There are a few factors and I'll cover them in the coming days and weeks ahead.

One of the Top Things that has boosted my income is Joining Mastermind Groups.

It is *very* hard to achieve your financial goals when you're working in a vacuum.

A mastermind group is an entire group of people who share a common interest and work together for the better of the entire group, by helping other members to reach their personal goals. In this type of group, everyone gives and everyone benefits.

Normally, a mastermind group costs less and you’ll get to pool resources from different areas that you might not have with a one-on-one coach.

For instance, I belong to a few mastermind groups including this one.. Our group is made of internet marketers all over the world, who run every type of business you can think of. No matter where we live, what our lifestyle is like or the type of business we run, we all have 2 things in common:

• We're investing money in our businesses.
• We want to work with others.

The point is we’re there to help one another with anything and everything we can. Just a few of the advantages of being a member of a Mastermind may include:

1. Coaching and Advice from other business owners
2. Business Resources & Tools only available to group members
3. A place where others “get” what it is we’re doing.
4. Positive reinforcement and butt kickin’s when we need them to keep us from giving up when things get tough.
5. Accountability from other members.
6. Contacts that serve us well in specific areas of our business (i.e. affiliates, partners, etc.)
7. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg!

The cool thing about Mastermind groups is that they are everywhere. Here are a few examples of Mastermind groups I’ve seen:

• Mom Business Owners.
• Online Business
• Product Sellers
• Writers
• Service Businesses
• eBay Sellers
• Copywriting
• Internet Marketing
• Exercise
• Health & Diet
• And so much more

How else can an online Mastermind group benefit you?

As you may know, in sports, having a good coach will increase your chances of success. Also, the players on your team can make or break your game. If you play on a team with players who are mediocre, your game will remain mediocre. If you join a team with better players who take the game seriously and you add a a great coach, your game will improve as well — significantly.

How do you choose a quality Mastermind group?

In a good Mastermind group, you'll find people who take their business seriously. Think about it. If  the other members are willing to invest money to be there, you know they want to learn. Their business is not treated as a hobby. The members are dedicated to their businesses and work hard to achieve success.

There are several key factors to deciding if a Mastermind group is worth your time and effort.

1. The leaders
Do they know what they're talking about? What are their qualifications? A good group will be led by experts in their field, by true leaders who have experience in the topic and know how to share that information in a clear, concise manner. They are not afraid to share their success and are confident in themselves to be able to lead others to succeed as well.

2. The Resources
Most Mastermind groups offer resources that are only available to their members. These may be interviews with experts, ebooks, audio and video teleseminars, and software. Take a good look at the resources available. Oftentimes the resources alone are worth many times the price of the membership.

3. The Forum
A good Mastermind group will include a forum where you can brainstorm and build relationships with other members. This is where you'll get specific and applied help. The coaches or leaders should also have a very visible presence on the board, personally answering questions and giving guidance.

So, yes, there are great free forums online and valuable free resources. But, if you want to improve your game, then find the best coaches and jump into the game with a team who can take you to to the top.

Two Mastermind Groups to Consider:

Mom Masterminds – This is where I originally started. Kelly McCausey take you by the hand to help your Online business succeed. MomMasterminds offers a free trial membership. It's a bit pricey if you don't see the fine print that you “graduate” after a year and never had to pay again. The free trial will give you a taste of what's inside and if it's the place that you'll want to call “home”.

Lynn Terry's Elite Group – Run by the awesome and brilliant Lynn Terry. This is the place to hang if you want to make the big bucks as an Affiliate Marketer and is the place that I hang out most these days. Would love to have you join us.

The cool thing is that you bond with the people in these closed-door forums and get to know them as family.

For instance, I met Carrie Lauth in Mom Mastermind years ago. Here's a picture of us from this past weekend when we FINALLY got to meet. Aren't her babies adorable?! I wanted to squeeze them so badly, but didn't want to scare them off. She's a smart hard-working marketer, an excellent writer (very entertaining and informative) and I'm delighted to have finally met her in person.

And, here are some pics of me hanging with members of Lynn's Elite club. (I'm on the right with the brown sleeveless shirt.)

I highly recommend that you invest in a mastermind group before you even think of buying another ebook. Rather than pouring through ebook after ebook, trying to find the answers to your questions with no one to ask, you can spend the same amount of money and have an entire GROUP of successful internet marketers who will answer any questions that you might have.

Of course, if you want to pick my brain, I'll be in the Elite Group. I'm not there every day, but I do try to stop in a few times each week. (Lynn and the other marketers are there daily.)

Oh, and here's a recent pic of me and Lynn hanging out last weekend. I'll post more about the conference soon, but am still gathering pics – as you can tell.

Pssst. You can order that shirt “I'm Blogging This” at Think Geek.

Have a productive day!

Warmly,
Nicole

So, every year, I try to help busy work at home moms by helping you write your letter to Santa. This year is no different.

If you're like me, and would rather get something fun for your business, simply copy and paste the letter below and mail it to Santa and you're set. Heck, send it to your mother-in-law (if she gets you horrid gifts) or a favorite Aunt so she won't spend a week knitting a pair of wool socks that you're allergic to.

Dear Santa,

I’ve been a very good mom this year. I’ve worked very hard on my business while keeping my focus on what really matters — my family. I definitely should be on your “nice” list.

This year, I would love to get some gifts to invest in my business. Here are some items I've been wanting. You can surprise me.

www.EasyArticleMarketing.com so I can learn how to use articles to benefit my business and get more traffic to my website.

www.SmallReportsFortune.com – because I'd love to develop a stream of passive income by sharing my expertise.

www.EasyPLR.com – because I can always use more articles for my website.

And, if you could please throw in a membership to Mom Masterminds, I would be ecstatic!

Thank you, Dear Santa. I hope that you are nice and cozy in the North Pole with Mrs. Claus.

((insert name here))

Tell me… what's on your Wish List?

I'm asking Santa for a huge whiteboard for my office as I already have all of the things above. No, it's not glamorous, but, I am just giddy thinking about it!

Have a wonderful week!

Nicole

]]> https://nicoleonthenet.com/402/letter-to-santa-2007/feed/ 5 https://nicoleonthenet.com/130/i-graduated-from-mom-masterminds/ https://nicoleonthenet.com/130/i-graduated-from-mom-masterminds/#comments Sat, 08 Apr 2006 19:02:00 +0000 http://nicoleonthenet.com/?p=130 I wanted to stop by for a minute and celebrate my graduation from MomMasterminds. Here's my awesome graduation certificate I just got in the mail. Isn't it cool?!

Thank you to Alice, Kelly, Lynette, Nell, Carrie and all my amazing and inspiring friends there. You all ROCK!

Nicole

PS. If you haven't heard of MomMasterminds, you're missing out. Check it out through this link.

Hi there – I'm Aurelia Williams and I am the owner of Real Life Solutions http://www.reallifesolutions.net/ which is a Family Life Resource site created to help you and others lead an emotionally & physically healthier, more productive and less stressful life.
Real Life Coaching: www.reallifecoaching.net is myPersonal Life Coaching Site. I am dedicated to helping women live a life that is: less stressed and more organized, filled with more self confidence and a life that also follows the direction of their goals.
I am also one the Resident experts on the great WAHMTalkRadio show.

Do you have any recent news, products, a new launch, freebies, etc.

I am offering women a 10% off of their coaching package. I also have a wonderful eBook: Journey To Joy http://www.reallifecoaching.net/ebook.shtml

What are your absolute favorite products or resources you can't live without in your business (or have helped you the most)?

There are many resources that have been invaluable to me. The ones that top my list are Internetbasedmoms.com, Mom Masterminds and networking with other WAHMS such as yourself Nicole. Also watching awesome wahms make it truly inspires me. Also my VA's – I can't forget them. They are awesome!

What's your best advice for someone just starting out in online business (getting traffic, article marketing, networking, etc.)?

Don't give up!! Start with your passion and grow from there. Find a great mentor and ask for help when needed. Never, ever be afraid to ask questions.

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