I launched my law practice, my very first business, in September 2010. I was lucky enough to start with three clients who were all friends (or friends of friends) that approached me for referrals to a lawyer. I told them I was available to handle their legal needs myself and suddenly I had a law practice with actual, real life clients.
Shortly after that, I started writing a column and getting press. I received lots of emails from folks who wanted to work with me. Half of them were entrepreneurs who wanted legal advice for their new ventures. The other half were lawyers and other professionals who wanted me to answer the question, “how do I build a firm like yours?” Despite the fact that my inbox was regularly dinging, I wasn’t making all that much money. Fame ≠ Fortune.
I wasn’t sure exactly what to do to get my business to look and feel the way I had dreamed about but I knew I needed to do something more than just continue to work non-stop.
I had purchased a “commercial” on the web show, The Rise To The Top with David Siteman Garland. As luck would have it, Pamela Slim was the interview guest for that episode. After the episode went live, Pam and I wound up connecting via Twitter and later via email.
I learned that she was offering a retreat + mastermind group called, Lift Off, and I jumped at the chance to be a part of it, even though my pockets (and husband) were asking how exactly I was gonna pay for this retreat (thank God for payment plans!).
Looking back at the last 5+ years, I am certain that attending that retreat and participating in that mastermind was the BEST THING I EVER DID FOR MY BUSINESS.
For sure.
Not only did Pamela Slim and her co-host, Charlie Gilkey, become my dear friends and mentors (as if that was awesome enough), and not only did I learn A TON about how to build a business, but I also reaped an immense amount of rewards from participating in Lift Off.
Here are just some of the ridiculously amazing results I got from participating in that retreat + mastermind:
- I was part of a mastermind of amazing entrepreneurs and incredible human beings that are all still my friends to this day.
- The private Facebook page for this mastermind group became a source of love and support. Every win, failure, dilemma, sales page and exciting accomplishment that I had was discussed with this group for 3+ years, long after the retreat I attended was over.
- I went from making approximately $25,000 in revenue to having my first five figure month three months later and my first six figure year (and the following year? I more than doubled my revenue, again).
- I met someone who became a client and stayed a client for the last 4+ years, she has also become a dear friend and recently we went on a retreat to Italy together. Oh, did I mention that she also referred TONS of additional clients to me? Yep.
- I got my first major speaking gig at InfusionCon through a connection from this mastermind.
- My speaking coach was a fellow member of this mastermind and she got me ready for my InfusionCon presentation, which later paved the way for me to teach on Creative Live.
- Speaking of Creative Live, the guy who introduced me to the folks at Creative Live was someone I met through my mastermind peeps.
- Oh, and the guy who approved my course for Creative Live (who I met through my mastermind peeps), later left the company and went back into book editing and is now helping me write my first book proposal.
I could go on but I think you get the point.
Why did I get such amazing results? Because #squad.
It is scientifically proven that building a business by yourself is 1,000,000,000,000 times harder without having a squad. You need the support of a group of peers who will be endless resources of love, encouragement, marketing strategies, software, systems, inspiration, people you should connect with, potential clients and so much more.
If you don’t have a squad, get one. That one step alone will set your business up for massive success. Ask any successful business owner you know and I guarantee they have an amazing network of entrepreneurial friends that have been instrumental in helping them achieve success.
Do you have a squad of fellow entrepreneurs to support you on your journey? If not, click here to request all of the details about my new 2016 mastermind program.
