What Is a Mastermind Group? Gil Petersil Explains
What a mastermind group is, how it works and who should join it, from the CHANGES webinar with networking expert Gil Petersil, plus his rules.
A mastermind group is a small group of peers who meet on a fixed schedule, share their goals and problems, and hold each other to what they promised. Nobody teaches. Everyone brings experience, ideas and contacts. Gil Petersil, a networking expert and community builder, opened the first CHANGES webinar with a simpler definition: "mastermind is a format. It's like one of the formats that I can use when I'm networking." He traces the idea to Napoleon Hill's Think and Grow Rich, and to the moment two people working together "in beautiful unity" become something more than two.
That webinar marked the start of the CHANGES mastermind, which I founded alongside my podcast. Gil joined to explain what a mastermind group is, why most people network the wrong way, and how a group gets you further than working alone. Below are his main lessons, quoted from the recording, plus what I would add if you are building a network from zero in a new country.
Who is Gil Petersil?
Gil describes his work as studying human networks: introductions, connections and disconnections. "I've lived in seven countries. Four of them I live for 10 years each." He says he has been part of more than 200 masterminds and has "helped more than 200 masterminds to be launched around the world." He launched his first in Moscow in 2016. He is also open about where he started: "I'm an introvert by nature." He moved countries as a child, "an immigrant from the age of 10", and "English is my third language."
How a mastermind group works
Formats differ, but most groups share four parts:
| Part | What happens |
|---|---|
| A fixed group | The same people meet each time, so trust builds |
| A regular slot | Weekly or every two weeks, online or in person |
| The hot seat | One member presents a problem, the others work on it |
| Accountability | Members report on what they said they would do |
In the webinar I explained the hot seat to the group: "This is a thing called hot seats". In the CHANGES format, "Every week we're going to meet up with all of us and try to solve a few guys problems." Gil adds that everyone else learns from the hot seat too. While one person gets help, the rest hear answers to questions they had not asked yet.
Lesson 1: Networking is attention management
Gil's opening line to the group: "Networking is attention management." You give your attention to family, friends, work and yourself, and a mastermind asks for a share of it. A member who joins with the camera off and the phone in hand gets little back.
Lesson 2: Nobody gets there alone
"You can't get to your destiny on your own." Gil goes further: "I don't personally think that we've achieved anything alone as a human being." He invited the group to write in the chat one thing they had achieved without anyone's help. He uses the gym as a comparison: "Realistically all people go to the gym for community." Then: "A mastermind is the same thing for business."
Lesson 3: Be patient with people
In his first mastermind, which ran for a year, Gil set a rule that surprised the members: "You're not allowed to do business with anyone in the mastermind." The aim was trust before deals. "That first mastermind I launched, those people are still friends today from 2016."
He compares it to farming. "There is no one fruit in the world that you can plant and it gives you tree the next day". His advice: "Nurture your network." And: "You have to wait. Be patient."
Lesson 4: Agree on rules
When Gil asked the group for their own rules, nobody wrote any. He listed the kind he means: "A rule connected to time. A rule connected to accountability." One of his favourites is about introductions. Ask yourself: "How many people have you introduced?" in the past seven days. Another gives every member a slot to ask for help: "Giving someone x amount of time to ask for help every single week."
Lesson 5: Count your minutes and follow up
Gil asked the group how many minutes a day has. Nobody knew. "You have 1440 minutes in a day." His point: "it only takes one minute to network." A one-minute voice message after a call or event works as a follow-up. In his words: "It's like a followup. It's like next step". I added the other side in the webinar: "one right introduction to the right person could change your life completely."
Lesson 6: Audit who is around you
Gil runs a regular audit of his network. "It just helps you understand who's got your back and who's holding you back." Look at the five people you spend most time with. What do they earn, how do they live, what do they talk about? Compare that with where you want to be.
Lesson 7: Results come from action
Some participants asked what tangible results a mastermind delivers. Gil's answer put the responsibility on the member: "You just took no action. You're thinking too much." I said the same from the host's side: "nothing will happen if you don't work".
Three reasons people don't join
Gil hears the same three objections:
- No time. His answer is the 1,440 minutes. Most people have time and spend it on the wrong people.
- No money. He asks: "how much have I invested in my own personal growth in the past six months?" His own view: "I believe that buying a mastermind or investing in a coach should be uncomfortable financially." That is Gil's position, and you decide what your budget allows.
- Not good enough yet. "am I at that level?" Gil says help comes from unexpected people. "I've had so much help from an accountant in a company", he says, who gave him a valuable idea when it was her turn to speak. A good group does not judge: "They're there to listen."
What this means if you are starting over
When you move to a new country or change careers, your network starts close to zero. Gil knows the feeling: "Making new friends is not easy at this age group." A mastermind group gives you a fixed circle of people who show up every week, which is hard to build alone in a new place.
How I would start:
- Pick one group, not five. Check who is in it, who runs it and what the rules are.
- Give first. Make one introduction a week for someone else.
- Bring a real problem to your first hot seat.
- Follow up within a day after every meeting, even with a one-minute message.
Guests speak for themselves. If you are rebuilding after a move, my notes on how to start over in life put connection first for the same reason. And if the work side is the hard part, read how to get your first clients.
Watch the webinar
The full session runs more than an hour and a half and includes questions from the group. Watch the CHANGES webinar with Gil Petersil on YouTube (opens in a new tab), or find it with every episode on the CHANGES podcast page.
If you want one-to-one help with a career change or a new market, look at my coaching or book a call.
Questions and answers
What is a mastermind group?
A small group of peers who meet on a fixed schedule to share goals and problems, give each other ideas and contacts, and hold each other accountable. Nobody plays teacher. Gil Petersil calls it one format of networking, and he traces the idea to Napoleon Hill's book Think and Grow Rich.
How does a mastermind group work?
Members meet regularly, often weekly, online or in person. A common part of each meeting is the hot seat: one member presents a problem and the group works on it. Between meetings, members follow up on what they promised. Good groups agree on rules for time, accountability and introductions.
Who is Gil Petersil?
Gil Petersil is a networking expert and community builder. In the CHANGES webinar he says he has studied human networks for many years, has lived in seven countries and has helped launch more than 200 masterminds around the world, the first of his own in Moscow in 2016.
Am I too much of a beginner to join a mastermind group?
Gil hears this objection often and disagrees. In his experience, help comes from people you would not expect, such as an accountant who gave him a valuable idea when it was her turn to speak. Look for a group whose members are a little ahead of you and willing to share openly.