After having made the leap into entrepreneurship I have had the privilege of working with people who form the backbone of small business in America. Large corporations had Boards of Directors and CEO organizations to advise them. The small service business sector was out there on their own, often working alone. I wanted Mind Masters to become their Advisory Board – they needed a sounding board, a forum, a support system for their ideas, a resource not often available because these are very small businesses. I too struggled with that feeling of “aloneness,” so it is what attracted them to me.
My first group grew to about 20, most had been in business for at least 2 years, there was Dave the photographer, Mark the engineer, Jocelyn, the acupuncturist, Brande, the entertainment Visa specialist, etc. – we all found common ground in the challenges we faced and all worked to bring our experience and resources to each other. The hats we wore sometimes wore us down, but the weekly support brought us back up.
Working with groups of people who contributed to each other, it was hard to find the value that I brought to the table. But I grew and found there was support out there for me too, that allowed me to add to the needs of each member.
It was during the second year of presenting topics and sharing my learnings, when one of my members Bob was sharing some insights that I got IT! He used my own words to make a point, something I had repeated, and repeated before. I don’t remember exactly what Bob said but it was probably about knowing what’s high priority, high pay off activity, because that is the number one thing that is difficult for small business owners to focus on. I knew then I was making an impact, sometimes only one at a time, nevertheless it was happening.
Over the years working with members and other small business owners I find my role is to constantly make them aware of the potential that they have barely scratched the surface of. It then is also my role to encourage them to dream and then set goals in order to tap that unused potential. I have become the “Champion of Dreams” and after 25 years of Mind Masters success, I know I made the right decision to stick with my dream.
Hundreds have come through the doors of Mind Masters, some have stayed to manage and stay focused, others have moved on. The impact on the small business community is real, as each of us has found joy in business ownership and all the rewards that it has to offer. We learned that starting a business is difficult, but truly understand that no good entrepreneurial enterprise is ever created in isolation. Now it means I too must take a new step and find ways to duplicate myself so others can experience the power of being surrounded by other smart business owners so that each one is more likely to succeed, because the system works. (More on this later)
So if you are eager to take that next step in your business, I want you to think about this, the experience and positive expectations of others can give you that kick to take action. We invite business owners to visit, check out our groups at www.mindmasters.com/san-diego-meetings/