When you are starting out on your big, scary, career journey it is easy to feel like it is you versus the world. Even if you have brilliant ideas and talent, it can feel overwhelming to figure out where to start and how you are going to get everything done with only 24 hours in the day. How does Oprah make it look so damn easy?
Then I saw an amazing interview where Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love, talks about what it was like to be on her show. She said that during the commercial breaks Oprah doesn’t speak to you. Her team of producers, directors and makeup artists surround her, insuring that everything runs smoothly and that she has everything she needs. A TEAM! Cue the forehead slap. Of course I know Oprah has a team, but I don’t think about those people when I am watching her powerful speech on Super Soul Sundays.
The more I investigated the background of my business role models, the more examples I found of brilliant teams. Jon Stewart credits ALL of his success on The Daily Show to his team. Marie Forleo says that her team brought her to the next level and freed her up to be more creative, and less focused on the administrative details.
But let’s be real for a second, when you’re starting out in your twenties, you probably don’t have the money to invest in a business coach, a life coach, an assistant, web designer, employees… I am poor just thinking about it. You have to be savvy and thrifty. Invest where you can and be creative elsewhere!
Here are some ways to build your FREE team, and up-level your game for success:
1. Start a Mastermind group. Masterminds are all the rage, and even once you are successful enough to afford a team of 1,000 I suggest that you hold onto this free creative resource. A mastermind is a group of people (preferably 2-7 people) who meet either in person, over the phone, or via e-mail to bounce ideas off of each other. The benefits are so powerful that it’s worth more to me than some of my paid investments. You receive:
Advice
Collaboration
An Expanded Network
Cross-promotion
Unique ideas & approach
2. Join a Meetup Group. Meetup.com offers another free opportunity to expand your network, but this time more specifically. Are you looking for a business coach to help you gain speaking opportunities? Join Toastmasters, a free national community of people who want to improve their public speaking. Looking for like-minded individuals to help motivate you? Search for networking meetups in your area catered to your specific field!
3. Enlist a business mentor/guru/coach. A business coach is the investment that most of my successful Career gurus taut as being a tipping point for them… but it doesn’t necessarily have to cost you anything! In my post Contact a CEO, we discuss techniques you can use to reach out to your role models for their wisdom. Know someone personally who has already blazed the career trail you want to take? Ask them for advice and if your connection proves to be genuine, you may gain a FREE business coach in them!
4. Take any/all free seminars/webinars you can get your hand on. Social media is filled with ads catered to your search pattern. So search online for some of your specific business needs and sign up for all of the free webinars that apply! I can recommend the following:
“Instagram with Intention” by Hilary Rushford (On creating profit for your business through Instagram)
“How to Create and Deliver Your First 5-Figure Webinar in 30 Days (Even If You Don’t Have a List!)” by Amy Porterfield (Pretty self-explanatory…)
“SMART Success” by Chalene Johnson
5. If you are in college, use Career Resources! If you graduated college, use Alumni Resources! My alma mater, Northeastern University, offers a number of career resources, including:
Job search strategy
Interview Prep
Help creating an action plan to switch careers
Help managing a work or career challenge/problem (This is a thing. And you freaking paid for it. Why not milk it for all it’s worth?)
6. Exchange services for advice/help. Get your mind out of the gutter. I’m simply suggesting you offer something free like babysitting or a ride somewhere or even dinner to someone that might be able to assist you once a week with social media posting, responding to emails, or whatever you might need to delegate.
I get it. You can’t do it by yourself but you can’t afford to hire professionals yet either. Don’t let this predicament paralyze you. Use every resource you have to create your free team because you CANNOT build an empire on your own.
Do you know of another free team resource? Comment below!
