How do you start a Mastermind group with massive impact, that is profitable, and one that takes people in the group to the next level?
My name is Joe Burnich and I have started several Masterminds locally in Missoula, Montana, and also online through Zoom with people from all over the U.S. and Canada. We have people who meet weekly to hash out problems, attend workshops, develop 30-day challenges, participate in round table discussions, and grow through hot seats. That’s what we do in our Mastermind groups. Check out the link below for a chance to check out our group.
First, how do you start your own Mastermind group? I’ll start with my story and maybe it will give you some insight as well as tips and tactics to get started on your own. In 2015, I went through a pretty nasty divorce. I realized I had spent so much time working on my own marketing business that I didn’t spend time developing my own friends. Most of the friends I had made were actually friends of my wife. So, she took the friends. Anyone who’s been through a diviorce can understand what I’m talking about. At this point, I knew I needed a solid group of friends and that I wanted to hang out with people like me, people who could understand what I’m going through – professionally and personally.
Only business owners can truly relate to what it’s like to be an entrepreneur. Owning a business is a different game and only 3% of the population are actual business owners. If you do own a business, or thinking about it, you’re a rarity, you’re kind of an oddball. Business owners are a special group of people and most who are not business owners or entrepreneurs have no idea what we go through on a daily basis.
I started going to networking groups to try and meet other business owners. What I realized though is most of these people were either selling each other stuff or just trying to posture and talk about how great they were. It was a bunch of, “What do you do?” type of conversations. There was nothing deep. Everybody had this mask on. Then, I heard about the concept of Mastermind groups. I didn’t really understand what they were, so I went to one of these networking groups with a piece of paper and a pen. During introductions, I made an announcement and said, “Anybody interested in joining a Mastermind group give me your name and email and I’ll reach out to you.” In the group of 35, I had over 20 people sign up that day. Later, I sent out an email and had 12 people show up to the first meeting!
On that first meeting, I was nervous. I was afraid nobody was going to show up or it was just going to be me and like two people. What I’ve realized though, is that two to three people in a Mastermind group is ok. Now that I know that, I would’ve had a lot less stress. That day, 12 people showed up, and it was messy! I didn’t know what I was doing, I was just winging it. Regardless, people kept showing up week after week. And pretty soon, I had over 100 people in the group in Missoula, Montana with a population of 50,000 people. Not everyone was showing up every week, but sometimes there would be 20 to 30 people show up and it was out of control. I actually had to limit it to 20 people and I even started charging. I tried a lot of different things. Getting that initial group of people was the hardest part.
After COVID hit everything changed. Our face-to-face group turned into an online Zoom Mastermind. Eventually,I started getting the word out through YouTube videos and Facebook ads. There really are a lot of different ways to get people to understand who you are, what you’re all about, and actually show up for a Zoom meeting. Now, we have two virtual Zoom groups with over 12 people who meet weekly – from all over the nation, INCLUDING CANADA!
The number one tip before starting and facilitating a Mastermind group is to first join a group. Join somebody else’s Mastermind groups so you can understand what it’s like. In our groups, we let other people facilitate once in a while, especially if they want to start their own Mastermind group. This allows them to get a feel for what it’s like. Then, when they start their own Mastermind group, they hit the ground running. Come check out our group and see if you like what you experience. I have also provided some Mastermind group videos and an actual workshop group we hosted. These videos are what I like to call the Mastermind toolkit. Click the link below to download the toolkit and also sign up for a free Mastermind session in one of our groups. Join one of our meetings. See if you like it. See if this is something you actually want to do. See if you really do want to start your own Mastermind group.
My name is Joe Burnich. Let me know if you have any questions, I’m always available. I do free phone calls and I can also get you set up to join a free Mastermind session. Be a part of the group if it’s a good fit. Then, when you’re ready to start your own group, we can make it happen. I’m looking forward to talking with you soon.
