What if you felt all the support you needed personally in your business to grow, do things that are scary, get ideas when you felt alone, celebrate the big and small milestones, and had someone to call and ask “what did you do you do when…?”.
Solo-preneuring might feel like working in a vacuum at times, but the truth is, you’re not. You DO have people in your life that influence your business, and this will have an effect, positive or otherwise, so there’s reason to be intentional.
The question is how will you choose this group intentionally?
I have a quick framework, not original to me (I first heard this idea in a keynote Chris Hogan gave at a conference I attended, but I had heard the idea somewhere else before that too, so I’m not actually sure the origin. It clearly stuck with me).
This framework will allow you to easily identify the key roles you want to have in your entrepreneur life.
You might read these and realize you have a person or people in all these slots! Hurray!
If not, you have the opportunity to build a community on purpose and be on the lookout for nurturing these relationships into your business life.
A Mentor
This is a person who has done the thing, walked the walk, built the house already.
Things to learn from this person: mindset, mindset, mindset.
Your very specific challenges might be different, logistics might be different, but when someone has gone before you and accomplished something, I’ve noticed often their mindset and approach to problems was the secret weapon that got them there.
For example, my mentor coach (a coach who helps guide you through becoming a certified coach…I know, I know, it’s kinda funny. So meta) found clients in different ways than I’m building my practice. Regardless, one of the things I’m taking away is the mindset she has about her identity as a coach and how she presents that to the world.
It has a ton to do with her success, and I’m grateful to learn it as I strive for mile markers she’s already passed.
A Coach
This is the person who pushes you, challenges your beliefs about yourself, calls out the blind spots, and keeps the focus on your own agenda for your goals even when you are feeling in the muck.
If you were a high school athlete you may be able to relate to this.
Your coaches’ job was to bring out the best in you and help you make progress toward the goals you set out to accomplish.
This means sometimes they ask you to hard things and some days you don’t like it. They tell the things others won’t.
Your coach understands best what it took when you accomplish a goal. It makes celebrating progress with them even more of a joy and a relationship I cherish with my own coach personally.
A Friend
This is the person who just listens and commiserates with you when you need it.
There’s no fixing here.
Just a cup of coffee (or ahem, other beverage) the days you need to get it all out.
They tell you it’s going to be Ok, X person is an asshole, and then tell you a funny story about potty training their toddler (come on, you know we all think it’s funny when those toddler potty training stories aren’t actually happening to us at the moment).
For me, this is my old hospital friends who have no idea what I do online (I’m totally Chandler from Friends to them now) but will listen and laugh with me any day I need it.
A Cheerleader
This is the person who loves you all the time no matter what.
They think you’re awesome even if your launch sells like, 5 widgets.
They will tell you “You can do this!” even when it feels like there is a lot of evidence pointing in some other direction or you’re having a Neverending Story moment in the Swamp of Sadness.
Yes, this can totally be your mom. 🙂
For me, it’s my husband and my mastermind group. My husband’s faith and belief in me feels bottomless and like coming in from the cold. My mastermind group challenges me (like having 5 mini coaches!) but I can also hear them cheering for me a mile away or in this case, across the interwebs.
If you’ve read or followed me for any time now, you already know I believe your community determines the quality of your life. Yes, I know that sounds dramatic, but I believe it’s true.
In this case, I think it can also determine the quality of your business life. Those around you directly contribute to how happy, supported, and resilient you feel in the ups and downs that come with growing a thriving business.
Interested in joining a mastermind group but not sure where to start?
I’m doing a beta matching round soon!
Click here to hit me up if you’re interested and I’ll send you the deets!
