via Flickr US Army
I spent almost 5 years serving in the Army. One of the things that I miss the most is the camaraderie and shared experience. If things were going bad and I had barely slept in days, I always knew someone else was sucking it up right there with me. When I first started Command Your Business, I felt like I was alone and no one could relate to what I was trying to do. It was not until I joined a Mastermind group of like minded entrepreneurs that I realized I was not alone. If you don’t know what a Mastermind group is, this article does a good job of describing one:
A group of smart people meet weekly, monthly, daily even if it makes sense, to tackle challenges and problems together. They lean on each other, give advice, share connections and do business with each other when appropriate. It’s very much peer-to-peer mentoring and if you are lucky enough to get invited to one, you will most likely see a marked change in yourself and your business.
The great thing about today’s technology is that you do not need to meet in person. You can connect with people all over the world with free tools like Skype and Google Hangouts. My mastermind “meets” weekly on a Google Hangout and it has been very beneficial to me. I think Veterans who want to start a business could benefit greatly from one composed of other Veteran Entrepreneurs and Business Owners.
Here are 5 Reasons To Join A Veteran Mastermind:
- You share a common past and common vision for the future
- I have found that I easily connect with other people who have served in the military. When you couple that shared service with a common goal of starting a business, it is a powerful combination.
- You are not afraid to give you honest feedback
- Being a part of a Mastermind is not about having someone to say yes to all of your ideas. What is truly valuable, is when someone gives you honest feedback. It may not always be what you want to hear, but it is what you need to hear. Veterans are great at giving honest feedback and receiving it. Everyone has been through some type of After Action Review and can relate.
- You share a common language
- Veterans have their own language just like any other profession. It is refreshing to talk to someone who understands what ETS, DD-214, LES, Oscar Mike, and the thousands acronyms and saying are with out taking 20 minutes to explain each one.
- You know the resources focused on helping Veterans
- There are so many resources today that are focused on helping Veterans start a business it is hard to keep track of them all. The great thing about being connected with other Veteran Entrepreneurs is learning from each other what is available.
- You regain a sense of team and camaraderie
- One of the biggest benefits that I have seen is the regained sense of camaraderie and the feeling of belonging to a “unit” again. It feels really good to be around people who get who you are and your vision. They know not only the challenges of trying to start a business, but what it means to be a Veteran.
I am building a Veteran Entrepreneur Community within Command Your Business. I initially opened it up to a select group of Veterans who want to build a business. The focus is on giving members the support, connections and training to succeed. I am excited to see the bold action the early adopters are taking. One of the key components of the community is building Veteran Entrepreneur Mastermind Groups. If you would like to be selected to join phase two, please enter your information below to get on the waiting list.
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