Brian K. McRae left behind his corporate job in B2B IT training to start his own mortgage referral business, achieving impressive results and building a mastermind group along the way. Brian even began coaching other business owners, helping them to master his signature concept of becoming “radically referable.” Somehow, despite these early successes, Brian couldn’t shake the feeling that he wasn’t helping as many people as he could.

The principles he taught had changed his life, and he knew they had the ability to do the same for more people, if only he could reach them. That’s when Brian discovered The mastermind Playbook and began to set conscious and specific goals towards growing his mastermind group and coaching practice. Those commitments - and the accountability provided by a group of mentors and confidants - gave him the push he needed to make the impact he desired.

Since setting those ambitious goals, Brian managed to...

The collaborative power of stages changed Peter Vargas’ life forever. Specifically, hearing inspirational speakers on a stage provided the catalyst for him to repair his relationship with his father and found a multi-million dollar company based on connecting people to the right stages and speaking opportunities. Pete even grew his company, Advance Your Reach, by sharing stages with legendary speakers like Michael Phelps, Robert Cialdini, and Sarah Blakely. 

Finding the right stage or platform allows leaders to connect to an audience with a powerful spirit of collaboration. This collaborative ethos empowers leaders to tell their story, and open the door to fruitful relationship-building and networking. 

Unfortunately, many leaders miss out on opportunities to collaborate with others because they get stuck in a mindset of scarcity and competition. Rather than building win-win relationships, they’re bent on getting ahead by sabotaging others....

Tommy Breedlove built a name for himself as an industry-leading businessman long ago, but somewhere along the way he realized his blind ambition was preventing him from living a well-rounded and balanced life. This epiphany led to a journey of self-exploration which culminated in a renowned coaching practice, one that made Tommy a sought-after keynote speaker and world-class mastermind facilitator.

Tommy credits the knowledge he learned from The Mastermind Playbook for his breakout success as a mastermind leader, and the ability to say no to the wrong opportunities for showing him how to simplify his life and help others do the same. 

Looking at Tommy’s transition from a successful-but-overwhelmed businessman to a truly happy and well-rounded leader brings to mind chapter 8 of Dan Sullivan’s Who Not How. Chapter 8 is titled “How to Avoid the Wrong Whos, Even Highly Attractive Ones,” and talks about why the capacity to say...

Listen Here: https://anchor.fm/champion-hope/episodes/Big-A---Aaron-Walker-Shares-about-Living-a-Significant-Life-and-the-Value-of-a-Deep-Mastermind-evs3s5

Big A:

Lantz, how’s it going buddy?

Lantz Howard:

Good morning Big A.

Big A:

Doing okay?

Lantz Howard:

I’m well. Thank you so much. Thank you. It’s nice and cool here this morning. A little bit of rain in north Texas. What’s going on in the Nashville area?

Big A:

Overcast. It’s not terrible. It’s comfortable. The weather’s comfortable outside, but it’s a little overcast. I like sun. I got a little sinus stuff going on today. So I’m fighting through that. I’ve been in the steam room for about a half hour this morning trying to get all this out of my head. But it’s good. I feel great other than just this little bit of coughing, little bit of head trash. If you can tolerate that I’m fired up and ready to go.

Lantz Howard:

Well I am honored to have you,...

The Power of "Who Not How"

I'm on fire as I write this! Just a couple of weeks ago, we hosted our Iron Sharpens Iron Mastermind Retreat in Nashville, Tennessee. These retreats never fail to renew my love of mastermind groups. 

Imagine over 100 men from around the country gathering together to support and empower each other. That kind of energy just feels different! Each member gets the chance to share recent successes, current obstacles, and things they're looking forward to. We also bring in top-level speakers to inspire and motivate our mastermind group members. 

These in-person events really bolster our weekly Zoom meetings. If you think connections are made during those weekly calls, imagine the connections made in-person. I’ve noticed something about people. All you have to do is set the stage for genuine conversations and they’ll take care of the rest. 

It’s part of my vision that every member of my online mastermind...

How to ensure members thrive, even when they’re not sitting in the group meeting

A good mastermind group can give a person a leg up in life or business. 

A great mastermind group can be life-changing. 

But what separates good from great? 

The resources you provide? Thanks to the internet, anybody can provide good resources. 

Is it the camaraderie available in your online mastermind group? There’s a chance the atmosphere in your group is better than others, but it won’t make your members see your group as truly great. 

The best return on investment you can give those in your online mastermind group is the gift of execution. If you can encourage people to take the necessary steps to achieve their goals, they’ll remember you fondly. This will lead them to refer their friends and colleagues to join your group. 

After all, we know execution is what really matters. You can have all the...

A brief guide to better management

I’m going to tell you something you already know. Management is difficult. 

I wish it wasn’t, but it’s true. 

What’s a mastermind group leader to do? You could pack it in and choose to not manage people. But that would be a surefire way to miss out on the impact and connections you could make. 

We all know mastermind groups can be life-changing, so quitting is off the table. The way I see it, you only have one option: get better at managing yourself and others. 

But how do you do this? Think of the management industry. There are thousands of managers across the world. Many make entire careers out of managing other people. These individuals make it their mission to observe, dissect, and guide the habits of those around them. 

If you don’t have years to pour into management, it may feel like you’ll never be the manager you want to be. Get that...

How a Sales Framework Changes EVERYTHING

What jobs have you held in the past? What did they teach you?

I was a general contractor. It was up to me and my partners to construct all different types of buildings. Each building project was different in its own right, but each started with the same thing.

The thing I speak of applies to running a mastermind group. Once you have it, you can confidently scale your business. On the flip side, it’s obvious if you get this wrong. If the thing isn’t well designed, the business will collapse.  

What is this fundamental thing I speak of?

The framework!

If you’ve seen a building in progress, you know that the framework isn’t fancy. It’s not decorated. It doesn’t have a door, windows, paint, or a roof. It’s not ready for its intended purpose.

Yet, without it, nothing will ever happen inside the building.

If your mastermind business is in...

Why long-held beliefs about prioritization aren’t helpful

Business coaches say it all the time: “Take your to-do list, prioritize the most valuable things, and delegate the rest. It’s the only way to be truly successful.”

There’s some truth to that, but there's also more to the story. You need to be self-aware, and learn how to make fewer bad decisions. What I’m trying to say is, don’t put the wrong things first. You’ll waste time and energy rigging your schedule to bring you success … in all the wrong places. 

I know this from experience. Before running online mastermind groups, I was a successful general contractor. I had contracts and crews everywhere.

My wife Robin and I agreed that my role as the family provider was important. I screwed up by assuming it was my only role. As the business grew, my time with my family shrank. Of course, I made it to big events like school concerts and other...

How to Employ the “Story Formula” to Grow Your Mastermind Business

As the springtime sun brings warmer temperatures and longer days, I’m itching to go on long walks! I LOVE to walk. I walk with my family. I walk with friends. And, if you’ve seen my YouTube videos, you know I even walk by myself! 

I especially like walking on nature trails. As you walk, you see little guideposts with messages printed on them. These guideposts tell you where you’re at and where you can go. 

Most of the trails here in Tennessee share routes with other trails. Without the guideposts, it would be easy to walk down the wrong path. It’s better to know where you are, so you can make an informed decision about where to go next.

Could you imagine starting down a trail without direction? It would be impossible to reach your destination.

That seems straightforward, doesn’t it? But many business owners make this mistake when...