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I thought it would be easy. After all, I had a multiple degrees from a reputable university, I had a passion for growing my business and I was a damn fine consultant (at least that what my clients keep telling me). Yet the reality is being an entrepreneur can be pretty lonely, even when you have staff and personal assistants for all intents and purposes you are on your own. As your business grows there is an ever increasing barrage of challenges that present themselves and unlike a multi-national firm there is no board of directors to turn to. Then I discovered a peer advisory forum and what an incredible difference that made. At first all the members were just feeling their way; getting to know each other and testing the amount of trust in the group and each other. However, once established the discussions become more open and the value from these grew.

“Problem with a senior executive?” Take it to the forum. “Wondering whether to merge or go ahead with that acquisition?” Take it to the forum. “Have a challenge with your teenage daughter?” Take it to the forum. In a relatively short time my forum meeting become the most vital and most looked forward to time of the month. A moment where I could reflect, contribute and feel part of a group of individuals that cared about my business, my personal life and me. And I cared about their’s too.

Being part of a peer advisory group is nothing new; people throughout the ages have recognised the supportive power of peers. It has been said if you want to see what your net-worth is going to be take a look around at the people you associate with. Is there a group of people around you that can:

Be a confidant

Be trusted with your business secrets

offer sound advice from an experiential knowledge base

contribute meaningfully to your business

challenge you

intellectually stimulate you

assist you with your goals

hold you accountable

be there for you when you need them

A powerful peer advisory group can do all this and more. Being part of a forum has been the most important aspect of my ongoing business and personal development. So much so that I want others to experience its leveraging power. Along with a friend and colleague we are launching The Emerson Project; A project that encompasses all the promise of a peer advisory forum and more. My partner Steve Mitchinson and I recognised that there were elements something missing, elements that could make the group even more powerful. Together we’ve designed a project where you have the power of the group and the support of one of us to accelerate your growth to the next level and then ensure its sustainability. We’ve added a mentoring component and an educational component where we bring some of the leading experts in areas of interest to the members. This is destined to become an incredible model for individuals seeking significant development. The journey is about to begin. If you think this is something you are interested call me personally and we’ll discuss the opportunity.

Can you believe it’s March already? Well, if you’re like most people, all your New Year’s Resolutions are little more than a distant memory. Goals, dreams and aspirations for the year… Gone! And the year rolls on. I think that is a bit of a shame so to help you get back on track I’ve got a few suggestions for you. Let’s begin the process properly. First find somewhere quiet to sit down, somewhere with no distractions. The only thing you’ll need is your paper and pen or a computer (as long as it’s not connected to the internet, remember NO distractions). Found the space? Great, now take a fresh piece of paper (or a new page on your computer) and begin to write all the things you’d like to achieve, not just this year but anytime in the future. No matter what it is, everything, big, small or otherwise. Write it all down. The key here is to be like a kid again, to really let your imagination flow. If you’ve never done this you’ll be surprised how motivating it can be. Okay now go back over the list and mark the ones you’d really like to achieve this year and then pick your top four. What you have now is a ‘wish list’. The key is to now turn them into goals. A full goal setting process can be quite involved, what we are trying to achieve here is to simply re-ignite some motivation for you to begin. So, now take those four goals and write down at least 10 reasons why it is so important for you to achieve them. Okay, now write down one step, one thing you can do right now to begin you on the path to realisation. Now do it. That one thing, do it now. Then think of the next thing and do that next and so on. Yeah, I know this is simple and there is much, much more you can do along the way, but hey this is start, and if nothing else you’ll be reminded of those New Year Resolutions!