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Top 10 Reasons You Should Join a Mastermind

By Catherine Rocheleau


Table of Contents

Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 1

What is a Mastermind? ................................................................................................... 2

Top 10 Reasons You Should Join a Mastermind.......................................................... 4

1. Stay On Track with Strong Support ...................................................................... 4

2. Eliminate Blind Spots ............................................................................................. 6

3. Expand Your Network............................................................................................. 8

4. Challenge Yourself ............................................................................................... 10

5. Leverage Many Minds........................................................................................... 12

6. Accelerated Learning ........................................................................................... 13

7. Think Bigger and Overcome Challenges ............................................................ 14

8. Personal and Professional Growth ..................................................................... 16

9. Inspiration ............................................................................................................. 18

10. Elevate Your Business .................................................................................... 20

Choosing A Mastermind ............................................................................................... 21

Not a Networking Group ........................................................................................... 21

1+1 = 3 ..................................................................................................................... 21

Membership & Equal Footing ................................................................................... 21

The Process ............................................................................................................. 22

Your Success Reflects Your Effort ........................................................................... 22

Our Mastermind Programs ........................................................................................... 23

IMPACT Business Mastermind ................................................................................ 23

Radical Results Mastermind ...................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. About Ignite Leadership International® .................................................................. 24

What Others Have to Say ......................................................................................... 25


Introduction

As a business owner I have experienced the economic ups and downs each decade has presented, faced challenges finding the right team to grow my business, faced set-backs and more recently, having to suspend my business due to a health situation.

Depending on which survey you read, small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) face an array of challenges. In the United States, healthcare costs are cited as the number one concern, a concern not shared by many other countries who have a more socialized approach to healthcare.

Government regulations and taxes are commonly cited as top concerns. Interestingly enough, finding, retaining and motivating employees comes before cash flow, attracting new customers, and reducing overhead costs.

Today, leading a SME is a juggling act which can leave you fatigued from the long hours and constant fast-moving change. Information overload, keeping ahead of the competition and connecting with your ideal customer add additional facets to this leadership role.

Whether you are a business owner, CEO, senior executive or professional, you may feel as though you are “on your own”.

CEO’s and non-profit executive directors are often in a unique position – sandwiched between the board of directors (their boss) and their employees.

When you are in this position, who do you bounce ideas off, brainstorm with or navigate the ups and downs of your business?

What if you had a team of peers who have a similar vision of success and overcoming challenges as you do. They face or have faced similar obstacles, are driven to grow their business and do it faster and easier?

As an entrepreneur, I had the fortune of being introduced to the concept of a mastermind very early in my career. Since that early introduction to my first mastermind, which was called a “Success Team,” I have had the honour of continuously participating in a mastermind group or two during my entire career. In fact, I participated in this

“The power of a CEO group stems from the willingness of its members to share their cumulative experience and expertise. Collectively, there are no blind spots…Some are great at sales. Some are great at product development. Some are running global businesses. Some run a local family business. What you need to have is diversity in that peer group so that everybody has someone who has been where they are going.”

Brian Davis Chair of CEO Groups,

San Diego-based Vistage

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/226746


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Success Team for over 10 years because we had great dynamics and kept pushing each other in business and in life!

Other mastermind groups have helped me focus on a specific challenge or transition. Each mastermind has allowed me to navigate the ups and downs that accompany business growth and transition. I have now lead a successful consultancy for over two decades and endured a lengthy medical leave. Regardless of which group I have participated in, I have always walked away wiser and wealthier in knowledge, connections, confidence and with better business results.

Are you wanting to create powerful changes, grow business, enjoy great returns, transition to gain more balance between work and life? A mastermind may be a great option to assist you reach those goals faster and more efficiently.

In this special report, I will attempt to share the top 10 reasons why you may want to join a mastermind. But, before I do that, I think I have to answer the most asked question I receive when I mention a mastermind as a great option to help achieve goals, navigate change and grow.

What is a Mastermind?

Yes, this is probably the most asked question when I share how a mastermind has been a foundation in my long-term success. With so many people not knowing how fabulous a mastermind group can be to help them make great strides forward, it makes me think of a mastermind as a diamond hidden in a rockpile.

So, what is a mastermind group?

A mastermind is a group of highly motivated people who are committed to growing personally and professionally. These groups meet regularly and are focused on leveraging the power of many minds coming together for a single purpose—to foster personal and professional growth and development, drive results, and realize the attainment of goals through accountability.

A mastermind group is also referred to as a peer mentoring group, a personal board of advisors or CEO group. Napoleon Hill shared the concept in his book, Think and Grow Rich, where he defined it as,

“The coordination of knowledge and effort in a spirit of harmony, between two or more people,

for the attainment of a definite purpose.”


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Each mastermind group is a unique entity because of the diversity of thought and experience each individual brings to the group. Each mastermind also has a specific focus- generally set by the facilitator but can be set by the participants. The multiple facets mean no two are exactly alike. Mastermind groups may be in-person or they may be virtual, held via video conference. Some may include retreats, while others may be attached to a course or coaching program. (See my blog post on “The Power of a Mastermind – Is it Right for You?)

A mastermind group can be organically created with people you know who are committed to making big changes. Others are facilitated, usually by a Coach or Consultant.

No matter what, a mastermind group’s primary focus should be to help you achieve your goals, whatever they might be and to help you through tough times.

http://www.igniteleaders.com/business-success/the-power-of-a-mastermind-is-it-right-for-you


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Top 10 Reasons You Should Join a Mastermind

1. Stay On Track with Strong Support

It doesn’t matter if you are following a career path, are an entrepreneur or senior executive, you have career, business, personal or lifestyle goals you want to achieve. If you are like a majority of people, you may set goals only to get distracted by another great idea (the Bright Shiny Object) and shift gears, abandoning your initial goal. Alternatively, you may have shared a goal with family, friends or colleagues, only to later fess up that you haven’t taken the action steps you intended. How does it feel when they shake their head, roll their eyes and ask you what you are waiting for? Not because you’ve done something wrong, but because they recognize how important this goal is to you. Unfortunately, procrastination happens to most of us. It derails our progress, side-tracks our focus and can, in some instances, sabotage our results. We all have the same 24 hours in a day. How we spend those 24 hours is what determines how far we progress in our goals.

Sometimes your family and friends don’t understand your choice to be an entrepreneur and the uncertainty and long hours of work that come along with this career choice. I cannot count how many times I have been asked why I don’t consider a “real job”. They are well-meaning and I know they are concerned for my welfare. Only another entrepreneur with a similar passion understands this drive. A mastermind group consisting of other entrepreneurs understand and share this passion and drive. Collectively, the mastermind group becomes a sounding

board who are willing to ask the tough questions, share valuable insights and resources and keep you grounded so your goal and the tactics you undertake will advance you forward more effectively. The best part of a mastermind group is the automatic sense of accountability that comes from positives of peer

You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help enough other people get what they want.”

Zig Ziglar


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pressure. If you are like me, you don’t want to walk into your mastermind meeting only to say you didn’t complete your “self-assigned homework”. Members of a mastermind will also check in with each other, either on a private platform or via email or telephone. They share encouragement, feedback, ideas, resources. Some may even do business together. Most importantly they have your back. There is nothing better to help keep your feet to the fire than having to check in.

A successful CEO joined a mastermind group after 1 year in his new job. He was on the verge of quitting. When hired he had been tasked with expanding sales into the United States as well as growing business in Canada – particularly online. Yet, the owner, who recently experienced a significant loss in another business, began to meddle in operations and change the business strategy in place.

At his wits end he needed the support of other business leaders who he


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2. Eliminate Blind Spots

Each of us naturally has a blind spot or two, not that we are as willing to accept that fact as we should be. The nature of a blind spot is that we are often unaware of it until we are in a situations or position where this blind spot derails our success. Our blind spots impact how we think and act. We may have uncritical faith in pre-determined rules or those in a position of power. Alternatively, we may ignore or underestimate assertions that don’t fit our way of thinking.

I’m sure you’ve heard of the “Peter Principle.” The Peter Principle is described as the tendency of organizations, such as corporations, to allow employees to rise in the hierarchy through promotion until they reach the levels of their respective incompetence. This happens because promotions are based on the person’s abilities and successes in their current and past positions rather than their abilities based on their intended role.

I see this need to reward a great worker with a promotion as a blind spot within an organization. Instead of finding a more suitable reward for a job well done, a person is elevated into a position they will encounter personal and/or professional challenges which unknowingly impact their ability to be successful.

As entrepreneurs and business leaders, our blind spots are a weakness we must try to identify and contend with as we grow our business.

What if you could eliminate, or at least minimize, some of those blind spots with the help of your mastermind group?

Each of us has created a framework, mental model or theory about situations and results we have experienced throughout life. Although somewhat necessary for quick decision-making, we run into problems when we allow these biases to stop critical, independent thinking and impair our ability to draw the right conclusion. History has demonstrated we cannot accurately predict anything, yet we use our past experiences as a foundation for forecasting future behaviour or events.

A mastermind group ideally brings together people with diverse perspectives, education, experiences and backgrounds. Each member will have their own

“We all have strengths, weaknesses and blind spots.

In fact, an average person has 3.4 blind spots.”

— Bill Hybels


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blind spots and ways of handling business situations. Collectively, the group’s diversity is its strength in removing blind spots. The mastermind offers a safe and supportive environment to keep you feeling supported, focused and confident to make sound decisions for your business.

The mastermind format fosters in-depth discussions where participants share observations, challenge each other’s thinking, predictions or frameworks and help you identify and implement solutions to minimize or eliminate the impact of your blind spot on your decisions or limit your self-limiting beliefs or actions.

When every member of the mastermind is willing and open to hearing the truth, being supportive for the collective success of every member and is prepared to take action for long-term success, blind spots are shaved away.


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3. Expand Your Network Many SME leaders recognize the value of networking but finding the time to attend these events is a major obstacle. Generally, fiercely independent, small business leaders tend to feel they need to solve problems on their own. This, along with time or priority barriers, foraging meaningful relationships with other business leaders is a real barrier to their growth.

Interestingly enough, if you want to overcome your own blind spots, connecting with your network is a vital step to take. When you spend more time with more customers, more employees and more industry thought leaders, you are more likely to have a better perspective of your own situation. A common misconception is that only business leaders who are struggling look to join a mastermind. In fact, I find the opposite is true.

The mastermind is appealing to business leaders at all stages of their business/career development. Some want to speed up the results in start-up, others are making transitions, while others want to explore career options. Some are focused on achieving rapid business results. The common denominator is that each member is motivated to undergo a transformation and want to do it in a supportive, innovative, and positive team. Leaders are often alone, with few, if any, colleagues they can speak frankly with. A mastermind ensures you are not alone in your business. The ideal mastermind consists of people at similar stages of business or career development and come from different sectors. There should be no competitors within one group. If you have a group from one sector, different geographical locations will off-set this. This diversity not only expands the perspectives in a group, but it also expands your network. In any group, each person brings with them a circle of influence. These are people you work with, network with, do business with, are friends with and so

Networking is all about connecting with people. But then again, isn't that what life is about? The more time you can find to get out of the office and build true friendships, the farther your startup will go. Entrepreneurs need to remember to spend as much time working on their business as they do in their business.

Jay Samit Life, Business


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on. A strong network expands your access to knowledge, resources and support offers each business leader a wealth of opportunities to be a better leader. Trust is a foundation for a great mastermind. When you have a high trust factor, you are more willing to share your network with another person who can benefit from a connection. Sharing your network can help build new business opportunities, bridge gaps and accelerate desired outcomes. Who in your network can introduce to you to someone new? Who can you introduce them to?


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4. Challenge Yourself Leadership is partly inherent skill, but its also something you create over your career. The nature of leadership is to go forth where you have not gone before. When you challenge yourself, you put yourself in situations that are over your head and shape your future direction. When you challenge yourself, you can make a difference. When you really believe in something, this journey into new territory is an exciting adventure. You are better prepared to delve deep within yourself to learn on the fly and navigate the detours, set-backs and roadblocks. Challenging yourself as a leader is not only an action, its also situational. When you put yourself in a situation where you are surrounded by supportive people who will also challenge you, your ability to accomplish your goal is elevated. Whether this supportive environment is your team or a mastermind group, you create an environment that encourages this upward and onward momentum. Are you ready to go above and beyond to identify the limitations that are holding you back, create solutions, and take action to raise the bar in your business or career? Is it time to step-up, lean-in and break-through your own glass ceiling to enjoy the results of your transformation? When you push yourself beyond your comfort zone, you face the risk of failure. A mastermind gives you a safe and resource-rich environment to use as a sounding board. When you share your ideas you are able to get feedback from the team. This allows you to make improvements and avoid costly mistakes, even before you implement. More importantly it helps you develop strong and effective leadership skills.

The challenge of the unknown future is so much more exciting than the stories of the accomplished past.

Simon Sinek


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A copy writer, Penelope, was experiencing the feast or famine cycle in her business for the past 5 years. Although she has achieved amazing accolades for her work from past clients and within her industry, she faced a continual struggle to find new clients and few clients came back to work with her a second time.

Just prior to joining the mastermind group, Penelope completely rebranded her company, created a new website and was inspired to solve this problem once and for all.

During her first “Hot Seat” session, Penelope shared her story and then faced a wide range of questions from the group. Why did she feel she needed to rebrand? Why were customers so happy with her work only to not use her services again? Who was her ideal client? What problems did she solve? How was she unique and why would someone want to work with her instead of another copy writer? Penelope answered these questions easily and confidently.

One member of the mastermind finally asked if she really wanted to work in this area? Was copy writing her true passion? If not, what was? This question stopped Penelope in her tracks. She couldn’t answer that question.

Further exploration of why she faced the ups and downs in business and who she loved to work with and why it became clear, copy writing was what she thought would sell. Her true passion was public relations and communications for the construction and design industries.

Challenged to up-level her expectations, the services she offered and the newly identified target clients, Penelope set forth on a new path. She leveraged her new brand as the launch point for this new direction. Penelope made changes to her website, connected with potential clients and past clients who did business with her new target group to gain a strong understanding of their needs and how she could provide value.

During subsequent meetings she shared her progress and obtained feedback from the group. When her inner critic reared its ugly head, she reached out.

At the end of the 1-year mastermind, Penelope was thrilled to share her progress. After a few lean months at the beginning, she had now transitioned her business from copy writing to public relations and communication. She had secured 1 new client each month, each with a recurring contract of 6 months or more. She had also created a system for identifying new opportunities where she could extend her contract or create a new thread of services.

Penelope, with the help of her mastermind group, had challenged herself to finally face her true passion and to pursue it so that she would lead a successful and financially secure business. She faced her fears and let go of old thoughts and self-limiting beliefs that were holding her back.


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5. Leverage Many Minds Within the mastermind process is the opportunity for each member to take the Ignition Seat (or Hot Seat). The Ignition Seat is where the whole group focuses on you and the topic or issue you want to address. This highly focused time offers you an opportunity to share your most pressing challenge and leverage the minds of your peers to brainstorm, critique, roll-play, explore and identify solutions. Just think of the value you can receive when you have 8 to 10 intelligent, experienced and interested minds working with you to find solutions and help you step forward and upward! The old adage 1 + 1 = 3 is amplified in a group of 8-10!

ASONLOBOWIKIPEDIA; CC-BY-SA-4.0

As an introvert, I find sharing my accomplishments quite challenging. After winning the Quilly® Award from the National Association of Best Selling Authors, I was encouraged by my mastermind group to share my accomplishments. They pushed me outside my comfort zone by challenging me to create a series of situations we coined “Where in the World is Quilly?” I had pictures taken of Quilly in Hollywood CA, in Victoria B.C., in a hotel room resting, watching the Vancouver Canucks hockey game, on the BC Ferry, at different events I attended and more. This social media campaign gave me a fun and unique way to share my award and promote my book.

New scenarios were suggested as my fellow masterminders watched this series unfold. From this campaign, I secured some speaking gigs, established new business contacts and connected with people around the world. Most importantly, business growth was steady and sustained.


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6. Accelerated Learning When the brilliance is squeezed from the minds of your mastermind group during Ignition Seat sessions or engaging discussions, you will gain the benefit of the knowledge, experience and connections from each other. One of the key benefits of a mastermind is the ability to learn more about yourself while you also focus on business. Self-reflection is a critical component of leadership. This tweet from @actionable says it best: “True leaders must do the difficult work of self-reflection. Leadership isn't about "fixing" others, it's about creating the conditions for excellence.” When we bring many minds together and we share what we know, we all learn more, faster. A mastermind group is your personal board of advisors. The in-depth conversations in addition to Ignition Seat sessions allow for information sharing and exploration of diverse topics to promote rapid learning and understanding of yourself, your business and your goals at a deeper and sustained level.

Think about it, the most successful CEO’s participate in mastermind groups to help them be lead effectively and grow their companies. Extracting the wisdom from others allows them to rapidly explore options and make decisions more quickly. When they face obstacles, chances are someone else in the group has had a similar experience who can assist them to

minimize the impact. We can all follow in their footsteps to reap similar benefits. One of the key benefits of surrounding yourself with other leaders who are dedicated to life-long learning is your ability to accelerate the results you achieve for yourself and others. The sharing of resources, including books, articles, tools and the sharing of successes, failures and insights brings added value. It also saves you the time and effort to do the research or reinvent the wheel. The more tools and information you have at your disposal and can understand the more likely you are able to make a great business decision and find the perfect solution faster.

The comfort zone is the great enemy to creativity; moving beyond it necessitates intuition, which in turn configures new perspectives and conquers fears.

Dan Stevens


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7. Think Bigger and Overcome Challenges

Why should you limit yourself or your goals? A mastermind group will help you think outside your comfort zone and high up in the stratosphere! Thinking bigger than you ever have before and allowing yourself to stretch to new heights brings such great self-satisfaction and opens doors to even more opportunities. With the support and encouragement of your fellow masterminders, you will tackle that inner critic (your Gremlin) and overcome your fears so you walk a new path. As you walk this path, you will experience the normal bumps and set-backs that come with growth, but you won’t face these situations alone! When you work with your mastermind teammates, they can help you think bigger and stretch your goals, overcome obstacles and achieve the results you set for yourself.

A mastermind group is designed to help you navigate through challenges using the collective intelligence of others.

Stephanie Burns, Chic CEO


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One of my mastermind participants kept getting in his own way. He shared a recurring theme. Every time he took 5 steps forward in growing his professional practice, “something happened” and he would stall or crash and burn sending him back to the beginning. During his hot seat session, his mastermind team went to work to help brainstorm and problem solve. We soon learned he had grown up poor and had worked hard to achieve a college degree. He had achieved success as a solo-practitioner but his efforts to bring on team members repeatedly backfired. He lost clients, had trouble finding more clients, couldn’t find or keep great practitioners, and so on. Although he wanted to grow his business and had great systems in place, the growth process left him overwhelmed and he lost his focus. He also realized he wasn’t great at recruiting the right people. The group shared insights, ideas, referrals and offered their assistance so he could think bigger and make his goal a reality, once and for all. One solution was to outsource the recruitment process. Another was to hire a consultant to assist in creating orientation materials to facilitate the learning curve employees would face when they started with him. They also helped him find solutions to past challenges that led to the turnover and distracted him from servicing clients. Six months later, he had a team of 5 and had tripled his revenues. He was also ready to hire an office manager who could take on all the business development and HR aspects of his business and manage his practice, so he could focus on what he loved to do.


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8. Personal and Professional Growth

As a business leader, life-long learning needs to be an integral part of your career and life. Today’s world is ever-changing and to be effective, it is important for you to be open and ready to learn. Whether you need to understand social media, marketing techniques, better ways to connect with each generation of employee, how to improve your competitive edge, or remain abreast of new innovations or new technologies, finding time to learn can be overwhelming in an already full schedule.

One challenge facing many small and medium business owners is how to scale business growth. When not implemented effectively, growing your business can

lead to failure. A mastermind of business owners/leaders who are also focused on growing business provides a rich environment to brainstorm and share ideas, talk through obstacles and bottle-

necks, and identify more efficient ways to take action. Why reinvent the wheel when others can share their “hard-knocks” so you won’t have to learn the hard way.

A mastermind meeting agenda frequently includes an opportunity for participants to share great resources such as books, articles and tools. When one member of the group shares their perspective on a new book or article, you save time while extracting key points you can add to your personal knowledge base. Discussions will allow for more in-depth exploration of these key concepts and allow you to connect concepts to everyday situations.

One area where I see mastermind participants grow is in their own self-confidence. No matter how successful you appear on the outside, if you feel an inner trepidation or the hear the negative critical voice of the Gremlin, you may be unwittingly limiting your own growth and success.


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Self-confidence improves when you gain the knowledge and insights needed to make a decision and then follow-through on your action plan with positive results. Unfortunately, the reality is that not all of your actions will yield desired results, especially when navigating into new territory. However, when you know your mastermind group has your back, you know you aren’t left floundering on your own. You can to reach out between meetings to ask for help or feedback, so you can take corrective action quickly and effectively.

The growth you will experience, personally and professionally after one year in a mastermind group is priceless!

Obviously, if you have set strong, clear goals for yourself, and you’ve taken the steps to achieve those goals, how can you not succeed?

Great leaders are great learners. They stay open to new information and the ideas of others, and they aren’t afraid to experiment and make mistakes.

James Kouzes & Barry Posner Great Leadership Creates Great Workplaces.


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9. Inspiration

According to Samuel Edwards, in his Business.com article “Always be creating: How Entrepreneurs Get Inspired”, creativity is one of the most important aspects of being a successful entrepreneur. Edwards stated “creativity inspires passion in entrepreneurs that allows them to look outside the box and look towards a future of unique possibilities that their competitors never even imagined.”

As a business leader, you are in the business of providing solutions to your customers and a great work environment for your employees. When you keep your eyes open, have an open mind to new ideas and opportunities, new trends and problems people face that you can solve, you are better able to gain the inspiration to make a difference.

Inspiration comes from many different places. You may be inspired by something you read, a speech you hear, an experience you had or even a complaint you received. Alternatively, you can be inspired by other entrepreneurs or business leaders, changing your mindset, or even making changes in your own healthy habits.

A mastermind group is a fertile environment to nurture the thoughts you have. It is these thoughts that are the ignition point for your next business idea. Taking action on these thoughts requires a positive mindset and the passion and determination to take action. What happens when you are having self-doubt or just having a bad spell? Your inspiration and innovation suffer.

When you bring your ideas to your mastermind group, you can mitigate the negatives and refuel your passion and nurture your idea into an actionable plan. The group provides built-in inspiration to help you push through a slump without losing a beat.

Inspiration is the fuel that keeps you going. Finding great sources for inspiration each day that propel you toward your goals is critical, particularly during a slump.

“Human beings have an innate inner drive to be autonomous, self-determined and connected to one another. And, when that drive is liberated, people achieve more and live richer lives.”

Daniel Pink


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In one of my masterminds, I admired a colleague who faced a critical health crisis. Through his treatments, he took time away from his business but continued to participate in every mastermind meeting. During this crisis, he shifted his goals from business development to taking steps to improve his health and to focus on a positive mindset. Most importantly, his journey sparked each of us to integrate a personal or health goal into our plans. He reminded us every week that without our health we cannot be successful in business or life. When he finally returned to his business, he shared that the group had given him hope and reminded him of the big picture. He credited our meetings as the glue that kept him connected to the “work” world thus allowing a smoother and impactful transition back to work. Within 3 months of his return, his business had rebounded. His pre-return planning and his efforts to reengage employees when he first returned created a new culture focused squarely on his vision. He cited his on-going participation in the mastermind as the inspiration to keep moving forward during this huge set-back. As his fellow masterminders, we were clearly inspired by his commitment and the journey he undertook.


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10. Elevate Your Business

When I work with business leaders, there is one aspiration they all wish to achieve in business – improved business growth. For some, they want to expand the territory they serve, boost profits, attract and retain great employees, create a positive workplace culture, reduce inventory, improve cash flow or align their vision with what steps are taken operationally.

No matter what size business you lead, ongoing improvement is the key to long-term success. Identifying the right areas to focus on, and pinpointing the most impactful improvements to undertake can be mind-boggling.

Leadership is taking yourself and your business into uncharted territory, so you can differentiate yourself from your competition. You want to rise above the crowd.

This is where I believe a mastermind group can be vital to every leader. Not only does the group expect each member to set goals for themselves and their business, the group will challenge you to push your own comfort zone and really elevate your thinking and to raise the bar on your expectations and outcomes.

As you share your goals with the group, they will explore your vision, question your rationale, understand your limits and the resources needed to undertake the change you want to undertake. Through Ignition Seat sessions and regular conversations, the group members will help you expand your business options and opportunities and inspire you to think bigger and more strategically, so you have the clarity and confidence to take immediate action.

When you elevate your business, you do more than just grow. Elevating your business requires consistent improvements that move you, your team and your business forward to new levels. You make strategic improvements that set you apart from the competition, create a great workplace for your employees, establish a tremendous customer experience with the solutions you provide, and fuel your own passion to lead your business to reach new targets. A mastermind provides the structure, trust, team interaction and consistency leaders need to take on the challenges that leadership and innovation require.


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Choosing A Mastermind Not a Networking Group There are many different groups that refer to themselves as a mastermind. Each will have a different focus or transformation they aspire to achieve.

Beware of groups that refer to themselves as a mastermind but do not include focused time on each participant and their needs and wants. A mastermind differs from a networking group and a learning circle although some of this may be included. 1+1 = 3 The uniqueness of the mastermind is that you have a safe, confidential place to bring forward an issue, challenge, idea or concept and can connect with your peers for support, feedback, to brainstorm or explore options.

You want to find a mastermind that is true to the fundamental concept – one that leverages the brilliance, skills, experience, and resources of all participants for the good of each and every member of the group, as and when they want or need it.

Membership & Equal Footing Who will be in your group? Most facilitated groups will clearly outline who is a good fit, and they screen applicants accordingly.

Background -- Will they come from different industries or different geographical areas so you aren’t in direct competition? Is the group targeting one industry because you all have similar experiences and clients? Alternatively, would you prefer a diverse group who experience similar challenges can offer different perspectives?

Experience -- Are they at approximately the same level of business and have comparable level of experience? You don’t want to have significant gaps between experience levels or be on different tiers or you may disengage or become frustrated. Tension between the group can also occur.

Goals and Vision – You want to join a mastermind that has a common vision for what you and other members want to achieve. Are you wanting to focus on rapid business growth, sales and marketing, leadership, starting a business or something more personal?

Why Mastermind?

You CAN NOT achieve your major definite purpose in life without using the power of the mastermind.

Napoleon Hill


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You will develop strong ties with the members of your mastermind and want them “working for you”, just as they want you “working for them”. If the purpose and values don’t align, then the benefit you expect has no opportunity to occur.

For example, I have always participated in groups that are motivated to take action, grow their business and elevate their actions to be a true leader. Participating in a group that wanted to be more zen or self-aware and balanced wouldn’t be a good fit for me. As an experience leader, connecting with new entrepreneurs in start-up or multi-national corporation CEO’s are also not a good fit. The Process Most mastermind participants are selected by the facilitator to ensure a good fit between each member. Expect to complete an application and/or interview process to participate in a mastermind. This process allows you and the facilitator to get to know each other and to ensure that the group and you are a good fit for the focus, culture and the results you want to achieve.

Applications will probe your business results, goals and more! The application questions may require you to share more than you may feel comfortable responding to – this is normal. The Facilitator will review your responses and treat them as confidential. During the interview process they will further explore your responses to match you with the right group.

When you complete the application fully and honestly, you demonstrate your commitment to the mastermind process. We all have our ups and downs, strengths and weaknesses. Connecting you with the right group is the primary reason for delving deep in this initial stage of the mastermind process.

Your Success Reflects Your Effort There are many factors which will impact the success you will achieve by participating in a mastermind process. Choosing the right group for you, your values, and your goals is vital.

Your results are directly aligned with your dedication to attending every meeting, participating fully, taking action on your goals and action plans, and supporting those around you.

Do or do not! There is not try!

Yoda


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Our Mastermind Programs

IMPACT Business Mastermind Where we Ignite Momentum, Build Velocity and create an IMPACT through Business together!

Ideal for values-based entrepreneurs, solo-preneurs and professional practitioners and small businesses globally who are in the mid-stages of business development and poised lead their business, shift gears and ignite growth. IMPACT Business Mastermind catapults you from being in business by yourself to leading your business to new heights. This mastermind is a dynamic supportive group focused on the collective business success of each participant and to creating positive change in the world through business. You will set goals for yourself and work on making your dream a reality. Together we dig deep on current business, social/environmental impact and small business issues through in-depth conversations and Ignition Seat Sessions to spark innovation leading to rapid business growth and development. Great leaders embrace life-long learning. IMPACT Business Masterminds embrace this concept and makes your learning actionable and connects you with a community of socially conscious business leaders.

If you are missing targets, are poised to ignite change, ready to be invigorated

and learn while you catapult results forward, this group is for you.

Book a no-obligation session & explore how a mastermind group can ignite results to help you and your business grow.

https://igniteleaders.com/apply


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About Ignite Leadership International®

Catherine is a Business Impact Strategist who is passionate about creating positive social change through business. Catherine founded Ignite Leadership International® after a successful career in the food service and healthcare industries. Her passion to change how business is done now drives her values-based business and goal to attain B-Corp certification. Her MoreThanGreen™ program includes 2% of top line revenues donated to charity.

Catherine has extensive experience as an entrepreneur, non-profit executive, board member, educator and food service and healthcare professional. This diverse background has been instrumental in creating positive organizational change designed to boost profits & business growth while creating stronger teams, better communication and effective leaders. More recently, she created the online program IMPACT Business Blueprint to guide other mission-driven organizations to adopt a new approach and create positive change. Catherine is on a mission to change the world through business by changing the rules of business.

As a speaker, Catherine’s pragmatic and insightful approach enlightens and engages audiences wherever she speaks. Catherine lives in North Vancouver B.C., and enjoys time with family and friends, travelling, and volunteering in the community. Although, not “sporty” Catherine is a great cheerleader and avid fan of the Vancouver Canucks, B.C. Lions and Team Canada. She is also a self-proclaimed “Olympaholic”. .


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What Others Have to Say Catherine looked at my skill set and very quickly made recommendations to transform my business in a way that totally fit with my vision. She then took me through a step-by-step description of exactly what needed to be accomplished in order to achieve the end result. If you believe your business can operate more efficiently, or you want to shift your focus to increase productivity, Catherine Rocheleau will amaze you. Thanks Catherine.

Bruce Langford, Stand Up Now Productions

The past few months have been a really interesting journey! Your ideas, systems and the support as well as the input from my fellow masterminders has really helped me launch my new venture and do the pivot that was so needed in my business.

I have been part of a Mastermind in the past so the benefits were obvious. However, the preparation and resources you provided and the gentle daily reminder with the 2-minute check-in kept me focused so the daily distractions and uncertainties were not a disruption to my end goal.

Francis Waller – Founder, RealEdge.ca

http://www.standupnow.ca/

http://www.realedge.ca/

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