As an entrepreneur, we walk a different path than many other folks.  So often this can be very isolating.  I learned early on in my business that you only grow as much as the circle of your closest friends.  Many entrepreneurs can’t even talk with their spouses about their work, because they just don’t understand and unless they grew up in an entrepreneur’s home couldn’t even picture it.

So to help me to continue to grow and build my businesses, I have regularly been a member of various mastermind groups.  A mastermind group is simply a common bond with a group of people focused around something.  Some years I have been a member of multiple groups.  This allows me to keep learning as well as give back to a community from the years of experience I have as well.  

Some masterminds meet monthly in person, some virtually, but the key is consistency.  I am a member of the KREI, kingdom real estate investors.  We meet weekly and then 3 times a year we have a live meetup somewhere throughout the country.  It is always a great time as we get to meet folks that we have never met before in person, as well as pray for and get to know each other and their businesses better.  

This year’s spring event was in Kansas City.  What a great time we had.  We had quite a few new members to the group as well as long time friends.  It gives us the opportunity to see what local investors are doing well and get feedback on our businesses and access to resources to help them out.

This year we got to see a strip mall conversion to self storage and church conversions to businesses that will pay the bills so that the churches can afford to rent the building as well.  Our friends, Ben Aspen at Aspen Funds, and Ben McClain at Narthex are doing great works in the Kansas City area.  So it was awesome to be able to see it in person after talking about it.  

If you’re not part of a mastermind, you may want to consider.  It is a great way to continue learning, but also get valuable feedback and access to resources that others have that could help you and your business.

Yes masterminds, take work and money, but so does everything in life.  You will pay for your education either upfront, or on the backside learning the hard way.  Save yourself some time and learn from others, you’ll make plenty of your own mistakes.  You’ll save money in the long run.