HOW TO FIND YOUR BUSINESS TRIBE

Article is also here: https://dailyguru.com.au/find-business-tribe/

It is human nature to want to find a group of people you just click with: to find your tribe. In business, this should be no different. 

Shevonne Joyce and Jemimah Ashleigh, Co-founders of The Business Experiment, believe that looking for the right people who offer you the support, synergy, and the momentum you need to take your business to the next level, is crucial to success. Business owners need a tribe to lift them up, to celebrate each other and to share challenges with.

The Business Experiment uncovers how you can find your business tribe.

LEARN ABOUT YOURSELF

Before you can embark on your quest to find your tribe, you must first know yourself. This is not only vital for understanding what kind of tribe you want to connect with, but also to your overall success in business.

Spend some time exploring who you are, what your strengths are and also your development points. What kind of people will compliment you, drive you to achieve, inspire you and help you to grow and become the best version of yourself? Think about what kind of help or resources you may need to assist you in this process (for example, a coach or mentor).

DEFINE YOUR TRIBE

You are the sum of the people you surround yourself with. Therefore, if you surround yourself with people who tell you, “you can’t”, you’re going to believe that you can’t. 

This will limit your potential. It’s important to define what kinds of people you want and need in your tribe (and you definitely do not want the “cant’s”.

WHO are you looking for? For example, like-minded people? Those who are opposite yet complimentary to you? Perhaps a mixture of different people?

WHAT do you want and need out of your tribe? Would you like someone to inspire, challenge or support you – or all of the above? Are you looking for potential clients, others to collaborate with or to just build a supportive network?

WHERE will you find them? Think outside the box if necessary.

Remember, your entrepreneurial circle may evolve over time as your needs change and your business grows.

TRY NETWORKING WITHOUT NETWORKING

Are you sick of the same soul destroying networking events?

We get it. There are some great networking events out there and some not so great. There’s no harm in going along and trying different events and groups to see what works for you. Something we have tried and found successful is networking without networking. This is where we go along to events we actually want to attend, with interesting subject matter and meet the kinds of people we are seeking to connect with.

Think about: 

– what do you ENJOY doing? 

– what kind of events would you LIKE to attend?

– what kind of people would you LIKE to meet and where do they hang out? 

Filter accordingly. There’s no magic formula. It’s really about finding what works for you – some people find a mixture of offline and online networking to be successful.

HANG OUT WITH OPRAH

While most of us cannot just pick up the phone and call Oprah to hang out with her whenever we want to, it doesn’t mean that you cannot spend time soaking up Oprah’s gorgeousness, or that of any other person you admire. This is the next best thing. Pick 5 people you admire – they don’t always have to be celebrities and it doesn’t necessarily have to be Oprah (she’s just one of our faves). It could be anyone you find inspirational. Go and sponge up their content, knowledge and expertise. Ted Talks, videos, articles, books, TV shows, documentaries, get amongst them like a flock of seagulls on a bag of chips!

Surrounding yourself with the qualities you seek in those you find inspiring will also help you to identify the same qualities in other people you meet. When it comes to social media, there are some people who are are all about following the followers who follow the followers and getting the most followers. We are about following the people who make us a better version of ourselves. 

This is not about trying to replicate someone else’s success or trying to be someone you’re not. This is about picking what parts of that person you admire, relate to and contributes to the person you want to be in business.

BE DISCERNING

Let’s be honest, you aren’t going to click with every person that you meet. No matter what you do, there are going to be people who don’t dig your vibe and vice versa – and that’s perfectly okay. No hard feelings. It’s not you or them – they are simply not your tribe. Pay attention to your intuition, but give people a fair go. Sometimes meeting new people can be a little awkward so take that into account! If you didn’t gel with someone the first time, they could grow on you, but don’t waste your time and energy on people who deplete your time and energy or who don’t authentically support you.

Your tribe is made up of all the people who love your business, products, services and you. It’s your fans, current and potential customers and clients, and your colleagues. They enjoy hearing what you’re up to, and they spread the word to others about your business. It’s just as true now as it has been forever: women truly thrive in circles with other women. 

‘Find your tribe, love them hard’ – The Business Experiment 

WRITTEN BY SHEVONNE JOYCE & JEMIMAH ASHLEIGH