4 Ways to Find Your People (And How You Join Me In #4)

You know the feeling you get when you’re surrounded by your friends and family?

Or when you’re in a big crowd of fans cheering on the same team?

It’s a sort of happiness, comfort, support, and understanding, right?

When you’re with your people, there’s a collective energy that’s hard to describe. Your worries are temporarily out of mind.  Your stresses take a backseat.

I’ve been fortunate enough to experience this feeling several times, including:

• At my Eagle Scout project. 30 people showed up to volunteer their weekend to dig trenches, plant shrubs, and lay concrete. The support was tremendous, and the project couldn’t have been completed without it. And yes, I’m ready for the nerdy Boy Scout jokes.

• At our wedding. An exceptional crew of family and friends traveled all the way to Mexico to share a weekend of sun, fun, fiesta, and love. It was awesome.

• At World Domination Summit. Being surrounded by 3000 like-minded peers was pretty euphoric. A friend described it as “almost spiritual.” It sounds cultish, but I actually agree. (Speaking of, we’ve got a wedding to attend that conflicts with this year’s show, so if you’re looking for tickets, hit me up!)

And most recently, I found myself amongst my people at New Media Expo in Las Vegas.

Like a drug, it’s an addicting feeling.

When was the last time you were with your people?

This week?

Last month?

Last year? Or longer?

Do you feel like you’re with your people when you go to work? Do your coworkers understand you and your goals?

Would they support your side hustle aspirations, or would they crab-barrel you?

Sometimes connecting with people with the same interests and going through the same challenges can be just the ticket you need to spark some creative energy and make something happen.

If you’re craving a deeper sense of understanding and belonging, there is hope.

How to Find Your People

1. To the Interwebs!

No matter what you’re interested in, I virtually guarantee there is some online community you can be a part of. Seek out the blogs and forums where your people hang out. Join them!

It’s not as good as live in-person interaction, but it’s a great place to start, and it’s generally free.

For instance, I participate in an affiliate marketing forum and follow 8-10 blogs on small business and entrepreneurship.

2. Attend Meet-Ups

Create a free account on meetup.com, and see what’s going on in your area.

I’ve been to meetups on blogging and affiliate marketing in San Francisco. It’s a bit of trek for me to get downtown, but usually worthwhile for networking, education, and connecting with other people interested in the same topics.

There are always events going on in big cities, you just have to be a little proactive in seeking them out.

If you’re nervous about going alone, bring a friend along. But be careful not to just talk to each other the whole time — the idea is to meet other people!

Not only can local meetups be a great place to find your people, they are the perfect place to practice your public speaking and presentation skills. I’ve yet to do this, but will be exploring the opportunity this year.

(Bay Area people, want to get together? Let’s make it happen! Start w/ the interest survey here.)

3. Conferences

Conferences bring together the best and brightest in every industry, and if that’s an industry you’re a part of, you should make a point to go at least once.

The downside is that conferences can be expensive when you combine the registration fee and the travel expenses.

On top of that, not all conferences are created equal. While I felt the awesome “I’m with my people” feeling at WDS and New Media Expo, I’ve never gotten those vibes from a half-dozen other shows I’ve been to (all in the affiliate marketing space).

4. Masterminds

What is a mastermind? I honestly had no idea up until a couple years ago. A friend explained that it was a basically an accountability group that would support each other and bounce ideas back and forth.

Digging deeper into the concept this year, and finally starting one of my own, I can’t believe I waited this long! (Learn more on the topic on last week’s podcast with Alex Barker.)

I never really understood what all the fuss was about, but now I get it. It’s about finding your people and working toward success as a group.

Making the pie bigger instead of carving out a bigger slice for yourself.

Helping your fellow “crabs” out of the bucket, so to speak, instead of pulling them back down. And getting pulled up yourself in the process.

The idea of masterminds was made popular by Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich (I book I actually didn’t love — but your mileage may vary). Still, Hill espoused the (very true) idea that successful people didn’t get there without help.

You may have heard the phrase “your network is your net worth” (another popular title that’s on my reading list), and Alex described the mastermind concept as your own personal “board of directors.”

A mastermind is an opportunity to get honest and helpful business feedback — without the high price of individual coaching.

Ready to Hustle?

If you’re not already active in a mastermind group and are ready to take positive action on your side hustle in the next 3 months, I’m opening the doors to the first-ever public Side Hustle Nation Inner Circle mastermind.

What it is:

• 3 months of action-packed weekly meetings w/ me and a small (dare I say intimate?) group of fellow side hustlers (limited to 8 members)
• $97 per month
• 100% money-back guarantee

This is for people who:

• Feel some entrepreneurial / side hustle loneliness and want to find their people.
• Are ready to invest in their business growth and personal development.
• Want to make meaningful progress toward their financial freedom in the next 90 days.

If that’s you, I encourage you to apply.

We’ll set up a quick Skype call for introductions and to chat about your goals and challenges. Applications will be open until Mar. 15th, but this group is capped at 8 so the earlier the better.

8 7 6 spots remaining!

Find your people and make something happen!