Today and tomorrow I’m hosting my first in-person Mastermind in over 2 years!
 
I'm pretty fired up for this...

And seeing so many people again has really got me thinking about one of my favorite topics:
 
Personal connections and the power of your network.
 
The people you associate and build relationships with… are everything.
 
I can tell you for a fact, that my life started getting a whole lot easier in 1999…
 
When I began making a huge effort to meet more people and grow my network.
 
My biggest breakthroughs and most profitable business decisions have come from conversations with other people — many of whom I wouldn’t have met if I’d given in to my introverted tendencies.
 
Even the opportunity to buy Early to Rise, the dream business I’m currently growing…
 
…never would have happened if I hadn’t gone on an adrenaline-filled adventure with Tim Ferriss, Yanik Silver, and my friend Matt Smith (I’ll share that story another time ;)
 
Over the last 20 years I’ve met thousands of amazing people from Tony Robbins to Magic Johnson. 
 
Don’t forget... I started out as a no one...

Just a poor, broke, struckling, socially anxious, introverted, binge-drinking farm boy turned personal trainer. 
 
That’s hardly a resume that leads to sharing the stage with Russell Brunson, Jesse Itzler, or Shanda Sumpter. 
 
But here we are.
 
So what does all this mean for you?
 
Simply this:
 
When you know more people...
 
And when you become valuable to more people...
 
It becomes easier for you to get what exactly you want in life.
 
You attract more opportunities, you meet more people that can solve your problems, and you can eventually have friends in every city around the world ... in case you ever drop by.
 
This week my clients will be making new connections and deepening existing relationships…
 
Which will lead to bigger opportunities, greater wealth, better health, and more freedom — so they can experience the best of life with their partners and kids.
 
But just because you’re not in Cancun with us this week doesn’t mean you can’t do the same.
 
Below are a few thoughts and ideas to help you expand your network starting today:
 
 1. Use my “3 Column Connect-The-Dots Method” to get to know more people
 
Column #1 – Make a List of ALL the Influencers You Want to Know
 
Column #2 – Identify how you can add value to them... it could be simply posting a comment on their social media post, sending them a book, making an intro for them, etc.
 
Column #3 – Ask for Help... Once the conversation is created or renewed, and you’ve added value, you have then earned the right to make an ask. Be as specific as possible.
 
It’s as simple as that!
 
 
2. The following question came from a client prior to his attending the Mastermind
 
Q: “Craig, I feel awkward meeting strangers. Do you have any conversation starters?”
 
Answer:
 
You bet... here are versions of the questions I ask when attending events with new friends... (I might even use them on you this week, haha!)
 
How did you hear about Craig? (use event host’s name here)
 
What are you looking to learn about this weekend?
 
Which of the speakers are you excited to hear from and why?
 
Pro Tip: Avoid yes or no or 1-word questions (like “where are you from?”). People can answer quickly and then it gets awkward, because it feels like an interrogation. Just get them talking and listen.
 
 
3. One more question that reveals my favorite networking “shortcut”
 
Q: What do you think of joining a coaching program to grow your network faster?
 
Answer:
I’ll let Joel Marion answer this — this is an excerpt from one of his recent podcasts...
 
“My first business coach was Craig Ballantyne. I could not break the ice with the guy without paying. I end up buying six coaching calls for $3000, which at the time was significant amount of money for me.

I was already talking with other people in the industry and Vince Del Monte, who you know, long-term friend of mine. But with Craig, I was not able to get a response. I emailed him and said, 'Hey, I want to buy your coaching. I just wanted to see if you think it would be a good fit for where I'm at, where I'm going.' Then I got an immediate response.
 
“Craig is one of my best friends today. He vacations with my family. He’s spent months of his life visiting my homes here in Florida. In fact, there's a bedroom beside my office that is known to my kids as Craig's room.
 
“But again, that is a relationship where I initially had to make an investment in order for the guy to even pay attention to me. Then that was my foot in the door. And I could have just been an average client and it would have been a transaction, and it would have ended there. Because of who I am and how I showed up in that relationship and what I was able to accomplish and how I took his coaching, I achieved real success in the industry and became his star student.
 
“Today I have a mastermind group and Craig is a paid member (it’s $100K per year). He now tells me that the student has become the teacher.
 
“So listen, it's totally fine and normal that you pay to get access to people. But then you must show up for them. And then you can earn the opportunity to be real friends. There’s nothing wrong with that. People need to get past that idea that you should get what you want for free.”
 
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So there you have it…
 
3 tactics to help rapidly grow your network — AND your net worth — starting today.
 
Read them through again… refer back to them…
 
But most importantly… USE them.
 
When you do, it has the power to transform your entire life.
 
Maybe we’ll even see you at one of our future Masterminds so we can help you grow even further.
 
Success Loves Speed,
 
Craig