If we’re going to be completely honest, standard networking events definitely have a place in business development but I need MORE. Call me impatient (it’s OK, I’ve been called worse! *smile*) but as an entrepreneur, I’m a ‘doer’. If I’m going to spend some of my precious time that only comes in 24 hour increments every day, let’s see some light bulbs go off, some  AHA moments.

That’s why I am an advocate of mastermind groups or as we here at The Connected Woman fondly call them, “C to the Third Power: Confidential Conversations & Connections”.

What is it and does it work?

A group of smart, savvy women choose to meet weekly or monthly  (we meet monthly) to tackle challenges and discuss relevant topics together. These women are determined to make a difference in themselves and their business and understand that it takes commitment.  In our group, we’ve been know to lean on each other, give and get advice, share connections and do business with each other.That’s how you create synergy.  If you are lucky enough to get invited to one, you will most likely see a marked change in yourself and your business even after just one meeting.

It’s about learning to think way bigger than you could have on your own. It’s about peering into the heart of someone else’s business and realizing that there are others out there who have been bitten by the entrepreneur bug as you have and are succeeding beyond their expectations.

We have a saying, “If you’ve had a bad week, you need the C3; if you’ve have a great week, the C3 needs you!”

What it’s not …

Our C3 is not just another networking event. It’s not a place to promote, pitch or pander. It’s not about you picking someone else’s brain. It’s not a ‘love them and then leave them’ kind of event.

Does it work? All you have to do is ask the members if they’ve found value in attending. We’ve solved problems from international shipping to divorce and everything in between. We even had one woman who was in a new job and had adjustment problems in her new position, so after attending a C3 she gathered five friends at her cabin for a weekend. She presented her business cases, and her ‘advisory board’ told her how to be more effective at her job. So it was a one-woman, one weekend-long intervention that benefit everybody there. Awesome!

The fact is, we can’t do it on our own. We need synergy. It’s about coming together and providing different perspectives to produce a combined effect that’s greater than all of us put together. (next stop – World Domination!)

Join us! www.theconnectedwoman.com

Now Go Get  Connected!

About Cathy Kuzel
As a successful Entrepreneur and Business Development Strategist, Cathy teaches entrepreneurs how to let go of limiting beliefs and “Stand Up & Stand Out” to have the business success they dream of. Cathy is recognized across Canada for her expertise on “All Things Small Biz”. Named one of the Top Ten Mentors in Canada, the Founder ofThe Connected Woman Association, Author of “Are You a Collector or a Connector?”; “I’m on the Phone!”; the internationally known “Daily Espressos” and is a networking maven. (whew!)