Class by Carlos Cooper on how to start detaching from your cell phone. Most professionals let their cell phones run their lives. Are you one of them?

You ever wonder how some of those uber-successful people are capitalizing on their mastermind group? This post will show you how. It all starts with attitude.

Attitude: What do I mean by attitude? Am I saying you need to walk around with a chip on your shoulder, shunning the little people. NO WAY! If I were in a mastermind group with someone like that, they'd be out quick. By attitude I mean that you need to have a giving personality. You should see your time at the meeting (and away from your meetings) as a chance to help others. Take the focus off yourself and re-focus on the other members. I actually find that when I'm more focused on the other people in my group, I not only get to help them, I also learn more! So have the attitude that you will give BEFORE you receive.

Courage: The lion is the king of the jungle, right? How many lions do you know that DON'T have courage? Uhhhh... I've only had the privilege of knowing a couple lions in my lifetime but I would never call any one of them cowards. So how can you use courage to reap the rewards of mastermind stardom? Have the courage to be open with your fellow members. You won't get a thing out of your mastermind group if you don't open up. Worried about divulging too much? That's what non-disclosures are for. A mastermind group is supposed to be a safe place to share all kinds of information. I can't tell you how many times I've seen a conversation about business shift into a focus group on personal development and family. They're all intertwined. If you don't have the courage to share, other won't either and your group will not be effective. Step up and be the leader by sharing your personal experiences (both good and bad) and showing that it's ok to be open.

Look the Part: A king is always decked out like a royal. It's easy to spot a king in a crowd. So how do you look the part and stand-out in your mastermind group? Hold on because this one is really important. I mean seriously, make sure you write this down like ten times. Are you ready? Here's the secret to looking the part of the king of your mastermind group: LISTEN. That's right. I'm not asking you to dress up in medieval garb or even a suit. People see you as a valuable part of the group when you just sit there and listen. Don't be the guy that sits there playing with his cell phone. Don't be the gal that can't take her eyes of her iPad. Instead, listen intently. Make eye contact with whoever is talking. Show them that you are truly interested in what they're saying. Make THEM feel important. I know it sounds funny but when your fellow members see you take an active interest in the others, they'll follow your lead. Oh, and don't be scared to tell your friends that maybe they need to listen a little more too. Nobody's perfect and we all need a reminder sometimes.

So are you ready to be King of your Mastermind Group? Remember that's it's not all about you. If you put the time and effort into being a "royal asset" instead of a "royal pain" you'll soon have mounds and mounds of golden nuggets you can spend on your kingdom.

Originally posted on Carlos Cooper's Blog

We recently had the fantastic opportunity to have a good friend of mine, Shawn Kaplan, on "Mind Your Business." Shawn gave us some great insight into how small business owners can leverage social media and fostered relationships to increase their business. Shawn is the head honcho at Kaplan Mortgage Partners and is a multi-year RUTHIE award winner in Murfreesboro. This guy is doing all the right things in an industry that has seen a lot of upheaval and turnover in the last couple years. Thank you, Shawn, for a great interview. Can't wait to have you on again. Stay tuned for the full interview coming soon.

If you would like more information about Shawn Kaplan and Kaplan Mortgage Partners please visit him HERE.

Originally posted on Carlos Cooper's BLOG

Originally posted on Carlos Cooper's Blog

Ok, I know the title sounds a bit melodramatic...but it's true. I've always been an entrepreneur but I always felt like there was something lacking. What was it? I had no idea.

Then came my own personal Mastermind Group. I'd wanted to start one for a couple years and could either never find the time or the right people to help me launch it.

Well, a couple years ago I finally jumped into networking. I was super reluctant but I went in anyway, kicking and screaming (on the inside). I knew it was important...at the time I didn't know how pivotal it would truly be.

So I joined a small networking group here in town under the BNI umbrella and started to learn. The relationships I made there helped propel me towards my goal of starting a mastermind group.

I remember sitting down for coffee with my good friend Alec and discussing how it should start. Long story short, we launched with three members and quickly capped membership at five (we like small, odd numbers).

I am not exaggerating when I say that a Mastermind Group changed my life...and here's how:

Focus: In a mastermind group the weekly focus (depends on your group) moves from member to member, that way each person gets their time in the hotseat. The ability to have a small, yet focused, group work on your idea, problem or goal for two hours is powerful. I quickly learned that my own focus needed to change. That led to shifting my professional pursuits away from real estate and into the small business arena. Through the help of my Mastermind Group I'm now focused on teaching others how to harness the power of a laser-focused Mastermind Group to help others AND themselves.

Collaboration: I've always loved being part of a team. Whether it was playing soccer as a kid, flag football in college or even a work group in a class, I always enjoyed the feeling of the group working as one. Camaraderie is a great motivator. With a Mastermind Group I found that feeling magnified tenfold. I honestly feel that there is no problem too big that we can't tackle. The power of effective collaboration is amazing and has changed my entire outlook as an entrepreneur.

Passion: Probably the most important thing I learned in my Mastermind Group was about identifying and following your passion. I'd always felt like that was lacking in my life. Not that I wasn't living a fulfilling existence; there was just something in my business life that needed a spark. In that little room, amidst my Mastermind brethren, I found that spark. I figured out that I am madly passionate about helping others. I found out that I'm part entrepreneur, part counselor, part coach, part leader, part consultant and part friend and brother. I never could've found that in a normal networking group. While Chamber events are great, it's hard to get into the "personal" side of business in a large group. It takes a core group of understanding members whose only purpose in coming together is to help fellow mastermind members. I feel that THAT is the real power of the Mastermind Group.

So now you know my experience. I'd love to hear yours. If you have any questions about forming a Mastermind Group please leave a comment or contact me HERE.

Originally posted on Carlos Cooper's Blog

Checkout our latest "Mind Your Business" interview with Glen Carrico of SpeedPro Imaging Brentwood. Glen gave us some insight how he decided to buy a franchise and what other prospective franchise owners need to look for. Thanks again, Glen!
- Tito & Budacheli
(Originally posted on Carlos Cooper's Blog)

Two more great interviews wrapped filming this week on "Mind Your Business"
Thanks to Alec Klapper with Blueyedea for teaching us about Video Marketing and Lesley Bates with S&L Consulting for giving us some great insight into small business bookkeeping. Stay tuned for their episodes coming soon!

Posted by Carlos Cooper

I think it's funny that people consider me a decent public speaker. You should've seen me a few years ago!
I still get butterflies in my stomach before I get in front of strangers and even in front of people I know. It's natural.

So what are the things that helped me get past my nervousness?  Here's the secret:

Just do it!  That's right. Just like your parents used to tell you, Practice Makes Perfect. You can't become a good public speaker by talking to yourself in the mirror. It's a great way to practice and see what you look like, but there's no substitute for just getting up there and doing it.

Here are a few tips:
- Don't drink caffeine before you go onstage
- Take a few cleansing breaths
- Try to walk through what you're going to say a couple times before you stand up
- Know that it won't last forever. It's kinda like a band-aid. Just rip it off.
- Use an outline instead of trying to memorize

I know I make it sound easy but taking that first step is the hardest. Again, just start volunteering to do things like giving short classes or tutorials. It'll help you get to the bigger stuff down the road.


Carlos Cooper is Co-Founder of S.O.S. University. You can visit his website HERE

Thanks to Matthew Evans again for a great interview on "Mind Your Business"
Love, Tito & Budacheli

I believe in second chances.

Let me tell you what else I believe in. I believe in educating yourself. I don't think you have to have advanced degrees to be successful. I believe you should always remember those who helped you along the way and that you should do the same for others.

I think it's time to tell my story and why I believe what I believe...so let's go.

I'm the oldest of four boys and I grew up all over the world because my dad was in the Navy. Two years was the longest we ever stayed in one place. I never got in trouble and never missed school. I was that kid. Outgoing but not a risk taker.

I never had a typical job. I mowed lawns, babysat my brothers and families with rambunctious boys, washed cars, etc... I didn't have my first REAL job until the summer after my first year of college.

I played soccer, baseball, tennis, cross country and more.

School was always easy for me. I enjoyed it because I had great teachers that each challenged me in a different way. I graduated high school with a four point something GPA. Not bragging, just saying.

During my final year of high school I applied to a few colleges but one visit to the University of Virginia put all other schools out of my mind. The Grounds (campus for all you non-Hoos), the reputation and the girls (don't worry that's also where I would end up meeting my wife). Luckily, I got in and accepted immediately. At the same time I knew I wanted to serve in the military and was chosen to receive an ROTC scholarship. I wanted to become a Marine.

Well, college life was amazing but I soon found that the world was a bit different than I'd expected. It wasn't that the school work was incredibly hard (except for that semester of Japanese 101), it was that all of a sudden I had all this freedom. The week I arrived at college was the first time I'd ever had a beer.

The other thing I realized was that none of the classes I was taking really excited me. That's when I should've seen the problem. I've always been an entrepreneur at heart (a couple stints with networking marketing too) and college felt like the anti-entrepreneur. Do it our way...or else. Maybe it was just the classes I was taking. I thought about going into the business school but took one class and hated it. It was all theory! Where were the practical lessons???

Long story short, I had a great time in college (fraternity, ROTC, intramurals, dating, etc..) but my grades stunk and remained borderline.

It all came to a head my fourth and final year. I started off well but a couple bumps in the road (crazy girlfriend, sick mom, etc..) took me off course. I became more of an introvert and the grades started slipping. I did stupid things because I didn't know how to cope. I was in a major funk and I had no way of getting out. Skip to almost the end and my grades were so bad for that semester that I couldn't graduate on-time. On top of that I was gonna have to stand in front of a review board for my ROTC unit and they'd decide whether to keep me on scholarship or send me to boot camp.

I can only imagine how awful I looked standing in front of those officers. They peppered me with questions and I really only knew one of them. There final decision was to drop my scholarship and sent me to boot camp.

Luckily I had two men on my side that knew what I'd been through and believed in me. I won't say their names but they were the Commanding Officer of the ROTC unit and the lead Marine officer at the unit. Together they ignored the board's recommendation and gave me one more shot.

I was given the summer to finish a couple classes and help out around the unit. Needless to say, I was not going to let them down. I went on to get great grades (I actually enjoyed the classes I got to choose) and because I had no money got into the best shape of my life. You can't buy beer with no money!

I redeemed myself and was commissioned in the Marine Corps at the end of the summer. I didn't get to walk The Lawn with my peers but that was ok. I'd made it through one the most trying times of my life.

I went on to have a successful six year stint in the Marine Corps as an infantry officer. After that I moved on to owning my own businesses. All because those two men believed in me and gave me a second shot. I was just a stupid kid but they saw something in me.

So what's the moral of the story?

1) Give people a second chance. You never know what they might be going through personally. It's hard to make that separation sometimes.

2) Give yourself a second chance. If you screwed up, pick yourself up and don't do it again. You're human. I know I am!

3) Don't ever forget the people that helped you. I think as Americans we have very short memories. We're all about the RIGHT NOW. Learn to remember life's lessons and help others along the way.

I wouldn't be who I am now if I hadn't failed a few times along the way. I am not perfect and that's ok. I do, however, learn from my mistakes. That's what True Entrepreneurs do!

Anyway, thanks for listening and thanks to Andrew Warner at Mixergy for giving me the courage to tell my story.

Originally posted by Carlos Cooper HERE.