Build your Business — May Mastermind for Side Hustlers and Solopreneurs

I hereby declare May the Month to Get Moving, and to that end I’ve got a little something up my sleeve.

I have the great fortune of delivering a few big speeches this year (with a keynote coming up in Ireland at my corporate alma mater Google next week), and I have been noticing two recurring concerns in my conversations with attendees: fear around finding meaningful work and overwhelm by the process, by their schedule, or by what is already on their plate.

Despite these obstacles, there is a way to move forward, and I care deeply about helping people find it. I’d love to see a world where we aren't frozen into place by the media’s doom and gloom about the job market, where Gen Y or anyone who takes a stand for what they want in their career isn’t called entitled, but empowered and inspired.

It is time to move beyond burnout and claim the career that is waiting for you beyond the busywork. It is time to sink IN to the confusion of what’s next and come back up for air with clarity and a plan of action.

It’s time to focus on building a sustainable, dynamic career that suits your strengths; one that feeds your body and mind and allows you to give your best work in return.

In his book The Big Leap, author Gay Hendricks talks about how each of us has a zone of competence, a zone of excellence and a zone of genius. Where are you spending your time? And more importantly, are you happy about it?

Introducing the May Mastermind Program

I want you to feel excited to spring out of bed in the morning. I want you to have the opportunity to invest in yourself without breaking the bank, and to set time aside to figure out what’s next with the support of an uplifting community of others doing the same.

That’s why I am piloting a month-long May Mastermind group called Build Your Business for side hustlers and solopreneurs (though anyone is certainly welcome). I know that many of us are experiencing information-overload and course fatigue — these days there is a book, e-book, website or course for just about everything, and I know how easy it is to make a big purchase then do absolutely nothing with it.

So I’m switching things up and experimenting with a format that is interactive, straightforward, affordable and most-importantly, action-oriented.

How it will work

Content Calls: The Mastermind will include 4 live video calls with me (with guest appearances from Melissa and Paul). Each call will be a mix of tips and best practices with some time for your own reflection, Q&A, and meaningful assignments to work on between each session. In the event that you can’t make the scheduled time, the calls will be recorded and notes and resources will be sent out afterward.
Workbook: You will receive an accompanying mini-workbook with exercises and templates that aren’t available on the blog.
Ask Me Anything: Each week I will also hold an open Office Hours session where you can call in and get direct, personalized support. If no one else is on the call, I’m all yours! If others call in, you can learn from their questions too.
Optional accountability component: if you opt-in to this, I will pair you up with two other people and send a weekly reminder (three total) asking you to report back to your group on your progress. This is where you really get your money’s worth :)
Ultimately, this mastermind group is about ACTION. By the end of the course you will have identified what your big next move will be, and will have chosen (and acted on) at least three major next steps toward your ideal side hustle or busines.

What we’ll cover

At the end of the program, you will walk away with:

An optimized schedule: A clear vision of your ideal day and your ideal week, and a schedule that matches your energy (including how to fit a side-hustle in with a full-time job).
A financial roadmap: how much you need to earn to meet your basic expenses, how much you would like to earn, and tips for how to get there.
Ideal client clarity: you will have an understanding of who your ideal clients (or readers) are, how to find them, and how to serve them (including pointers on agile product and course development).
An action plan for how to take your side-hustle or business to the next level, with tips for building an authentic online platform that helps bring in new paying opportunities (including Jenny’s 10-minute download on everything you need to know to start building a paid speaking career).

I’m also excited to share that Melissa and Paul will be making guest appearances!

Q&A with Paul Angone: Paul will talk about how he built upon the momentum of his uber-viral “21 Secrets for your 20s” blog post (that garnered 80,000+ Pinterest pins) to create a free ebook, then how he leveraged that momentum to land a book deal. His book launches in just a few short months!
Q&A with Melissa Anzman: Melissa will talk about how to know when it’s time to leave your job, and once you do — how to build an income bridge toward the work you love. She will share her own lessons about when to say yes and when to say no opportunities that aren’t your “ideal” client . . . without having to go back to work full-time. Huge congrats to Melissa, who is celebrating one full year of solopreneurship this week!

Date and time of the calls

Content Calls: Mondays at 3:30pm ET

May 6: Vision: What *does* your ideal business look like?
May 13: The Financials, Ideal Clients and How to Find Them
May 20: Profitable Platform-Building
May 27: Action Plan & Next Steps

Office Hours: Fridays at 1pm ET

May 10
May 17
May 24
May 31

What will it cost?

While I love working with my 1:1 coaching clients, that can cost upwards of $1,500/month, which is out of reach for many people.

This monthlong mastermind program is just $75, and I’ll be sharing many of the same systems and processes that I use in my 1:1 coaching.

I purposefully set the price low because I wanted to make it impossibly easy for you to say yes . . . which means no more excuses for not going after what you want!

What is your next move?

Right now, I want you to write down two things (yes, write, not just think) or tell me in the comments:

What is one action you can take this week that will make the biggest impact on your life and happiness?
To that end, what is one thing you can do in the next ten minutes?

Whether or not you sign up for this series, remember these two questions — they can propel you forward in any area at any time.

Massive shifts don’t have to be elusive miracles — if there is anything I have learned from coaching over the last five years, it’s that aha moments can be coaxed and encouraged by creating the space to think expansively, by asking (and answering) the big questions, and by brainstorming what actions would make the biggest difference.

It all begins when we decide to become the Creative Director of our own careers — when we drop the expectation that our job or business is supposed to MAKE us happy by taking the reigns instead.

So what would you do if you knew you wouldn’t fail?

I look forward to finding out and to working with many of you in May :)

Click here to sign-up!

Additional FAQ

What is the deadline to enroll?

Enrollment will close on Sunday, May 5, the day before our first call.

Will you be offering this mastermind program again?

I’m not sure — this is a pilot, so it will depend on how this first session goes. If you’re at all interested, I encourage you to sign-up now — even if I do offer it again I can’t guarantee that it will be at the same price.

What if I can't make the calls?

No problemo! They will be recorded and you will have the opportunity to submit questions in advance to make sure that I can still address your questions on the call. You can also call in to one of the Office Hours sessions, even if just for 15 minutes.

What is your refund policy?

Once you make your payment via PayPal, it is non-refundable. If you are unable to make the live sessions, you will still receive all of the notes, recordings, workbook exercises and course materials, and can revisit them at any time.

How will the course be delivered?

I am using course software called Ruzuku to deliver all the materials to you (those of you who participated in The Acorn Project will be familiar with this platform).
The Content calls and Office Hours will be held using video webinar software called AnyMeeting.
You will receive the workbook exercises and course notes via Google Docs.
The checkout process is managed by E-Junkie and you can pay with your credit card via PayPal

Got a question I haven’t covered?

Fire away in the comments below, and I’ll answer ASAP!