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What I am learning while recruiting master-minds to join my Mastermind Group

3 weeks ago I launched my own Mastermind program. A 12-month, very intimate program with the desire to take 12 people on a journey with me where everyone could rise and shift and up their game in business. I thought I would share this experience for anyone thinking of joining one or indeed starting one, plus I am still searching for some members of my one.

I know there are many Mastermind Groups, I have loved this concept for years since we used to run a version of them in Ecademy for our members that paid a premium subscription. I decided I wanted to start my own as I felt my intention, heart, experiences, knowledge and connections could add value to others. My journey into writing my book, “Business is personal” and the feedback I am getting has shown me the need and the joy I would have from running one.

So to start with, here are a few stats, always great to learn from…. These are based on  generating conversations from private messages Thomas has sent out on LinkedIn, a few social media posts and many, many hours on phone calls by me….

• 68 applications through this link www.pennypower.co.uk/mastermind
• I have made 33 hours of calls
• Signed up 4 people
• Offered places to a further 5 (waiting to hear)
• Still got 8 places to fill

I am constantly learning..

I have created a spreadsheet to plot the progress, from the point of application through to the final agreement being sent off at which time I will book a meeting with my new client/master-mind to establish what success would look like after 12 months for them, I guess this is a bit of personal 121 coaching.

I have spoken to 32 people in depth on the phone, on average over one hour each call; these are very open conversations about their business and life and without doubt everyone is just incredible. Full of experience, skills, knowledge and a desire to achieve and “be more” before they come to the end of their careers. Although few people see retirement as an option.

Average age is around 40-50, (some older, some younger). Sole traders/experts, CEO’s of their own businesses, a few employed in senior roles. People are lovely, this has been a beautiful experience of exploring lives and hearing the ‘whole’ life of a business person. I have written a book of notes, 2 A4 pages per call. Much thinking and reflection can take place after the call before I decide whether to ask them to join or suggest another pathway for us to work with one another.

Here are some of the questions I get asked..

1. How are you selecting people, I only want quality people in the room with me?

A very understandable desire. I ask “what is a quality person to you?”, and that always raises a smile and a giggle. This is so subjective.

To me, a quality person is someone I can talk to, a listener and a talker, with mutual interest in each other. Someone willing to share the truth, the honesty of life. Letting go of ego and being real. Most people have extraordinary skills that they are honing and applying to their clients. Skills as an expert abound, the skills people have are deep, there is no lack of expertise in the market that I witness. So if skills are a given in most cases, what is the next feature of a quality person? A quality character; I think the desire to learn and progress and not be someone who believes they already know all the answers, if that was the case, why would they apply.

2. …the next question  “what would my ROI would be?”. The need for the return on the capital they invest, (which is £1000.00 a month for 12 months). When I ask, what is it you want to achieve, that once again creates a smile and a giggle, how often do we allow ourselves to consider that? The power of focus, accountability and time to think about our business careers and desires, that in itself is a return.

These are some of the quotes I have written down from calls..

“I need to have deeper business friendships, people I can trust who have my back and are honest with me”, people are definitely seeking to be able to trust others. Many have experienced a breaking of trust and the world of being less connected to more people is causing stress and isolation”.

“I need accountability”, when employed in a team we have colleagues, when working alone we lack this and while it is unquantifiable, the impact of accountability can be massive”

“I need a refresh, need to shift my game, need new skills”, this is probably the most common quote. We all live in such a fast-paced world and sitting still is not an option. Acquiring the right communication strategy, the right technology, the right mind-sets and staying relevant, these are the pressures that our generation have. One that makes everything speed up and can cast fear if we are not in control and aware of what is coming up behind us to disrupt and destroy.

“I need to find my voice and create the right noise?”, for years I have banged on and on about the need to have a Personal brand, this is what has saved me through three reinventions of myself from leading a global community and leading the social media wave, to delving into the skills sector to now being in the Mental Fitness conversation; learning how to have a voice and how to magnify it is something everyone of us must have. Creating content, finding the right message. Daily I learn and observe and apply, I don’t seek to be an Internet marketer, but I do seek to understand Digital Marketing.

Then the BIG one, this comes late in the conversation, once trust between us has been created. The emotional needs we have, some of us keep them locked away, for me, I have put it out there for all to read in my new book. Why do we find it hard to accept that we need so many things as a business owner that are about our mental and emotional fitness and how many of us are suffering alone. This is communicated by the words “I need to feel less isolated, what they mean, is, I feel lonely, in a survey I conducted 18 months ago, 83% of Business owners said they were lonely.

Ultimately all of this is about how we feel about ourselves, our self-worth, how do we feel validated, fighting imposter syndrome, valuing ourselves so that others will value us. Knowing how to really build the connections we have into something extraordinary, and that is my overall desire from my mastermind. This is the hidden gold, and for me, when that is achieved, then I will achieve my biggest dream, to connect with hearts. This is what we need, from the toughest to the most vulnerable, let’s get real and close and find a way to enjoy this journey we are on, it doesn’t have to be as hard as e all make it.

I am taking the process of creating my “Business is Personal Mastermind” so seriously, finding the people who want to rise and also want to rise with others is not easy, those who want to give and receive and see the value of seeing another person achieve joy. What I am learning is that people might say they like to help others, but you know they mean it. Scarcity and survival, the basic level of Maslow’s Needs, it is hard to care for others when we are seeking our own survival, however, self-worth comes from giving worth. When you join a mastermind rather than focus on personal coaching, you are entering a very powerful place. The collective minds, experiences, knowledge and collections, it is quite extraordinary, and it does take a special person.

I love this experience and if you would like to discuss this with me, whether starting one yourself or wanting to join one, please do get in touch. I do hope this opens up more people to the plethora of Mastermind, choose one with the right culture for you and you will love it

To contact me about this click on my Mastermind page HERE