Masterminds Create Business Success to the 10th Power

June 4, 2005 -- “In working with and studying six and seven figure income earners, I don’t know of one who is not a member of a mastermind group” – Willie Crawford, author of Join a Mastermind Group

Business and Beyond, Visionary Business Consulting, has launched the Visionary Business Circle program targeted to early-stage startups in the San Francisco Bay Area. In the coming weeks, additional circles will open for micro and small business owners, service professionals, and medical practitioners. Founder Michael Clark will facilitate the Circles and touts the efficiency and synergy of business owners working in collaboration.

Napoleon Hill gave official credence to the “Mastermind” concept in his still popular book Think and Grow Rich first published in 1937. Hill learned of the mastermind concept from Andrew Carnegie who was part of such a group including Charles Wrigley, William Hertz, and Henry Ford. These six started with dreams and the power of the group and created some of the greatest businesses in history.

Mastermind groups have existed for thousands of years in various forms, most notably in the Roman Senate during the times of Julius Caesar. Today mastermind groups have gained respect and provided tremendous humanitarian aid through civic groups like Rotary International, Lions, Toastmasters and many more. Now this opportunity is being presented to entrepreneurs looking for similar gains.

Hill defined a mastermind group as, “Coordination of knowledge and effort, in a spirit of harmony, between two or more people for the attainment of a definite purpose.” These are the keys to a successful group—coordination, harmony, and purpose. “Mastermind groups brainstorm, inspire, prod, and joint venture the group members to a level of accomplishment they could never achieve individually”, says Crawford.

While business associations and networking groups can provide great leads, mastermind groups provide great results. As individuals, we often cannot achieve breakthroughs because our narrow focus can cloud our perspective. As a group, possibilities for expansive thinking are endless. This is the basis behind The Visionary Business Circle. The Circles for entrepreneurs provide a means for leaders to connect with other like-minded leaders who help them grow their business and manage their lives.

All Visionary Business Circles are facilitated by Michael Clark, founder of Business and Beyond. As a business consultant and professional speaker, Clark has been helping businesses including Fortune 500 companies such as IBM and Cellular One succeed for over 20 years. Michael is a serial entrepreneur having opened multiple successful businesses over the last 12 years. Before that he had a successful career in finance and accounting for large corporations. He has been interviewed on radio, tv, and in print, as well as been a featured speaker at The Learning Annex, Rotary, and other business and professional groups.