then find others in your area who share similar interests. Namely, bloggers.

If you don’t know anybody like that, one of the best sources for you is Meetup.com. Find a group in your area. If there isn’t one, FORM ONE.

Seriously, that’s what I did. I was already part of a mastermind group in this area (a private one), but I went to Meetup and formed my own group to help others in the Tampa area. There is a small cost associated with forming a group on Meetup, but it is more than worth it.

Another option would be to take to Twitter or Facebook and find people with similar goals who might want to form such a group. If you guys aren’t in the same geographical area, then you could just schedule conference calls over Skype.

By combining what you learn online with real-world interaction with people of similar interests, you will make progress in leaps and bounds compared to what you’ve done in the past.

Running The Group

You will need to decide what kind of style you want in your group. In the past, some of our masterminds have been loose and more social, with a little business talk. These don’t have the same usefulness.

The best groups are the ones that are ran more like a meeting. With a structure. This way people gain value from the meeting rather than it just being an excuse to goof off.

The meetup I run on Meetup.com is about half-and-half. In the beginning, there is a more structured conversation to help people out. Then, we move into networking and conversation to allow people to get to know each other better. For the private groups I attend, we run them more like a board meeting.

Your Action Plan

If you are not in any group right now, I highly suggest you make this a priority. Go to Meetup.com and find a group in your area. Considering you are a reader of this blog, perhaps a blogger’s group or an internet business group would be appropriate.

If you cannot find a group on Meetup, consider creating one. Being the group organizer automatically makes you a bit of a leader in your area. People will find your group. You’ll meet new people and you never know where those connections will take you.

What we do is inherently alienating unless you make a point to form groups. Staring at the computer in a back bedroom is no way to run a business. This is a people business.

I’ve learned this better than anybody.

If you enjoyed this article, you might also like...

  1. Importance of Mastermind Groups [#11]
  2. Tampa Bay Mastermind Meetup – January 2009
  3. Tampa Online Entrepreneurs – MeetUp With Me
  4. Mastermind Wisdom Video
  5. Our Crazy Mastermind Meeting [Video]

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  • David, it is a real shame that most people don't realize what a powerful success tool a MasterMind Group is. Most people just don't know how to organize and run one but I think the real challenge is finding members, especially if you may be in a small town, have a group of friends and family where you are already the most successful one in the group or looking for a group in a real narrow niche. Trying an online MasterMind Group is an option too.
  • Hi David,
    Once I started a blog Confessions of an Internet Marketing Newbie ... but I was so new that I had no idea what the h... I was doing ...lol....
    Like your stile. Congrats on the 6 figure that is awesome .... and, next time you are speaking with your wife just call her "Malichka" ... she'll be pleasantly surprised - trust me on this one.

    best...........valentina
  • I like your content and wish you had taken the next step. Yes, great support can be found in formal and informal Mastermind Groups. Yes, it's important to find the right group, or form one that works for you if you choose this approach (there are also other alternatives - an advisory board, groups like CEO Think Tank and Vistage, etc - that provide similar valuable input). And, yes, the next step that I wish you had mentioned is - "accountability" (and with it shared confidentiality). They need to be part of the equation.
  • Sheila
    David, Okay, I downloaded your Six Figure Blogger Blueprint, printed it, 3-hole punched it, put it in a binder, read it from start to finish. Was greatly impressed and grateful for the information. Got to the end of the blueprint and you wrote glowingly about your Blog Masters Club, but where, I mean where on earth do you find out how much it costs and join it. By the way I watched a couple videos. Your homey style works and demonstrates what you are trying to get across,
    BUT where do I find the information. I've been all over your domains and sites.
  • i completely agree to this and that is what i do...
  • I think everyone needs to be in at least one mastermind group. Napoleon Hill talks about this in Think and Grow Rich. Seth Godin has also coined the phrase developing a tribe to surround yourself around people that help to promote one another.
  • Think and Grow Rich is an excellent book - should be required reading for anyone who wants to get ahead in life. One of the cool things about Hill's mastermind group is that it was made up of historical figures whom Hill imagined sitting round a table giving him advice.
  • Can't agree more with you.

    It is in many ways lovely to other people to help you and just talk about your businesses!

    Thanks for sharing, awesome blog post.

    Mikkel,
  • i feel like i'm alone in this kinda thing most of my blog friend came from other country that far far away.. sigh.
  • That's one of my favorite books, Think and grow rich. His mastermind group was a little out of the ordinary cause it was imaginary but the concept has stuck through all these years.
  • Couldn't agree with you more dude... they are SO POWERFUL!
  • I agree Dave. There have been some great meetups in Orlando that have turned into Masterminds that really push you to get to that next level. The one thing I can say about masterminds is that you need to find people at and above your skill sets. Learn from people with more experience than you - even if the industry is different, their knowledge and experience can help you grow 10 fold.

    BTW - There is a stompernet mastermind next week in Orlando if you are down for the drive. Details are on Meetup.
  • I think I'll be pretty tied up next week, but thanks for the heads up.
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