By Karon Thackston © 2009, All Rights Reserved
When I first started my online business way back in 1999, I focused solely on services: copywriting to be exact. Even before I hung out my shingle, I made new professional associations and forged friendships with people I could help and receive help from. We, as people, generally don’t operate at our best in a vacuum. We need each other personally and professionally.
So, when I decided to take a stab at affiliate marketing I felt very alone. I didn’t know where to turn. Sure, there are a few books and courses available on how to create passive income sites, but what if I had questions? Being a writer, I’m naturally a communicator. I wanted (and needed) feedback not just the one-way street.
My wish was for a group of trustworthy and experienced people I could bounce ideas off of and get assistance from when I got stuck. It was then that I first heard the term “mastermind group.”
Step by Step to Success
Once I joined, I was really amazed. Entering the private forum for elite members was a whole other world. There were newbies to affiliate marketing (like me) as well as highly skilled and seasoned professionals who had been making their living through affiliate sites for years. It was similar to being a resident doctor at a hospital.
With each post I read, I learned. With each question I asked, I grew. But it wasn’t all take. There were plenty of opportunities for me to give as well. Other members needed opinions on their copywriting and I answered their calls for help. This free exchange was very unique.
Sure, you can ask for opinions on public forums and you may or may not get good feedback. But hidden away from the rest of the cyberworld, my mastermind group was able to offer quality feedback on the positive and negative aspects of my new site based on their own real-world experience, not just hearsay.
“Where do I start” is the first question that most new members ask. And – after the group asks you lots of questions – they can give you some suggested steps to move you down the road. Keyword research? Niche ideas? Site design? Affiliate resources? Yep… you’ll get lots of feedback on those and other topics as well. Plus answers to every question you have along the way.
Best of all… what’s said in the mastermind group stays in the mastermind group. These folks know how to keep a secret!
Accountability Rocks!
What I wasn’t expecting from a mastermind group was the accountability. If I create a thread stating that I’ll start work on my new site on this date and that I plan to do x, y and z; the group holds me accountable. I’ll get a little nudge if I don’t update the thread periodically! It really keeps me on track and motivates me to do the things I say I’ll do. Don’t forget, I’m still running a full-time business so it’s easy for me to get distracted.
It’s fabulous to have an entire group of people as tutors and mentors as I learn how to create sites that produce income with little hands-on effort from me. I don’t want to *have* to work when I’m 70 years old. I also don’t want to have to worry about my retirement savings going down the toilet because the stock market or housing market crashed… again! And with my constant companions to point out mistakes they made (saving me the hassle) and the strategies and resources that worked for them, I’m confident the site I’ll launch in the next few weeks will grow to be a huge success.
If you want to create passive income sites, but don’t have a group of experienced people you trust, come join mine!
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