Incredible. Thatโs the word that comes to mind when I consider the way that this yearโs ‘Mastermind. With Sherrie’ program unfolded.
I always knew that Mastermind would be something special, but as the program has now concluded, I have to say, it has surpassed every single expectation I had.
The purpose of Mastermind was to gather an exceptional group of business, professional and sporting leaders from outside our industry, to speak intimately with us and share the secrets to their success.
And they certainly delivered – passing on a wealth of invaluable knowledge in a way that was not only fundamental to growth but was also relatable to the attendees.
They were honest, they were raw, and they spoke from the heart.
But while the speakers were indeed amazing, it was the community we created during these intimate sessions that made Mastermind so very special. Everyone who attended lifted each other up, and cheered each other on.
Letโs face it, business ownership can be lonely, so establishing that sense of camaraderie can make all the difference to both new and established business owners and lead agents.
The feedback Iโve received from attendees is that Mastermind has increased their confidence, and encouraged them to move beyond their comfort zones.
Whether it be buying or acquiring a new business, expanding existing, or even starting a new agency, everyone has reported record achievements since Mastermind, and we can also thank our keynote speakers for that.
Kerry-Lee and Paul Gockel
This inspirational power couple gave our Mastermind attendees permission to reach further, higher, and faster.
Both Kerry-Lee and Paul have physical disabilities, but it hasnโt stopped either of them from living their best life together.
Born without arms, Kerry-Lee grew up doing everything with her feet. The self-proclaimed โwingless warriorโ has accomplished some incredible swimming feats, including swimming with whale sharks.
Paul was born with Spina Bifida, and represented Australia at the 1992 and 1996 Paralympic Games, winning a silver medal in the 400m freestyle.
Itโs often easy to drift into a โpoor meโ mentality, yet here is a couple who, despite their physical disabilities, have such a positive outlook on life, have built their best version of their lives and are constantly motivated to succeed.
Our attendees felt inspired and lifted up by the Gockels, who encouraged us to never stop reaching for the stars.
Lorna Jane Clarkson
Even though we were all fan-girling over Lorna Jane, the activewear powerhouse delivered an intimate and personal presentation, openly sharing the ups and downs of her remarkable journey that led to her success.
Lorna Jane spoke about building a celebrity profile, sharing how doing so helped grow her empire from a part-time fitness instructor making her own active wear, to the half a billion-dollar global empire that it is today.
Iโm a big believer in the importance of community, and Lorna Jane does this amazingly well.
She also shared with us how her team โbuilds the plane while theyโre flying itโ and encouraged us to do the same.
Susannah George
Thereโs no escaping the fact that we are living in a digital world.
And as the founder and chief executive officer of Australia and New Zealandโs largest independent media company, Urban List, Susannah George understands the importance of building and sharing the right content to build an engaged audience in order to build a business.
Susannah shared her inspiring start-up journey, which began in her bedroom in 2011.
Through digital attraction, her business has experienced phenomenal growth over the past decade to become the Urban List we know and love today.
In sharing exactly how she chose to spend her marketing dollars, Susannah provided us with really practical tips on the steps we can all take to carve out a niche, and create valuable, sharable content that cuts through the noise.
Susannah spoke in a way we could all relate to, sharing her struggles with imposter syndrome, and how she overcame those fears.
Dr Phil Jauncey
I have been personally working with performance psychologist, Dr Phil Jauncey, since 2007. He has shaped my life immeasurably, so I knew from experience the positive impact he would have on participants.
Having been practising for more than 50 years, Phil has worked with some of the best leaders within myriad industries, from sport and the arts to psychology and corporations.
As rugby league legend Wayne Bennettโs right-hand man, Phil has coached Bennett to coach his teams to premiership wins, including games that were widely dubbed as โunwinnableโ.
He emphasised the importance of working together as a team, and how doing good makes us feel good, and in turn helps us to be better global citizens.
When we are performing our best, thatโs when we get the best performance from others.
Philโs presentation was so powerful, that we arranged personal follow-up sessions for the Masterminds and their teams.
Nathan Sharpe
Most well-known for captaining the Wallabies, some attendees were bemused about his selection as a Mastermind speaker, but after the session, many described Nathan Sharpe as their favourite speaker.
Not only is he a rugby union champion, Nathan also grew his own business in the mining industry from the ground up, eventually selling it to a major corporation.
He is now the director of another company that specialises in teaching leadership, a skill Nathan has in droves.
Nathan shared his personal leadership journey, highlighting the importance of a โteam firstโ and โself-regulatingโ culture, that nurtures and motivates each member.
He spoke from his heart, he was truthful, and open about where things went wrong, when things broke down, and how he pulled his team back together during times of adversity.
Noel Whittaker
Our final Mastermind speaker was renowned financial expert, Noel Whittaker, who spoke about creating wealth, as well as building an exit strategy and succession plan.
These are things we donโt often talk about in our industry, however securing our financial future is one of the key reasons many of us go into business.
While we know in theory that succession planning is important, the daily grind of working in our business can hold us back from planning a strategy that leads to working less and earning more.
Noel reminds us of our personal responsibility to our business, and our team members, and why we need to make sure every single dollar we earn is working for us, both personally and professionally.
As well as being one of Australiaโs most highly regarded financial commentators, Noel also had his own chain of real estate agencies, so was able to speak to us from a place of empathy, providing tangible and practical advice.
Looking ahead
To say Iโm proud of ‘Mastermind. With Sherrie’ would be an understatement.
Iโve done some incredible events, programs and training since I started my business, but Mastermind is next level.
Itโs hard to put into words the impact Mastermind has had, not only on our attendees, but on myself too.
Of course, now that our 2021 Mastermind has come to an end, weโre gearing up for next yearโs sessions, which will run monthly, from April through to September.
Agents from Australia and New Zealand will come together to experience high level learning from another amazing group of keynote speakers.
Applications are now open, and if demand from this yearโs Mastermind is anything to go by, I suggest you get in quickly as there are only 30 positions available.
Iโll be prioritising applicants who want to achieve maximum impact, take their business to the next level, and can commit to attending in person.
To pre-register for Mastermind with Sherrie Storor 2022, visit www.sherriestoror.com/mastermind. Tickets are $15,000 and payment plans are available.
Most attendees from this year have already signed up for the 2022 season.