I know you brutha!!!

Met briefly at JV Alert in Long Beach last month (outside the meeting room) — but only for a couple of minutes.

And, I purchased your list building product (per Million Dollar Mike’s recommendation)

NOTE TO MY READERS: Gaj has a really nice list-building product. You should check it out.

Gaj, looking forward to speaking with you — please feel free to call my office tomorrow (Tuesday) and let’s chat for a few.

My direct phone is…
Toll Free: 1-800-304-5758 ext 704
Intl. 1-903-257-5394 ext 704

Warmly,
JP Maroney
“Mr. Monetizer”

Your blog has been introduced to me Mr. Ben Mack during own brief conversation.

I am really excited to be part of this and will contribute my best to support your vision.

-Gaj

I think small, mini-brain-trusts is the key.

As we develop and formulate, that’ll definitely be in the considerations.

JP

I think smaller groups would be nice for something like this. What we have done before when there was a lot of interest is to split up into 6 groups of 8 or 12 and in each group there was a few team leaders – then every 3 months everyone would rotate and once every two weeks all the team leaders would meet. Each team would post a summary on a blog or forum post for the other teams to read that way everyone was connected and could still share ideas.

I look forward to hearing more about your plans!

Alisha

I hear you… there MUST be a balance of GIVE and TAKE.

I’ve found over the years that when I give, give, give … I get, get, get! But, you gotta give before you get.

That’s how I envision this community.

I intend to edify those who give of their time, energy, knowledge, resources, etc.

This WILL be a WIN-WIN-WIN for everyone involved.

I’m also thinking through how we’re going to “break out” into sub groups…

If anyone wants to post thoughts — that’d be cool.

One possibility is to have “small groups” led by Brain Trust Mentors. That’s would give us a chance to divide out by interests, topics, geography and many other possibilities.

I’m a firm believe in this concept.

And, with the right mindset, people, and technology I’m confident we can make a HUGE go of it.

Spoken or not, most people will want to know “what’s in it for me?”. So, I think it’s important to not only set definite goals or projected outcomes but also definite benefits for each member.

If it only turns out to be another forum where each member is trying to sell the others the latest “dog & pony show”, it’s doomed to failure. However, I think it would be of little value if there were no way to somehow promote your expertise. Some groups on such places as Ryze have such stringent rules for participants that I refuse to even bother.

I certainly don’t mind sharing my knowledge and experience with others – I currently write a local business column. But, I have to see some return either financially or otherwise to make it worth my time.

Perhaps a model such as that used by BNI would be appropriate – where referrals are given and expected. Their motto of “Giver’s Gain” certainly works. My local chapter generates thousands of dollars in new business monthly. And, we have members who are very successful and respected members of the local business community.

Contrast that with social groups such as Kiwanis who have very strict rules about solicitation of business. They also have many successful and respected members of the business community, but business captured is virtually untrackable.

Thanks for asking,
Rod

This is an excellent idea. I’ve been part of a mastermind group before. I found mastermind members enthusiastically contributed to the group. You wanted to give back as much as you received.

You can count me in.

Thanks,

Keith Goodrum

Sounds like potentially a great idea. I hope you’ll send us e-mail reminders to visit the forum. I’d hate to discover that a whole month went by and I forgot to contribute anything and I’ve been kicked out.

Keep us posted!

got some ideas that i love to put forth into the open that i would to be picked on. I haven’t tried this kind of interaction, but this would really be a catalyst for our pool of ideas to be acted upon.

count me in.

vic

This is such a great concept. I’d love to be part of this. Although, I’m sure I’d be “getting” more than I’d be giving…but that’s okay learning can be fun AND lucrative!!

Thanks for the forum and opportunity.

Ross Yingling
Project Manager
http://TDHCentral.com
http://ProjectManagementGuy.com

On that note I am ready to rumble.

I love the idea of mini-groups. 250 people all submitting ideas that work for different fields would, I think, be confusing. It would also leave us searching through a mass of verbiage to find the nuggets that are applicable to our own sphere.

I have been learning about several things in the past year or two: how to build a website, how to market a book (publishers don’t do that any more), and now how to launch myself as a professional speaker. I have made progress with all of them.

I still have much more to learn, but I may also have learned enough that I could contribute useful ideas to those with less experience.

Yes, I would contribute to a like-minded group, and I would learn from them. I typically think out of the box, always trying to do better than what I see others doing.

I will basically live out of two suitcases for the next three years. I think the minimum requirement for contributions should be once a month with more as circumstances and inspiration allow.

Sydney Tremayne
Wealth Secrets Revealed: Lunch with Gaffer
Morgan James Publishing, New York

The best group I ever attended, had the sole intention of submitting each business to a critique by every other business owner present.

We went through leaflets, promotions, web sites, offers, the look of the person, their dress code, uniforms, vehicle types and messages. Everything was inspected, with positive feed back or suggestions for positive change being the object – from unknown outsiders perspectives.

This concept is so powerful, you’d wonder why your business isn’t subjected to it every month or year.

The outsiders have nothing but desire to see your business perform better, because they know that when
they submit their business for scrutiny, you will be open and frank with them.

The changes made to those businesses over the period of a few weeks was astounding. Mostly because we as business owners are often too close to it. We sometimes ‘can’t see the wood for the trees’, or we simply don’t know how to do it better.

Hope this helps.

Count me in if you think I can help.

Ron Mileham.
http://www.thebackaid.com

I’d rather share ideas with others on a peer-to-peer basis (and not pay $147 a month). I also like Robert Greenshield’s suggestion for niche groups.

Most of us have expert knowledge in specific areas that we can share with one another. For example, I founded and managed an international public relations firm and will be delighted to exchange expertise with those in other areas that impact our businesses.

Count me in.

As for the suggestion of forming smaller mini-masterminds, you could use the software that dating services use to match up likeminded people. I’m sure different people have different ideas of what they want out of this.

I love the term brain trust…there’s definitely going to have to be a lot of trust going on, so the brains feel safe to contribute. How do you suggest creating this?

To the Brainiac in all of us.

Angelina Huard
Master Your Mind – Master Your Life

Steve

Randy
http://www.mylifekey.com

Long time no hear … fantastic.

Ya, see this is what I mean. Imagine when you bring together powerful, positive people with diverse backgrounds, but a common interest.

This is going to be GREAT!!!!

Thanks again!

I’m filled with ideas. I’m still looking for the right one for me. I know it’s out there.

GREAT idea… sub-groups, niche groups, mini-brain-trust!!!

JP

This is fast and furious feedback. I’m totally excited.

I’ve shared this via email with a couple of colleagues — they responded very positively — but it’s nice to see it coming in from so many people.

I’ll take all the comments we receive today and reflect back in another email tomorrow.

For now, I want to say something to Vickie:

Vickie, being a learner … and a newbie isn’t a bad thing in my book. The “umbilical cords” I was speaking of are those who hang around the internet, attend teleseminars, attend conferences, rub shoulders, and absorb-absorb-absorb … but NEVER give back. They’re self-centered and would rather take than give. No matter how much they know, they rarely ACT! Rarely DO! Instead, they suck off everyone else.

I know who you are — you’ve been in my business growth intensive, right? And, I know the VERY REAL business you’re building. So, you clearly DO NOT fit the umbilical cord comment.

Sorry if that was at all offensive… I hope you can now see the type of person I’m speaking of.

To everyone else — let’s keep the juices flowing. The ideas coming. This is something that can and will happened.

I’m working out the model for it now… more details coming.

There you go again. Taking a good idea and making it bigger!

I love it. Count me in.

Only a couple hundred? Yikes!

John

I actually have experience moderating and contributing to a group along this same concept.

Great idea….it’s about time someone actually put it out there.

I am in.
To answer your questions:
What would you add to the idea?
You may want the group size to be a touch smaller, so that ideas can go both ways much easier.

Would you participate?
Heck ya.

What would you most want out of it?

A brain trust depends on contribution as well as learning, but one more thing I might add…accountability. JP, you can email me if you want to discuss this, as that is way too many words for a blog comment.

Joseph Ratliff

P.S. email is joe at josephratliff.name

That of course could be taken one of two ways. I would love to contribute and do have a lot to say. I am an internet consumer and know what I like and catches my eye, then my time.

I would love to be part of this.

Cool!

Also how will the contributor benefit to receive his/her royalty and acknowledgement for the idea?

My situation mirrors Vic’s above so rather than copying his I’ll jst say that I’m interested, ready to learn and ready to contribute.

Doug

It’s highly unlikely you’ll get that quality with just 200-250 members but an elite group of just 20-50 members may be more appealing.

Kindest regards,
Andrew Cavanagh

When do we get started?

God bless,
Allen Bisconti / CEO
Invision Holdings Inc

Anyway, I’ll try to contribute the best I can.

David Miller

Lee & Robin

Don’t believe me?

Take a look if you like:

http://www.ads-on-steroids.com

I for one work from home – and once the family have left the house … I’m very much ‘in my own thoughts’.

Yes – I contribute to and learn from forums … but a specific mastermind group, with an obligation to contribute to, learn from, feels like an excellent resource.

Participate? Definitely.
Contribute? Definitely.
What I would want? …
Security (that we are discussing in private).
Potential for JVs.
Project explorations …
Answers! (but what are the questions …)

Best of every success,

Vic

Hugh Lendrum