Surround yourself with successful people who share your goals

If everyone around you thinks investing is risky and starting a business is for other people, every project will look like madness. Surround yourself with people working towards the same goals, and the same idea becomes normal. Here is how to build that circle, and how to avoid those who make a business out of it.

Why the people around you matter so much

Entrepreneur Jim Rohn is often credited with the idea that we are ‘the average of the five people we spend the most time with’. It is an image, not a law. But the underlying idea is sound: our habits, our ambitions and what we consider ‘normal’ are largely shaped by the people we spend time with.

In practice, a good circle gives you:

• Information: the right notary, the town where rents are rising, the mistake not to make in a sale agreement.
• Opportunities: a property sold before it is listed, a partner, a business to take over.
• High standards: when the people close to you move forward, you want to move forward too.
• Support: early failures are easier to get through with people who have been through them.

The mastermind: the most effective format

Popularised by Napoleon Hill, a mastermind is a small group of four to eight people who meet regularly to make progress together.

How to set one up

1. Choose people at a similar level. Too big a gap and the group turns into a class. Enough variety of skills (an accountant, someone handy, a salesperson…) so that everyone contributes something.
2. Set a rhythm: one meeting a month, at a fixed time, in person or by video.
3. A simple format: everyone says what they had promised to do, what they did, what is blocking them now, and their commitment for the next month.
4. A confidentiality rule: what is said in the group stays in the group. That is what makes it possible to talk real numbers.

The mentor

A mentor is someone who has already done what you want to do and is willing to save you time. To find one:

• bring value before asking for any (help on a renovation, a skill, a contact);
• ask precise questions rather than ‘can you advise me?’;
• show that you apply their advice: it is the best way to keep them.

Where to meet these people

• Investor clubs and communities, such as Le Club for real estate in Belgium.
• Seminars, such as The Mind, provided you choose them carefully.
• Cashflow clubs, where people play Kiyosaki's game.
• Business networks: chambers of commerce, business clubs, associations of business buyers.
• Serious training courses: the other participants are sometimes worth more than the content.

‘Communities’ that sell you a dream

Some groups present themselves as a family of winners, but mainly exist to sell. Be wary if:

• the community asks you to recruit your friends and family to progress;
• you are shown cars, trips and screenshots of transfers, but never verifiable accounts;
• you are told your sceptical friends are ‘people who don't want you to succeed’;
• each level unlocks a more expensive course.

Sorting without burning bridges

You do not have to drop friends who do not share your goals. Just add people who do, and choose who you talk to about your projects. Kind-hearted sceptics are actually valuable: they ask the questions enthusiasts forget.

Where to find these services

• BECIThe Brussels Chamber of Commerce and its networking events
• VokaThe Flemish network of chambers of commerce
• UCMNetwork and services for self-employed people and SMEs in Wallonia and Brussels
• MeetupGroups of investors, entrepreneurs and Cashflow clubs worldwide

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This article is educational and is not personal investment, tax or legal advice. Figures change: check them with the sources cited or a licensed professional before deciding. Read the full disclaimer.