If you haven’t yet heard about the Action Success Summit, well, you’re in for a treat.

Hosted by Sheila Buyukacar of the International MasterMind Action Group, it’s “a multi-expert, multi-day tele-summit designed for entrepreneurs ready to put the ACTION into their IDEAS!”

Now that’s a concept we can get behind.

The particular filter Sheila has asked all her guests to work through is to be sure that in whatever we present to you, Faithful Reader, we “take the guess work out of your decision making and connect you with the knowledge and skills needed by you and “your” expert team to turn your ideas into a working, tangible capability.”

Our session in this event is called “Marketing…Bah Humbug!  Creating a “Down ‘n Dirty”  Marketing Strategy You’ll Love and Profit From!” It’ll be an hour teleseminar, and in it you’ll learn:

• Common problems entrepreneurs face or create for themselves when creating/implementing a marketing strategy
• Why you REALLY need a marketing strategy…and why a business plan by itself isn’t enough
• The “must-have” elements of a marketing strategy (and some of the “should haves” too)

You’ve gotta sign up at the link above to get the call-in details for our session, happening today at 11am Eastern, as well as the other awesome sessions. I’m not kidding about “awesome,” either. Beth Schneider of Process Prodigy is another one of the speakers, and I can vouch for her awesomeness personally. I’ve also listened to an interview with newsletter guru Jim Palmer in the last year, and liked him a lot, too.

I can’t speak to the rest, only because I haven’t had the pleasure of connecting with any of them before. But by the looks of things, Sheila’s put together a great roster of peeps, and for Pete’s sake, it’s a FREE event. So go sign up! Go on now!

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 19th, 2009 at 9:30 am and is filed under "A-Ha!" Events, Fun With Marketing, Masterminding. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

As we’ve been presenting social media marketing programs this year in teleclasses, workshops, seminars, and so forth, one of the common themes in asking for training help is to make things simple…non-techie…to handhold and provide lots of support. That kind of social media marketing training hasn’t been available in NH as far as we know, but it’s what we keep hearing from program attendees that they want.

So we created it. Here’s the scoop:

Epiphanies, Inc.’s 90-Day Social Media Marketing Training Program is designed to help NH entrepreneurs, passionate professionals, thought leaders, and key members of mission-driven teams determined to boost visibility, gain competitive edge, build community, drive leads, and connect with Fans and Followers, as well as potential clients, customers, and strategic partners for their businesses or organizations and on behalf of the people they serve.

The information and format will be customized to suit the needs of the participants. Plan on 60-90 minutes of “formal” content and training during our live Mastermind Meetings (How to best use Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, blogging, RSS feeds, social bookmarking, etc. are among some of the most popular topics requested.)

Then, during the second half of our live meetings, the focus will be on facilitating strategic hot seats, brainstorming, planning, and deciding on which ACTION STEPS to take to best serve your business goals.

The group teleconferences (which will be recorded for your convenience) will assure accountability while fielding questions, sharing best practices, staying connected and on track, and discussing other specific ideas that come up.

Since our top goals are to facilitate your social media marketing experience, customize strategies, and track RESULTS, participants receive 1) a simple Kick Start Guide, 2) an Intake Survey, and 3) a Planning Cheat Sheet before our first meeting, so we all make sure we get right to the business of advancing your goals.

By saying “Yes!” to this Program, you’ll receive:

• 3 live, 3-hour Group Mastermind Meetings at our Laconia office
  Tuesdays, 6/23, 7/28, 8/25, 10am-1pm (lunch provided)
• 3 Monthly Group teleconferences (time tbd)
• 2  1-on-1 Strategy Sessions by phone or at our Laconia office, you can use anytime in ‘09

Your investment:

• OPTION #1 (3-Pay Option): $447 per month for 3 months, or
• OPTION #2 (Pay in Full w/ Discount): Just $997 if paid in full by Thursday June 18th, 2009 (a 25% savings)

Whichever option you choose, please take action by Thursday, June 18th, 2009. We know this is comparatively short notice, and thank you in advance for your understanding. We have a full schedule of events and client projects during the next few weeks, and need to know participants are committed to the Program so we can plan accordingly.

Again, it’s first come, first served, so don’t put it off. You’ll save a whole lot of time, effort, and money for you, your biz, and/or your organization by drastically shortening your learning curve with this carefully-crafted, support-driven opportunity.

To reserve your seat in this one-of-a-kind Program, choose the option above that works for you, and by all means shoot us an email that says: “Great news! I’ve taken action to fast-track my social marketing success!”

Posted in "A-Ha!" NH, Fun With Marketing, Masterminding, Social Marketing | 1 Comment »

This entry was posted on Monday, May 18th, 2009 at 2:39 pm and is filed under "A-Ha!" NH, Fun With Marketing, Masterminding, Social Marketing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Al was in California back in February, and we didn’t think we’d be going back again that soon. But this was just too big an opportunity, at just the right time, to pass up.

The two of us will be winging our way to Laguna Niguel this Thursday for The CEO Factor Retreat, April 3rd-5th. Our business coach, Melanie Benson Strick, hasn’t thrown a live event for a while now, so in addition to the whole learning and networking and “sharpening the saw” thing, we’re excited to see how she runs a show.

As for the “CEO” in “CEO Factor,” it doesn’t stand for the traditional “Chief Executive Officer” is this arena. Melanie explains:

By CEO I do not mean someone who works 80+ hours a week, wears a power suit, and sits in meetings all day.

I’m talking about a Chief Entrepreneurial Officer, who has figured out how being a LEADER and surrounding himself or herself with the right team, actually creates more FREEDOM and more MONEY to have the kind of lifestyle they have always wanted.

CEOs know what allows them to create and PLAY (yes this is supposed to be fun!) their biggest game and anything short of that is simply not going to cut it.

Sounds great to us.  ;)  Truth be told, we’ve struggled with the team thing over the years. We’ve worked with three VA (Virtual Assistant) services in the last three years - one stepped out of her own biz to pursue a different opportunity, another wasn’t reponsive to any emails, and the third, well, we liked her, and might consider working with her again if we can only get out of our own way.

Which is part of what this Retreat is about. The word “bottleneck” gets used a lot, and we certainly could be moved out of the way to see more things get DONE in our business without feeling like we have to be the “doers.”

It’s also going to be an amazing opportunity to network and mastermind with other big-thinking 6-and-7 figure biz owners from around the globe, which is literally PRICELESS. Some of the rad entrepreneurs we’ll be hanging out with include:

• Beth Schneider, www.ProcessProdigy.com
• Chris Haddad, www.HaddadInk.com
• Michele Pariza Wacek, www.MichelePW.com
• Kelly O’Neil, www.UplevelStrategies.com
• Bernadette Doyle, www.ClientMagnets.com
• Wiley Long, www.ThePaleoDiet.com
• Sheri McConnell, www.SheriMcConnell.com
• Evan Marc Katz, www.EvanMarcKatz.com
• Ira Bloomfield, Twitter.com/MarketWelby
• Milana Leshinsky, www.Milana.com

Good old-fashioned face time with any one of these extraordinary business owners — let alone solid, interactive, immersive, transparent FUN with all of them! — is a gift from the gods for us, two NH spousal-preneurs and parents of two young boys who are determined to accelerate results and bring back bleeding-edge success strategies to bold-reaching businesses throughout New England.

For peeps who may be interested and who like to cut to the chase (courtesy of Melanie’s sales page):

Here’s a brief summary of what you’ll receive when you attend The CEO Factor™ Retreat:

• A highly interactive and experiential 3 days with tangible tools you can put into action immediately
• Live hot seats & Q&A sessions designed to help you get specific answers about YOUR business right on the spot
• A specific process for focusing on passion versus drudgery so you spend 80% or more of your time doing what you love
• A step-by-step system for identifying patterns and blocks holding you back and EXACTLY what to do to get past them
• Simple and systematic ways to exponentially increase revenue and profit
• A tool to help you clarify your role as a leader and the legacy you want to leave behind
• An assessment that will help you make sure the team you have in place is the one that can take you to 7 figure mark or higher
• Direct access to me and my coaching team
• Participation in a live mastermind where you will be able to implement strategies and try out tools right on the spot with other like minded entrepreneurs who will be there to support you and give you 5x the brain power you would have on your own

You’ll also get…

• Lunches & Continental Breakfast each day…
• Dessert Reception the night before to kick off the event in style
• Special Surprise “Hollywood” Type Event (this could definitely be a first for you!)

You will also walk away from this event with a:

• Roadmap in your hand that gives you the exact steps you need to take to achieve the success you want in your business
• 7 figure financial plan (balancing growth w/ investing)
• 7 figure dream team blueprint so you know exactly who to hire next
• Role Descriptions of key team members, including YOU as the CEO, so everyone knows what their focus should be
• Cutting edge tools and resources that every 7 + figure business owner has to have to create and sustain their empire business

Right event, right time, right person to have it, we’re sure of it.

If you own a business, you know your business evolves in strange and beautiful ways over the years. This year, we’re taking cues from the Universe and really upping our biz game, so we can help more passionate professionals, businesses, and organizations use social marketing tools more strategically and effectively, so they can get their message, mission, and vision out there to their Ideal Audiences. To fulfill our own mission and vision (and continue to have FUN in the process!), we have got to let go of the doing and LEAD with confidence and clarity.

Melanie is just the phenom to show us how to do just that…and so much more.

(And as if we needed any additional signs from the Universe that this is the right thing to do, we were able to name our price for a rental car on Priceline.com for the first time ever. This victory made us way happier than it probably should have.)

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This entry was posted on Monday, March 30th, 2009 at 10:04 pm and is filed under Dances With Gurus, Masterminding. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Andrew Carnegie, America’s first billionaire, tasked a man named Napoleon Hill with this whopper:

Discover the universal success secrets shared by the world’s wealthiest men.

(No offense, ladies, this was 50+ years ago, when it was all about the Boys’ Club.)

Twenty years of research later, Hill published Carnegie’s secret formula for success in Think and Grow Rich. According to Hill, successful men shared traits like desire, faith, specialized knowledge, imagination, persistence, planning, sex transmutation (!), and decision-making. One of these shared traits was so vital, Hill dubbed it “The Driving Force.”

This Driving Force? The “Master Mind”: “Coordination of knowledge and effort, in a spirit of harmony, between two or more people, for the attainment of a definite purpose.”

Industry leaders, inventors, revolutionaries, and tycoons would form “Mastermind Groups” to:

• Problem-solve
• Brainstorm
• Help each other think bigger, better, and more strategically
• Leverage their combined experience and insight
• Create a “Third Mind” that was more powerful than anything they could muster by themselves

For the modern day business professional, a Mastermind Group is similar to a Board of Directors or an Advisory Board, usually made up of business leaders in other fields who support and strategize with a company’s senior management.

Unfortunately for microbusiness owners and solo-preneurs, self-led or voluntary Mastermind Groups often don’t work.

They lack accountability, commitment, and organized direction essential to Masterminding success.

So what’s a success-minded solo professional or small biz owner to do?

Make it your business to find a results-driven, marketing-oriented, revenue-obsessed Mastermind Program, ASAP.

More and more, Mastermind Programs are popping up around the Internet. Some are 100% virtual, some are big-ticket events, and some are five- and six-figure day or weekend-long retreats. All strive to deliver quality information, environments, and support. Some succeed, while others fall woefully short.

There’s one catch: To make this secret weapon work for you, you have to be able to tell the difference between a good Mastermind Program and its shoddy, ne’er-do-well cousin. Here are six ways:

1. Look at its bones.

There are plenty of “loose” business groups around, but if you’re looking to move forward systematically and strategically, a top-notch Mastermind Program’s gotta have a solid structure in place. Ideally, it’s goal-focused and results-driven.

2. Ask yourself: “Who’s at the helm?”

A good Mastermind Program should be led by a person or team who’s in the game, walks the walk, leads with vision and purpose, encourages the free-flow of ideas, and knows how to get out of the way of the groups’ progress, too.

3. See that it informs, educates, and inspires, yet doesn’t overwhelm.

Unless you get a huge chunk of time off to learn new strategies and implement them in your own sweet time, the Mastermind Program you choose needs to respect the fact that you’re still running a business. (And you may even have a life outside your business!)

4. Join one that’s all mixed up.

Some Mastermind Programs offer only group sessions, or only home study, or only 1-on-1 support. But if you can find one that incorporates all three, you’ve struck gold.

5. Ask yourself: “Who’s sitting around the Mastermind Table with me?”

If 6-12 stellar business owners all focused their collective wisdom on your business - where your money’s coming from, where you want it to be, and how to get you there - what would that be worth to you? Could you more easily map out your path to profits purposefully, strategically, and confidently? You betcha. Quality Mastermind Programs attract quality business owners. Period.

6. Make sure it gets you out of the “I already know that” trap.

If you already know what you need and want to be doing in your business, why haven’t you done it already? Great Mastermind Programs break you out of the “I already know that” habit, hold you accountable, help you identify the steps you need to take, and get you excited and energized to take those steps.

And possibly, the most important thing for you to keep in mind about Mastermind Programs is this:

7. You get what you pay for.

If a “professional” is offering a free mastermind program, odds are they don’t value their own time, or worse, they won’t value yours. What’s more, free programs attract people who aren’t willing or interested in investing in the growth and success of their business. Are these the kind of big thinkers who’ll help you take your business to the next level?

Signs point to “No.”

Most reputable and effective Masterminds Programs manage member caliber with a monthly or annual investment. So when you invest in a quality, focused, and results-driven Mastermind Program, you’re likely to put much more effort in…which means you’re more likely to get an even bigger benefit on the back-end.

So set your personal bar high, keep your expectations optimistic yet down-to-earth, and make like a billionaire by using a powerful, profit -savvy Mastermind Program to grow your revenue and results!

WANNA USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR WEBSITE?
Please do! Just kindly include this blurb with it:

Lani & Allen Voivod, aka “The Content Lovers” of Epiphanies, Inc., help lifestyle entrepreneurs and million-dollar businesses “A-Ha Themselves!” in fun, innovative, and profitable ways with business masterminding, content leveraging, and social marketing & success strategies. To learn more about their one-of-a-kind 2009 “A-Ha!” Revenue & Results Mastermind Program - the first ever in the New England area - go to www.EpiphaniesInc.com/mastermind!

Posted in Inciter Articles, Masterminding | 2 Comments »

This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 26th, 2008 at 2:53 pm and is filed under Inciter Articles, Masterminding. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

While Lani’s at Fratello’s in Manchester, co-presenting a LinkedIn program for the NH High Tech Council, I’m holding down the fort and just got off our twice monthly group call for Melanie Benson Strick’s Fast Tack to 6&7 Figure Lifestyle Business. Coupla big takeaways:

1. Because of everything going on economy-wise, we had a roundtable discussion about how to handle our own fears, as well as the fears of our current and prospective clients, and about staying positive and focused in the face of all the “doom and gloom” talk around us.
2. At the group’s request, Melanie also helped by delineating a difference between people in poverty versus people who are “Poverty Conscious.” I’ll be paraphrasing here, but people who are poverty conscious literally cannot see, believe, or be convinced that things are gong to get better -for them, for the economy, for anyone. People who are in poverty but not “Poverty Conscious” (these, then, would be the “Prosperity Conscious” folks) will say, believe, and be convinced of things that sound Pollyanna-ish to the Poverty Conscious, like: “I’m a millionaire - my bank account just hasn’t caught up with me yet.”
3. Even if you think that sounds Pollyanna-ish (heck, it does to me, if I’m gonna be completely honest), let me ask you this: Who’s more likely to actually make a buck or two and make it out of a poverty situation? My money’s on the Prosperity Conscious person 99.44% of the time.

So put on some rose-colored glasses, will ya? It’s the only logical thing to do.

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This entry was posted on Thursday, November 6th, 2008 at 9:32 pm and is filed under Dances With Gurus, Masterminding. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

The following article was written by Gayle Lantz, whom we found online and who graciously agreed to let us share her article here. We love the way she’s laid out this straightforward overview of the Mastermind concept, including the benefits and all the who/what/why details you need to know to decide whether a mastermind group is right for you!

Master Your Business Through Mastermind Groups

Great minds don’t always think alike. That’s why leaders and executives turn to mastermind groups - a growing business phenomenon attracting successful professionals who seek objective advice, motivation, group synergy and different perspectives to accomplish their most important goals.

It’s easy to feel isolated in a leadership role. The higher you rank within an organization, the less objective feedback you receive, the more difficult it is to find peers who understand your challenges and issues.

As a former executive in a large organization, I had a sense of isolation based, not only on my leadership rank, but on geography. As part of a small regional office, I had a limited peer network. Now, as an entrepreneur, I have similar needs.

Mastermind groups provide a means for leaders to connect with other like-minded individuals who contribute ideas and feedback to help them grow their business and manage their lives.

Business and Executive Mastermind Groups operate as small think tanks and allow members to come together in small groups (typically 6-10 people) to share challenges, successes, ideas and information in a confidential environment.

Mastermind groups exist in many different forms, yet serve similar purposes. Groups may be known also as coaching groups, study groups, accountability groups or peer groups.

Members report many benefits including:

• Better decision making and problem-solving
• Accelerated business growth
• Increased personal effectiveness
• Smarter strategic thinking
• Increased accountability
• Safe and nonjudgmental place to discuss challenges
• Expanded professional network
• Improved life/work balance

Mastermind groups may be structured a variety of ways. Some are professionally facilitated; others are self-organized. Groups may be global, national or local.

Some mastermind groups meet in person; others meet virtually - by telephone.  Virtual groups are especially time and cost effective.

Guidelines vary according to each group. The agenda is largely determined by the needs and goals of the members.  Group members may also engage in one-on-one coaching to supplement their group experience for a more in-depth focus on their goals.

Generally groups meet once or twice a month. However, some national groups meet quarterly. Virtual groups meet more frequently.  The life cycle of a group varies with some of the most successful groups spanning a number of years.

Types of Mastermind Groups include:

Independent Mastermind Groups: These are groups comprised of executives from diverse and non-competing industries.  The common element is that members serve a similar role.  For example, a CEO Mastermind Group (or CEO Peer Group) attracts business owners and managing partners.  Other examples include groups for executive women or family owned businesses.  Independent mastermind groups may be structured by topic or interests such as groups for sales professionals or groups for those who want to proactively manage their careers.

Industry Specific Mastermind Groups: These are groups of professionals who represent the same industry such as financial services, health care, real estate or professional speaking.  Members play a similar role within the same industry. Some industry specific mastermind groups may be established through professional associations.

Corporate Mastermind Groups: These are groups formed within organizations.  They typically involve members who serve a similar role.  For example, managers from different divisions may come together to discuss common needs, goals or issues. A corporate mastermind group may be established as a part of a leadership development initiative. Such a group strengthens leadership, decision making and problem solving skills while helping leaders expand their professional network.  Virtual mastermind groups are ideal for global organizations. Such groups can positively affect morale and employee retention.

What it’s not…

• A Mastermind Group should not be confused with a leads group. Acquiring leads is not a primary purpose of the group; however, leads may be exchanged based on the relationships formed in the group.
• A Mastermind Group is not a training class. Members may learn new information or skills through discussion; however, the group is not dependent on any one person’s expertise.  The format is highly facilitated.
• A Mastermind Group is not group therapy, although some meetings may produce therapeutic results.

Best candidates for Mastermind Groups have the following qualities:

• Strong motivation
• Success in a particular field or role
• Openness to different perspectives and feedback
• Positive outlook/optimistic
• Commitment to the group
• High level of trust
• Like to have fun and be challenged

At first glance it may seem as though a managing partner in an accounting firm, a law firm, an engineering firm, an architecture firm and a financial services organization have little in common.  However, they’re all dealing with similar challenges and they’re all members of the same group.

Successful executives understand the importance of connecting with others outside their natural network who can offer objective perspective. The best groups are not only diverse in industry, but represent different behavioral styles and personality types. Members are not only committed to their own personal excellence, but to the success of others.

Small businesses are well suited to take advantage of mastermind groups. With the growing number of individuals starting and running small businesses, the need to connect with other peers is even greater.  “Micro businesses,” those operated by one person with a couple of employees, and home based businesses are especially well served through mastermind groups.

Great minds may not always think alike, but that’s good news for those in mastermind groups. More people are finding mastermind groups to be instrumental to their success in business as well as to their growth as human beings. Business professionals looking for an innovative and effective approach to growing themselves and their businesses should consider starting or joining a mastermind.

Gayle Lantz is President of WorkMatters, Inc., (www.workmatters.com) a consulting firm that helps companies improve performance by growing great leaders and helping people make the most of their work.  She is author of Take the Bull by the Horns. Request tips on how to create successful Mastermind Groups at: http://globalmastermind.net/tips/index.htm.

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This entry was posted on Thursday, September 25th, 2008 at 2:45 pm and is filed under Masterminding. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

The following is a reprint of an article written by our business coach, Melanie Benson Strick. We’ve been in her Fast Track program for a few months now, and we’re on the cusp of radically transforming our business (and, our bigger goal, the businesses and lives of 10 other NH micro-preneurs and solo professionals) with the Mastermind concept. Here, Melanie sums up those benefits quite nicely.

Why Masterminds Catapult You Forward:
5 Insights Why You Thrive in a Group

I’ve been in mastermind groups for over 15 years. My first mastermind experience was with a group of friends back in San Diego, California where we focused on things like manifesting our marriage partners, finding our career paths and attaining our dream homes. That mastermind group of women continues to be four of my closest friends in the whole world. There is a special kind of bond that happens when you regularly connect people who are pursuing similar goals and life ambitions.

A few years ago I realized that as an entrepreneur, I needed something more than the traditional mastermind. So I began a new kind of mastermind group that was focused on the challenges that all small business owners face: thinking bigger, discovering what works (and what doesn’t) from your peers, leveraging each other’s skills and education, sharing proven resources, etc. I quickly realized that I craved that kind of connection time as a way to leap forward in my thinking and results.

Today, in addition to being in my own private mastermind for my business, I now also run mastermind groups for my clients. As I watch the members of these programs thrive, leap and finally get out of their own way there is truly something unique that can only happen when you allow others into your life and business through this process.

A while back, one of my mastermind groups was sharing with me some of the insights of why this process has helped them catapult forward. Here are five of their insights of why a Mastermind helps you thrive:

1.    Brainstorming is more powerful where two or more minds are gathered. Often our thoughts are limited to our current and past experiences. When you tap into the power of a mastermind, opportunities are unlimited. Napoleon Hill in Think and Grow Rich talked about the power of the third mind. This is a type of synergistic potentiality that can only happen when multiple people build on each other’s ideas.

2.    You can’t hide with in person accountability. When we follow our same old routines, it is easy to slip into the habits that have kept us in our current challenges. We are our own worst enemies when it comes to accountability and staying on track. We don’t have bosses, just goals. We will let ourselves off the hook when necessary or slide into playing small again. When you have a mastermind call or live retreat to prepare for and you know that people are going to be listening to your updates, it’s like a kick in the pants to remember to stay on track.

3.    Other people’s ideas can stimulate a healthy challenge. It only takes one new idea to put you on track for million dollar results. There is a difference between playing it safe and stepping into our bigger game. Left to our own devices…most of us unconsciously play small. When you listen to how others think and strategize, it can help you grow and expand your “box” as well as challenge you to play a bigger game.

4.    The realization that your obstacles are shared by many. It can be comforting to know you aren’t the only one who has struggles and challenges. Transformation starts the minute you become aware of the problem. But if we aren’t aware that something is a problem, then it’s impossible to fix it. Many times a fellow group member’s breakthrough can be exactly what you needed to hear to help you realize where you’ve been getting in your own way.

5.    Overcome isolation to thrive with connection. Dan Kennedy says, “Being an entrepreneur is the loneliest job on the planet.” Most of us work alone from home, surrounded by people who need something from us or just don’t understand our passion for our work. A mastermind can be a powerful way to stay connected to people who get us, overcome the feeling of isolation and be a springboard for taking your business into new dimensions of success.

Whether you are looking for a facilitated mastermind group like our Platinum program or the Fast Track to a 6 & 7 Figure Lifestyle Business, or you want to create a mastermind of your own, it’s time to tap into the power and take your success to another level. I’ll be sharing some more tips soon on how to know what kind of mastermind is right for you!

Melanie Benson Strick, The Million Dollar Lifestyle Business Coach, teaches entrepreneurs how to stop feeling overwhelmed so they can create more money, more freedom and more prestige. To find out how close (or how far) you are from the ultimate lifestyle business, take the Free Ultimate Lifestyle Business Quiz.

© Copyright 2008, Melanie Benson Strick and Success Connections Inc.

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 23rd, 2008 at 1:23 pm and is filed under Masterminding. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Social media. Social networking. Facebook. LinkedIn. MySpace. Ryze. Zaadz (or is it Gaia?). Twitter. Friends. Colleagues. Contacts. Invitations. Clubs. Connections. Communities. Networks. Events. Winks. Tags. Walls…

Anyone else confounded by the whole world of online networking hubs?

Wouldn’t it be nice to connect with real, live, breathing professionals who share similar goals and interests while still remembering to HAVE FUN?!!! (Cuz really, if you’re not having fun while you’re pursuing your passions, building your business, or creating your life, what’s the point?)

I’ve struggled to stay awake at various chambers of commerce meetings from DC to LA to Laconia, NH. I’ve noshed rubbery chicken and flavorless pasta dishes at networking events in and around Boston. I’ve been searching for “My Peeps” for a while now, and had pretty much given up the quest.

Until last month, when I hit the 1st anniversary celebration of Women Inspiring Women (WIW), a “networking and development” group that’s growing like gangbusters in membership and reputation throughout NH’s Lakes Region…and the state of NH, too.

Maybe it was as simple as the dozens of pink boas strewn around the tables and displays. (That alone made me giddy.) Or perhaps it was Powerhouse Consulting’s Kathleen Peterson and her keynote speech, “From 34B to 40D…One Woman’s Journey,” in which hard-won tips on personal branding were interspersed with tales from the menopause trenches and the pitfalls of wearing Spanx.

Or maybe, just maybe, it was the the fact that I was greeted with genuine warmth and enthusiasm by everyone, including FABULOUS founder and president Leslie Sturgeon, Career Sparks’ Michelle Whitenack, Edward Jones’ Katie Laux, and so many others.

No one assessed my nametag, shoved a business card in my face, and went off to the next victim…er, I mean, target. No one looked like they were being tortured, or like they overdosed on Lunesta. (Conversely, no one looked like Charo on the Love Boat, either, which can happen at some women-dominant events.)

It just felt like a fit. I kept thinking to myself, “I belong here.” That’s a good feeling, especially in this time of impersonal digital blast networking gone wild. (Thousands of friends? Really?)

This month’s meeting — a lunch soiree featuring Certified Image Consultant Susan Osborne of Be Image Consulting — hit all the right notes, too: Relevant, engaging, well-attended, useful, interesting, unstuffy, and FUN. I gave them my membership dues with gusto, and I’m already looking forward to the next inspired batch of panel discussions, socials, programs, and roundtables.

For a professional gal who’s short on time and always on the look out for personal and professional support and success strategies, I feel insanely lucky that Leslie Sturgeon decided to launch her brainchild up in our neck of the woods. Thanks, Leslie! I’m psyched to be on the WIW team, and can’t wait to learn, blossom, laugh, and grow with you and the rest of the pink boa-wearing power players.

***Hey — if you’re a chick doing biz or playing with your passions in NH, I highly encourage you to come join the party!***

P.S. Need a reminder of what networking’s all about? Check out this article, “The 1-2-3 of Successful Business Networking,” from Career-Resumes.com (for which my dear hubby serves as Chief Blogger).

Posted in Masterminding, Microenterprises R Us | 1 Comment »

This entry was posted on Saturday, June 14th, 2008 at 5:15 pm and is filed under Masterminding, Microenterprises R Us. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

We took a deep breath, and jumped.

That’s the best way I can describe our leap into signing up for Melanie Benson Strick’s coaching program, the Fast Track to a 6 & 7 Figure Lifestyle Business.

We’ve just had our first mastermind call this evening, and we’re thrilled that we’ve reached the point in our business where we feel confident that investing in her coaching program is the next step for taking Epiphanies, Inc. to a new level of success.

It’s not our first time in a coaching program. We were in Adam Urbanski’s “Platinum VIP” marketing mastermind group from June 06-June07, and we were so green in our business, working with Adam really helped us to get started in the world of educational marketing. Adam, we would never have made it this far without you. 

We’ve gotten to the point now in our business where mindset, belief, and delegating to a team are probably the most critical challenges we’re facing, and Melanie’s the perfect person to help us in this area.

This first module we’re going through is designed to set the baseline, so to speak, with an eye on the areas of our business we’ll be working to improve over the next 5-6 months. It’s almost daunting to see how low we scored in the initial assessment, but heck, that means there’s nowhere to go but up, right?

Ultimately, our goal is threefold:

1. To continue to help our million-dollar-revenue clients implement the latest content development and marketing success strategies, to boost their reputation, visibility, and bottom lines.
2. To share what we learn, so we can help NH’s lifestyle micro-preneurs and adventurous small business owners to build their businesses powerfully, confidently, and strategically, through workshops, teleclasses, and other educational programs.
3. To own the “A-Ha!” (bold insight PLUS joy-filled action) once and for all.

This opportunity to shift and grow with other 6 & 7 figure business owners around the country is invaluable. We’ve re-jiggered our lives to make the time to work on our business, not just in it, overcome our fears, stop second-guessing ourselves, and turn concepts like the 80/20 Rule and the Law of Attraction into allies.

Are you interested in us sharing this journey with you on our blog? Please leave us a comment and let us know.

Posted in Dances With Gurus, Entrepreneur Diaries, Masterminding | No Comments »

This entry was posted on Thursday, June 5th, 2008 at 8:20 pm and is filed under Dances With Gurus, Entrepreneur Diaries, Masterminding. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Here’s the deal - I’m WAY behind on email these days. If I wasn’t, I would’ve made this opportunity public on our blog much earlier than this. But since I can’t change what’s in the past, here I am, doing my part to get this opportunity out to any of the lucky few who happen upon it during the next few hours…

Our friend, Mastermind leader, and Marketing Mentor, Adam Urbanski, is offering a teleseminar tonight that’ll be loaded with good advice, strategic tips, and marketing know-how for your biz. It’s called “Client Attraction Secrets,” and it’s scheduled for 6pm PST (9pm EST) TONIGHT, April 17th.

The information Adam’s gonna share tonight will no doubt inspire ways for you to:

• Be more effective with your marketing
• Make more money, and
• Get the results you want and need for your business success

The admission for the 90-minute call is $99. But, since we’re among a handful of folks who’ve been lucky enough to work with Adam one-on-one since May 2006, he’s given us a VIP Access Code we can share on our blog and with our Inciter subscribers that offers $70 OFF the regular fee.

In other words, you click through THIS LINK, sign up for the call, and you pay only $20. That’s only TWENTY BUCKS for hundreds of dollars of top-notch information.

Adam has guided us through thick and thin during the last year. We’re now bringing in 2-3 times more money every single month than we did before we started working with him, and our projections for the second half of 2007 are even higher. We work smarter, enjoy ourselves more, have better clients, and bring more value to those we work with. As you can imagine, all this makes us very, very happy.

Most importantly, though, we understand business and marketing better than we ever hoped to - even though we’ve been studying this stuff for years and years.

You may or may not know Adam. Heck, you may or may not even know us, for that matter.

But we honestly cannot recommend this guy more. You’ll get far more than your money’s worth, whether you pay the $20 or the $99, we guarantee it.

Hope to hear you on the call. Just click this link, www.EpiphaniesInc.com/vipinvite.php, and you’re in!

P.S. If he finds out I shared the above pic of him in his yellow tee and cutsie stuffed animal made from nothing but rolled-up hotel towels at our October, 2006 Mastermind meeting, he’ll kill me! Still, feel free to tease him about it.

Posted in Dances With Gurus, Masterminding | No Comments »

This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 17th, 2007 at 3:50 pm and is filed under Dances With Gurus, Masterminding. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.