Why You Should Attend A Dog Trainer Mastermind Group (+ Our First Meetup!)

Ever wish you had a group of local, friendly dog trainers to talk to? What about a group of dog trainers you felt comfortable bouncing ideas off of?

A networking event, or better yet a Mastermind Meetup (otherwise known as a peer advisory board), can be extremely useful to gain traction when you’re first starting out or even if you’re stuck in a rut in your current businesses. Getting an outsider’s perspective from someone that’s been in your shoes can be the best way to open new opportunities for you and your business.

A mastermind meetup is a group of like-minded individuals that get together from time to time to share their goals, obstacles, experiences, and insights to benefit the group as a whole. You learn from each other, you keep each other accountable, and you support and help each other. There are many benefits, both tangible and intangible, to having a group like this to turn to as you start your own dog training business or grow a business you already have.

1. You Can Make Life-Long Friends And Partnerships

When you’re meeting with like-minded people that are passionate about the same things you are, you’re able to connect on a whole new level. You’ll feel like you’ve found “your people” and share business and personal challenges, goals, or experiences that are helping you succeed or inhibiting your progress. You’ll have an instant, reliable, supportive network to turn to as you start and grow your business.

Not to mention, the endless opportunities for collaboration and cross promotion that will result in having a strong support network of like-minded trainers in your area! Just because a group of trainers service the same area doesn’t mean you necessarily overlap in target audiences, skillsets, availability, types of services, and more! These days, there is usually more business coming in than many dog trainers can handle. The mindset you should have if you’re looking to network and find a mastermind group is that there truly is an abundance of business and dog training clients that need your help.

2. You Discover New, Creative Solutions For Your Business

The benefit of speaking to others who have been in your shoes and are like-minded is that you can collect valuable, honest, and relevant feedback about your business choices and initiatives. You can hear how others of similar backgrounds and passions would approach your challenges and generate ideas to overcome them.

When you’re surrounded by other like-minded individuals, you’ll feel validated that you’re on the right path to reach your goals and your dream. Seeing others succeed will help to motivate you to keep going as well.

Additionally, a facilitator or someone who hosts/organizes the mastermind meetup, also has a wealth of knowledge and resources to share with the group and is going above and beyond to help others grow and succeed as well. They bring their own skill set and experiences to the table.

3. You’ll Be Accountable To Make Improvements

Ideas are great, but taking action is better! 

One of the most valuable aspects of having a mastermind group is that you can hold each other accountable so you all make progress in your businesses. 

Mastermind groups are more than just a networking event. You actually sit down, share your goals, and work together to make actionable plans to make improvements within your businesses. When you share your goals and action items with someone else, you’re more likely to take those steps and reach your goals!

The connections you make in a mastermind group go much further than a handshake at a networking event. You’re truly in it together to help each other stay accountable so everyone in the group can succeed. 

4. You’ll Gain Industry Insights Found Nowhere Else

When you get together with other people from within your industry, you can gain insights you won’t find online, in books, or in seminars. Each person brings their own unique learning experiences to the table for all to learn from. One person’s challenge becomes a learning experience for everyone in the group. There is just nothing like it! There is nowhere else to find this kind of knowledge.

5. You Find Relief In Knowing You’re Not Alone

Typically, when you’re starting your own dog training business, you’re considered a “solopreneur” or solo-entrepreneur. It can be isolating when you have no one to turn to or relate to. You have to figure everything out on your own and while you should always trust your gut and do what feels right, you don’t know what you don’t know. Speaking to others who are or have been in your shoes is a great way to build connections and find relief in knowing you aren’t completely alone in this adventure. Others might bring up experiences or insights that you hadn’t thought of or experienced yourself. Mastermind groups help you expand your awareness of what it takes to run a successful dog training business.

6. You Get To Work ON Your Business Instead Of IN Your Business

While learning how to post on Instagram or writing up thorough client notes is important, mastermind group discussions should focus more on the bigger picture. You’ll be able to take a step back, reflect, analyze, learn, and plan your next big business goals.

Many times as solo business owners we spend a lot of time working in our businesses – creating documents, sending emails, working directly with clients. This time away from the office allows you to refresh and reinvigorate yourself for your next business steps.

7. It’s Electrifying

When else will you be able to be completely honest with a group of people? Share the highs and lows of starting your business. Share your expectations versus the reality of what it actually is like. Vent about the challenges your experiencing or share your success with others who understand what it means! Finding your “kind” of people is invigorating! You don’t have to go at it alone.

One of my main missions with this blog is to help other positive dog trainers (or whatever you want to call dog trainers that follow Least Intrusive, Minimally Aversive (LIMA) principles in training) succeed with their businesses. There is often a ton of focus on learning the science of training dogs with little acknowledgment of how to run the business side of things. However, if you’re in this profession for the long haul, you have to pay attention to both. Without a thorough understanding of how to run a business, you will not be able to take your passion for dog training full-time or be able to sustain it full-time for many years.