The power of the Mastermind revisited...

[Dien Rice]

As far as I know, the concept of a "Mastermind" group originated with Napoleon Hill, in his book "Think and Grow Rich"...

Though some have added to it and helped us understand it more deeply - including Gordon Alexander and Glenn Osborn... I also read a short book on it by Mark Silver (which is not generally available to my knowledge)...

What is a Mastermind?

Napoleon Hill defined it as...

"Coordination of knowledge and effort, in a spirit of harmony between two or more people, for the attainment of a definite purpose."

We've all heard the phrase, "Two heads are better than one!"

However, the caveat is that these "two (or more) heads" should be in "harmony" of purpose... Without the harmony, it may not be helpful...

Two people snarling at each other like two dogs fighting... wishing to kill each other... is not a "Mastermind"...!

I have a "loose" mastermind... It consists of people like one of my brothers, as well as Gordon Alexander, and a few others...

It is really important WHO is in your Mastermind... For business purposes, you want to choose others who are also entrepreneurial... Not people who will automatically knock your ideas down for the sake of it, because they don't want to see you succeed!

We can expand more on this later...

Till later,

Dien

[Dien Rice]

There's a difference between "coaching" or "training" and a "Mastermind"...

A Mastermind is generally between peers... A case where each person can benefit from the feedback of the other person...

It's generally not a "one way street"... Whereas "coaching" and "training" tends to be one way...

A "guru" being surrounded by his or her adoring followers, eyes as wide as dinner plates... is usually not a "Mastermind"...

(Though there might be smaller Masterminds within the group... Such as followers who get to know each other, then form their own Mastermind...)

I feel I have to mention this because sometimes people sell coaching programs and trainings as "Masterminds"... when usually they are not the same...

Masterminds are very important, especially for us "solopreneurs"... Those in large companies may have their own "Masterminds" within the organization.

If you're in business for yourself, having a Mastermind "in house" like this is often not an option...

More later...

Dien

Originally Posted by Dien Rice

As far as I know, the concept of a "Mastermind" group originated with Napoleon Hill, in his book "Think and Grow Rich"...

Though some have added to it and helped us understand it more deeply - including Gordon Alexander and Glenn Osborn... I also read a short book on it by Mark Silver (which is not generally available to my knowledge)...

What is a Mastermind?

Napoleon Hill defined it as...

"Coordination of knowledge and effort, in a spirit of harmony between two or more people, for the attainment of a definite purpose."

We've all heard the phrase, "Two heads are better than one!"

However, the caveat is that these "two (or more) heads" should be in "harmony" of purpose... Without the harmony, it may not be helpful...

Two people snarling at each other like two dogs fighting... wishing to kill each other... is not a "Mastermind"...!

I have a "loose" mastermind... It consists of people like one of my brothers, Gordon Alexander, and a few others...

It is really important WHO is in your Mastermind... For business purposes, you want to choose others who are also entrepreneurial... Not people who will automatically knock your ideas down for the sake of it, because they don't want to see you succeed!

We can expand more on this later...

Till later,

Dien

[Dien Rice]

We are all surrounded by people who don't think "entrepreneurially"... and who, given the chance, are ready to slap all your plans down, with why they "won't work"...

What they mean is that they probably couldn't make it work! That doesn't mean that you can't make it work...

Why go back for more and more slaps? Yet... some people do...

(You can still be friends with these people... Just don't talk to them about your entrepreneurial plans if their minds can't accept it...)

So you definitely need entrepreneurially-minded people around you, who you can talk with on the same wavelength...

Having said that, other kinds of "Masterminds" are also useful... Including with the people around you in your life, the people you interact with, and so on...

Once you get on the same "wavelength" you can produce a "Mastermind"-type of connection...

Is there a "mystical" or "psychic" side to forming a "Mastermind?"

(WEIRDNESS alert...)

Napoleon Hill put it this way...

"No two minds ever come together without, thereby, creating a third, invisible, intangible force which may be likened to a third mind."

We've discussed a lot about Masterminds on this forum over time... You can easily find these discussions by using the "Search" function (which you should see somewhere above this post)...

I remember even once we discussed whether you could have a "psychic" Mastermind, even with people who have long since passed... There could be benefits in even that!

One very successful entrepreneur I know swears on the benefits of writing letters to people that you never send to them... So they'll never even know about it.

Could that form a kind of unusual "psychic" Mastermind?

I'll leave it at that for now... but we may come back to it in future...

Best wishes,

Dien

Originally Posted by Dien Rice

There's a difference between "coaching" or "training" and a "Mastermind"...

A Mastermind is generally between peers... A case where each person can benefit from the feedback of the other person...

It's generally not a "one way street"... Whereas "coaching" and "training" tends to be one way...

A "guru" being surrounded by his or her adoring followers, eyes as wide as dinner plates... is usually not a "Mastermind"...

(Though there might be smaller Masterminds within the group... Such as followers who get to know each other, then form their own Mastermind...)

I feel I have to mention this because sometimes people sell coaching programs and trainings as "Masterminds"... when usually they are not the same...

Masterminds are very important, especially for us "solopreneurs"... Those in large companies may have their own "Masterminds" within the organization.

If you're in business for yourself, having a Mastermind "in house" like this is often not an option...

More later...

Dien

[GordonJ]

Thanks Dien,

We all have people in our lives whom we steer certain convos away from...be they political, religious or Entrepreneurial...or as the old saw goes:

"A man convinced against his will
is of the same opinion still."

As for Mastermind groups, over the years I have come more and more to take the side of Jim Straw, who taught only TWO people can create the third "mind", but I've seen and been in groups of 3 or four. More than four, and I think the energy of the group is dissipated. Strictly anecdotal, as these things must be, but I've found that several smaller Masterminds of just two or 3 people work better than larger groups.

Ideally, just two. Just getting 3 people together these days, even on skype or whatevs, is hard enough. And they should be of a free and open nature, so one person should not assume a leader or guru, or mentor status...but as you say PEERS seeking perspective.

Some of my best Mastermind groups have had only 3 in them; me, myself and I...HA!

OH, those were the groups that had the most disagreement, most arguments and least success too!!!!!!!

Gordon

Originally Posted by Dien Rice

We are all surrounded by people who don't think "entrepreneurially"... and who, given the chance, are ready to slap all your plans down, with why they "won't work"...

What they mean is that they probably couldn't make it work! That doesn't mean that you can't make it work...

Why go back for more and more slaps? Yet... some people do...

(You can still be friends with these people... Just don't talk to them about your entrepreneurial plans if their minds can't accept it...)

So you definitely need entrepreneurially-minded people around you, who you can talk with on the same wavelength...

Having said that, other kinds of "Masterminds" are also useful... Including with the people around you in your life, the people you interact with, and so on...

Once you get on the same "wavelength" you can produce a "Mastermind"-type of connection...

Is there a "mystical" or "psychic" side to forming a "Mastermind?"

(WEIRDNESS alert...)

Napoleon Hill put it this way...

"No two minds ever come together without, thereby, creating a third, invisible, intangible force which may be likened to a third mind."

We've discussed a lot about Masterminds on this forum over time... You can easily find these discussions by using the "Search" function (which you should see somewhere above this post)...

I remember even once we discussed whether you could have a "psychic" Mastermind, even with people who have long since passed... There could be benefits in even that!

One very successful entrepreneur I know swears on the benefits of writing letters to people that you never send to them... So they'll never even know about it.

Could that form a kind of unusual "psychic" Mastermind?

I'll leave it at that for now... but we may come back to it in future...

Best wishes,

Dien

[Dien Rice]

Hi Gordon,

I agree with you... Two or three in a Mastermind works best...

I have been part of a Mastermind which was five of us working together in a business. I put the group together, but we were all peers...

It was a combination of a finance business - the money transfer industry - plus software which we developed ourselves. I brought the money transfer people, and the software people together, and placed myself in the group too... In a way where they couldn't remove me easily. (Since if people can bypass you - so they get more money themselves - they will!) That's where the "toll position" concept came in handy...!

The group itself worked well - but the business, unfortunately, failed (due to external circumstances beyond our control)...

I don't plan to do that again, though! (If I do, please call Bellevue...) It was a lot of work, and in this case, it didn't work out in the end... I think nowadays, I prefer to keep it simple...

Best wishes,

Dien

Originally Posted by GordonJ

Thanks Dien,

We all have people in our lives whom we steer certain convos away from...be they political, religious or Entrepreneurial...or as the old saw goes:

"A man convinced against his will
is of the same opinion still."

As for Mastermind groups, over the years I have come more and more to take the side of Jim Straw, who taught only TWO people can create the third "mind", but I've seen and been in groups of 3 or four. More than four, and I think the energy of the group is dissipated. Strictly anecdotal, as these things must be, but I've found that several smaller Masterminds of just two or 3 people work better than larger groups.

Ideally, just two. Just getting 3 people together these days, even on skype or whatevs, is hard enough. And they should be of a free and open nature, so one person should not assume a leader or guru, or mentor status...but as you say PEERS seeking perspective.

Some of my best Mastermind groups have had only 3 in them; me, myself and I...HA!

OH, those were the groups that had the most disagreement, most arguments and least success too!!!!!!!

Gordon

[GordonJ]

Well, we both have had some NOT so successful attempts these past two decades, and the learning was awesome, if not hard on the wallet, eh?

Another thing a Mastermind creates, is an ENERGY, maybe a third or seperate mind, but accountability and FOCUS is a big benefit too.

I think an ideal for me would be several TWO person Masterminds, like you and I have and you have with your brother...and although we had one also with Harvey Brody, which was more of a Mentoring rather than a Mastermind...his were/are mostly transactional.

It is the JOINING of the minds, the harmony created and the energy of the connection where the real power lies.

I'm more along the lines of a doubles team in tennis than a futbol or football team, where the results could be a "weak link" (ala Clev. Browns and Baker Mayfield, superbowl champs on paper, preseason, super chumps at the end)...

In a business, the more links you have the more likely it is one of them will either break down, or underperform and there is the getting the TIME for everyone to be a part of the mastermind meetings.

I think TEAMS in business of two people, maybe 3 will outperform teams of 5 or more almost every day of the week.

Joint Ventures can be a form of a Mastermind group, if both have skin in the game and want the same results.

So doubles in tennis over soccer, and although I root for the Browns, I never ever put any moolah on them, after all, Cleveland is the mistake on the lake (LeBron being the outlier/exception in Cleve. Sports history).

Gordon

Originally Posted by Dien Rice

Hi Gordon,

I agree with you... Two or three in a Mastermind works best...

I have been part of a Mastermind which was five of us working together in a business. I put the group together, but we were all peers...

It was a combination of a finance business - the money transfer industry - plus software which we developed ourselves. I brought the money transfer people, and the software people together, and placed myself in the group too... In a way where they couldn't remove me easily. (Since if people can bypass you - so they get more money themselves - they will!) That's where the "toll position" concept came in handy...!

The group itself worked well - but the business, unfortunately, failed (due to external circumstances beyond our control)...

I don't plan to do that again, though! (If I do, please call Bellevue...) It was a lot of work, and in this case, it didn't work out in the end... I think nowadays, I prefer to keep it simple...

Best wishes,

Dien

[Glenn]

Thanks Dien,

Jim Straw and I used to DISCUSS this.

Jim was convinced that a "Mastermind" couldn't consist of more that 2 Minds.

I was Doing the same - 2 people in a Mastermind.

But Had Several Mentors Worth 1/2 a Billion and more who were Creating MASTERMIND GROUPS - which Made noodles of money.

Below is a MASTERMIND of Two I Formed With The
Verizon Telephone/Internet Repairman who Showed
Up at my Door TODAY.

=========
=========
Thanks Ashley,

Little Bow-legged man - short pants. FuManchu Mustache
Showed up.

Listened to My Story.

"...Flash of Light - Grinding Sound when I reset the Breaker."

Stated, "It's Working Now So That's all we care about."

ME - OK. 2nd thing - can You Help Me Install New WiFi Equipment.

HE - "Easy if You Have The Passcode

ME - "I Do

He - In Basement After Plugging New Wifi in - "This Thing is Busted. Let me see If I have one in The Truck.

ME - "Good Thing I called You.

PHONE RINGS - "Hello, This IS Verizon (ROBOT) Calling to ASK if Your Problem is Fixed.
Hit #1 if YES - #2 if NO - I Hit NO. Hung Up. While Machine was TALKING.

ME - Told Mr FuManchu - at his Truck. "The VErizon ROBOT Called to Tell Me You
Were Going to Arrive Btwn 10 and 12 -

Mr FuManchu - GRUNTED.

NEW UNIT - Worked. Tech Read Me The NEW Fios Name and Pass-word off The Back of The Wifi - ***My old CODES No Good - Which I did Not know.***

Mr FuManchu in Front of Computer. - Picked out The 5G Link off a List of 10
that popped up on The Screen.

ME - "That won't work cuz We Don't have 5G out here.

Mr FuManchu - "No that's the one.

ME - I read him the name and password. The Computer Fired up and I was on The Internet
in 2 Seconds.

Mr FuManchu - "I won't Report You Had a Bad Unit. You Won't Be Billed for the one I gave You On The Truck. You are good to go."

Mr FuManchu - Out the Door.

Mr FuManchu - Didn't say "Goodbye or wave.

BOTTOM LINE.

If I had Not Insisted on Paying for a TECH visit - I Would Have Bolixed My Passwords Up
NOT KNOWING the New WiFi Unit Was DEFECTIVE.

And Had to Call and WAIT for a Service TECH Anyway.

SHEESH.

Thanks,
Glenn

[Glenn]

Thanks Dien, Gordon,

Do You Think it is Possible to Create a Mastermind with someone Who DOES NOT KNOW he or she is IN a Mastermind - To Make a Sale?

I Think so.

I Met a Guy making 100K a Month in an MLM - Flying btwn Groups to Speak.

I told him, "Beautiful Watch."

Jim told me how he met this guy. He and His Wife and The other Couple meet for dinner after each School Play Their Kids are in.

His New Friend - Helped him find a Mechanic when his Mercedes Broke down.

His Friend, Lent him a Car while his was in The Shop.

His New Friend, Introduced him to Several New MLM Prospects.

His MASTERMIND FRIEND Lent him a Rolex Watch to Test Out for a few weeks.

I Laughed.

I Said, "Puppy Dog."

Jim asked, "What Do You Mean - and What is so funny?

ME - "Let me put it this way."

How many MLM Groups have you Spoken to Wearing The New Watch?

JIM - a Dozen

ME - 100's of people?

JIM - "Yeah, So?"

ME - "And What happens when Those 100's of Prospects SEE You without That new 50K Watch?

Jim - "DAMMIT!"

CHA-CHING.

Thanks,
Glenn

[Glenn]

Thanks Gordon, Dien,

I sent a Flying Cow - Dog Toy to a Realtor Client.

Jerry sent it to a Speaker at a Millionaire Realtor RoundTable Meeting of the Top Realtors in THE USA.

That Man Held Up The "Flying Cow." - ON STAGE.

SMACKED it on The Podium - to make it go "MOO MOO."

Called Jerry up on Stage.

Explained that THIS Was The ONLY THING he had gotten in The Mail that Grabbed His Attention - enough to READ the accompanying "Letter."

A "Thank You Letter."

Result - over the course of the weekend.

Dozens and dozens of the Top realtors CAME over to Jerry - And he Got to Pick Their Brains For New Ideas.

Thanks,
Glenn

https://www.amazon.com/Playmaker-Toy.../dp/B000KK3WDM

[Dien Rice]

Hi Glenn,

Thanks for showing us the power of rapport for making moolah and making sales...

Gee... one could even get rich doing this...

One way to look at it is... people are bored out of their minds half the time. If you can give them some positive excitement, they'll love you for it (and remember you)...

Ciao, and best wishes,

Dien

Originally Posted by Glenn

Thanks Gordon, Dien,

I sent a Flying Cow - Dog Toy to a Realtor Client.

Jerry sent it to a Speaker at a Millionaire Realtor RoundTable Meeting of the Top Realtors in THE USA.

That Man Held Up The "Flying Cow." - ON STAGE.

SMACKED it on The Podium - to make it go "MOO MOO."

Called Jerry up on Stage.

Explained that THIS Was The ONLY THING he had gotten in The Mail that Grabbed His Attention - enough to READ the accompanying "Letter."

A "Thank You Letter."

Result - over the course of the weekend.

Dozens and dozens of the Top realtors CAME over to Jerry - And he Got to Pick Their Brains For New Ideas.

Thanks,
Glenn

https://www.amazon.com/Playmaker-Toy.../dp/B000KK3WDM