Last week, our WBII mastermind group held its first official meeting, attended by six women from diverse fields: custom storage, Feng Shui, artisanal baking, event design, writing mentorship, and strategic HR and consulting.
At the beginning, I didn’t know how well the chemistry would be. Yet it was interesting to see the way a group of independent professionals moved so swiftly from polite introductions to active collaboration.
A clear structure provided a sense of security. We began with brief introductions, discussed our goals for the group, and outlined our commitments for the next six weeks. Because the ground rules created a safe container (confidentiality, timeliness, candour, and turn-taking), people dropped their armour and got right to the point .
Micro-commitments were more effective than general networking. Within 90 minutes, the members had naturally formed pairs: two arranged a one-on-one creative session for market research; three offered to read a draft chapter from another member’s book; and the rest agreed to review my core value proposition. By making these specific, actionable commitments, each member left with clarity and mutual accountability.
We recognized that members can set commitments that suit their needs. While masterminds often focus on accelerating growth, true business sustainability also requires balance. One member chose to focus on self-reflection and trusting the process, while others set more ambitious goals, such as prospecting for new clients and pursuing collaborations. Both reflective and results-driven goals are valued in our group, affirming that different approaches can coexist successfully.
Having the right people in a thoughtfully structured setting makes a significant difference, and I look forward to our next meeting in four weeks.
Velina Veleva is a strategic advisor facilitating business transformation for impact driven businesses. Want help getting your group off the ground? Let’s connect.
