My biggest-impact business decision of 2024 was…

Joining a mastermind group.

Ever felt surrounded by people and yet all alone? I have - often.

Like many solopreneurs, I’m a bit of loner, which can be very wearying. Years of striving to “do it all” and create success can feel quite Sisyphus-like.

One year ago this week, I joined a "band of brothers” called ISI (Iron Sharpens Iron). We are a well-established group of Christian business owners, leaders, and creators, seeking to live out our faith - together - in the day-to-day challenges of life and work.

Nothing has had a more powerful impact on my direction during my 19 years of solo business.

My group of guys, called the Arena (there are about 150 total members in 14 groups), is full of driven, gifted, no-nonsense men who know how to be vulnerable and real. Men - and especially Christian men - feel enormous pressure to have it all together. To project success while suffering in silence. To lead our families in a broken world.

I assure you - it’s not healthy to bury all that stuff in busy-ness and denial. “Solo” can also be spelled “so low.”

And my fellow ISI members are going through all the brokenness and trauma that everyone experiences. It can get raw. We tackle things you can’t always freely talk about with acquaintances, co-workers, and even family members.

ISI mastermind groups meet weekly (virtually). The Arena group has people from Tennessee, Texas, Sweden, North Carolina, and California. We strategize together, sympathize together, laugh a lot, and hold each other accountable.

ISI also has 2 live event meetings during the year, which helps solidify friendships and allows us to go much deeper with one another.

It’s been life-changing for me. Not only have I finally found a place where I can open up about my deepest struggles; but I also have the privilege of speaking into others’ lives and using my gifts to bring value to my friends.

You know that phrase I often use, “You can’t read the label of the jar you’re in”? That. We need the wisdom of other perspectives. The Arena group is our test bed and our proving ground for our ideas. It’s truly iron sharpening iron.

At the end of 2023, I felt acutely lonely and discouraged. I was living a life with few close friends. I decided I would join ISI in 2024 and not say much about it until I was a year into it - because, you know, I’m a bit skeptical.

I’ve been part of a tribe for 52 weeks and have never known friendships this deep and helpful. All during the week, we’re seeking to encourage and pray for one another; sharing our wins, our losses, and our needs. Above all, I have felt validated and valued for who I am.

2024 was, from a business/revenue perspective, a bit of a disappointment for me. But I found out I was not alone and did not need to live in shame and confusion. I look forward to greater levels of success and service in 2025, because I’m not alone in the challenge.

I’m with a band of brothers.

UPDATE: you can learn more about ISI at this free webinar on January 30th