Whatever your reason, it all starts with creating and growing a real, sustainable business.

But how?

One way to accelerate your growth is to start or join a mastermind.

Benefit from the win-win synergy of the group

At the core, a mastermind is a community. It’s an intentional way to surround yourself with other supportive, butt-kicking business builders. A mastermind is focused on helping each individual in the group set and reach their goals for their business and life.

Napoleon Hill wrote about masterminds in his classic book Think and Grow Rich. The essence of his book is that when you bring multiple minds together around a goal or problem, you create an “invisible intangible force… likened to a master mind.”

This synergy is a win-win for all involved.

Take your idea from “what if” to “when”

Most of us are not surrounded by people building businesses, so it may seem strange — scary even — to think about taking your passion or side hustle full-time. When you actively seek out and participate in the self-employed community, it can make the whole idea less weird and help take your idea from a ‘“what if” to a “when.”

Let’s be honest. Building your own business and selling your product or service is tough when you’re first starting out. It takes a lot of time, energy and facing fear. Without a close-knit, supportive mastermind, it’s easy to get stuck in the “what-if” phase. (Click here to tweet this thought.)

There are fears: Am I doing the right thing? Am I good enough? Will anyone want this? Does this even matter?

There are business basics: taxes, websites, monetization, billing and even managing email.

There is technology: autoresponders, opt-in forms, payment systems and affiliate management.

It can be overwhelming to figure out how to get started.

Imagine instead that you have a group of four or five people in your mastermind who are also walking this journey with you. These people all know you, your skills, your goals and dreams. They know what it’s like to juggle competing priorities, fears and business logistics.

Everyone in the group is experiencing wins and losses, learning a ton and sharing back with the group. Suddenly failure isn’t so scary because you have a safe place to share your experience. You know others in your group have overcome failures in the past.

Find the right mastermind for your biz

Masterminds can be organized in whatever structures work best for you and your group and depend on your overall goal, proximity to one another and time availability. Some of the most common types out there include:

• Paid
• Unpaid
• In-person
• Virtual
• Combination (in person/virtual)
• Community-driven
• Leader-led (typically paid)

If you join a formal mastermind with a leader, you’ll pay for that person’s experience and leadership. There are many types of paid masterminds run by incredible business leaders, coaches and organizations. This is a great option if you want formal structure and someone to mentor the group and handle the logistics. Many paid masterminds also include some sort of individual training or coaching.

You can also start an unpaid mastermind on your own at any time. Typically, members of the group run unpaid masterminds, and everyone rotates the leadership and logistics roles. This is a powerful way to go if you’re motivated to connect and engage with people who are also building businesses of their own.

Get started with the following questions

Whether you decide to join a leader-led mastermind or set up your own group, think about the experience that would be most valuable in building your business. Some worthwhile questions to ask include:

• What types of people do you want to connect with?
• What are your own goals for this group?
• Are you looking for mentorship or training from someone who has already done what you’re doing?
• Do you need to learn a new skill?
• How often are you committed to meeting with the group (weekly, biweekly, monthly)?
• What types of structures and commitments are you looking to give/receive from the group?

A mastermind can be an incredible accelerator for connection, business building and personal growth. Investing in yourself and your mastermind will give all of you a huge advantage in learning and get you closer to making your dreams a reality.

Who will be in your mastermind?

Michelle L. Evans is a business and lifestyle coach and host of the Breaking Free podcast on iTunes. Grab her free report, “Breaking Free Blueprint, 9 ways to use what you already know to escape your cubicle for good.”

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The post This Tactic Will Help You Grow Your Side Hustle into a Full-Time Business appeared first on Brazen Life.

Your LinkedIn profile is probably one of the first search results you’d see. If the thought of new customers, business associates or recruiters finding your profile has you cringing, it’s time for a little TLC.

Here’s the good news: it’s easy to stand out from the crowd with your LinkedIn photo and headline. Think of your photo and headline as your own advertising “hook” showcasing your professionalism to any new business connections.

And your headline is the place to shine. But the vast majority of people on LinkedIn allow their headline to default to their current job title. What a snooze fest!

“Director of Program Management” or “Accountant II” won’t tell us anything about you as a person. (Click to Tweet!)

Stuck on what to write? Here are four LinkedIn headline hacks with examples to kickstart your creativity:

1. Expert status

Use this headline hack if you want to establish your expertise (even if you’re a budding expert).

Expert status headline hack formula: {Keyword/subject matter expert area} who {does what} for {client, company, audience, project}. {Proof point}.

Examples:

• Personal Chef specializing in gluten-free diets. Winner Seattle Personal Chef of the Year 2012.
• Social Media Expert driving successful campaigns on a shoestring budget. 800%+ ROI in the past 12 months.
• Bestselling Author and Professional Speaker energizing audiences to overcome limiting beliefs. 90%+ sat ratings.

2. Claim your niche

Use this headline hack if you want to be found for one or two specific keywords/key phrases relevant to your industry.

Claim your niche headline hack formula: {Keyword(s)} | {your specific benefit or focus area}

Examples:

• Six Sigma Master Black Belt | Dedicated to process excellence in auto manufacturing
• Tax Accountant CPA | Specialist in family-owned businesses with revenues of $1-$5 million
• Childhood Autism Psychiatrist | Specializing in diagnosing, treating and supporting families with autistic children

3. Direct to customer

Are you in business development, sales or building your own company? This may be the headline hack for you!

Direct to customer headline hack formula: {Attention-grabbing question} + {Who you are} + {who you help}. {Proof point}. OR {Attention-grabbing question} + {Free resource}.

Examples:

• Need capital? Banker for early-stage technology growth companies. Clients include XYZ and ABC.
• Need talent? Exec Recruiter helping mid-size manufacturing companies find top talent. Clients include LMN and OPQ companies.
• Need to recharge your career? Join my FREE webinar on 5 things you MUST do before you search: {short bitly.com link}

4. Creative cat

Creative cat headlines don’t have a formula, but they’re included here because they’re incredibly effective when done well. If you choose this type, your headline should include who you are, who you serve, how you benefit them and your personal style.

Examples:

• Copywriting artist transforming technical jargon from flat-line boring into a juicy novel-like page-turner
• Former overweight food lover turned health nut coaching fellow foodies in the joys of the Paleo diet (YUM-O)

Which headline hack will you try out? Do you have another headline hack that’s working for you? Share in the comments below!

Michelle L. Evans is a career strategist who helps professionals think bigger about what’s next in their careers. Grab her free report, 5 Simple LinkedIn Hacks To Create A Profile That Rocks (even if you’re not looking for a job), for some seriously helpful advice to stand out as the valuable pro you are.

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The post 4 Headline Hacks to Create an Irresistible LinkedIn Profile appeared first on Brazen Life.