Of course, the bar was in a hotel, and we were really just popping in for something to eat after a very long day.
But what was it that brought such an odd combination of people together like this?
It was three intense days of training at Uplevel Your Business LIVE, in Atlanta.
I don’t care who you are or how long you’ve been running the show, you still need to invest in training if you’re going to stay strong on this long and difficult journey.
Having access to high level coaching and active peer support makes all the difference between giving up, and getting up, on the days that you want to quit.
And yes, we ALL have those. :)
The timing was terrible. Huge storms hit back home, and I was getting calls about flooded basements, downed trees, leaking roofs. In some ways, it felt like the world was falling apart.
And yet, I stayed anyway.
Because at every in-person event I attend with like-minded entrepreneurs, powerful things happen.
Important things – like these.
1. RECONNECTION.
“Wow. WHAT a relief it is to be here!”, said Jennifer, the harpist from Chicago.
She was talking about what it’s like to be in a room full of like minded people, all of them heart-centered, purpose-driven entrepreneurs.
That’s what happens when you seek regular training through a healthy, long-term mastermind group.
Relationships form. Friendships spring up. Support appears.
I now have entrepreneurial friends as far away as Germany and as close as the next town.
Who in your life ‘gets it’, when you talk about your business?
2. RENEWAL
Running a business is hard, messy work.
And sometimes, it’s lonely.
Especially early on, when we spend every single minute taking care of a kazillion details that our business requires.
Attending trainings and retreats renews my enthusiasm for the work at hand.
It allows me to hop off the hamster wheel for a sec, to take a big picture view of how far I’ve come.
And it gives me time to think about where I want to go next.
How do you celebrate your progress, and renew your vision?
3. REALIGNMENT.
Meeting with coaches and peers allows me to talk about my business at the deepest level.
Just as my own clients do in our private sessions, I have the space to explore what I love.
I get to realign with my “why”.
You started your business for a reason. On the hard days, it’s easy to forget what that reason was, or why it mattered so much.
So what steps can you take to realign with your purpose, your ‘why’ for what you do?
4. REDISCOVERY.
You don’t know what you don’t know, right? So by attending trainings about deeper aspects of your business, you’re going to learn things you never expected to learn.
As a creative, heart centered entrepreneur, I’ve had to learn how to sell effectively, with integrity, and from a place of service.
As a harpist who plays at weddings, Jennifer had to learn some creative ways to package and promote her services.
My own clients have to learn how to get clear on who they serve and exactly how they do it.
What do you need to learn in order to be more effective in your business?
And more importantly – where can you get that learning?
5. RE-COMMITMENT.
The only real difference between those who make it and those who don’t, is that one stops, and the other keeps going.
Success isn’t some kind of elusive magical being you have to hunt down and catch.
Success is the natural evolution through a process that begins when you make a commitment to yourself, and your business.
Being with others who encourage you will help you recommit to the passion that led you here to begin with.
This is so important.
(In fact, I make it a point to meet with my clients in person on a regular basis, even if most of our time is by phone.)
We need that connection time.
How about you?
Do you have a structure set up that helps you reconnect with supportive peers? Realign with your vision? Recommit to your dreams?
If not, reach out to me and let’s set up a quick get acquainted call. Maybe I can help you figure out where to start. :)
Photo Credit: Christine Kane & Wendy Pitts Reeves