Do you find yourself lonely, even when sitting in a room full of people?
You’re not alone. One of the biggest challenges facing entrepreneurs and small business owners is loneliness. Despite the rosy pictures of success, the real story of growing a small business is littered with speed bumps, doubts, and hours of isolation.
It’s not a road that many survive. Reports show 80 percent of small businesses fail within the first 18 months of existence, and 96 percent fail within the first 10 years.
Yet thousands of people each year set out to become one of those four percent. Why do they fail?
They try to do it all by themselves.
The Power of Community
I had the honor a few months ago to meet Aaron Walker from View From The Top. Aaron is a successful serial entrepreneur who now coaches men about life and business. When I started my podcast three weeks ago, he was one of the first people I called to be a guest.
In my interview with Aaron, which posted this morning at Youversation.com, Aaron talks about the importance of mastermind groups and communities. His community at View From The Top now has more than 200 men from around the world supporting each other in their efforts to lead more meaningful, productive lives. Aaron told me he’s having more fun now than all of his previous businesses combined.
“We are helping ordinary men become extraordinary in achieving their goals and dreams. I’m living the dream.”
Aaron says the men in his Community and his Mastermind groups constantly share their success stories with him and others. He says those success stories underscore one important lesson:
“We were designed to be in community. We were not designed to be alone.”
If you are trying to grow your business or career by yourself, stop. Stop it now. You need someone in your life to help you. You need someone in your life to hold you accountable. You need someone in your life to lift you up.
You need someone.