Years ago, I attended a three-day marketing/public speaking training conference in Los Angeles hosted by James “Big Money Speaker” Malinchak, with a heavy emphasis on “selling from the stage.”
Which is exactly what candidates do when speaking to groups. They hope to “sell” the audience on their candidacy, and/or donate or volunteer to the campaign.
Like many people (maybe you?), speaking in front of a large group of people wasn’t exactly my favorite thing to do. I was fearful, self-conscious, and, well, pretty bad at it. Had a knot in my stomach every time I took the stage.
But this conference was completely different from every other public speaking course I’d ever taken. I learned tips, tricks, and “cheats” there that were never taught at Toastmasters or Dale Carnegie.
Today, I still get a few butterflies before a speech, but I don’t dread them like an IRS audit any longer.
Anyway, at the end of the training conference James offered a “Mastermind” program for continuing education. I’d never heard the term “Mastermind” before – and, frankly, it sounded a little weird to me.
The term was coined in 1925 by Napolean Hill in his seminal book, “Think and Grow Rich.”
In short, a Mastermind is a group of people sharing a similar objective who get together on a regular basis to compare notes, learn new ideas, and support each other under the direction of group leader.
And joining one can be a game-changer.
First off, imagine having your own personal brainstorming team. You bring your challenges to the table, and boom – diverse perspectives flood in. It's like tapping into a pool of different skills, experiences, and ideas that you might have never thought of on your own.
And there's the accountability magic.
Your fellow group members become your “accountability buddies.” You set goals and they keep you on track. It's like having a friendly nudge to ensure you're making progress.
Plus, there's this incredible support system. When the going gets tough, you've got a group cheering you on, sharing in your victories, and helping you navigate the bumps in the road.
Networking? Oh, it's not just a buzzword here.
You're surrounded by motivated folks from various backgrounds. Connections are made, collaborations spark, and you might even find your next business partner or mentor.
Knowledge sharing is another gem. Need advice on something? Someone in the group has probably been there, done that, and can offer some gold nuggets of wisdom.
And let's not forget the confidence boost. Expressing your ideas and getting feedback – it's a confidence booster like no other.
Plus, there's a whole lot of goal-setting and achieving going on. The group dynamic pushes you to set clear goals, and the collective energy makes achieving them seem less daunting.
In a nutshell, being part of a mastermind group is like having a support squad, brainstorming crew, and networking powerhouse all rolled into one. It's personal and professional growth on steroids.
Now, the Mastermind program James offered at the marketing conference turned out to be an investment worth its weight in gold to me and my non-profit organization. I got my money back – and then some – with just ONE fundraising idea sparked during my first meeting.
In addition, the group members proved to be invaluable. While I was the only “political” member of our group, I learned a ton from the others who were quite successful in their own fields.
For example, at one in-person Mastermind meeting I sat next to actress/motivational speaker Barbara Niven. And I learned a ton from her about doing videos, audios, on-camera interviews, TV, radio, and public presentations.
I still refer to my autographed copy of her “111 Star Power Tips” on a regular basis. Priceless.
Yes, your campaign IS a small business. So even if you can’t find a political Mastermind to join, don’t hesitate to join one for successful small business owners.
Which leads me to…
I’m putting together a virtual Mastermind group for candidates called the “Winners Circle.” It’ll be a “game changer” for those accepted into the program – whether you’re a first-time candidate or a seasoned politico.
I’ll serve as the group leader; however, I’ll be bringing in outside experts to our get-togethers on various aspects of running a winning campaign, as well as policy experts and leaders of important coalition groups.
The meetings will be conducted on Zoom (I’m in the process of building a home “studio” as we speak), so anyone anywhere in the country will be able to join.
However…
This program is going to be very comprehensive, and members are going to get a lot of one-on-one attention from me. So I’m limiting it to just 50 candidates nationwide.
I hope to launch by the first of the year. Check back here for the link once we go “live.”