And what I’ve learned so far…….
For those who don’t know, Lisa Johnson is a successful business strategist that works predominantly in the online business world. In December 2022, I took a leap of faith and joined her mastermind program. It was definitely a financial investment and not what I’d call an impulse buy and I talked it through extensively with my partner in crime (and business) Neil before making the final decision.
I’ve been asked a few times why I joined. As a successful business owner it can seem like you have everything figured out, that you know exactly what you are doing and that when you get to a certain level, that it should all be enough. I’ve been running a business since 2007 after all. What could I possibly get out of a business mastermind program?
What is a Business Mastermind?
A business mastermind is a group of professionals who come together to support each other in their business endeavours. The concept is based on a principle introduced by Napoleon Hill in his book “Think and Grow Rich”, where he defined a mastermind as a “coordination of knowledge and effort, in a spirit of harmony, between two or more people, for the attainment of a definite purpose.”
In a business mastermind group, each member brings their unique skills, experiences, and resources to the table. They meet regularly (often monthly or quarterly), either in-person or virtually, to discuss their goals, challenges, and strategies. Members offer each other advice, share insights, and provide accountability.
The main purpose of a business mastermind is to leverage the collective wisdom of the group to accelerate business growth and overcome challenges. It’s about creating a supportive network where each member can learn from the others and gain new perspectives on their business.
Why I Joined Lisa’s World?
Living in Spain and running a business can be a pretty lonely place. I live in an area full of wonderful people but there isn’t really a community of business owners and so when I came across Lisa’s free Facebook group, I joined as a way of connecting with others.
The reason I was drawn to her specifically was her no nonsense approach. Anyone that knows me knows I can’t stand fluff and waffle and always want to get straight to the point. I also value trust and honesty incredibly highly and so resonated with her approach. I see so much online that feels like manipulation to me and it was refreshing to come across someone that was more interested in helping you do well, rather than selling things that weren’t of value.
I had a fairly negative view about this online business world, maybe in the same way that lots of people view SEO because unfortunately in both cases there are people out there that aren’t genuine. I felt that the online business world was spammy and a little seedy and Lisa just wasn’t like that at all.
Joining the Business Mastermind
I was in a very fortunate position when I joined, I have a successful Digital Marketing Agency and work with some incredible clients and had been able to carve out a business that doesn’t feel overwhelming to me. A lifestyle business if you will. I loved what I did but with my family life changing as two of our children left for university, I wanted to add something into the mix that was a little different.
On one hand I want to grow the Digital Marketing Agency, it feels odd writing this on my business blog, but that’s the truth of it. I’d like to work with more clients, clients that excite me. But, I also acknowledge I really love the strategy part, helping clients shape and plan out their digital marketing activity.
As an example, one of our first clients went from ‘man and a van’ to multi-millionaire with multiple businesses across the globe, we provided the only marketing element for his business and played a big part in his success, it just gives me such an amazing feeling to know that we deliver a great service to our clients.
With that in mind I wanted support in producing and delivering a different kind of offering so that I could help more businesses that just weren’t able to engage us as an agency in a full time capacity.
When it comes down to the core reason for my joining Lisa’s business mastermind, it was mainly for the connections and when I say that I don’t mean ‘to sell to them’ but the opportunity to be around other businesses at a similar stage. Entrepreneurs that understood the challenges, good and bad that running a successful business brings.
I am also driven and ambitious and being around others that are like that can help to push me forwards. Just the energy of being in that environment can have a really positive impact on my mindset.
Is a Business Mastermind for Everyone?
I don’t think so, I think if you go into one thinking you are going to be handheld through the whole process and someone is going to tell you what to do then it’s probably not the right place for you. Some include an element of training, but that’s not its main purpose. It also isn’t for people that aren’t action takers, it’s not for people that expect to join do nothing and wait for the money to come rolling in. Because it won’t and then they will end up complaining that it doesn’t work.
I see them as really being designed to bring together people in a similar position. That could be industry, type of business or those that are at the same stage from a financial point of view. If you are a start up of a micro business just beginning your business journey then your needs are often very different than someone running a bricks and mortar business turning over millions.
How to Know which Business Mastermind to Join?
A business mastermind group is usually brought together by a single person, just like Lisa Johnson’s Destination Inspiration. You need to know that that person has similar values to you and so I would advise being in their world for a while before making a decision. If you can, speak to people who have been in the mastermind previously, get an idea of the type of people in it. This will help you to understand if that type of group will work for you, it’s the people that really make it what it is.
Oh, and if you are nervous about joining because you think you are introverted and quiet there’s really no need to be. There is usually ample opportunity to have one on one conversations with people and once you get to know people more it will be easier to feel like you can be honest and open in a group setting.
If you want to know more, please do reach out. I’m more than happy to discuss my own experience if I know it will help someone else. You can email me here.