It was really a pretty amazing set of experiences that surprised me each time at how natural it was...  and it did nothing less than triple my business.  What am I talking about?  Coaching.

Here is how it works.  The coach asks you questions.  You answer them.  Then the coach tells you what you just said.  The next time you meet, you start talking about where you are and the coach reminds you what you said before.  Then the coach asks you questions.  You answer them.  The coach tells you what you just said and compares it to what you said before.

At no time in my early meetings with Randy Mayes, executive business coach, did Randy tell me what to do in my business.  Instead, he asked me to direct myself and express it in a clear and concise way to another person (him).  When you have to say something out loud, what was seemingly clear in your head gets exposed as being fuzzy.  Randy would listen and patiently ask me questions like, "if you want to make $100,000 a year, how many clients will you need at $50 a piece?" (this is a fictional question... just making the point).  When I suddenly have to confront the reality that I would need 2000 clients a year and how unrealistic that sounds, the fog begins to lift and I suddenly know what I need to do next. 

It is seldom discussed in business circles, but having a coach or a mentor is incredibly valuable.  At our next Strategy Mastermind Group, I have invited Randy Mayes to talk about the value of coaching for business owners.  I think you'll enjoy his story as a business owner turned coach and catch on to a little of his passion in helping individuals find their true purpose and success!

I often tell our members that I don't like to talk theory just to be theoretical... I truly believe that the concepts we cover in the Strategy Mastermind Group can drive DRASTICALLY positive results for you and your company. 

This month, Strategy Mastermind member Brett Curry outlined the results he managed to derive from the previous month's discussion on Vision and Mission in a 15 minute presentation to the group.  The journey that Brett and his partner, Chris Brewer, took over the past 4 weeks lead them what Brett called a valuable "clarity" about his company and the services he offers.  In fact, it has lead him and his partner to unveil a name change for his company from Local Marketing Giant to Online Marketing Giant. 

Special thanks to Brett for sharing his story with the group!  If you have a success story from something you learned in the group and would like to share, just let me know! 

One mark of a successful business person is that they are able to leverage their relationships and create opportunities.  Strategy Mastermind is full of opportunities for you...  are you leveraging them?  Here are some quick ideas to leverage your membership...

1) Set up a meeting with someone else in the group - Meet for coffee (I suggest the Dancing Mule) and discuss how you can help each other in their business or organization. 

2) Invite a client, contact, or friend to a Strategy Mastermind Group - Did you know you can invite others to the group and they can attend one session for free?  What a great value you can show for a potential or existing client, or for that critical business relationship.  When you become a great resource to others, they'll always come back to you.  How do you invite?  Simply send out the link http://www.strategymastermind.com/guestinvitation.html and ask them to register.  This link is always good for the next mastermind meeting.  Go ahead and invite 5-10 of your contacts...  do it now...

3) Tell others about your membership - Don't you think your clients would love to know that you spend time working to make your business better?  This is a great marketing opportunity for you to show that you care.

These are just 3 quick ways to take more advantage of your membership in the group.  Remember that our next meeting is November 19th and it will be a good one.  We are going to play a game and listen to a module presented by Kurt Theobald, CEO, author, and entrepreneur.