Episode 738: More Than Business Growth – The Real ROI of a Mastermind With Megan Porta

EBT738 – Mastermind ROI

[00:00:00]  Intro 

Hi food bloggers. I’m Megan Porta and this is eBlogTalk. Your space for support, inspiration and strategies to grow your blog and your freedom. Whether that’s personal, professional or financial, you are not alone on this journey.

[00:00:22]   Megan Porta

Hello, awesome food bloggers. How are you doing today? Welcome to this episode. It’s a little bit of a unique episode. I don’t necessarily have one person that I’m interviewing. Instead, I. I am letting you hear some clips from my current Mastermind members. I do this every year. It’s one of my favorite episodes to put together. Honestly, it gets me so excited for the next round of Masterminds, just hearing how fruitful these groups are for the current members.

[00:00:46]   

So if you have ever looked at a high level Mastermind group and thought, yeah, that sounds amazing, but it’s also kind of intimidating and expensive, you’re not alone. The price tag can feel big. I get it. The time commitment can feel a little bit scary and you might wonder if you’ll really fit in, if it’ll be worth it, if it’ll be worth the investment.

[00:01:12]   

All of these questions are probably running through your mind when you think about a high level Mastermind today. You don’t have to take my word for it. You hear me talk about it enough. You are going to get to hear from the five current Mastermind members in my group. They’re each at different stages of their business.

[00:01:31]   

They each had their own doubts when they first joined. They are asked all the same set of questions from what inspired them to take the leap to how they got past the investment hurdle, to what big surprises they’ve experienced since joining. And because they have been so graciously honest, you. You are going to hear the real reasons why this kind of group might feel intimidating at first and how those fears turned into some of the best decisions they’ve ever made for their businesses and their personal lives.

[00:02:05]   

So whether you have been secretly thinking about joining a Mastermind or you just want to peek inside, what actually happens when you bring together smart, driven, entrepreneurial women in one room. This episode will give you an unfiltered, beautiful, behind the scenes look. And maybe just the nudge you have been waiting for. I don’t want you to be hearing my voice in this episode.

[00:02:28]   

Let’s get on to the real meat of it. So I want to introduce the members first. Just so you know who you’re hearing from. I play the clips in the same order after each question. So what I’m going to do is before each group of clips, I’ll share which question was asked to them and then I will play their clips in this order.

[00:02:46]   

You will hear from Madison from Joyfully Mad and Cook at Home mom. You you might also recognize her voice from the Vine podcast in Grace and Vine Studios. Next is Natalie or Nat as we call her, from Mindful Mocktail. Then comes Gail from Pumpkin ‘n Spice, then Cheryl from Bakes by Brown Sugar and Anya from Our Gabled Home.

[00:03:10]   

We will link to their blogs in the show notes if you want to check out their sites. Okay, let’s start with what inspired each member to join the Mastermind in the first place and and the problems they were hoping to solve in their businesses and in their personal lives. You will notice some common threads here, but also some very different reasons why people took the leap.

[00:03:32]  Madison 

Yeah, I think the part of the Mastermind that I was most excited about was honestly just like dedicating time to my blog in that way and kind of having a little bit more like structure to, you know, showing up every week and having the space to like ask questions and get feedback from the group.

[00:03:53]   

But really mostly just having, you know, kind of like the space and the container for it. But the accountability also of like other people knowing I’m saying I’m going to do this thing or I’m showing up in this way and just knowing like that kind of helps motivate me to actually do those things.

[00:04:08]  Natalie 

I felt really lonely and out of the loop here in Australia, to be honest. When I speak to other bloggers, I know they say that blogging generally can feel quite isolating, but I feel like the distance between me and so many of the, you know, bloggers that I somewhat knew online, the distance was just so huge and I just really longed to connect with other bloggers.

[00:04:30]   

That was a huge driving factor for me in terms of work. I just always felt really scattered in my workflow. I always felt like other bloggers sort of seemed to like have it together, whereas I just couldn’t get it together. And I felt like I was being like pulled in a million different directions.

[00:04:48]   

So I didn’t have any clear goals. I didn’t have any clear focus on how I wanted to move the business forward. And I knew that spending a year with other bloggers who maybe had it together a little bit more than me or at least were more experienced or, yeah, just a little bit more business minded would.

[00:05:07]   

Would help me sort of get on track and take the business where I wanted it to go. I could see the potential in my business and I knew that if I you know, enlisted the right resources, I would be able to move forward. And we’re only halfway through, and it’s. It’s amazing what I’ve achieved so far.

[00:05:26]   

And I guess as a little side note, I was also super aware of the rise of AI and all the changes that were going to be coming to our businesses this year. And I wanted to get through that with other bloggers and chat to them about what they were doing to work with AI, but also overcome AI and work out how bloggers were going to fit in this whole AI landscape.We’ve been tackling it as a team rather than on my own. I can’t imagine having done this year without being with a group of other bloggers that I trust.

[00:05:58]  Gayle 

And I was really just looking for a way to level up my business, I guess you could say. I had been blogging at that point for 10 years, and I felt like I needed more accountability in certain areas and I wanted to learn different ways to approach, like content creation and social media and things like that.

[00:06:18]   

Then I felt like I was always spinning my wheels, but also doing, like, the bare minimum to get things done because I would get overwhelmed a lot with, you know, all of the different hats that you wear when you own your own business. So I really wanted to do something to, I guess, move my business up a level, I guess you could say.

[00:06:38]  Cheryl 

I mean, I had some ideas of what I wanted to do with my business in terms of growing traffic, obviously making more money, launching different initiatives like ebooks. My thought was just being in this group would help me. Having a place where I could talk to people about those very specific things, challenges I’m having would help me get over any hurdles that I was experiencing or just even sometimes just getting feedback.

[00:07:03]   

Like on the. My first ebook that I launched earlier this year, it was really nice to be able to submit that to the grouping and get their feedback on the design, the layout, different things like that, and just having. Just having a place to a group of people to go to. You know, we’re all part of the same cohort in terms of.

[00:07:23]   

We have the same goals to help each other. So I knew I would get feedback. You know, I mean, obviously I can ask my friends, but they’re busy. They may. They may. They may miss the email or just. And also with this group, they can be brutal sometimes, but in a good way.

[00:07:37]   

But, yeah, I appreciate when people do say, you know, I submitted the cover design for my ebook and I got some really honest feedback from the group that made it better as opposed to everyone just saying, oh, it’s fine, it looks great, Cheryl, you know, me proceeding, the feedback I got, you know, made it better.

[00:07:55]  Anya 

I wanted to take my blog and ultimately my business to the next level. And I know that you can’t expect different results if you keep doing the same things. So you sometimes need to do something different to get different results.

[00:08:09]  Megan Porta 

I absolutely love how many different responses there were to this question. It’s just a reminder that this mastermind is not a one size fits all situation. It is about meeting you where you are and helping you take your next big step, whatever that is, and how joining this group can fill so many different gaps.

[00:08:30]   

Next question. Okay, let’s talk about the elephant in the room, the investment. For most people, saying yes to a mastermind group like this one is not an instant decision. It’s a big commitment. And it’s totally normal to wonder how you can justify the expense. We asked each member how they got past that hesitation and what made them decide that the value outweighed the cost.

[00:08:58]  Madison 

I like to think of investments in kind of multiple ways because, you know, there’s like the direct ROI of, like, you know, you invest in SEO and you’re going to see traffic go up, and therefore you’re going to have ad revenue go up. So that’s always one side of it. But I also just knew that I would take it seriously if I was investing in it.

[00:09:18]   

And, you know, if you pay a couple dollars a month for something or if something’s even free, it’s a lot harder to be committed to it and put the effort into it that it’s worth. But an investment like this, plus the accountability side of it, like, I just knew it would have both the tangible ROIs and also the intangible of, like, knowing I was, you know, investing into myself and the business in that way.

[00:09:43]   

And then, you know, I think there’s also a lot of value, an investment like this, because you’re not just investing for those things I just said, but you’re also investing in, like, the knowledge of the group too. And, you know, if you were to add up, like, all the little tiny things that I’ve learned from different members that I might have had to, like, invest in a course or invest in, like an expert to do that work for me, like, it ends up being the same, if not more, that you would invest into, like, each of those little buckets.

[00:10:10]   

So that was another way that it kind of just like, made sense to me that the investment was going to pay off in just all of Those different ways.

[00:10:18]  Natalie 

By halfway through last year, I knew that I wanted to join a Mastermind this year. And I knew, I checked out a few different ones. And I knew that the investment, you know, it’s decent, it’s certainly large. But I also knew that joining a Mastermind, I wouldn’t necessarily be able to measure a direct return on investment because some of these things honestly are just priceless.

[00:10:42]   

So there were things that I needed to focus on, obviously, the whole, you know, the growth of the business. But like, specifically, I wanted to get more content out there, so publish more blog posts. I wanted to set up a project management system. I wanted to learn to harness AI in my business.

[00:11:01]   

I wanted to redesign my website. I wanted to grow my email list. You know, all of these things have an indirect but meaningful impact on my business. And although I knew I wouldn’t directly be able to go, okay, I’ve spent this much this month on the Mastermind, I want to be able to make this much back in return.

[00:11:20]   

It was about like moving the needle in key areas for me. Even if I knew that the connections and the things that I would be learning would be priceless and not necessarily tied back to a direct return on investment, if that makes sense a little.

[00:11:36]  Gayle 

Bit, just because of the cost of it, I guess, was really my just initial concern. But I knew that, you know, what I would put forth in the Mastermind would be what I would get out of it. So I saw it for me as like a good business investment and opportunity. It’s something that I’ve never done or tried before.

[00:11:56]   

And I know Megan has a lot of experience and I know other women that join the Mastermind do too. So I thought this was a great way to kind of expand my blog.

[00:12:07]  Cheryl 

I think part of it is just sometimes, you know, when you want to grow a business, you have to make those investments and figure out along the way how you’re going to make that extra money to, to help pay for it. And so, yeah, I think sometimes it’s just about taking that leap.

[00:12:22]   

Realize that you will figure out how to get the money. And it actually has worked out. I’ve been able to figure out how to, to get the money to, to pay for this. And so it’s almost like if you say, hey, I’m going to make this big investment, then things start to happen.

[00:12:37]   

When I think too, when you make an investment like that, you want to be able to come to the table and say, either I’ve made progress, I’ve got it done, or I’ve made progress or I haven’t made progress because I’m struggling with this. You know, just be prepared as opposed to just saying, oh, I’m going to do this, and then never touch it again.

[00:12:53]   

So I think that’s the. The other part of just making an investment like this is that you want to make the most of your time, but you also want to make the most of other people’s time.

[00:13:02]  Anya 

Well, it is an investment, but again, if you want the same results, you keep doing the same thing. So sometimes you have to do something that’s a little bit painful, and whether that’s on a personal level because you have to change something up, or whether that’s on a financial level because you have to make an investment.

[00:13:19]   

But most businesses don’t stay the same unless they make some bigger investment. And that’s how I, you know, justified it and thought, okay, you know, I’m gonna have to do something, but I’ll probably get a lot out of it. It’s more like an upfront that seems like a huge deal when you do it, but in hindsight, I’ve already gotten so much out of it that it feels completely reasonable and justified in everything.

[00:13:45]  Megan Porta 

All members agreed that the investment has paid off in both tangible and intangible ways. From measurable business growth to those priceless connections and learning, putting real money into the group created a deeper commitment to show up for everyone. Also to take action and move the needle forward in key areas in their businesses, rather than scattering their focus across endless courses and other investments that they might have to make.

[00:14:13]   

I loved that point. They also emphasized that growing a business requires investing, and the Mastermind offered a way to do something different, to get a different result. By leaning on each other’s experiences, members found that the knowledge and the opportunities and breakthroughs far outweighed the cost. Next, we asked members to share what has been the most valuable parts about their Mastermind experience so far.

[00:14:40]   

About halfway through the year, from the way their year has unfolded to the biggest benefits they have seen in their business and life, here is what they had to say.

[00:14:51]  Madison 

I think the biggest thing for me is that accountability piece. And accountability is something I’ve never, like, really understood because I’ve kind of just been like, what do you mean? Like, if you check in with me and I’m like, yeah, no, I didn’t do the thing. It’s like we just move on. Right, Right.

[00:15:04]   

But I. I think the, like, every week showing up has been really helpful to just keep stuff top of mind. And another thing actually probably even more than the accountability side is, like, showing up every week and having to share a win has completely changed, like, my mindset about things. I don’t want to say I’m a glass half empty kind of person, but I have, like, such a strong, like, high achieving side of me that I’m always like, I can do more and I can, like, you know, not do better, but just like, there’s always more that I want to do.

[00:15:35]   

And having an online business, that’s really hard because there’s literally always things that we can do. But having to, like, show up every week and be like, this was my win for the week. Even if it was like, I showed up today, you know, and hearing other people share wins of all kinds of different, like, values.

[00:15:49]   

I guess, like, sometimes it is like I literally just showed up today, and other times it’s like my traffic is skyrocketing. And just hearing the different ways that like, those wins are showing up for people has helped me to look for those and celebrate those in a way that I’ve never done before.

[00:16:05]   

And I’ve only really ever done it maybe like, on a monthly or quarterly basis in the past where I’m like, looking back and like, I’m like, oh, yeah, that was a decent month, but now I can, like, on a weekly basis be like, no, this is what I’m celebrating. I could totally see in the past years getting to August and being like, ugh, I haven’t done, like, anything that I wanted to do this year.

[00:16:23]   

And I don’t have that, like, perspective this year. I mean, there’s certainly things that, that I haven’t done that I’m like, I want to do those things, but for the most part, I have a much more like, positive outlook on the direction and, like, trajectory of the business. Even though I can still look and be like, oh, I wish my traffic was higher, or I wish this was going better.

[00:16:39]   

But, like, overall, it’s definitely much more of, like, a positive outlook. In a lot of other spaces in the industry, it is a lot more negative or just like, not even complaining in a negative way, but just like, sharing, like, this isn’t working. What can I do differently? And I feel like there is that in this group, but it just has a different vibe to it.

[00:17:00]   

Like, it just, it doesn’t feel like people are complaining or just like sitting in negativity. Like, people are maybe sharing something that’s not working. And it’s so quick for everyone to jump in and be like, you’re doing great. This is what you could try, like, it just, it’s just very different than some of the other spaces that I’ve been in.

[00:17:16]   

And I think it all comes down to like, we’re all trying to find the positive and trying to like keep our perspectives on like, where can we go that’s upward from here type of thing. This group is very different in that it’s not this like just hustle, do more, you know, put out more content, like it.

[00:17:32]   

That is not the vibe at all. And I think part of it is you’re seeing all these people who are doing less of certain things, more of other things, but you still see the success in that and that helps to really like, for me at least tamper the like, I just need to do more, I just need to work harder kind of mentality, which is very much the mentality you can find in the entrepreneur space. So I’ve really appreciated that like, almost like slowness that Megan brings to the group too.

[00:18:00]  Natalie 

So my output in terms of how many blog posts I’m writing has doubled since the start of the year, which is huge for me. I also have been able to plan further in advance than I ever have before. So prior to starting, I was very much a fly by the seat of your pants kind of galaxy.

[00:18:19]   

On a Monday I’d think, right, what am I producing? A big part of my business is social media. So on a Monday I would think, right, what am I, what am I putting out there this week? The idea of being a month ahead or three months ahead was so beyond what I thought possible.

[00:18:34]   

And you know, I’m a month ahead at the moment, which again doesn’t sound huge, but for someone who used to plan week to week, it’s huge for me also through sort of an indirect one of the sessions we had, the expert sessions we had at the retreat, a connection I made through there.

[00:18:49]   

Cara, she, she has helped me put together a full project management system. So instead of being paper based like I was before, I used to have post it notes and notepads and everything going everywhere. I’ve got everything now in one solid project management system. So I know exactly where I am every day with every aspect of my business.

[00:19:13]  Gayle 

It’s really interesting to meet everyone. I had never met anyone before this mastermind and everyone seems to bring forth like their own strength to the group. So I feel like I’ve been introduced to so many different opportunities and resources just from these past six months or so that I, you know, would not have known about if it wasn’t for this group.

[00:19:36]   

We have guest experts that come in and then just our weekly Zoom calls. I’ve learned so much about try this or maybe don’t try that, and here’s a resource or whatever that I never would have known about before. So I feel like that in itself has been really, really helpful. It’s nice to be able to, excuse me, ask questions or post resources or get feedback on something.

[00:20:04]   

And, you know, I have my Slack app open pretty much all day when I’m on my computer, and it’s nice to. To just get feedback real quick if someone’s online or ask a question and share resources. I think that’s really helpful. Yeah, so I feel like I have a lot of accountability, which I think is the main thing that I was lacking before starting the mastermind.

[00:20:28]   

This group has given me accountability, and I worked on sustainable goals each month that have kind of shifted my mindset and has gotten me excited for blogging again. I’m excited now to be back to blogging, and I’ve kind of structured my days differently now than I. I have in the past because I feel like I have these new goals that I can reach and I have new resources and people that I can get in touch with to help me and just really helps talking about these ideas with people.

[00:21:00]   

And, you know, Megan has been so great about setting goals. Goals and even her mindset podcasts and everything like that have really helped too. So I think that has really shifted my mindset, working on my goals that I set forth the beginning of the year and then also my monthly goals. I think that I have, you know, good plans in place and, you know, hopefully by the end of the year, I will achieve most of those goals.

[00:21:27]   

Yeah, I think it’s going very well. Megan mentioned this a while ago to, like, print out your goals. So she posts in Slack at the beginning, beginning of each month, like, you know, post your goals for the month. So I then print them out on a word doc and I keep them, like, right on my desk next to me, so every day I can see my goals for July and cross them off.

[00:21:49]   

And I feel like that really gives me accountability. It makes me know that I am on the right track of achieving my goals and I’m not procrastinating and I know what I need to do it when I need to do it. And, you know, I have this group to ask for help that has been really beneficial.Yeah, I wish I would have done that a long time ago.

[00:22:09]  Cheryl 

I think really just in terms of getting things done, especially email, I’ve done some, you know, email series. I got my ebook published again I think, you know, with the ebook, you know, saying to the group, hey, I’m going to do this ebook. I got it done a little later than I had planned.

[00:22:25]   

But hey, I’ve told everybody about this ebook so it’s getting done as well as the new email series. I haven’t launched all the new email series but because I came to the group and said, hey, I want your input on this, it was motivation to make sure I got them at least written.

[00:22:40]   

Now there are reasons I didn’t launch them, I haven’t launched them, but they’re done. And so when the timing is right, I will have them ready. But it also in listening to the others and what they’re doing, you know, I get these new ideas on, oh yeah, I could do this. I hadn’t considered this.

[00:22:55]   

And yeah, once you tell people, hey, I’m launching it by this date there’s this impetus to like, okay, it’s not perfect but I told everybody it’s launching by this date so I’m getting it done. I have found that once I give people a date, it makes all the difference in the world in terms of when you get it done and when you just let, let it go.

[00:23:12]  Anya 

Well, one thing that’s really big is the accountability. Just meeting with like minded people who are in similar places every week is just huge because you show up. Accountability and the regularity of it. Just knowing that, you know, we’re meeting every week, we’re checking in, you know, the hive mind, the, you can bounce ideas off and then also I may not have a question, somebody else has a question and it’s causing me to think about my own things.

[00:23:39]   

I’m like, oh, that’s a really interesting. Well, I can, could do that too. Oh I wonder. And so yeah, it just, it helps on so many levels. I love the connecting, the checking in, the like the hive mind. You know, it’s like we’re all sticking our heads together and we’re trying to come up with solutions.

[00:23:54]   

And sometimes it’s not just so much having a solution and having an answer problem, but just triggering a thinking process and just starting that, oh yeah, maybe if I look at it from this angle or something like that. So well, and then also, you know, we haven’t even talked about the guest experts, but the guest experts is also something that’s always really valuable and the fact that you’re not just, it’s not a one way street.

[00:24:18]   

You can bring your questions and have a conversation with them, which is really valuable.

[00:24:24]  Megan Porta 

As you can see, the benefits of this mastermind go far beyond just checking boxes off on a to do list. Members shared how consistent accountability, celebrating wins and exchanging ideas have transformed not only their productivity, doubling blog output, planning further ahead and launching big projects, but also their mindset. With like minded peers, expert guidance and constant access to support, they have found a sustainable, inspiring way to grow their businesses without the burnout of hustle culture.

[00:24:58]   

It is proof that when you combine structure, community and fresh perspectives, big things happen. I also wanted to know about the personal side of the mastermind because the relationships you build can be just as impactful as the business strategies. So we asked members to share what the connections inside the group have been like for them.

[00:25:19]  Madison 

One thing that I think the size of our group has really helped is like we, I think it’s like every third week you’re having your like master hot seat time. And so I feel like we’ve been able to cover a lot of ground with each person, you know, and so within that, when someone has a hot seat, you know, they’re able to share things that are going on in their personal life or you know, things that are like, affecting their business.

[00:25:41]   

And I don’t know that we would get that as much if the group was like four times the size that it is. You know, for me, making connections with people is not a difficult thing at all. So it was more just having the space to do that. And like again, the vulnerability that I think came from the in person event too.

[00:25:58]   

Like that helped to be able to like check in with people or send them something maybe that made me think of them or you know, things like that. And I think because it’s a smaller group, you just have the ability to do those types of things.

[00:26:11]  Natalie 

You know, a couple of the bloggers, we communicate every now and then sort of offline, you know, about more like personal things. Like it’s become more of a, you know, a friendship as well as a working relationship, which has been lovely. I also found someone through the Mastermind to redesign my website. It was something I’d been wanting for a really long time and I was able to.

[00:26:33]   

There’s a fantastic web designer in the group, so I was able to enlist her services this year. And I now have a shiny new website which I know I’ve had feedback already that my audience loves. And again, I do question whether I would have taken the leap if I hadn’t to redesign, if I hadn’t connected directly with someone who could assist me.

[00:26:53]  Gayle 

With that yeah, it’s been nice to connect with these women more on a personal level, too, and learn more about them just in their personal lives. And also, you know, what made them go into blogging? I guess what is their background? Like, someone’s a baker, someone, you know, shied away from alcohol and is not now doing mocktails and just kind of how their personal life trickles into their business life. So it’s been nice to connect with these women that way.

[00:27:22]  Cheryl 

Well, personal connections, it’s. It’s nice getting to know the women in the group. Nice being able to support them where I can help them, where I can encourage them, where I can just kind of on a personal level, I’m looking at the fact that it’s July already. I’m like, no, I’m not ready for this to almost be over.

[00:27:38]  Anya 

What connections you make. I mean, we’re talking about it as a business decision and as a business move, but you’re also making personal connections. And Megan talks about a lot how isolating blogging can be. And unless you do have a very robust community of other bloggers that you’re involved with or that you’re working with, it really is isolating.

[00:28:01]   

And sometimes you don’t really notice until you have a community where you can bounce ideas back and forth. And it’s not just like, you know, you get your weekly calls, but we have that private Slack channel. So any time you have a question or something you want to share or, you know, you heard something cool and you want to make sure that all the others hear about it too, you can just pop it in the Slack channel and there’s instant feedback because, you know, people have their notification set differently.

[00:28:25]   

So, yeah, so that’s there in between the live calls all the time. And that’s really also really helpful. And sometimes things are not really. They’re not really perfect to bring to the live calls, so they’re better for the Slack channel, and that’s there as well as a support. And I feel like we’re.

[00:28:43]   

We’re gelling even more as the year goes on. And like I said, it’s. I’m really trying to be in the moment and not to get anxious or worried about the future. That’s really my mindset I’m working on. Yeah, I’m already thinking like, oh, no, I don’t want this to be over.

[00:28:59]  Megan Porta 

As you heard, for many members, the connections have been just as transformative as the business growth in a smaller, more intimate group like these. There’s space for both deep strategy and personal conversation which creates that trust, friendships, and even collaborations that may not have happened otherwise. I love this perk of the Mastermind.

[00:29:22]   

The Mastermind has eased the isolation of blogging. It sparked ongoing support through our Slack channel, and it has filled a community that members are not wanting to come to an end. Next, we asked if there were any unexpected surprises since joining the Mastermind, the kinds of wins or moments they didn’t see coming when they first signed up.Their answers prove that some of the best benefits are the ones you can’t plan for.

[00:29:50]  Madison 

I think it’s been like a pleasant surprise that it’s just really helped keep me on not the same path that I was on, but it’s just helped me so stay, kind of stay the course, if that makes sense. Because, like, even at the very beginning when I went to the event, I like the in person retreat, I had a lot of ideas of like, what I was going to be doing different this year.

[00:30:12]   

And to be honest, I kind of thought I was going to do like a lot different. I was like, I’ve been doing the same thing, you know, year after year after year. It’s not working or it’s not getting me to where I want to go. I’m going to like totally jump ship and do something different.

[00:30:24]   

And then basically, like in talking to so many other people in the group and seeing what they’re doing that’s successful, it’s helped me to like, reframe maybe, like, I don’t need to burn the whole ship down and like start something brand new. But like, how can I maybe pivot slightly? So it’s kind of an interesting, like almost dichotomy between the two things because it’s helped me to expand the way that I think, but it’s also helped me to like not be so quick to do like a 180 and do something totally different.

[00:30:52]   

So it’s like helped me refine what I’m already doing and do that better rather than like, let me try this new strategy, let me try this new platform, let me try this new whatever that’s been kind of like just an interesting balance between those two things because again, it’s helped me to see new things, but it’s also helped me to like, see what’s already working and like, try to do more of that rather than like maybe seeing it in a negative way of like, nothing’s working, so I have to start something brand new.

[00:31:18]   

Yeah, I think another just really interesting part of how this group has functioned is, you know, we’re all in Such different places in our business. Like, we’ve got smaller sites, we’ve got larger sites. And honestly, I’ve been in spaces before where I’ve either been like the smallest person or the biggest person in the group.

[00:31:38]   

And I think this space has just been really nice to like not see it so much as like you’re the smallest or you’re the biggest and there’s like no in between. But like everybody has so many things that they’re sure like their traffic. We could line us all up or whatever. But when you look at like what individually each person is doing, there’s so many things that like this person’s doing this really well, maybe they’re not doing this other thing well.

[00:32:00]   

But like that’s their expertise, like you were saying. And I think that’s been really interesting just to see and has been one of the things that’s helped me to kind of like broaden my perspective of not being so like hyper focused on like what’s the traffic, what’s the revenue, you know, like those, those numbers that we need to know.

[00:32:17]   

But being able to look at my business more holistically, honestly of there’s all these different tiers and parts of the business and they’re all at different levels and that’s the exact same for every other blogger in the space. So I think it’s been really helpful to have people that are on different paths and journeys, people who are focusing on different things.

[00:32:37]   

But it’s in such a great small container that it doesn’t feel like this big comparison trap which I think a lot of other face Facebook groups or you know, even going to conferences and things. Like you end up feeling like you’re just comparing yourself to other people who are doing things better than you.

[00:32:52]   

But in this group it’s not about that. Like it’s so much more about just like learning from each other, empowering each other to do the things that they’re doing well, you know, and continue to on that track and things like that. So I just think it’s a different container than I’ve like ever really been in.

[00:33:07]   

And I have been in other masterminds and things like before. But there’s just something really special about a group like this. And I’m sure it goes a lot to like how Megan puts everyone together and you know, the intentionality behind that. It’s just been, you know, I think I didn’t have like a huge expectation of like this it’s going to be exactly this way, but it’s just been really surprising in a lot of, like, little ways in like, some of the things that I’ve shared.

[00:33:32]  Natalie 

When you surround yourself with a bunch of bloggers that are as driven as you are to succeed, that energy really is contagious. So I feel like at the beginning of the year I was very much looking at my business as an employee, not as a CEO. Very much doing the day to day, pretty much doing what people on Facebook groups told me I should be doing in terms of doing one blog post a week and sending one email a week and all of those things.

[00:34:00]   

But I never actually put on that CEO hat and looked at everything holistically, realistically and saying, is this really the best use of my time? That would probably be, as I said, not necessarily unexpected, but certainly welcomed to just view my business as the business owner instead of just the employee. And just a really silly side note, you also can’t put a price on if you have a question in blogging.

[00:34:24]   

So someone like me, who didn’t really have connections with any other bloggers prior to this group being able to. With like, if I have a question about blogging or my business, big or small, being able to jump into the Slack group, post that question and wake up the next day and have the answer is just again, priceless.

[00:34:43]   

I used to revert to Facebook groups to ask questions. And while food blogging Facebook groups certainly have their place, being able to ask a group of well established, experienced bloggers and for us all to be able to ask each other questions about our business has been, yeah, a really welcome surprise. I didn’t realize the Slack group was part of the group at the start of the year.

[00:35:05]   

It’s like having support at your fingertips.

[00:35:08]  Gayle 

I feel like everyone is knowledgeable in their own area and I’ve learned a lot more than I expected to learn at this point. I thought that, oh, you know, at this point, I’ve been blogging for 11 years. I know it all. I don’t know everything, but I feel like I know a little bit of every different area.

[00:35:24]   

But these women all bring forth like a wealth of knowledge and it’s so nice to be able to talk about problems or challenges that you’re facing and then have their feedback kind of help you decide what to do. Because when you’re, you know, so close to your own business, it’s hard for you to kind of think outside the box.

[00:35:44]   

So that has been really helpful for me.

[00:35:47]  Cheryl 

I do appreciate that it is a small group. I like this group size. I think it’s easier to to get through people and do a thorough discussion of whatever issues that people are dealing with. Based on the descriptions of that Megan has, you know, talked about when she’s talking about the Mastermind groups. It. I think it’s pretty much what, what I expected, but I mean in a good way.

[00:36:09]   

So. And I’m enjoying, maybe in some ways it is better because I really look forward to it because you know, having been in the corporate world, sometimes, you know, you’re in involved in a project and you sometimes get to the point like, oh my gosh, not another meeting or there’s not another meeting for this project.

[00:36:23]   

And so I really look forward to, to the sessions.

[00:36:27]  Anya 

Well, given that I didn’t come in with any preconceived notions of what it would be, should be, could be, I was really open. I mean I knew that we’re going to have weekly calls and life guest expert calls, but no, I mean I was fairly open as like an open slate, so to speak, since I didn’t have any expectations. I can still say you succeeded. My expectations.

[00:36:57]  Megan Porta 

Did you notice that the biggest surprises weren’t just in the wins, but in the shifts in perspective? Members found themselves refining what already works. Instead of starting over, thinking more like CEOs and approaching business with a broader, more empowered view. The mix of strengths, contagious drive and constant support through our private Slack channel has created a space richer in knowledge and connection than they expected. I love this. And for these women, the Mastermind has exceeded every expectation.Yay.

[00:37:29]  Megan Porta 

I also asked members to share what they loved most about our in person retreat that kicked off the year. From the connections made to the breakthroughs that happened face to face to here is what stood out to them about those few days together.

[00:37:43]  Madison 

I think in a group like this, where you don’t know everybody necessarily, an in person retreat to start it off just like levels the playing field I think, and the amount of conversations we were able to have and like get to know each other and like all of that I feel like just jump started.

[00:38:02]   

Like the first meeting we had, it wasn’t this awkward. Like nobody knows everybody and like what do you do and tell me about your blog? Like we were already past all of those things and so you could just jump in right away. But the other thing I think that that benefited us was it gave us the time and the space to like dig into each of our sites and each of our like goals for the year.

[00:38:22]   

And again, like if we had just started off with a regular call, I think it would have taken us Like a month or two to really get into that, like, groove where we really knew each other and, and you know, we knew for ourselves, like what we were going after. And so I think the in person retreat, it just jump started that whole thing so that by the time, you know, we got done with it, it was like we’d already dug through a couple of questions and things like that.

[00:38:44]   

So I think it just helped us to all kind of fast track just getting to know each other, being comfortable with each other, and being willing to like, be vulnerable with each other too. Like, and I, I hear food bloggers say this all the time when they do get together in real life.

[00:38:56]   

Like, there’s just something different about, about being in person. Like you again, you don’t have to like, explain all of this. Like, what do you mean? You have a food blog. How does that work? Like, you’re past all of that and so the in person stuff, you’re just able to get deeper so much faster.

[00:39:11]  Natalie 

That was, I felt like the in person retreat felt like a warm hug, like a warm blogging hug to me because it was exactly what I had been longing for. Like meeting other bloggers in person, literally working shoulder to shoulder, side by side, having a group of really driven, intelligent women where we could just throw ideas around, we could all look at our businesses with fresh eyes and give each other advice.

[00:39:39]   

And it’s. Honestly, again, it’s one of those things you can’t really put a price on. It was the perfect way to kick off the year. I can’t imagine what it would have been like if I hadn’t been able to spend those few days with these women at the start of the year. So, yeah, it was a really special time.

[00:39:57]  Gayle 

Yeah, I think it was a great idea to do that right away because you put the faces to the names of the women in the group and I felt like we, you know, obviously when you’re in person, you connect on a more personal level than you do via zoom or phone calls or whatever. So it was nice to come together and share problems and strategies and things like that and really learn in front of you and be in person. So I thought that was really helpful to kind of like jumpstart the mastermind.

[00:40:28]  Cheryl 

Love the in person retreat. It’s, it builds trust when you’re actually able to spend in person time, you know, with the people you’re going to be in the mastermind with. Getting to know people better, I think it’s easier to be a little open and transparent. You know, some of the Other members were sharing struggles that they were dealing with that, I don’t know, maybe would have been harder if it was just all over Zoom the whole time.

[00:40:52]   

Like eventually I think some of the things that were shared would eventually be shared, but I know there’s just something about being in person and maybe because it’s not recorded and people can be open and honest about different things, I think that’s one of the benefits. Since so much of us are solopreneurs, you know, we’re working by ourselves a lot.

[00:41:10]   

It’s nice to be able to do a retreat. I mean, I work for a company and we go to conferences all the time, and so why not food bloggers? And so it’s just also nice just to be able to get away and fully be able to focus on the business as opposed to always trying to, especially me working full time. You know, I sit in the 90 minutes and slowly over that week, I implement some of the things that I take away. But it’s also nice just being able to discuss the big ideas in person.

[00:41:38]  Anya 

The fact that we had our in person retreat at the beginning of the year was really nice because I got to meet these ladies. It just makes it so personable because when you just meet on Zoom, I mean, yes, you. You do get an idea of who those people are. But to actually spend almost three full days together totally kicked everything off on the right foot.

[00:42:01]  Megan Porta 

As you heard, the retreat set the tone for everything that followed throughout the year, creating that instant trust, openness, and connection that would have taken months to build over Zoom calls. Those two days together were filled with deep conversations, fresh perspectives on each other’s businesses and lives, and the kind of camaraderie that only happens in person.

[00:42:22]   

It leveled the playing field. Jump started collaboration and gave everyone a powerful, focused start to the year. The perfect way to kick things off. By now, you’ve heard a little bit about what inspired people to join and what they’ve gotten out of it. So let me give you just a quick peek behind the curtain about how the Mastermind actually works.

[00:42:42]   

We start the year with an in person retreat. As you’ve heard, three nights, all inclusive, minus travel, in a beautiful location to set the tone and build those deep connections from day one. From there, we meet virtually three times a month for strategy and accountability in hot seat format. And we also do monthly guest expert calls for learning, growth and inspiration, giving you direct access to these guest experts.

[00:43:11]   

You will also have access to a private Slack channel throughout the entire year where the conversation literally never stops. And just to touch on a few FAQs. Who is this group for? The requirements for consideration are that you must have a blog in either Raptive or MediaVine ad networks, so you must have a minimum of 50,000 page views a month.

[00:43:34]   

You also have to bring the right vibe, if I’m being honest, which is why I have calls with every single person who applies before approving their applications. And you must be willing to share your knowledge and not gatekeep information. You do not have to be a perfect blogger. There’s no such thing. You do need to be ready to level up.

[00:43:56]   

Another FAQ is about the investment. Why is it so significant? It’s so significant because the transformation is significant and there is a monthly payment plan available. You can get that online at eatblogtalk.com/mastermind and third, why do we cap the groups? So that every single person gets the time, attention and support they deserve. We are accepting applications now for the 2026 mastermind groups.

[00:44:21]   

And this year we are stopping discounts at the end of September. So starting October 1st you will pay full price. But from now through the end of the month, you can get in at the $8497 pricing that’s per year. Or you can take advantage of the $725 per month. That is a significant savings from the original pricing.

[00:44:42]   

So get in on this while it’s offered. If you want to apply, go to eatblogtalk.com/mastermind we’re also accepting applications for the MiniMinds group, which is a lesser investment and a lesser time commitment, so you can check that out too. I think that covers most of the main questions I get asked and where you can find your applications.

[00:45:02]   

If you have any questions, please reach out to me. [email protected] now let’s get back to just a couple more questions that we posed to my current Mastermind members. We asked each member what they would say to someone who is intrigued by the Mastermind, but maybe they’re still on the fence about joining.

[00:45:23]  Madison 

Thinking about like, do you want to be in the same place next year? And are the things that you’re doing right now getting you to where you want to go? Or is it possible that like, something like this might be just what you need to, like, expand the way that you think about your business and the things that you’re doing?

[00:45:40]   

When you think of it like that, it’s kind of like the risk completely is gone and it’s like, yeah, this makes a lot of sense to like take this risk and see what happens. Because it’s just so much more than you can imagine it will be. Because when you invest in something like, tangible like a course, you’re like, okay, I’m gonna learn this thing.

[00:45:57]   

But in a group like this, you don’t really know what you’re gonna learn because there’s so many different perspectives and so many different things that are going to come up. And so that alone has such a high value to me because I, you know, you don’t know what you don’t know. And so being in a room, virtual or not, of people who know things that you don’t know is like so valuable.

[00:46:16]  Natalie 

If you’re feeling that feeling of disconnect, almost like the other bloggers know some sort of secret that I’m not in on, that’s how it felt with me. If you think feel disconnected from, you know, your business or from the blogging community as a whole, this is the perfect way to make connections with other bloggers, be able to bring your skills and knowledge to the table and share with other people and be able to get some real skills and knowledge from others.

[00:46:48]   

Yeah, that’s where I was at. Just really longing for in person connection in this, this industry and world that can be so isolating. You just can’t put a price on connecting with others. Blogging isn’t really a thing here in Australia, you know, there aren’t that many of us. Being able to speak to other people who speak your language is like Google Analytics or social metrics without someone’s eyes glazing over is a blessing, I guess.

[00:47:16]  Gayle 

I would say, you know, it is a big financial investment investment, but you get what you put into it. I feel like I have a new plan in place for where I want my business to go and how I want it to grow. And I feel like without this mastermind group, I wouldn’t be in the spot that I am today.And I feel like I can tackle what’s in front of me and I can set new goals and achieve those goals. Where I, I didn’t have that before I had this group.

[00:47:44]  Cheryl 

I would say if you’re, especially if you’re a solo entrepreneur, you know, being part of a mastermind can help you look outside yourself in terms of a lot of times we can just head down, get the work done. And I think part of a mastermind can help you slowly get into that leadership, if you’re not already there, kind of that leadership visionary role of, you know, where you want to go long term, even if it’s just kind of by the end of the year where you want to be by the end of the year and help you, you get there.

[00:48:12]   

The other benefit of the Mastermind is just the collective expertise of the group that you’re working with can really help you overcome any type of hurdles humps that you’re dealing with in your own business. And then also I would just encourage them to get on the phone with Megan and talk about the Mastermind and ask their questions.

[00:48:32]   

I’m a big believer if you know you’re getting ready to make a big investment to get on the phone with the, the person who’s leading it, you know, kind of that just one to one conversation and that, I mean that’s, that happens in business all the time. And I think we forget that as food bloggers that that is very normal thing to do.I mean in business you’re not signing any contract and you’re not talking to the vendor, you know, meeting with them in person or on the phone in a zoom meeting, talking to them about their product.

[00:48:57]  Anya 

If they have been blogging for a while and they are fully monetized, but they are struggling, taking it to the next level, increasing their business, their revenue and everything and they can somehow wing it, I would say absolutely, go for it. One, take your blog serious as a business and not just a hobby or like yeah, you know, I kind of, you know, because as a business sometimes you have to make tough decisions and that may be one thing where you have to make a tough decision to make a bigger investment.But most businesses make big investments.

[00:49:31]  Megan Porta 

So if you’re still with us and you are on the fence, hopefully you got some good information from these members who offered their insights. They all agreed that the Mastermind can be the turning point. That thing that moves you from where you are now to where you want to be. Beyond the collective expertise and the fresh perspectives and priceless in person connections.

[00:49:56]   

It’s about taking your business seriously and investing in your own growth. They emphasized that you get out of it what you put in and that the skill, support and momentum you gain can far outweigh the initial hesitation. Last but not least, let’s get to our very final question here. We asked each member what they would say to the version of themselves from one year ago back when they were unsure about joining.

[00:50:21]  Madison 

I think I would probably ask myself if I want to be in the same place this time next year because I think especially if you’ve never done something like this or like made yourself almost be vulnerable in this way, if you’ve never done that before. You probably haven’t seen like any huge changes in your business or maybe you’ve like been on the upward trend.

[00:50:44]   

But when I think back to like where I was at last year, if I had been able to look forward and be like, okay, I’m gonna be here next year, if I make this investment, like it would have been like a no brainer to do that.

[00:50:54]  Natalie 

In six months your business will be different. Just do it. You will feel more organized, you will feel more connected in the space to other bloggers. You will just feel like more of a CEO rather than an employee just doing the day to day.

[00:51:13]  Gayle 

Probably just to go for it. You know, what could it hurt? There was no negative aspect to it. It could only be a positive growth. You have all these women coming together who have experience in the blogging realm. So it’s not like we were all from like different companies or areas. Like we all know the struggles of food blogging in particular.So just knowing that this was a good opportunity and to invest in it and just to try your best.

[00:51:42]  Cheryl 

Guess I would probably say to Cheryl, 2024, definitely do it. It’s an investment in you. It’s an investment in your business. You will see results from it as long as you’re willing to put in the work and don’t be scared of the, you know, and I would say to Cheryl too that yes, I know this is the biggest investment you’ve, you know, you’re planning on making to date for your business.

[00:52:03]   

And it seems scary, but a lot of times the scary things are the things worth doing. Go ahead and do it. You’ll figure out the money. You’ll. You’ll have the money to pay for it.

[00:52:13]  Megan Porta 

A huge thank you to my current Mastermind members for sharing their honest and heartfelt experiences and feedback. We have heard how this group has provided priceless connections, accountability, fresh perspectives, and the courage to invest in themselves and their businesses. From doubling output and planning further ahead to building deep friendships and reframing what growth can look like, these stories speak for themselves.

[00:52:41]   

If you are still here listening, this is your sign. The 2026 mastermind could be the thing that moves you from where you are now to where you truly want to be. Applications are open. Grab the discount while it’s still here. You have through the end of the month and I would love to see your name pop up in the applications. Go to eatblogtalk.com/mastermind to apply. Let’s make the next year your most transformational one yet. Thank you for listening. I will see you next time.

[00:53:14]  Outro 

Thank you so much for listening to this episode of Eat Blog Talk. Please share this episode with a friend who would benefit from tuning in. I will see you next time.