How to Start a Mastermind

If you’ve been thinking about starting your own mastermind group, and are about to take action, here’s a brief idea of what you need to do if you’ve been wondering how to start a mastermind group.

First off, you need to have a good idea what your mastermind is going to be for. Is it going to be to get better grades, be focused on effectively raising teenagers, improving personal performance/athleticism, making your community (or world) a better place, investing, starting or building a business, or some other reason? The purpose of your mastermind should be specific, and it’s not uncommon to have more than one mastermind but start with one.

Once you know what you mastermind will focus on, you’ll need to establish some ground rules for participation, like maintaining a high level of confidence among members, showing up prepared and on time. It’s also a good idea to establish exit procedures, in the event someone wants to withdraw or needs to be asked to resign.

A mastermind could also have a specific lifespan. For instance, if the mastermind is focused on a particular event, then following the conclusion and clean-up of the event, it would disband. Otherwise, your mastermind will be perpetual, allowing for growth and change of the mastermind.

As far as how many participants you will have in your mastermind, you can start with one other person and interview respective potential members. I think the best, most effective, number to manage is five or six members, but I think we can all agree that you should never have more than 12 other members. It just makes it problematic to effectively deliver the mastermind results to each participant (plus it calls for an all-day-long affair).

Selecting your mastermind members is a process, you want to find people who are similar to you in social stature and share similar – but different – aspirations. For instance, if your mastermind is focused on building a business, you would want to have several business people in different stages of varied businesses, who have particular skill sets.

When reviewing skills, be certain not to be shopping for what your business needs. Look instead for someone who is like-minded, has a business or interest that they want to see grow, is creative, ambitious, and desires to take their business and lifestyle to the next level. Don’t invite a bookkeeper because your business needs a better accounting system (this is a common mistake). Look for individuals who are likely to bring with them their own unique perspective.

Have regular mastermind meetings, either in person or virtual. Depending on what you desire to accomplish, and at what rate, you might want to meet once-a-week, or once-a-month. Once a week is common for virtual masterminds, with once every 6 months or annual face-to-face live mastermind. Live masterminds, usually start out at once a week for the novices, then settle down into once a month masterminds.

Know how your meeting is going to go and set appropriate parameters, such as allowing each participant to have 20 minutes to update and share, 10 minutes for the mastermind feedback, then onto the next person. Have someone designated to take notes (this task can alternate, or you can have one person designated), and one (could be the same person) to keep track of the time. Allow another 10-minute closing segment, to wrap up, bring up any new business, and to confirm the next mastermind session.

Your mastermind participation can be paid or non-paid, like membership dues. Paid raises the accountability of the members, plus it gives you a reserve expense account in the event that you might like to schedule a special guest, or event for your mastermind. Either way, a periodic guest or event will help to invigorate your group if conducted properly.

Since you’re seeking to start a mastermind, then you probably already know what to expect, the most effective way to create exponential growth by meeting with several other people in a mastermind, which creates a virtual additional personality/entity (the mastermind), which feeds the group with inspiration, ideas, solutions, and creative possibilities. Far surpassing the sum of the participants of the group.

But you probably already knew that.

New Thought Ideas and Inventions

I work with people on the leading edge of new thought and technology. These individuals are thought of as highly creative out-of-the-box thinkers who come up with the best innovative ideas and solutions, are highly regarded in their fields of expertise and are often referred to as genius.

In my work with these people, I have the opportunity to have access to information that others do not have access to. While they are credited with considerable thought prowess, to hear them, tell about their process, they intimate their ideas and solutions come from outside themselves.

new thought ideas and inventions origin genius information download

It’s as if their creative inspiration comes from above. While they all describe the whole affair in different ways, two of the most common specific references about the origin of these unique solutions include:

From God
Direct Download

I’m just reporting the facts, based on the statistical data of my clientele sample. Other statistics may vary, but it is definitely worth looking at.

While they may take personal credit in the boardroom or patent office, for the most part, behind the scenes they credit a source from beyond, like the inspiration or idea came from some other source.

Sometimes the information “download” comes through clearly, while other times it is somewhat vague and needs time to process with one’s conscious mind in order to translate and understand it in order to adequately convey the concept to others.

Most of these creative geniuses credit being “open” to receive data from an exterior source.

Can anyone create opportunities for ingenuity?

Yes, there are a few ways to bolster your creative process. I will introduce you to two options, one solitary, and one group process.

Solitary Idea Download

Many ideas do appear as epiphanies to individuals in private. The key, here, appears to be accessing the unconscious mind. Some ways to access this cache of untapped resources include meditation, purposefully engaging in an unrelated activity (many ideas occur to individuals mid work-out in the gym, or jogging), or while sleeping.

The most important component in receiving a private download is being prepared to document it as quickly as possible. Stop what you’re doing (wake up, if you’re sleeping) and write down the idea because more often than not, the idea comes in a flash and dissipates rapidly. Most of the human idea receptors have stories of illicit ideas lost forever for lack of immediate documentation.

Group Idea Download

This is by far my favorite, a long time fan of the Mastermind, activating a team of like-minded individuals together to effectively brainstorm and problem-solve. Some of the most significant improvements and innovations in the world have been birthed in the Mastermind.

You will find modern corporate infrastructures including up to 20% of on-the-clock hours for group meetings sharing, problem-solving and innovation.

According to Napoleon Hill, “No two minds ever come together without, thereby, creating a third, invisible, intangible force which may be likened to a third invisible mind.”

The resulting additional mind represents that exterior source of creative genius.

Does it work?
Yes, it works every time.

Isn’t it time you started exercising your creative genius?

What will you do with your Great Idea?

Is It Time for TEAM?

I work with people on the move, movers and shakers that are dominating markets and having a significant impact on society and the future… And they are NOT doing it alone.

I know lots of people with a dream. They are aware of the work that I do and know about the kinds of people that I work with. It’s not uncommon for one of them to come up to me with an idea and say something like, “Here’s this great idea. Give it to one of your clients – or do it yourself – and give me half the money.”

While I do work with people who have – and do – develop products; they are in the business of bringing their dreams to life, not the dreams of others. I am aware of licensing agents who are looking for product ideas, but getting in front of one (that is qualified and will actually do the work – not just be a money-sucking machine) takes work in preparation and some expenses related to getting an audience.

My work is conducted with individuals who take personal responsibility for their own projects and are fully entrenched in the operations (possibly not the day-to-day details) of the production, promotions and creating the results they desire.

Now, if you’re one of those people, you’re ready to roll up your sleeves and make your dreams come true. We can talk. One of the first questions I am going to ask you is, “Who is your team?” and I am going to want you to tell me about them.

If you don’t have a team, you’re not ready, yet. If you have a team, you need a super-hero mastermind group. In some cases, your mastermind group could double as your team in the beginning. A part of what I do, is mastermind facilitation (assist others assemble, learn how to manage their mastermind group and maximize it’s efficacy).

What does your superhero mastermind group look like

What is a mastermind group?

A mastermind group is made up of several (four to six) individuals, usually with different backgrounds and industries (the more diverse the better) who are committed one-to-the-other to offer their resources and special abilities to the other members of the group to move their interests to a higher level.

Many authors and researchers have attempted to define the magic that happens in a mastermind group. Suffice it to say that an effective mastermind group combines the minds of all the members and the combination thereof creates an extra mind (or force, a master-mind) that pulls thoughts and ideas from the universe making them accessible to members of the group.

That is my brief, over-simplified woo-woo version that might seem somewhat outside the box for some. Regardless of how uncomfortable embracing the idea of creating your own mastermind group sounds, the fact remains: The most successful innovators and entrepreneurs in the world attribute much of their success to their mastermind group.

If you are considering embracing your innate superpowers and launching your own brand of world domination in a particular market, talk is cheap.

You can start taking steps to realize your dream, if you assemble a supportive team and/or mastermind group, meeting regularly, brainstorming, planning, while to build your faith in yourself and your vision.

But remember, “Faith without works is dead.”*

That is to say, no matter how much you believe in your project or idea, if you don’t take personal responsibility for taking action and doing the work to make your dream a reality, your chances for success are bleak at best.

* = swiped from James 2:14-26

Is it time to assemble your team?