Have you ever felt like you are the only person on this planet with a specific problem? Have you ever been in a situation where you would have wished for some advice and support? Have you ever had a problem that you believed was unsolvable? Let’s be clear:
You are not alone!
Everyone needs some kind of role model!
Every problem has a solution!
One common thing that most successful people share is that, at some point in their journey, they have been part of a high-functioning peer group. We're talking about the kind of group where members can express themselves in ways they can’t anywhere else, remove their armour and be the flawed humans they are. They can share struggles and celebrate accomplishments.
what are peer groups aka women’s circles aka the female factor success circles?
Let’s start at the beginning and clarify what a peer group, mastermind group or a success circle is. There are tons of definitions of these kind of meetups out there, and while every peer group is structured in a slightly different way and is often as unique as its members, most of them share similar benefits and have a lot in common.
One of our favourite definitions (or more likely descriptions) of a peer group is the following one:
Peer groups bring together like-minded people to meet regularly in a structured, organised way to create an environment where individuals can find and give support, solve problems, overcome obstacles, tackle challenges and achieve their goals by supporting and helping each other and holding each other accountable.
For us, a peer group, success circle or mastermind group is like the room of requirements from Harry Potter. Whatever you currently need in your life, you will most likely find within a group of likeminded people who are willing to share their experience and knowledge.
Peer groups are different from networking groups in that they are facilitated by a professional and have targeted objectives for each member, so that they can grow themselves and their businesses.
You can probably find thousands of other peer group definitions, but they all have something in common: helping others grow by sharing your own experience, listening and giving back.
what do members get out of success circles?
Everyone has to decide for themselves what they want to gain out of a success circle, but there are several benefits that are pretty common.
make connections beyond your usual bubble
A great success circle is only as great as its greatest member 😉 - we know, not exactly how the quote goes, but you get where we are heading.
surround yourself with other people who will understand where you are coming from, who share your enthusiasm about the same topic and are willing to help you grow by sharing their experience and knowledge
think of success circles as a chance to not only meet up with people you already know, but also as opportunities to create new contacts who you can spend time, exchange thoughts and brainstorm ideas with
one of the great things about success circles is that you will probably find someone that you can rely on - someone like a mentor, who will listen, brainstorm and guide you through your everyday challenges
and at some point, when you grow and take your own steps and gain some experience, you may become the person that will guide and help someone else in the group.
grow personally and professionally
It’s all about growth and becoming better.
one of the best ways to learn is from experience, either your own or someone's that is willing to share
gain new perspectives and take advantage of resources you may not have thought of before
the first step to achieve your objectives is to put them out there and share them, so that they transform from being just some random thoughts in your head to real, achievable goals; having an accountability partner will help you and push you forward, especially when you get stuck.
create a sense of belonging
Have you ever attended an event and left with the feeling of being able to conquer the world? Well, this is what you will get out of success circles.
feeling a sense of community and exchanging thoughts with people who have been there is the best way to feel empowered and gain energy to get you through whatever you are facing
be totally open without having to prove anything - there are others who have gone through the same situation that you are dealing with right now; success circles are built on openness, honestly, trust, respect, and acceptance
most people think that success circles are all about business and professional growth, but there is a lot of emotional and personal support included; like-minded people will be there for you and will be able to share not only their professional experience, but will also be able to support with personal issues.
rise by lifting each other
Success circles may help you find role models or mentors, but at some point you might become a role model yourself.
You will lift others up. You will get what you gave. One of the main rules, if we may call it that, is that you gain what you give. If you enter a success circle willing to help others by sharing your experience and your knowledge, by listening and contributing, this is exactly what you will get in return. You will be listened to, you will be heard, you will gain new inspiration and insights, and you will have a group of amazing people who want to help you as much as you want to help them.
time to join a success circle
Are you feeling empowered and ready to go? Now that you learned everything about the benefits of success circles, it’s time to join one.
At the female factor we are hosting all kinds of success circles, and in case you don’t find what you’re looking for you can just start one of your own.
let’s shape our next success circles together
In order to give you the best experience, we at the female factor are always eager to develop new success circles and we especially want to cover topics that you are interested in.
We created a questionnaire that will give us a first glimpse into what you are interested in and the topics you want to learn more about.
Please take 5 minutes of your time and fill out our