Did you know that half of all businesses are closed within their first year, 80% are gone within five years and that 96% of all businesses fail within 10 years? That means that only 4% of a businesses last more than 10 years. That just means that they are “still standing,” even if they are not “profitable.”

I know just how difficult it is to get an online business off the ground. In 2008, I left a successful 12-year career as an insurance agent to pursue my own journey of full-time, self-employment, so that I could do the work that I felt most called to do in this world.

I am so thankful for all the sales training and customer service experience that those 12 years as an insurance agent provided. However, having lived a lifetime as an “employee” up to that point, I realized, real quickly, just how much I didn't know about what it took to actually own and operate my own business.

My first full year of full-time self-employment was riddled with self-doubt, overwhelm from all that I was being told I needed to do, and lack of clarity of what I needed to focus on next. As a result, that first year was the most difficult year, financially, that I have ever experienced in my lifetime.

I can tell tell you that those difficult times were definitely worth it. However, with that said, looking back from the perspective of knowing what I know today, I now realize that things didn't have to be quite so hard.

In this episode, I share how my involvement in a healthy mastermind group helped turn everything around for me and my business. I explain what a mastermind group is and the ten benefits that you would receive by getting involved in a healthy mastermind group for yourself.Are You looking for a healthy mastermind group? Check out the details of my Next Level Mastermind.

I have other podcasts that might be of interest to you. See my list of shows at http://CliffRavenscraft.com/podcast

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