We introduced the mastermind format into Network In Action very early on because we knew the value it could bring to the members. The most important thing when it comes to networking is building deep relationships. In 2014, I realized that I didn’t hate networking—I just hated the way it was being done. Thus, an idea was born, and I began my first Network In Action group. After about sixteen months of running the group myself, I went home and told my wife, “These people are so close; they love each other so much. We don’t even have to focus on networking or building relationships because it’s happening on its own. But I don’t think we can sustain just being a wine club. We must do something bigger than this.” I knew the mastermind model was what we needed.
Think about this: When the military sends soldiers into training, those soldiers go through exercises together to build camaraderie and to build their connection with each other. In some ways, that becomes a matter of life and death for them. We have built these same principles into our monthly meetings and into our culture. We go through exercises each month with our members and in our leadership meetings where we’re delving into the problems and struggles in our businesses, as well as our successes, and all of a sudden, it connects people so much deeper. This is an important key to building relationships—but it’s more than that.
With everyone coming from different backgrounds, there is so much wisdom and experience that can be shared to help the next person. That’s what we’re doing every month with NIA. When we get together, there is so much talent in the room. Maybe someone is struggling with the financial part of their business but somebody else there has experienced that before and can help them figure it out. Or maybe one person is good at marketing and somebody else is really struggling in that area, so they have a conversation and problems get solved. We help each other by sharing the mistakes we’ve made and our successes. By bringing people together and working on all these different pieces of business, you’ve got a team of people lined up to support you and to learn from you.
If you don’t think you have something to offer, you’re wrong. You just have to show up and let the magic happen. All of us have gifts, all of us have strengths and weaknesses. You may not even know what value you have until you get here; but then, all of a sudden, the magic happens! There’s not a better feeling in the world.
People might join Network in Action for the referrals, but they stay for the business solutions. So often, we join these networking groups to get referrals and to grow our businesses and move the needle on our bottom line. That’s happening, but it’s just the tip of the iceberg. The business solutions are happening in all the ways that our members put a need out there and the group can fulfill that need. The diversity in the gifts we have to offer is what makes NIA work so well. At Network In Action, we truly believe that; we see it happening every day. Each one of these franchise owners have come from a different place and background. Among them, we have about twenty business coaches, another twenty people who still own additional businesses, five PhDs, two attorneys, two Navy SEALs, and a Marine fighter pilot! All of these individuals have been successful in their NIA franchises.