• How to Start a Mastermind Group Effectively

    October 30, 2009 // No Comments »

    Last year I wrote a post how to start a mastermind group that has been on the first page of Google for a year.  I get a lot of traffic to this blog (that I don’t write all to often on now) from this one post.  That’s the power of SEO!   I say that to say that I’ve had a ton of interest from folks online finding me via Google and Yahoo search asking me how to start a mastermind or how to find the right one to fit in to.

    I have started 2 different Mastermind Groups for different niche markets within the last 3 years and have most of the experience in leading them.  I’ve learned from my experience and mistakes what things to understand when you are starting a mastermind group.  Before you start or join any ole’ mastermind group you will want to have at keep at least 5 things in mind (below).

    Both times the benefits of starting and participating in the mastermind groups were immense.  I was more productive, motivated and felt I had a big support system in place.  I did better financially because of them as well.

    As a matter of fact it is commonly said that the income you generate from your business(es) is a direct reflection of the top 5 people you invest your time with.  So let’s get to some masterminding rules of thumb to get you started masterminding on the right track!

    How To Start a Mastermind Group That Lasts Effectively

    From a Mastermind Leader Perspective: Learn from the Online Mastermindress…

    1) Know what your Goal for having the Mastermind Group Is .

    Ask Yourself:

    • Why do you want to start a mastermind group in the first place?
    • Do you want to find a group where you can bounce Social Media or SEO ideas and theories off of?
    • Do you want to find a mastermind group where you can fit in and have them help you with your information product launches?
    • What exactly do you hope to gain from forming the mastermind group?  Is it personal and financial development?
    • Write down your goals and create a mission statement for your mastermind group that the whole team can rally around.
    • Be clear on why you are doing it.  Don’t just follow the pack.  Your group will last longer if you all have a common goal.

    2) How Much Time will You Commit to Leading or Sharing the Mastermind Group Leadership Responsibilities?

    Leading a mastermind group not only means that you will devote an hour every other week to have a virtual round table discussion on the best way to launch an information product, build your SEO and web visibility or influence your social media fans.  It also means putting in the time to make sure you are aware of every single members’ goals and intentions for participation in the group (as well as their evolving goals).

    Be prepared to be a true leader in every sense of the word.  Care about the other members’ goals and aspirations.  Make them feel important by allowing them to run a mastermind meeting.  Leaders also have to follow in order to lead.

    Also, be prepared to invest your time in the weekly/biweekly/monthly agenda.  One thing I’ve learned is that having somewhat of an agenda or at the least outline will help you get the most out of your mastermind group meetings and will also help your partners see the value in continuing to contribute to the group.  If you are not organized it will seem like a waste of your partners’ valuable time.

    3) Build a Mastermind Group of True Givers.

    While we are on the subject of contribution… Find partners who will contribute weather monetarily or with their time and skills to help the group flourish.  Don’t accept any tire-kickers in your group.  Keep the complainers and whiners out.  You want a group of positive minded, success-driven, go-getters who are creative, and will contribute in any way they can.  These folks stick around longer and commit their time and energy into making the group a collaborative success.

    4) Don’t Just Be Mastermind Group Member.  Get to Know Each other on a Personal Level.

    This is something I highly recommend.  It can’t be business all of the time.  Besides mastermind partners are more of like business partners who are also great friends.  Think of Henry Ford , Napoleon Hill , and John D. Rockefeller .  Those folks’ mastermind partners were almost like family.  The more you know each other on a personal level, the more you trust one another and the more the group grows business wise because of it.

    5) Stay In Touch and Grow In Between Mastermind Groups Meetings.

    Depending on how rallied and committed your cause and your group is you will want to possible have accountability partnerships AKA "goal buddies."  Having someone that you can connect with on a more frequent basis in between your meetings will help you on the right path to accomplishing all of your online marketing goals.  Share tips, articles, valuable tweets etc on Facebook or FriendFeed.  Keep each other motivated by staying in touch in between sessions will make all the more difference in a cohesive mastermind group that outlasts and lives out its mission.

    Any questions on how to start your mastermind group? Are you ready to join one?  Let us hear how helpful these tips were for you.

    I appreciate you!

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    Posted in Habits of Entrepreneurs

    How to Start a Mastermind Group

    November 29, 2008 // No Comments »

    If you are new to masterminding you might be wondering how to start a mastermind group .

    I call myself a "mastermindress" on Twitter .  I love sharing and exchanging ideas with other strategic Internet marketers and social media consultants.  I’m a big collaborator and team player.  When you collaborate or partner with other online marketers, you really get your creative juices flowing and can achieve more with less effort.

    Starting a mastermind group is easy and quite FUN!  Before I show you how to start your own mastermind group, let’s recap and define the term:

    A mastermind group is a group of like-minded people who are helping each other achieve their goals and dreams. The term “mastermind” comes from Napoleon Hill , who authored the classic self-help book “Think and Grow Rich .”

    How to Start Your Mastermind Group

    It all starts with some social media networking on your favorite social networking sites.  I have found tight communities such as those created on Ning to be great for meeting mastermind-quality folks.  However, it all depends on how you like to network and where you are most comfortable.  I love meeting new people on Twitter and have found several mastermind friends and Joint Venture partners on Twitter and via blogging as well!

    My mastermind is a free mastermind group.  There are paid mastermind groups out there, and there are many that are very much worthwhile.  One example is Yaro Starak’s Blog Mastermind .

    I will focus on creating free online mastermind groups - A small group that will serve like your "intimate board of directors."

    Prequalifying Mastermind Group Members

    Connect with others by engaging them in conversation.  Learn about them before you talk about yourself.  You don’t want to come across as very self-centered.

    I recommend the following online mastermind-attracting recipe:

    • Check out the person’s social networking profile, blog or website
    • Leave an encouraging comment on their blog or via direct message/email on the social networking platform
    • Invite to connect (as long as you have very similar interests)
    • Engage them in conversation - ask questions about THEM - don’t go on talking about yourself until they ask you to (people love to talk about themselves - just LISTEN)
    • If you REALLY find common ground and have connected with them, invite them to connect on a more frequent level via mastermind group

    It really is that simple.

    Setting a Mastermind Groups Meeting Schedule

    My mastermind group meets every other week and we usually have a topic to focus conversation around.  We also take turns talking about a particular subject, while the others members chime in and ask questions.

    You can set the rules.

    However, in order to have an effective mastermind group, all members must

    • understand the purpose of the mastermind group
    • understand the VALUE in meeting (every week, every other week)
    • all contribute equally to the group discussion
    • feel like they are free tol communicate about topics of discussion.

    Topics to Discuss with Your Online Mastermind Group

    • Social Media Marketing
    • Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
    • Google Pay Per Click
    • Web Design
    • Information Product Marketing
    • Email Marketing
    • Traffic Conversion
    • Web Copy Tips
    • Whatever you all agree upon!

    Happy Online Masterminding!

    P.S. If you are at the intermediate/advanced level in the above areas, contact me on Twitter!  I am always open to meeting, connecting and collaborating with other passionate, strategic Internet marketers!

    Your Partner in Online Marketing Success,

    Dali Burgado

    Posted in Internet Marketing Productivity

    Power of the Entrepreneurial Mindset and the Mastermind Group

    October 21, 2008 // No Comments »

    Entrepreneurial success comes when those who face obstacles turn them into opportunities.

    I truly believe that challenges are thrown our way in order to help us focus more on our dreams or desired outcome despite the brief times of difficulty we experience.

    Obstacles are actually BLESSINGS in disguise, my friends.  Although they might take us off course, they also help us refocus and become super productive.  Obstacles allow us to become stronger and develop a resistance or immunity to future challenges.  We can start looking at challenges and telling them “hey is that all you got?!”

    One of my online pals recently took a challenge she and her family were facing and used the power of her entrepreneurial mindset, the mastermind group, and the Internet to create an opportunity with make lemonade.

    You can read her story here.

    There are several lessons to extract from making lemonade that will strengthen your entrepreneurial mindset.

    1) When Life Hands you Lemons you Make Lemonade (look at your obstacle from a new perspective - ask yourself “how can I use this challenge to work in my favor?”

    2) Great things can be done quickly by leveraging skill sets (especially via a mastermind group)

    3) We can not succeed alone.  Success is a collaborative effort.

    Having a mastermind group or core group of friends to assist you when times get challenging can be a blessing.  And this is just one of the benefits of a mastermind group.  You can read my friend Cenay Nailor’s take the benefits of mastermind group here:

    Benefits of a mastermind group

    I hope that you can connect with my friend’s story and will join us to make lemonade (as well as get paid).

    –There are some super cool PLR (Private Label Rights) resources at her site for you to assist you too increase your wealth online.

    I welcome your comments on making lemonade!

    Partners in online Success,

    Dali Burgado

    Posted in Habits of Entrepreneurs

    Mastermind Groups and Online Business Productivity

    September 16, 2008 // 2 Comments »

    An excellent way to stay focused and productive in your online business(es) is creating or finding a Mastermind Group to participate in.

    The first time I created a mastermind group was right after having attended a Live Event for one of my business ventures.  While I don’t recall which speaker on stage referenced the "mastermind group," what one speaker said caused me to remember reading about the power of the mastermind group in the book "Think and Grow Rich" By Napoleon Hill.  After that I took immediate action and created my first successful mastermind group.

    My definition of a mastermind group is a group of like-minded leaders who meet on a regular basis to share common goals, brainstorm, encourage and leverage each others’ talents and skills to co-create massive success.

    How’s that for a definition! ;-)

    Whether you’re an affiliate, network, or Internet Marketer, being a part of a mastermind group will shorten your learning curve and keep you on track to reaching your online goals.

    We all need the assistance of others to succeed - no matter what goals we might have or where we’d like to be.

    The mastermind group serves as your personal "board of directors." Think of it as a group of supportive individuals there to give you sound advice on business decisions.

    You can design your mastermind group to focus on marketing or Internet Marketing.  While there may be someone savvy in SEO you might be savvy in building online relationships.  You get to exchange ideas such as- what works for you - and learn what’s working for others.

    You leverage each other’s talents, knowledge and skills while working towards a common goal - i.e. online success.

    Leveraging others’ talents is huge because in order to remain productive online you must know what you are best at, stick to that, and seek the help of others who are good at the things you aren’t good at.

    Another perk about Mastermind groups is that they open the doors toward business partnerships / Joint Ventures with other online marketers as well as life-long friendships.

    It’s a win-win situation for all involved.  You all learn faster and keep each other productive.

    Wondering how you find leaders to mastermind with?

    Start thinking about your own niche or industry.   Other opportunities to mastermind exist on online forums and social networking sites.  You’ll know once you’ve met someone special to mastermind with!

    Happy Masterminding!

    If I can be of any further assistance connect with me on Twitter .

    Your Partner In Online Success,

    Dali Burgado

    Posted in Habits of Entrepreneurs, Internet Marketing Productivity

    3 Ways Online Entrepreneurs Can Use FriendFeed Effectively

    August 29, 2008 // No Comments »

    FriendFeed is a social media and RSS feed aggregator that tracks your every move and activity across 43 social networking sites and makes your activity visible to your followers.

    In a nutshell, it allows you to share blogging activity, books, news, photos, music, video, and other random social networking activity to family or business contacts.  Some of the social media services include, Linked-In, Digg, delicious, Google Reader, and Twitter.  You can use it for personal/family or business purposes.

    It definitely is made for the advanced/serious social networker and online entrepreneur and can most effectively be used to:

    1. Be a part of an “inner circle”
    2. Mastermind with your business partners/peers
    3. Build communities

    I am presently using FriendFeed to follow friends with similar interests (some of whom are in my Internet Marketing Mastermind group) as well as some Internet Marketing and Blogging Gurus.   Every time I log in to FriendFeed I can see what my contacts are bookmarking, sharing and talking about.   I am also using it for my consulting clients as well.

    Please add to this list and let us know how YOU are using FriendFeed and cutting out the “noise” so you stay productive.

    1) The Inner Circle - Using FriendFeed to Stay Ahead of The Learning Curve In Your Niche:

    You can follow the gurus/experts in your niche.  If you’re connected on FriendFeed you’re the first to know what they are working on before the masses.  Additionally, there may be some cool resources you gain access to before they put it out on their email list (or maybe they don’t and you get that “insider” access).

    FriendFeed also allows you to engage in online conversation and interact with your contacts by replying to their posts.  You also don’t have to be approved as a “friend” to follow someone - like Twitter.

    A really nice feature is that there are “rooms” that you can subscribe to where members can post tools and tips to add value in that particular category.   It’s like an online classroom!

    2) Mastermind with Your Peers: You can utilize FriendFeed to share information with a tight-knit group or mastermind.  The sharing will allow you to stay connected more closely and have an opportunity for your group to share Internet marketing breakthroughs and resources to further your collective Internet marketing goals.

    3) Serve as a Place to Add Value to Your Client Base: If you offer consulting services you can use FriendFeed “rooms” to provide valuable information to your clients.  Offering value is what strengthens relationships.  Instead of having satisfied clients you will develop raging fans who will share your business, products and services with others.  That’s free marketing for you too.

    The downside of FriendFeed is that it can become quite “noisy” if you subscribe to too many people.

    Remember, FriendFeed gathers every single move the person you are following has taken on the social media sites they have specified FriendFeed to track.  Therefore, I highly recommend you utilize FriendFeed to stay in touch with a more intimate group than you would on Facebook.  If not you’ll get information overload!

    In addition, you want to make sure you are posting quality information and always delivering value.

    If you are not yet on FriendFeed and would like to learn how to get connected Maria Reyes McDavis (the Web Success Diva) has a great video that shows you how to register for a FriendFeed account and cool tips on how to maximize its use.  Check it out at:

    http://ca.video.yahoo.com/watch/2876144/8259875

    If you are a blogger using FriendFeed I also recommend reading:

    How Bloggers can Use FriendFeed Effectively by Joel Falconer of Lifehack.

    Again, please share how you are using FriendFeed here too.

    I appreciate you!

    Your Partner in Online Productivity,

    Dali Burgado (Follow me on FriendFeed)

    Posted in Internet Marketing Productivity, Internet Marketing Trends