Have you ever heard that we are all the average of the 5 people we spend the most time with?

I firmly believe that it’s true.  Almost.   We are the average of the 5 people we spend the most time with AND ourselves. After all, who, on this earth will you ever spend more time with than yourself?

And in some ways, we attract where we’re at.  Have you ever run into someone you used to be close to and as you were catching up thought, “man, I don’t have anything in common with you anymore” It’s one of the great disappointments in life. We all grow, or not. We all change, or not. And sometimes we do it at different rates and speeds.

Your business development can never exceed your personal development. So if you are looking to grow your business, who do you need to surround yourself with?

1.  Supportive people
You NEED support. Think of a baby learning to walk. If a baby only ever saw everyone crawling around would it ever occur to that baby to try to stand up and walk? I’m no expert in child development but I have to assume no. The baby looks to those around them and decides to do what everyone else is doing.

They try, they fall down, loving hands catch them, they sit down, have a little cry and then try again.  No matter how long it takes they will learn to walk because they know they are supported and it never enters their mind that they can’t do it.

Business is growth in public, that’s why it’s scary. We also know that failure, however we define it, actually is an option. So it’s critical that we surround ourselves with people who support us. It is not necessary that they understand what we are trying to do, just that they support our ability to do it.

2.  A Mentor or Coach
Once you have support, it’s time to get knowledge and actionable tools. Support is essential but it doesn’t necessarily move you forward. That is the job of a coach or mentor. The right coach gives you the tools and support to go places you never thought possible.

Choosing a coach or mentor that is the right fit is essential.  The best vocal coach probably can’t teach you how to become an NFL player, it’s just not their skill set. Find someone who has done what you are ready to do. It is not necessarily that they have done exactly what you are doing but someone who has the parallel experience that you can learn from and grow with.

3.   Accountability
While a coach may provide some accountability a specific accountability buddy can be very helpful to keep you accountable without necessarily understanding what you are working on.  One of the potential pitfalls of the traditional accountability buddy system is that it can become like a mutual bitch fest where you end up focusing on the problems rather than the movement. Keep it structured and brief. Here is what I am committing to. This is what I got done.

No one great ever got there alone. The most important thing you can invest in within your business is yourself. Committing the time, energy and money to set up a solid support structure will pay off at every level of your business.