What’s My USP? I’m OK with You Asking

 

You’re shopping for a mastermind group. Did I say, “shopping”? Yes, and that’s OK. I always tell people that becoming a member of a mastermind group can be a big commitment because you are investing in yourself. At least you should be. It’s your future. Otherwise what you really want is a networking group or a club.

So, to ask me what my unique selling proposition (or points, as some call it) is – is totally OK with me. I’m going to ask you yours too.
Here’s what I think. They aren’t in any particular order and they are equally important.

Organized: As campy as it sounds without strong organizational skills I could not manage the different and very individualized client relationships I have. I’m on top of each person’s action plans and deadlines. I follow up and stay in contact with each person on those deadlines to the degree that they want me to. I also plan a plethora of logistics, phone calls, common emails, meetings and more. It’s front and back-end follow-up and follow-through.
Determination: I’m more determined to see my clients succeed and have exponential business growth than I am in mine – and I’ve very determined to grow my business. Imagine what that does for my clients.

Ethics: They are my life-blood. I do what I say and say what I’ll do. If for some reason I can’t fulfill a commitment I’ll tell you about it up front. But I will not make weak excuses. More often I will take the brunt of something that was not in my control. I’m loyal and have integrity. Hang out with me awhile and you’ll see. Be a client of mine and see how much effort I put into your success.

Role model: I’m on my clients and my mastermind group members about accountability. Doing their actions keeping their deadlines, follow through on commitments. That is my incentive for modeling all of those behaviors myself. One time I was seriously overwhelmed with a fantastic, but unexpected, project that had a very tight deadline. I was not able to put as much time into helping a client as her expectations had her wanting. I still feel sick about it to this day. I did what she asked just not to the degree she imagined. We should have set expectations in the beginning. Making sure that my clients see me modeling the same behaviors I expect from them is paramount to me. See the above paragraph on ethics.

Charitable:
We are all connected. Whether you think so or not. What happens across the street, or across the world, is still a part of the universe you and I live in and it matters. I give us much to charities as I’m able. It’s never as much as I want. As long as I’m doing what I can where I can, I know I’m making a contribution into our shared space.

There you have it. I guess you could call that my foundational message about myself. Hopefully you know me a little bit better and know what you will see in the way I live my life, care for my clients and run High Stakes Mastermind Groups.
Ask me what my unique selling proposition is – it’s totally OK with me. I’m going to ask you yours too.

Sweet! Power of Shared Experiences

Photo by Charisse Kenion

Does it help you to know that potentially hundreds of other people are also reading this newsletter? What you’re doing is sharing an experience even though you’re not sharing it together. Studies have shown that people who experience something alone experience it at a different level as when they are actually sharing it with other people at the exact same time.

“…in another recent Psychological Science study that found that sharing experiences—even with a complete stranger—makes people rate those experiences as more intense than people who underwent them alone. In that experiment, students reported liking a square of 70-percent dark chocolate more when they ate it at the same time as another study participant. They said the chocolate was more “flavorful” than those who ate it alone. This holds for negative experiences, too: Those who ate a square of 90-percent dark chocolate—shown in pre-tests to be unpleasant—rated it as less tasty when they ate it at the same time as someone else.” The Importance of Sharing Experiences, Olga Khazan Oct. 16, 2014

One of the extraordinarily powerful aspects of being in a mastermind group is that although each individual member is dealing with their own experiences based on the business that they own, or the company in which they work, the fact that they are discussing these elements together helps them share the experience of assisting one another to accomplish goals, resolve issues and realize future plans.

It hasn’t mattered whether this takes place during the in-person meetings or the virtual groups. They all continue to be powerful, robust meaningful and successful. I’m excited to say that in May we will be having our first-ever retreat. Besides a full working agenda, we have lots of fun planned too. And I can’t wait to let one of our members loose in the kitchen – the foodie in the group who has volunteered to be our chef!

Is there something missing for you that can be resolved by being a member of a Mastermind group? Contact me for an exploratory conversation to see what this could do for you. We have a Virtual Mastermind group launching on March 19th. Registration closes February 24th. Could this be the group for you? How would your life improve if you could share experiences with people who understand you, “walk in your shoes” too, and is facilitated by an experienced group leader who will ensure that you are heard every time and tracking to accomplish your goals?

Being in a Mastermind is one of the most powerful and life changing experiences you can ask for. And sometimes it does include chocolate!