Legacy Mastermind : Business Retreat in Mexico

Settled about an hour from Cancun, Mexico there was a powerful collective of functional medicine experts working, learning, and taking risks in early February. This Legacy Mastermind was focused on ways to optimize their culture, the true differential for business growth and scalability. What made this learning experience unique was the blend of interactive learning and deep connectivity with one another. Each day carried a different theme.

Thursday was traveling and settling into two beachfront properties that would house the 32 guests. With butlers who served as bartenders, personal chefs, and a housekeeping service, no detail was missed. The attention to luxury was subtle and created a breathing space for conversation, naps, and toes in the sand.

Friday dawned with a tropical breeze that softly welcomed the 7 a.m. yoga enthusiasts. The solitude and peace were palpable. This was great preparation for a day devoted to being fully present. The learning intensive included “Why? – Not What” which focused on creating a mission that engages the team and builds client loyalty; because people don’t buy “what” you do.

Members were asked, “What difference does your business make?” and “What if it didn’t exist?” and each owner created a video of “Why I do what I do.” In addition, a “values and essential behaviors” discussion became lively. To create clarity for team members back home, owners established brainstorming rituals and cadence.

The pace accelerated the next day as members created an addition to their playbook on “How to Measure the Culture.” In depth tools were given that allowed for customized survey development for a team and for individuals. Measure what matters because the best indicator of profitability is culture.

The 2023 Gallup organization highlights that U.S. employee engagement dropped two percentage points in early 2022 with a higher engagement rating in organizations that focus on culture and well-being. Only 32 percent of full- and part-time employees working for organizations are now engaged, while 17 percent are actively disengaged.

Meanwhile, Gallup Exceptional Workplace Award recipients averaged 70 percent on employee engagement. What they do differently than most is use their organizational culture and values to guide business decisions. Legacy Mastermind members are acting to create this type of change in their organization and by extension their communities and the world.

Play, the best method to lock in learning, was also featured at this retreat. There were opportunities to enjoy a personalized massage on the beach, deep sea fishing, kayaks, cenotes, and close out an evening with fire and knife performers. While the setting was idyllic, the true magic of the experience was the shared wisdom. Together, the most connected leaders in the health and well-being space created solutions that have the power to ripple and make a difference.

What’s next? Legacy Mastermind continues to move at a lightening pace to create business models where owners have a sellable asset or act as founders and enjoy passive income while following passions and callings. Entry to Mastermind is by invitation for those who are willing to play big and adopt a growth mindset.

Conversations are ongoing with potential members for 2024.

Contact Sheila Stephens: sheila@freedompracticecoaching.com

At our February quarterly, we took off our “practitioner hats” and put on our hiking caps. It was time we started to reframe our position in the PME as interviewers, or rather, mountaineer guides or sherpas. Together, we embarked on a hike that led us to the basecamp of a picturesque mountain.

Along our hike, there were three “conversational” forks in the trail plus nine resting lodges that represented the nine steps in the PME. Our successful arrival at basecamp meant that we had moved through the last step of the PME and nailed the close. Then, beginning our summit up the mountain would signify the start of a program where we’d journey towards the ultimate destination - the mountain peak.

Ensuring a safe and successful journey up to the mountain peak is crucial; and as a sherpa, you’ll want to make sure everyone you’ll be guiding is fit for the trek. This means that our initial hike towards the basecamp should serve as an interview to make sure everyone is fully prepared. From this perspective, you are more likely to ignite the spark that led your “interviewee” to embark on the hike and consider the trek in the first place.

Your job is to aid in the manifestation of dreams and goals by asking questions, reflecting current and future situations, and guiding someone towards a decision after they’ve had the chance to really look at their lives and what they want to achieve. The three forks along the trail should facilitate your conversational awareness in the PME.

At the first fork you will look at their desert to the left, and their promised land to the right and take a scenic view at their two possibilities to get from the desert to their hoped-for destination. The first possibility is their “plan A.” What has and hasn’t worked to get close to the mountain summit before? What is your current plan to get there? The second possibility is “plan B.” Do you need and want a team to help you get there? What are you hoping we can provide along the summit? These questions will help them determine that they do need a “plan B” and the support of you and your team.

The second fork in the trail is after resting lodge number six. This “conversational fork” is where they decide that this approach for summitting the mountain is what they’re looking for. You want a definitive “yes!” If they choose to say “no,” they can embark on a different journey.

At resting lodge number seven you encounter your third and final “fork.” By this time, you have ensured they are prepared for a successful trek so you can accept them onto your mountaineering team. This is step seven - the double acceptance.

Once you are past the three forks, you can focus on the agreement of your partnership, assess any final challenges, and take action. To ensure you are interviewing with intention, your sherpa pack includes a survival kit with four tools for your interview.

Tool 1: ASK

The purpose of asking is to bring them out of their analytical, objective, view of their current situation, and into an emotional, subjective, state. This is where you seek to truly understand and clarify what brought them in, and what matters to them. It also helps you gain perspective of who this hiker is, and how they are showing up.

Tool 2: REFLECT

By using reflect as a tool, you help them conceptualize both their current and future situations and place their focus towards their desert and future consequences, as well as their promised land and hoped-for destination. It’s almost like reading their biography back to them with added illustrations of color, details, and emotions. You empathize and help them truly connect to their story in this way.

Tool 3: GUIDE

Then, you deploy the next tool: guide. Here, you will help them get a sense of direction and facilitate decision making after establishing the big picture. You will use “ask” or “reflect” and follow with questions such as, “It sounds like the previous approaches weren’t successful for you in the past, what do you think it would take to be successful?” or “Do you feel you need a different plan to get there?” This is how you employ conversational awareness and observe, evaluate, or challenge them to “guide” them towards an action or decision.

Tool 4: RESPOND

This last tool helps you maintain your position as sherpa when they display skepticism. It involves responding to the “why” beneath the question to gain clarity and maintain control of the conversation. This allows you to identify a potential or specific concern, underlying fear, or mindset block, and address each to assess the partnership fit. You should answer their questions while also creating safety and transparency in communicating your intentions and expectations. This ensures you aren’t clipping them into the trek line before you fully assess their capability of summiting. Remember, you don’t need them; they need you.

The three trail forks and nine resting lodges will provide structure; and the four tools will ensure your due diligence as interviewers and help you identify any potential swords. You will need to make sure you are aware of any predators, bad weather, or unfit minds for the trek before you begin the journey.

To achieve sherpa status you will need to know what the person in front of you is fighting for, and why the summit is important to them. So, use this framework as you scope out someone’s desert and promised land. Be sure and incorporate the tools in your survival kit and you will be transforming more hikers into mountaineers in no time!

By: Dr. Devan Sachs

Hello, Team Members!

Every week on workshops, we have plenty of questions related to Qualifying Calls and Discovery Calls. This is not surprising since most of you are responsible for getting people scheduled and getting them to show up to your pre-education events and PME’s. After all, the lifeblood of the practice is getting new members so you can help them transform their lives for the better. Here are a few reminders of the key ingredients for an impactful connection that will get someone to move forward in any interaction.

One of the most critical aspects of effective communication is being present. When you are speaking with someone, it's essential to give them your undivided attention. Put away your distractions and focus on what they're saying. Show them that you value their time and their thoughts by being present in the moment. When you are present, you can pick up on subtle cues and nonverbal communication, which can help you understand your prospect or client's needs better.

Another essential component of effective communication is active listening. Active listening means paying attention to what the other person is saying and responding in a way that shows you understand them. It involves asking follow-up questions for clarification and summarizing what you've heard to ensure that you have understood correctly. This means you must get to a place where you are comfortable and confident enough to put the script aside and hone into what the person is saying. Active listening helps build trust and rapport with your prospects and clients, which can lead to a more productive relationship.

Lastly, staying curious is also an important part of effective communication. When you approach a conversation with curiosity, you are more likely to learn something new and gain valuable insights. Curiosity allows you to ask questions that can uncover your client's goals and motivations, which can help you tailor your approach to meet their needs better.

If you want to be successful with building strong relationships with your prospects and clients, it starts with that initial phone call. And then being fully present, practicing active listening, and staying curious, stem from your connection with your ultimate purpose.

So, before you pick up the phone or make your next call, remember to connect with yourself first and come back to the WHY in what you do. This is the foundation to help you connect on a deeper level and create positive change in others’ lives. Remember, every conversation is an opportunity to learn something new and make a positive impact. Commit to these things. Be present, listen actively, and stay curious in all your interactions.

By: Mindi Webb