Masterminds are groups where entrepreneurs discuss business. They can be in person, on social media, video conferences, or other mediums. While some use them to close deals, for others masterminds are simply an organized way to meet like-minded people.

At first, it can seem odd to pay money for meeting people. Consider the self-help cliche, however, that your personality is the average of the five people you associate with most. If your friends react to adversity by complaining, you’ll imitate that mannerism. If they spend their weekends drinking, you’ll know a few other ways to socialize. If they’re salaried workers, entrepreneurship will appear scarier. Habits are infectious.

This insight is why many consider joining mastermind groups. Below, we’ve listed seventeen of the most notable. Each group suits different audiences. While some cost $500 annually, one unique group costs $100,000. Some are hosted at their local chapters. Others are social media groups. The right mastermind for you is whichever suits your needs best.

GrowthMentor Mastermind Groups

GrowthMentor City Squads are a place for localized groups of people to come together and discuss local opportunities, brainstorm and meet-up in person.  The over arching goal being to help each other to grow and flourish by establishing real life connections.

Who are these mastermind groups for?

These groups are for entrepreneurs and marketers who are eager to interact with others in a similar situation and looking to make meaningful business relationships in their local area. Each member of a mastermind is responsible for bringing up topics to discuss and is always looking for ways to help the other members.

Disclaimer: At the moment, these organized squads are only in our larger hub cities, but we are adding more as we grow.  

Request Invite & Criteria to Join

While these groups are geared toward local residents, we also encourage members who are traveling to a city to join the group to get the local inside scoop from like minded folks.

Mastermind Group Activity

Once you are approved for a group you will be added to a private Slack channel with the other members where you can start networking.  With the help of group members, GrowthMentor arranges in-person meetups in the active cities.

london mastermind

Group Size

These groups are meant to be intimate and small in number to encourage open communication. Members are encouraged to engage openly and large group numbers can be intimidating. The goal is to make meaningful connections with your peers who are in the same boat as you. It’s much easier to do this within a small group who all share the same intentions.

Mastermind Alternative

Something worth mentioning in this post is that we’ve had more traditional mastermind groups in the past and the feedback we got was that our members preferred the 1:1 calls with the vetted mentors as opposed to group interaction.

“It’s much more time efficient to book a 1:1 with an expert than wait my turn to talk in a group call and then have random folks give their 2 cents before moving on to the next person.”  

So while we do have smaller masterminds grouped by city, our members prefer to problem solve in private calls with experts or in our Slack group where they can ask a question and get real time answers.

 

KEY INFORMATION

  • Founder: Foti Panagiotakopoulos
  • Year Founded: 2018
  • Headquarters: New Mexico, United States
  • Cost: various billing options starting at $50/month

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Entrepreneur’s Organization (EO)

Why you should join:

EO is perhaps the most well-known mastermind brand. Over 13,000 entrepreneurs are members. Each meets the standard of over $1 million in revenue. Meetings are in-person at local chapters with discussions covering business, life, and balancing the two.

If you meet its requirements EO is very reasonable. The membership cost is minimal compared to other groups. The network is international with members near every major city you can travel to. It has reigned as the 800-pound gorilla of masterminds since 1987 for good reason.

KEY INFORMATION

  • Founder: Verne Harnish
  • Year Founded: 1987
  • Headquarters: Alexandria, Virginia
  • Cost: $2,500 initiation, $2,400/year

Official Website

Eccountability

Why you should join:

Eccountability offers the complete digital mastermind. Users create profiles detailing their company size, industry, goals, and other information. The program then matches them to groups with similar profiles and whom they’ll video conference once a week. It’s the upsides of a traditional mastermind with the flexibility of a digital interface.

This group is most recommended for the digital entrepreneur. Starting a business can be isolating. Starting it from your laptop–doubly so. With a digital solution, Eccountability makes it easy for like-minded people to find and support each other’s goals.

KEY INFORMATION

  • Founder: Ronan Leonard
  • Year Founded: 2016
  • Headquarters: Melbourne, Australia
  • Cost
    • ‘Stag’ (Standard): $2,499 for 3 months
    • ‘Bull’ (Premier): $3,999 for 3 months

Official Website

Business Network International (BNI)


Why you should join:

Business Network International (BNI) is the largest and most accessible mastermind. It has over 8,989 chapters and 253,000 members globally. Interaction takes place on social media and in-person at local chapters.

Along with mentorship and community, BNI coordinates a staggering amount of business. 11.2 million referrals and $15.7 billion deals were closed last year within BNI’s network. The sheer size allows for diverse, unexpected partnerships for growth.

KEY INFORMATION

  • Founder: Dr. Ivan Misner & Carolyn Denny
  • Year Founded: 1984
  • Headquarters: Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
  • Cost: $500/year

Official Website

10X Ambition Program with Dan Sullivan

Why you should join:

Dan Sullivan’s ’10X Ambition Program’ gives direct access to the celebrity coach himself. Once a quarter, members participate in a day-long boot camp with Sullivan. The next day, beginners consult a program advisor to set goals and objectives for the upcoming quarter.

Sullivan’s mastermind is ideal for startups looking to scale. His major emphasis is ‘the Self-Multiplying Company’. If you’ve hit product-market fit and can plan 2-3 years ahead, Sullivan could be what it takes to break past your ‘startup’ phase.

KEY INFORMATION

  • Founder: Dan Sullivan
  • Year Founded: 2005
  • Headquarters: Toronto, Canada
  • Cost: $25,000

Official Website

Vistage

Why you should join:

Vistage is a network of executives who meet in person. It’s reserved for leaders with over $500K annual revenue in their business. Discussions are sworn as anonymous to stay within the group. The main goal is to cultivate a corporate network of close relationships.

It’s ideal for larger startups. Vistage is older and reminiscent of Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich generation. This isn’t to dismiss it. While your start up woes will probably be less empathized with, expect to learn invaluable corporate tactics at Vistage. If you’re a ‘CEO’ not a ‘founder’, it could be the ideal squad for you.

KEY INFORMATION

  • Founder: Robert Nourse
  • Year Founded: 1957
  • Headquarters: San Diego, California
  • Cost: $2,250 initiation, around $1,380 monthly

Official Website

10X Factory


Why you should join:

10X Factory is a closed community of executives on Slack. This allows for instant feedback and organized sub-groups on Slack channels. Mostly, 10X Factory is intended as a quick reference for executives to use on the fly.

This group deserves props for making such a versatile tool. 10X Factory can either supplement or replace your mastermind protocol. If admitted, it’s extremely convenient to log on, ask a question, and get immediate feedback from a brain trust of business leaders.

KEY INFORMATION

  • Founder: Eric Carlson & Eddie Machaalani
  • Year Founded: 2017
  • Cost: Disclosed upon admission

Official Website

The Brightly Immersive Mastermind

Why you should join:

The Brightly Immersive Mastermind is a 6-month program for women. Members join bi-weekly 90-minute calls, chat on a private Facebook group, and fly to a three-day retreat three months into the program. In meetups and online, it gives comprehensive support for female professionals.

While yours truly identifies as male, it would seem this program should be highly recommended for professional women. Particularly in tech, women have less space to articulate and release their unique workplace, familial, and cultural pressures. Brightly Immersive fills a demonstrably urgent market need and hopefully more groups follow suit.

KEY INFORMATION

  • Founder: Brianne Dosier
  • Year Founded: 2018
  • Headquarters: Portland, Oregon
  • Cost: $3,500

Official Website

Kickass Mastermind Groups


Why you should join:

Kickass Mastermind is another digital group. Masterminds consist of 6-10 members. Sessions can include virtual co-working, boot camps, and hot seats. They show a refreshing attempt to try and reimagine the mastermind format.

As with Eccountability, Kickass is recommended for the digital entrepreneur. Programs like the hot seat–in which your mastermind dissects your business plan–help reinforce accountability into your workday. Healthy pressure like this is essential for staying on track of one’s goals.

KEY INFORMATION

  • Founder: Sara Christensen
  • Year Founded: 2017
  • Headquarters: Austin
  • Cost: $10,000/year

Official Website

Carlton Coaching’s Platinum Mastermind


Why you should join:

Carlton Coaching’s ‘Platinum Mastermind Group’ is a quarterly bootcamp. It’s hyper-exclusive. Twelve vetted executives meet with coaches John Carlton and Stan Dahl in a small conference room. Guest speakers often include icons Joe Polish (discussed later). The goal is to create a high priority list of 1-3 action items for your business.

The program prides itself on pragmatism. As a copywriting legend, Carlton presumably reveres being simple and direct. If your startup is snagged in an unexplainable plateau, a group like this could be what you need to break through.

KEY INFORMATION

  • Founder: John Carlton & Stan Dahl
  • Year Founded:
  • Headquarters: Phoenix, Arizona
  • Cost: $15,000

Official Website

Greatness Mastermind with Lewis Howes


Why you should join:

In his ‘Greatness Mastermind’, Lewis Howes plugs members into the same network that’s backed his popular podcast and book. The program lasts a year. Perks include weekend Hollywood retreats and mingling with celebs.

It could be easy to dismiss Howes as a social media hack, but one should be more patient. Howes’ content is demonstrably successful and ‘Greatness’ is one of the few millennial focused groups. This strategy points towards new forms of media consumption. Even if he looks like a cliche, don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. It could be the future.

KEY INFORMATION

  • Founder: Lewis Howes
  • Year Founded: 2017
  • Headquarters: West Hollywood, California
  • Cost: $42,000/year

Official Website

War Room Mastermind


Why you should join:

War Room approaches the tier of non-Illuminati/Bilderberg groups the public knows about. Hall of Famers includes Sara Blaky of Spanx, an undisclosed Sharktank ‘Shark’, and an undisclosed former Pepsi VP. The main pitch, however, is brass tax delegation tactics. Executives share written templates, checklists, and systems on a private social network. War Room’s goal is to “double your business every year”.

This mastermind tier is recommended for the experienced. Try out casual groups first to see if you do well in them. The pay off only justifies itself if you’re already good at networking, forming partnerships, and, generally, playing extraverted business.

KEY INFORMATION

  • Founder: Ryan Deiss and Perry Belcher
  • Year Founded: 2009
  • Headquarters: Austin
  • Cost: $30,000/year

Official Website

Russell Brunson’s Inner Circle


Why you should join:

Russel Brunson’s Inner Circle offers direct mentorship with him and his community. He’s something of a marketing icon. ‘ClickFunnels’ is reported as the fasted-growing non-venture backed software company. A Tony Robbin’s testimonial graces his website, explaining: “There is so much hype and BS, he [Brunson] was a breath of fresh air to me”.

Inner Circle is specific to the digital entrepreneur. Most of Brunson’s success is with information products. If you’re willing to make the investment, you can learn from the purported inventor of modern digital marketing himself.

KEY INFORMATION

  • Founder: Russell Brunson
  • Year Founded: 2017
  • Headquarters: Boise, Idaho
  • Cost: $25,000/year

Official Website

Scaling Up CEO Bootcamp

Why you should join:

Scaling Up Bootcamp offers intimate, tropical time with Vern Harnish. He’s the founder of the priorly mentioned Entrepreneur’s Organization. Group sizes are typically seven executives. The retreat gives structured discussions, one-on-ones with Harnish and according to the website: “[Time] In and around the hot tub, where the real problems are solved”.

It’s a pretty unique opportunity. For decades, Harnish has molded EO into one of the best masterminds ever. He’s likely seen tens of thousands of business cases similar to your own ‘unique’ problem. It’s rare you can simply pay for access to a mind like that.

KEY INFORMATION

  • Founder: Verne Harnish
  • Year Founded: 2017
  • Headquarters: Marathon, Florida
  • Cost: $14,500 all inclusive for four days

Official Website

Young President’s Organization (YPO)


Why you should join:

Like Harnish’s groups, the Young President’s Organization (YPO) is one of the most impressive mastermind brands. The group began in 1950. It connects 27,000 CEOs globally. Admission is invite only and with business standards like 50 full-time employees and total compensation exceeding $2 million. The setting is intended to be corporate.

Members connect in-person. Events often include speakers like Richard Branson, Steve Wozniak, and heads of state. Money’s no issue for members, but the annual fee is a reasonable $3,500. If you’re given an invitation, don’t let the opportunity pass.

KEY INFORMATION

  • Founder: Ray Hickock
  • Year Founded: 1950
  • Headquarters: Irving, Texas
  • Cost: $3,525/year

Official Website

Joe Polish’s Genius Network


Why you should join:

I alleged War Room was pre-Illuminati, but that’s before I researched ‘Genius Network’. Joe Polish’s group connects members to educational content, a digital network, and colossal annual events where the likes of Tony Robbins, Peter Diamandis, and Richard Branson speak. Pricing is either 25K or 100K annually. By most accounts, it’s the premium mastermind option.

Genius Network is recommended for the most experience masterminders. As with War Room, you should go in knowing how to network, create partnerships, and know, in reality, whether you’re using masterminds to procrastinate. Learn to walk before sprinting a marathon.

KEY INFORMATION

  • Founder: Joe Polish
  • Year Founded: 2006
  • Headquarters: Tempe, Arizona
  • Cost:
    • ’25K Group’: $25,000
    • ‘100K Group’: $100,000

Official Website

Indie Brand Builder


Why you should join:

Indie Brand Builder is focused exclusively on helping consumer product entrepreneurs with actionable strategies for scaling their business. In the Mastermind Program, participants are taught how to clarify their brand narrative, systematize their sales processes, and build an efficient organizational structure.

Members connect virtually for weekly training sessions that draw on Jeremy’s experience as a partner in SoYoung, a successful line of lifestyle bags. There is also a weekly “office hours” session for members to ask questions and get support.

KEY INFORMATION

  • Founder: Jeremy Robinson
  • Year Founded: 2015
  • Headquarters: Toronto, Canada
  • Cost: $500/month

Official Website

Mastermind alternatives

Not sure if masterminds are right for you? Feel kind of weird passing out business cards?

Consider going directly for a mentor instead.

At Growth Mentor, we host the premier platform of vetted industry leaders users can connect with. Our network spans dozens of verticals, company sizes, and other qualifications specific to your needs. The person who is where you want to be ten years from now is just one click and one call away.

For just $120 a month, you’ll get access to 600+ vetted growth marketing and startup mentors at startup-friendly rates or free!

Not to mention access to a private Slack and Facebook community and 1:1 matchmaking support to help you get the maximum results.

Build your own mastermind group!

Bounce ideas off of vetted growth mentors for a fraction of the price of higher priced mastermind groups!
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