In a couple of weeks I will celebrate my one year anniversary for two monumental decisions that I’ve made in my life. I also reflect on a big anniversary that almost was…
- Quit My Job-I put in my long notice to my job at this time last year. I worked there for 10 years and after going back and forth on the decision for almost 3 years I put in my notice! Please note two things if you’re new to my blog-I decided to stay in that job longer than I intended because of the Recession. It was a very good decision and I did love my job for many years but things change and people do to. I felt very guilty for not being satisfied with what I was doing, but am very glad I left my job. My official end date was December 16. I worked in immigration so it was helpful to my team that I gave them enough time to find a replacement. In fact, the replacement had barely been hired by the time I left!
- Eleven Year Work Anniversary-On September 27, 2015 I would have hit 11 years at my job if I had stayed. As noted above I put in my notice. But, I am thinking a lot about that anniversary and will be writing more about that later this month.
- Joined A Mastermind Group-Last year around this time I joined a Mastermind group. Joining this group of women and a few men has been monumental in creating a shift in my thinking about what I can achieve moving forward both in business and in my personal life. For today’s post I want to spend some time talking about Mastermind Groups, what they are, and how they can help you become more successful as you work towards the goals that you’ve set for yourself.
What Is A Mastermind Group?
Put simply: A Mastermind Group is a group of people who are committed to expanding and growing their business and reach through education and accountability to their group. It’s almost like the adult’s version of peer pressure…but, with a business focus.
I’d occasionally heard of Mastermind groups before but hadn’t really thought about joining one until a friend of mine reached out and asked if I would be interested in joining a new Mastermind that she was forming. I have joined many groups before so I was very open to the idea and I’m so glad that I did!
What Does A Mastermind Group DO?
Each Mastermind is different based on the overall interests of the group. My group is blogging and online business focused and so the mutual goals that we have are driven by our overall business focus.
Things That We Do:
- Bi-monthly meetings-For the past year we typically met on Thursday evenings virtually. This year may be different because we have a lot of people with small children in the group.
- Presentations-Each member is responsible for running a meeting. Meetings are used to educate, offer guidance, and cheer each other on.
- Inform-We share information with each other that may help with our long-term goals. Information could be anything from technical information, monetization ideas, etc.
- Encourage-I was a cheerleader in high school and college but this group is the best set of cheerleaders I have had (besides my mom). They 100% believe that I am capable of doing whatever it is I’ve put my mind to. When I float an idea they will offer insight, advice, cautionary tales, etc.
- Group Projects-We’ve put together some group projects. These are pretty freaking hard to do but very good for group dynamics because it pushes people to feel a sense of discomfort. We’ve learned a lot during that process.
We do other things as well but I think what I’ve listed gives you a pretty good idea of the scope of focus that we have.
I Love My Group!
I truly love and appreciate the people who are in my group. They have been a constant support as I’ve gone through a year of personal growth and change. I even attended our meetings while I was in Australia. That was hard because of the time difference but this group has been so important to my personal/professional growth in the past year that I couldn’t let them down.
The members of my group come from different parts of the country and are truly an inspiration to me and to their readers. They actually don’t know that I’ve written this post (but I will share it with them).
Meet Us at FinCon15!
One of the projects that we’ve been focused on for the past 5 months is getting all of us to push ourselves professionally. One of those endeavors is to share our Mastermind experience at conferences. This week will we will present our Mastermind Panel and FinCon15 a financial bloggers conference that will be held in Charlotte, North Carolina this week.
- Panel discussion is on Thursday, September 17th, 2015 at 4:00 p.m. in the Harris Room.
My Experience So Far
I will be honest and say that my blog has been a heart project since day one. But, like everything in life it needed some shifts to happen so that I could grow the audience (or not) or monetize it or not. I was at a crossroads last year in terms of deciding how to move forward with The Shop My Closet Project. I still have to a lot of stories to share and I would like to one day share a debt free post on this blog.
My group has helped me focus my goals so that I could continue enjoying what I’m doing but also ethically grow my blog and monetize it at the same time. I have been blogging for free for three years and pretty freaking happy to do that! I even wrote a post called: How to Start A Blog, Change Your Life , and Find Your Tribes. I love what I’m doing. Now, I would like to grow my income and through that process help people learn how to do that too.
Results So Far:
- Blog has been growing in page views with the information, guidance, and input that my Mastermind (and readers) have given me. This year has been significant in terms of blog growth.
- Figured out a way to stay true to my mission without losing myself in the monetization process.
- Began Girl Gone Frugal my podcast about people living unconventionally! This has been a big undertaking but I absolutely love it.
- Launched Colorado Luv Hub my blog about all things Colorado. It has taken me awhile to figure out how I will rock this site-but I finally have figured it out and am looking forward to rolling out my new content.
- Will begin speaking at conferences in October-Type A Parent Conference in Atlanta and Chicago Blog Week..uh, in Chicago LOL! I will be increasing my speaking gigs significantly as the year goes on.
I should say that not everyone has a positive experience with Mastermind groups because they are made of diverse groups of people. I think that if one is mindful about the group’s overall focus, who they invite, and have clear standards of participation, a Mastermind could be a great way to push yourself professionally.
Ultimately, I believe my group has been such a positive experience because we’ve become a community joined by a common cause. I am super excited because I will be meeting almost the entire group for the first time in person next week at FinCon. I am looking forward to building our group, our brands, and our community for the years to come!
Have You Heard Of Mastermind Groups Before?
Are You In One?
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This is great, I really need to find a blogging tribe or mastering group to help me take my blog to the next level. I host a weekly linkup called Small Victories Sunday linkup to inspire our readers to live and blog well. I hope you will stop by and linkup with us.
I would say that there is a distinction between a blogging tribe and a Mastermind group. I had my blogging tribe which was everyone in the personal finance niche-but my Mastermind group were carefully curated individuals who expected me to work to get to the next level in a different way. They are my super hardcore Type A accountability partners. You will find them too!! Thank you for letting me know about your link up!
I think mastermind groups are great. I was in one but it kind of dissolved. I think the dynamic of a group is really important. If you’re not feeling it, find another one. But if you do have a great connection, it’s very powerful.
The group dynamic is KEY. It’s also a lot of extra work. I am very excited to see how everyone in my group is growing their platform and it’s hilarious how often we’re in touch with each other (basically everyday). I am 100% convinced that I wouldn’t have made a lot the progress that I’ve made without their encouragement and support.
I would love to find one! I’ve been hunting but haven’t found the right fit. I wish I could see your talk!
Do you have the digital pass? I am not on this panel at FinCon, but I will be there to support my group. I was in Australia when they did the call for panels and couldn’t pull it together quickly enough (read-was on the beach). I will be doing this talk with the girls in Atlanta and Chicago. Keep looking, you’ll find a good fit.
I actually started a mastermind group about 4 yrs ago when I moved back to ATL. It has had its up and downs. People have come and gone. Currently there are 4 people besides myself that are in it. Out of that 4 only 2 of them consistently make our monthly calls. I honestly need to find another one.
You need new people. Or, just dissolve that one and start fresh. When you’re with a good group you won’t believe how inspired you’ll be. It’s ridiculous how much I work because I want to meet the standards of the group as whole. Good luck!
We have a great group! Good luck this weekend! Wish I could be there in person, but will be thinking about you and following along on Twitter.
I am so sad that you won’t be there 🙁 We DO have a great group!!
Awesome article… in my opinion mastermind groups are used to sharpen your brain through brainstorming, etc. and help to not to feel lonely.
Love my mastermind.