Entrepreneurs have unique challenges to address. They need peer groups more than most people. We discuss how to create successful peer group experiences for entrepreneurs in this episode with my guest, Craig James. Craig has been running entrepreneurial peer groups for Vistage for many years (Vistage has over 45,000 members in 35 different countries.). He views it as a calling to help fellow entrepreneurs. When you think about the typical entrepreneur, oftentimes they’re operating in isolation and they’re wearing many different hats. When it comes to making big decisions, they oftentimes don’t have many people to tap into to get purely objective advice. Craig addresses those challenges and more! The Entrepreneurial Support Challenge When it comes to searching for support they might talk to a friend, they might talk to their attorney or maybe their accountant and so on. The problem with that is those people are being paid a fee and the entrepreneur isn’t necessarily going to get straight answers and certainly won’t be challenged in terms of their thinking. You get a lot of “yes men”, and that doesn’t do anybody any good. The benefit of a peer group as Craig has experienced is you can bring any issue you have, challenge, decision, an idea you want to run by people. You can run those things through a group of unbiased peers from noncompeting businesses in complete confidence and they have no skin in the game. They will tell you your baby is ugly (if that’s the case) but also how to make that baby pretty. In this episode we also cover topics such as: The importance of objective advice and the difference between objective and subjective advice. Two ways to start your own peer group. Characteristics of successful peer groups and their membership. How to create a “safe space” to share personal and professional issues. How to develop a growth-oriented mindset as an entrepreneur. The creation of a successful culture for entrepreneur peer groups. How to grow your peer group faster and get on the fast track to getting your first new members. How to maintain a successful peer group culture over time. …and other golden nuggets of advice! You can get my book here: “Idea Climbing: How to Create a Support System for Your Next Big Idea” Click here for more outstanding interviews with entrepreneurs and thought leaders! About the Guest I’ve been a Chair with Vistage Worldwide, the world’s foremost CEO development organization, since 2016. My passion is leading high-performing peer groups whose members outperform their competition, and who develop themselves as better leaders. I’m grateful to be in a field which affords me the opportunity to continually improve my life and the lives of those I am fortunate enough to be working with. Prior to Vistage, I spent a decade in what is today known as the Fintech industry with organizations such as Thomson Financial, Wolters Kluwer, and Zacks Investment Research. I’ve held senior positions in both established enterprises and entrepreneurial ventures, and founded a sales performance improvement business. I was a Contributing Editor to The New York Enterprise Report, which was the leading publication for small business owners in the New York City metropolitan area until its acquisition by SmartCEO in 2014, and subsequent dissolution. From 2003 – 2005, I was an Adjunct Instructor at New York University’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies, and for several years was part of the organizing committee for the annual NYU Conference for Small Business and Entrepreneurship, as well as a breakout session presenter in each of those years. I was also a 5-year member and President of a local Toastmasters club. Connect with me on LinkedIn! https://www.linkedin.com/in/craigrjames/
