We have all heard the cliché, motivational, catch phrases. Companies exist to put these sayings onto posters, frame them, and sell them to other organizations trying to boost morale and motivate the workforce to produce. Something like “Teamwork makes the dream work,” with an eagle soaring over a mountain cliff. You get the idea. I actually like de-motivational posters because I think they are hilarious. My favorite has a group of hands all coming together like a huddle and title is “Meetings,” and then below, it says “None of us is as dumb as all of us.” Anyone that has ever worked at a corporate job, been in a fraternity or sorority, or has been in a group where you were trying to collectively “figure it out” can appreciate that poster.
One cliché saying thought that I have heard and hear a lot is “Your network equals your net worth.” I think back, to even a year ago, and remember thinking “okay, cool, surround yourself with people smarter than you,” another cliché business saying. I’ve always been a fan of Jim Rohn and yet another cliché is that “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” The two go hand-in-hand. The people you surround yourself with, the people you spend your time with, and the people who you are interacting with the most are your most influential pieces in your network. This network can influence everything.
EVERYTHING!
The absolute easiest way to level up today is to join a mastermind group of people at a level where you want to be. There are masterminds for pretty much anything you could think of. About a year ago, I joined a mastermind group led by Ryan Stewman, also an author at The Good Men Project. Ryan is a sales and marketing trainer, and one of the best I have ever seen. I had recently finished real estate school and was trying to figure out how to best increase my exposure and win some more clients in the retail real estate world. The most interesting thing, though, looking back on the last 12 months or so was that the training itself that was provided was great, and it worked for what I was trying to do; but the most growth came from the relationships and interactions within the group. The first two months I was in the group my head was spinning from the mindset shift. Not just sales and marketing, but in life, relationships, health, wellness, self-care, etc.
The group itself is leveling up and moving beyond simply working on sales and marketing to business and investing strategy, growth and scale. There are people who drop out as groups level up, but it’s the culling of the herd that allows the group to get stronger together.
A force like this is immense, and the momentum a group of like-minded people can gain together is amazing.
If you talked to those who have been in any mastermind group for over a year, the reason they are still there is the people. They have surrounded themselves with a group of savages in their field that are there for support, mentoring, bouncing ideas off of each other, and camaraderie in a time when the average person is complacent in their 9-5 job where they go home at the end of the day, watch some TV, drink a couple beers and hit the bed to do it all over again.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not bashing anyone who subscribes to this lifestyle; but my audience and the people rallying around me are a different breed. Hell, we are a different species all together! Wolves in a society of sheep.
This allows us to get ahead of the pack.
We had our best month ever this past month in our company, and what we are doing today and where we are headed tomorrow isn’t even recognizable from where it was a year ago. I, personally, am more aligned and focused than I have ever been before. I blame all of this on the people that I am surrounded with and networking with daily. Ryan was the first person I interacted with at such a level and he personally has introduced me to a handful of people who have introduced me to people in their networks. Everyone connects and bonds with different people. We are all different.
But in the end, the high-level network expands and you find yourself leveling up again because of the new friends and associates in your life.
Jim Rohn said you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. If you spend time with five millionaires, they will pull you up to their level, so you become the sixth. If you spend your time with five people who are not motivated to encourage their business to grow, you will be the sixth with the stagnant business.
What does this mean? Do I need to stop hanging out with my friends? Do I need to make some new friends? Do I need to join a mastermind?
There’s a good chance the answer to all three is yes on some level.
With a PhD, engineering license in multiple states and various other certifications and credentials, if you learn anything from me and this article let it be this: it’s not what you know, it’s who you know. There is no bigger influence on your net worth than your network.
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Photo credit: Getty Images
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