Finding Your Tribe

They say that you are the total of the people you hang out with the most.

Gosh, I hope that’s true, since I recently spent a weekend in Miami communing with?this crew ?in our Mastermind. ?

During the pandemic, my buddy Dorie Clark and I decided to create an irregular gathering of friends and peers. We called it the AC/DC Mastermind.?

Having a group of people to bounce your business off of is incredible! You get to hear their view of you, your business, and how you show up. You get to see what they’re doing and let it spark your creativity. And you get to share what’s whispering to you, say it out loud, and see what happens when you share your real fears and articulate your highest aspirations.

In short, it’s magical!?

I’ve always encouraged my clients to create their own inner circles. Call it a personal advisory board, a support group, whatever - nobody succeeds alone. Find your people. Then spend time with them.?

If you’re not sure where to start, let me offer you these guidelines:?

First, do some inner work. Sit down with a journal or go for a walk and contemplate these questions. Where do I want to go - what are my goals? What kind of small group could contribute to me? What do I have to contribute??

Don’t let your imposter syndrome answer that last question. Treat yourself as you would a generous friend and really think about your skills and talents.

Next, go out and find people. Think about the people you’re already friends with. Would anyone want to be a part of a more formal group experience where you help each other on common topics? Find some acquaintances or coworkers you’d like to get to know better and see if they’d be interested. Ask friends and colleagues if they know anyone.

Then challenge yourself to ask people you think are “out of your league” or will probably say no. What the heck! It gives you an opportunity to chat with them, they’ll be flattered you’re asking, and who knows? They might say yes!?

Finally, set up a specific date and time to meet, either online (that’s what we did during the pandemic) or in person. People often get stuck on this step because of an inner voice that says: If I pull together a group for a full day or even a few hours, what will we talk about??

Don’t over-complicate. The best groups are self-directed anyway. Ask everyone to come up with a few goals and a few challenges they’d like some help with. Set the tone with an opening question (here?are a few of my favorite table questions. )

To inspire you, here’s an article Dorie and I wrote together for Harvard Business Review about how to host a?virtual networking event .?You can use a similar process to gather your own Mastermind group.?

I’d love to hear from you! Which of these tips helped you??

Have you developed your own tribe, and if so what have you gotten out of it??

Let me know in the comments!