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I’m offering an opportunity to work with me personally through a three-month mastermind program that will focus on finding your ideal audience and publicly sharing your creative work.
You will join a group of no more than 9 other creative people, a group size where you can be focused 100% on engagement (with me, and with others in the group.) It runs from April 1st to June 30th, 2017.
There are a limited number of spots available, if you are interested, please read below and register as soon as possible.
WHAT WE FOCUS ON
I’ll start by saying that I only work with creative professionals. These are writers, crafters, designers, artists, entrepreneurs, and others whose work is about creating something special that will enrich the lives of others.
It is about craft, art, and an almost magical connection that happens when their vision sparks something in the hearts and minds of those who receive it. If you are reading this, that’s probably you.
The Gateway Mastermind focuses on the following:
- Working through the concept and strategies outlined in my book, Be the Gateway.
- In April you develop a gateway for your creative work, prioritizing what you should focus on first, developing a mission statement, and testing your own assumptions.
- In May, you identify comparable creative work, and find guidepost and guides that help lead you to your audience. Then, you do primary research and begin establishing the relationships you need for success. You open the gate to your audience.
- In June you develop a process to walk someone through your gateway — creating experiences that engage those you hope to reach. You will also create a support system that makes your creative work sustainable.
HOW THIS WORKS
This is not a course — it is a collaboration. A mastermind group is traditionally a group of like-minded people who come together to help one another brainstorm, focus, and stay accountable.
You do not get loads of course material — you get prompts and actions to take. You are given a structure by which to collaborate with me and others in the mastermind. Nothing else. This is about action. Period.
On a day to day basis, we will focus on:
- Breaking down big milestones and goals into smaller steps that you can begin taking right now.
- Keeping you accountable to the work that matters most to you, but in a way that is filled with caring and support.
- Providing guidance on how to develop your work and find your audience.
- Developing the habits that lead to productive creative work, but also a sense of fulfillment.
- Creating a sense of momentum with your creative vision.
You don’t have to show up anywhere on any particular day or time (I understand you are too busy to add another meeting to your calendar), but you will have constant access to the group (and myself) via these powerful collaboration tools.
- We Are Together Every Day.
You receive access to a private Slack chat group. This is basically a 24/7 instant messaging system for small teams. This is where you can brainstorm ideas, share insights, cry for help, and feel a sense of collaboration in what can be an otherwise lonely process.You will be placed into a group with approximately 9 other people who will become your colleagues in the mastermind. They will be people you can learn from, share ideas with, and forge meaningful relationships as colleagues. It is incredible to see how quickly this happens in the mastermind!
- I Am With You Every Day.
I post (mostly) daily video updates where I take you through key steps to be taking, and expand upon conversations we are having in Slack. These videos are only for the Mastermind group, are recorded (nearly) every day, and give you an inside look into how to truly make progress. I will not talk in theory, but in terms of practical steps, sharing with you how I am doing this myself. - This is a Virtual Co-Working Space.
There is a separate channel in Slack that I have created that is meant to be a virtual co-working space. Beyond the tips, the advice, the strategies that we share in Slack, the co-working channel is where we say hello each day and get the benefits of being collaborators.Imagine this as a real-world co-working space. Every day you show up to our huge loft, with big rustic wooden tables filled with iMacs. There is good music playing, amazing coffee, huge windows, and each of us shows up at our desks to work on our projects, while getting to know each other. You are a part of a community that is special — and this is where we say hello and motivate each other every day.
- An Amazing Facilitator Will Guide You.
Along with me, Teri Case will act as a facilitator who will be in the group with you each day, ensuring everyone is able to collaborate most effectively. Teri is amazing, she has been a member of three previous masterminds I have run. She has this innate ability to bring people together — she is magic.She will be with us the entire time, and will be guiding the group solo for a few days in April while I support my wife in giving birth to our second child. In those days, Teri will be here keeping everyone focused, and reporting back to me how I can best guide each of you once I return from the hospital.
Are you worried about how to use these tools? Don’t. These are things my team and I use every single day, and are a core way that collaborative groups work. They are easy to get the hang of, and after all, we are here to help you out along the way!
That is the real value here: collaboration. You will have me and others in the mastermind providing feedback on your goals, helping provide direction, giving feedback, and pulling you out of the hole when you feel stuck and lost.
Each day I am in the group with you, providing feedback on your tasks, your progress, and your direction. And I will also tell you when you are losing focus or biting off more than you can chew. So much of this process is about clarity and focus. Taking simple actions consistently, not getting bogged down.
My role is to be a coach in this process. You get to watch what I do, I give you direction, observe and suggest corrections. But I’ll be clear: it is YOU on the playing field. I’m not out there to do the work for you, or hold your hand when you are stalling. My feedback will be short and to the point. This is about taking action when it matters.
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT THE MASTERMIND
The Gateway Mastermind is one of the most powerful things I have ever offered — the feedback from folks who joined me have been off the charts amazing. They have found renewed clarity in their creative work, and a solid roadmap for moving forward.
“I’m telling you, these Masterminders are a generous and creative and supportive group. And that Dan Blank is generous and helpful beyond the beyond.”
–– Judy Reeves
“There are so many layers of emotional and creative spirit in this group. I can feel positive momentum building.”
— Mary McFarland
“Dan promised me collaboration when I signed up for this group. I had my doubts, but not anymore. Being a part of the the Mastermind group has brought so much clarity (and simplicity) to my creative work.”
–– Jack Schaeffer
“Dan’s Mastermind group is a safe haven for creators and writers. Dan and my fellow Mastermind participants helped me define the direction for my writing and reach more readers through my website, blog and social media. I recommend this group to anyone looking for support and direction in their creative projects.”
-— Rupert Davies-Cooke
“WOW. I’m really blown away (seriously, not exaggerating) by the kind, helpful responses in this group. When I signed up, I had wondered if I was doing the right thing by joining this Mastermind –– I was afraid I wasn’t really ready for the step. But now I see that this is exactly what I needed.”
—- Maya Rushing Walker
“I believe that Dan Blank has created MAGIC here. This group has held me accountable to making a positive change in my creative work — I have never been a part of something this powerful before!”
—- Cathey Nickell
“This Mastermind has given me a sense of direction with the business side of my writing that I’ve never had before.”
—- Dawn Downey
“This Mastermind is building camaraderie with like-minded people for the first time in my life. I have never felt so alive. I can’t even explain it. Even with all my past successes nothing has brought me as much fulfillment as this group and each individual in it.”
— Cari Flory
WHO THIS IS FOR
This is for the creative professional who wants to more effectively share their work and develop their audience.
I work with writers, artists, designers, crafters, entrepreneurs and anyone who is doing creative work that is deeply meaningful to their audience.
And I will absolutely say, this is about living up to your creative vision. A big part of the process is indeed about getting clearer about the meaning and experiences you are creating for others.
WHY THIS PROGRAM MATTERS
Let me share a few ways that this program is different from anything else I have offered before (and from what most others offer):
- Very often, people sell you “content,” such as course material, when a key ingredient to success is collaboration. This mastermind is about that collaboration: relationships with others that keep us focused and accountable. Consider why it costs $75 to join a gym for an entire month, but $75 to hire a personal trainer for a single hour. Just joining a gym gives you access to tools, but hiring a personal trainer gives you access to insights and a personalized system. Most people don’t show up to the gym on an average day, but they nearly always show up to an appointment with a personal trainer. It is a commitment, and assurance to get the job done.This mastermind is that commitment. I am waiting at the gym for you to show up. Don’t leave me — and your creative vision — hanging.
- There is no refund policy on this program. When you sign up, you are making a commitment not only to me, but to yourself. Take action, or else lose your investment. This is a no excuses program. If you don’t do the work, you will hear it from me. One term you will hear a lot in this program is the following: “No half-baking it.” Why do I use this term? Because most creative ventures fail not because they aren’t engaging ideas, but because the person half-bakes it. They do it part way. They give up at the drop of a hat.
This program is a half-baked free zone. There is no “dropping” the mastermind part of the way through. When you sign up, you are making a 3-month commitment. If you don’t show up, that’s on you. Because I am there every day, waiting for you.If you have creative work that is deeply meaningful to you, whether it is full-time or part-time, I’m challenging you to stop treating your profession like a hobby. If you have a day job, I would bet that you would never consider showing up late for work. Or show up only three days per week to a job where you’re expected to be there five days per week. Or you wouldn’t just leave mid-day from the job because you didn’t feel inspired to do it.
Yet, this is how people “show up” for their creative vision. For their creative career.
Want in? There is a $750 total fee for the three-month program, payable in three monthly installments. So you pay $250 in April, $250 in May, and $250 in June. Yes, I am always flexible to creating a specific payment plan that fits your needs.
There are a limited number of spots available, if you are interested, please register as soon as possible.
DEADLINE TO REGISTER: MONDAY MARCH 27, 2017
To join me, do the following:
- Purchase the required reading: Be the Gateway on Amazon. Begin reading.
- Sign up for the mastermind below as soon as possible so I can hold a place for you.
Registration is currently closed. Sign up to be notified when registration begins later in 2017:
We begin April 1st, and prior to that you will receive a questionnaire so that I can begin understanding how to best help you reach your goals.
Thanks!
-Dan