By Elaine Marshall
On a brisk January day, I boarded a flight bound for New York City from Los Angeles. Why? To spend a full day with my “tribe” (Peter Shankman’s “Shankminds” members) and remember why I became an entrepreneur and I started learning about equity release costs.
To quote Peter Shankman, “Entrepreneurs are great actors.” It’s lonely being in business for yourself. Sure, you have your team, but you are managing them. Attending a mastermind provides insight into new solutions for business issues you may be experiencing.
Also, by listening to the other great business owners like Andrew Defrancesco speak about their businesses, you learn about yours.
The mastermind recently held in New York is a worthy investment in my media relations consultancy, Empowered PR. All attendees are on the “hot seat” for 21 minutes with five other business owners. We each received valuable feedback from others and got clarity on some challenges.
Some common advice I can share from our session includes:
- Be able to create a profile of your target customer (size of company, company offerings, contact person that you would work with)
- Begin with the problem that your business solves and offer an easy solution that people can hire you for
- Give before you ask. Offer solutions to problems that your audience can put into action and then close with an offer that provides them with the opportunity to pay for your services to get additional solutions
I joined the group of about 150 entrepreneurs nearly two years ago. Members are business owners from across the United States, with a few international members. We have office hours twice a week for an hour via Zoom – these calls are top priorities for me and I try not to miss a call if I don’t have to.
The group provides a sounding board for ideas, offers an extra set of eyes when I need editing help and challenges me by keeping tabs on me by holding me accountable for the goals I’ve set for myself and my business.
Are you a part of a mastermind? Find more information on the mastermind I’m part of at www.Shankman.com. You might find that this is the right tribe for you. If not, contact me and I will offer some ideas.
About Empowered PR
Elaine Marshall, president of Empowered PR, brings more than 25 years of experience to her business. She works with companies to craft messaging and provide them with media coverage that aligns perfectly with their branding. Elaine’s placement record includes The Associated Press, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, USA Today, Fortune, Forbes and more. She has propelled stories of Apple, Texas Instruments, FedEx, Toshiba, Viking Technology and more into the media.