She's That Founder: Business Strategy and Time Management for Impactful Female Leaders

037 | Backstage Pass: Inside an Elite Women’s Mastermind Group For Female Leaders

• Dawn Andrews • Season 1 • Episode 37

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Several years ago, I was at a crossroads in my personal and professional life. I had big dreams and ambitious goals, but I often felt like I was navigating uncharted waters alone. That's when I embraced the idea of joining a mastermind, surrounding myself with like-minded individuals who could provide support, fresh perspectives, and accountability. 

The best decision I’ve made so far!

This episode is going to be a little different. We are going on a journey through my personal experience with masterminds with my actual Business BFFs! I can’t wait for you to meet them.

Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur, a seasoned professional, or someone looking to level up in any aspect of your life, masterminds can be the key to unlocking your fullest potential.

In this episode, we discuss:

  • What a mastermind group is all about
  • Benefits of being part of a mastermind
  • The significant growth and success through mastermind groups
  • Explore various types of mastermind 
  • Discuss emerging trends in the world of mastermind groups


This episode at a glance:

[05:51] You have those intuitive moments sometimes where you're scared, but you know it's the right move for you, and I'm so glad I followed through with that.

[15:37] The best part of a mastermind is holding that space for one another and believing what is possible for other people and then for the group as a whole.

[22:14] This is the group that has been the glue that's held my bones together when I felt like I didn't even know what I was doing.

[31:59] Regardless of whether you can relate or connect to what I'm personally going through, you're always there for me. You're always listening.

[44:48] This is like a marking moment, a milestone moment where we got to come together and do this and appreciate why we did this in the first place


Resources and links mentioned in this episode

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More about the “My Good Woman” podcast

My Good Woman is a podcast for bold female leaders hosted by me, Dawn Andrews! Grab a seat at the table for candid conversations with culture-shifting, glass-ceiling-busting, trailblazing women, leading enterprises that are changing the world. Follow along so that you can catch all of the episodes. And before you go, leave us a review!

Want to increase revenue and impact? Listen to “My Good Woman” for insights on business strategy and female leadership to scale your business. Each episode offers advice on effective communication, team building, and management. Learn to master routines and systems to boost productivity and prevent burnout. Our delegation tips and business consulting will advance your executive leadership skills and presence.

My Good Woman
Ep. 37 |  Backstage Pass: Inside an Elite Women’s Mastermind Group 


Dawn Andrews: Hello friends! Welcome to my good woman, the podcast for new and future female leaders. I'm your host, Dawn Andrews, a happily married hockey mom and the founder and CEO of Free Range Thinking Business Strategy Consulting. Grab a seat at the table with me each week for candid conversations with culture shifting, glass ceiling busting, trailblazing women leading impactful enterprises.

 We discuss what makes them tick, how they get it all done and actionable strategies to help you lead with confidence and grow the visibility, reach and revenue of your business. We're classy ladies, but we don't bleep the swear words. Listener discretion is advised.

Welcome to the My Good Women Podcast. I feel like the Avengers have assembled, and for those of you that are listening, I'll go back and do a little bit of an introduction, but this is an extraordinary group of women that you're about to hear from, and I'm trying to let you in inside behind the scenes of what our mastermind group looks like.

 Obviously, we're not gonna cover the kinds of topics that we normally cover. We're gonna talk about what it's like being together and why we chose to be in Masterminds. But I'm excited that you get a chance to really listen to what it's like to have Sisters who have your back in business.

So I'm just gonna kick it off. I'm gonna introduce you first, Carrie Roldan is the founder of the Business BFFs. So Carrie, share a little bit about yourself and how the group got formed.

Carrie Roldan: Yeah. Hey. Okay, I am known as the business B F F and I'm sort of a magical wizard fairy. I create team wherever I go. And when I started down the road of becoming an entrepreneur, I didn't like that I was all by myself, and everybody kept saying, oh, come to this event or they would say, build a team. But when they said, build a team to like build your business, they meant hire people. And while that's important and like something that needs to be done when you build a business, I created the business BFF Mastermind because I wanted teammates on the entrepreneurial journey.

I had been an athlete all through high school and college and coached athletes, for years and just was missing women who I could lock arms with and support each other, lift each other up in reaching our individual goals and just sort of with a, knowing that somehow doing that for each other would help create something bigger. I met all of you actually through each other, or, but I met Jean Berry in person and I said that I just wanna help entrepreneurs create team and lock arms and do it. And Jean put her arm through mine we locked arms, and I was like, all right, we're doing it.

 And so you guys started out as an experiment. I reached out to people who I thought would be cool to do this with. And I asked you guys for a few months to experiment to see like, Hey, is this something that could happen? And eight years later, here we are.

Dawn Andrews: It's incredible. And just for those of you that end up just listening, instead of watching, the video, Carrie and Jean just linked arms sort of, kind of through their little video boxes. We were just throwing out jean's name, Jean introduce yourself.

Jean Berry: Well, thank you. Hi, I'm Jean Berry I am a business game expert and coaches, and the consultants hire me to create games out of their transformational work. 

Dawn Andrews: And just to be clear, like Jean literal games not like, you know, let's get together and do a bonding activity at a retreat, although I'm sure you can do that too, but she makes literal games. 

Jean Berry: Yes, thank you for that. No physical games you know, it's way more fun to play games with team members, and having the team around that. And it really was this moment of saying yes, just like Carrie, I don't wanna be alone in business. And yet as entrepreneurs and solopreneurs, that's how we start. And  now, what is it? Eight years later, here we are in our amazingness. Like this has been an extraordinary space for playing together.

Dawn Andrews: Absolutely. Rachel, will you introduce yourself?

Rachel Archelaus: Sure. I am Rachel Archelaus, and I help people have a two-way conversation with their higher self, through color, through an intuitive art method. And I'm also an alignment coach, so I'm always helping people just embody who they are in a deeper way. And you know, Carrie, I'm such an introvert, Carrie just like grabbed my hand and dragged me into this mastermind I was so thankful that she did. And, I owe so much to these ladies. I'm so glad we're doing this and sharing this message. So thanks for the platform, Dawn.

Dawn Andrews: You're welcome and thank you. So you guys will recognize Rachel's voice from episode two of my Good Woman. She interviewed me to share a little bit of my story because there's a nice mix of personality types in this group. There are some very outgoing, very big, like loud and proud personalities.

 And then, there are some of us that are a little bit more quiet, a little more behind the scenes and we give each other the gift of those different types of being, in being together. Okay, Courtney, introduce yourself.

Courtney Long: Oh, I'm so happy to be here. I am Courtney Fae Long. I'm the creator of Mariposa Magical Sexuality and the Four Step Glow System, and I help highly sexual souls to get turned on and light their sexual fire so they can be happy and abundant in all aspects of life. Their love life, sex life, business, or career and money.

Dawn Andrews: Woo hoo. You'll also recognize Courtney from a previous My Good Women Podcast episode, so you can go back and learn more about her in detail as well. I'm just, you guys, I'm so excited to have you here. We're all, we're all like in our little zoom boxes or our squad cast boxes, as it were. And, tell me a little bit why did you say yes to Carrie's experiment?

Rachel Archelaus: Well, I'll go first. I said yes, because I didn't really have any entrepreneur friends, you know, for the same reason Carrie created this. I, I needed it, like I was doing this all by myself and having a really good time. I love my company, but I knew I couldn't say no, even if I was very intimidated, which I was. So yeah, it was like you have those intuitive moments sometimes where like you're scared, but you know it's the right move for you, and I'm so glad I followed through with that.

Dawn Andrews: I am glad you did too.

Carrie Roldan: Hey, this is Carrie and I wanna ask that same question to you Dawn, you didn't really introduce yourself or say that, so tell us.

Dawn Andrews: Well, so for all y'all that have been listened to the podcast, my name's Dawn Andrews, I'm a business strategy consultant and executive leadership coach. And I work predominantly with founders and leaders in the startup space and in entertainment to help their businesses grow. And I joined this group partially because Carrie is so enrolling, she's sell ice to a polar bear kind of enrolling.

 So I was like, I don't know what's happening, but I'm not even sure exactly what this is, but it just sounds really fun. I needed more fun, and I needed the opportunity to be with other people who I didn't even know if we would be on the same journey, where we would be in the development of our companies.

But I knew I wanted to be around people that were at least in that same conversation because building a business, especially if you're a bootstrap startup at the very beginning, is just, it's hard. No matter how much mindset work you do, there's a lot to do. There's a lot of different hats to wear and having other people to use as sounding boards.

 And is this real and is this normal? And I feel kind of weird about this, and is that okay? Is that expected? Just being able to sound that out with other people I knew was gonna be really helpful, so that's why I said yes. I'm curious what you guys have taken away from the B F F so far. In fact, in those early days, because we're eight years in now, this is a highly seasoned and connected group at this point. 

Let's go back in time and imagine those first few months of joining the B F F. In fact, Courtney, I'm gonna ask you this question, since you're kind of the newest, newest sistah on the block. What was it like coming into this group, especially as somebody who is joining a group especially as somebody who is joining a group that's already in progress? What was that like for you?

Courtney Long: Yeah, I just checked today and it's been two years that I've been part of the group, which has gone by fast. I felt very welcomed into the group, but I had an interesting journey because you'd all been meeting for six years at that point, and I literally asked if I could join you, which I think was really bold on my part, you know, and I'm very grateful to you all for, for the warm welcome. I'm so grateful. And, I felt, what I received at the beginning and what I continue to receive is, yeah, that it's an energetic support. It's like we're all there for each other and there's celebrating each other's ideas, I feel like is really important and seeing each other's strengths. And I know something I really struggle with is just doubting my own ideas. And so that sounding board has been so helpful for me. And then also kind of testing out ideas like, okay, what do you think of this concept? What do you think of that one? And you're all so incredibly intuitive and so skilled in business that I really value both of those, your business minds and your intuition. And I just feel like we make magic together.

Dawn Andrews: Amen to that. I totally feel that way. Jean, do you remember, do you remember the early days? I mean, you were, you were kind of first girl through the door. So first woman, sorry, let's be clear. Like giving you some neck bone right now. First woman through the door.

Jean Berry: You know, I really, this idea of having a team that reflects your brilliance and, you know, there's this moment where you're like, okay, defining what I do. Okay. So when we speak it out loud and then the group's like, yeah, no, that, that, that is who you are. That is what you are. And then standing in it for a minute and saying, Ooh, that feels really, really good.

 Like, my heart expands on side of that. And this was the early days of saying, what is it that we're really magic at? You know, what is that thing that really communicates how we do what we do? And I think that that's the one of the hardest parts early in business is to really, you know, your magic inside. But then you're like, but no one gets it. I'm a weird, you know, Fairy out here, and no one really gets what I do. So how do we communicate it? So that's in the early days really what came home for me.

Dawn Andrews: How about for you, Rachel?

Rachel Archelaus: It is interesting. So when I first joined, I know my business was doing well and what I really needed help with was my personal life, and that's what I kept showing up with. You know, like, business is great, these things are happening and, and y'all celebrated with me and it was so fun, but I had all of these sort of inconsistencies in my personal life, not just, you know, but with me, with my relationship where I was living. And that became just as important to you as it was to me. And you helped me iron things out and really, like Jean is saying, see where I'm really at in all of that. It's so hard to articulate, you know? But we made a big shift from just focusing on business, which was our intention to realizing that actually if we don't take care of what's going on inside of us and inside of our lives, we're not gonna make it far in business.

 So, I think being women or, you know, non-binary beings as I am, um, we had the foresight to see how things are so connected and that really has led to our longevity and, and how we can support each other to reach new heights in business as well.

Dawn Andrews: You know, it's really interesting I think when people hear the word mastermind, first of all, the word master is the first part of it, and it, and master has a lot of different meanings. Master meaning masterful mastery, but also, you know, control and order and primacy and everything else. So I think it can have like a really, um, especially these days interesting effect on people and you're like, oh, I'm gonna join a mastermind.

 And truth be told, and I'm, I really would love to hear this answer from the rest of you too. I have been part of other masterminds that we're very, practically oriented, very kind of rigorous in how they're run. It almost reminded me of like the Robert's rules of order that you learn when you're like joining student council back in the old days.

 Like, this is how our meeting works and this is when people get to talk. And this is, you know, like there's so many, restrictions on how you can relate. And what has been extraordinary truly about this particular group of people gathered is that we call things to order when we need to, but we also are kind of in our fullest selves as women.

 And not just following the prescribed version of what happens in a mastermind that maybe men have defined before us. And as a result, really interesting things have come out of that. So my question to all y'all is have you been part of other masterminds? And how did that experience compare to what you're experiencing in this one since we've all been here for such a long time?

Carrie Roldan: Yeah. Well I do because I, I heard a mastermind described. So like early on in this business journey, and they were like, we're gonna do masterminds. And then a mastermind, it was described like, when many minds get together, we create this, this mastermind, this megamind, right? And I was like, yeah, that sounds amazing. And then I experienced things that were sold as masterminds that were like, now you get your 15 seconds of laser coaching or whatever. And I was like, this is not a mastermind, like this is not what you described at all. That's why when we first started, I called this Team BFF right? 

We know it's a mastermind, but I was like, I want a team. And you know, I, I don't have a ton of corporate experience. Like I've been a part of highly successful athletic teams, and particularly in, in cross country and track and in cross country, there are seven individuals running toward a team goal. And so it's super important that, you know, each one of you does your very best.

But there's also this understanding that if I'm having a bad day, you'll step up. Right? Like, you'll see that like, ooh, Carrie's normally our third, and today she's our fifth, so I gotta step up. And there's a little bit of like, well, I'm getting goosebumps talking about this. There's a little bit of that. Like, um, I have the image of like running up a hill and being tired and having a teammate come up and run behind me and just put her hand on my back. Right? And that sort of gives me the strength. Like it's not pushing me up the hill just like, Hey, I'm here. I've got you. And that's what I thought a mastermind was like, that's what I wanted. 

And so, I feel like Courtney didn't know this part and so I wanna tell it. Um, and so when we started, I wrote, remember thinking, how do I do that? Right? How do I make team out of people who we're not training together every day, we don't have this sisterhood yet, right? How do I get us to put our hand on each other's backs? And I did one activity, like, I don't know if you guys remember the first thing I asked you to do. I did one activity early on that I was like, I think this is gonna work. But also just operated from the assumption that that's who we were gonna be, right? And, and then just relaxed, so I'll stop talking now.

Dawn Andrews: No, no, no. This is, I mean, it's great because what I wanted to reveal in bringing this particular group of people together is that the best part of a mastermind, is holding that space for one another and believing what is possible for other people, and then for the group as a whole. And that's Carrie, that's what you've created with this group of people.

And I do think it's, it's unique because the mastermind term generally is in the business world. And I don't know, I, you know, I have no idea what, what listeners are, are thinking or feeling because we've used a lot of words like magic and fairy dust and sparkles and intuition and non-binary interplanetary being, and things like that,

So you're asking, okay, is this a business situation or is this not? And what I'm saying is that they can coexist and when they do extraordinary things happen.

Jean Berry: So the masterminds I had been in before this were always about setting a goal. Like you set everyone set a goal, and then everyone was working toward this goal and we had to check in on the goal and, you know, how did you do on your goal and where did it move forward and everything else, and did you fail?

 And, and kind of speaking to that kind of micro coaching piece, uh, in that moment. And I really found that the big vision of the group was what really was the goal. If we were gonna set a goal, it was the big vision, which was happiness, prosperity, abundance, growth, you know, those kind of things. And all those things were happening, but it wasn't happening in a prescribed 30 day timeframe where, or, you know, over the next 90 days we're gonna make this thing happen. That's what's been extraordinary about this, is that although have we met goals? Yeah. Big ones. And yet it wasn't like, I'm gonna set this and have this happen in this prescribed timeframe. No, they're just all flowing in when they flow in.

Dawn Andrews: Yeah. In fact, this is a true confessions moment, you guys. I am the most set the goal, do it in the 90 days, 30 days, whatever. And this group of women has chilled me, the F out on multiple occasions. I have wept in their presence probably almost every time we've met because I have been so, so judgmental. And let's see, I'm about to weep right now.

I knew there were gonna be tears on this. I knew it.  Yeah, there were times that, that I had just pushed myself so hard. And this is more of a receive and allow group as opposed to a push to get it done group. What everyone has accomplished in their business is exceptional, with the receive and allow approach to it. Just to pivot for a second, what are some of the things that have happened for your businesses since you've been in the Mastermind? What, what has come up for you? What's new? What's changed? What's grown?

Rachel Archelaus: Well, I can say Carrie works with me now. She leads a group in my coaching business and does a live stream with me every week and help to make all my students much, much happier and just provide the skills that I didn't have. You know, and I think as you know, entrepreneurs, we realize, okay, what are my strengths and what are my weaknesses? And how can I fill the gap with someone who's exceptional at what I'm not? And you all have helped me discovered where I sit in that. And then I've been able to, help my own people by bringing you all in. And, um, you've, you've just helped me know that I'm enough in my business. 

When I started, like I said, my business was doing well, but I wasn't necessarily reaching my potential. And I've been able to grow in so many other directions and add things in that really reflect who I am because you've helped me see that it's all one thing, it's all connected. I can do more, I can be more authentic, and, you've just helped me grow this like really cool place to work and to give to the world. And like I couldn't ask for anything more, it's in incredible.

Dawn Andrews: Courtney, how about for you? What's happened for your business in your two years with the BFFs?

Courtney Long: Yeah, interestingly, the last two years, coincided with a whole big change in my life where I sold my house and I was traveling for a year, partially in exploration of another place to move to and partially writing my book. And so my big focus the last two years has been on my book and I wrote a 99 page book proposal, which took so long and so many tears and, and joy, and landed a really wonderful literary agent.

So I'm in that process now of connecting with a great publisher for the book. I think the biggest thing that I've received, besides support with all of that is just more clarity of what am I saying in the world and who is my ideal client? and now I realize it's the highly sexual woman. It's the highly sexual soul. And, and just having more confidence to say that.

And yeah, and also I, I think a, a big thing, it's not necessarily a business result, but it's more of how I do business is you all remind me to be in that relaxed vibe and the allowing vibe. Yeah, cause like you Dawn, I tend to just think, oh, I gotta, I gotta push and drive and, you know, I, I did that so much at some point years ago, I had a big health crash. So I've had to learn how to work in a more relaxed way. I call it working hotter, not harder.

But anyway, yeah. It's just, it's so amazing to see that we don't have to work that hard, that we really can focus more on who we are, being who we are, allowing, being in the joy of who we are, the joy of what we love doing, and helping people, making a huge difference and being successful and making money all at the same time. Like you said, it's like we get to do it all and be it all.

Dawn Andrews: Just, and for those practical, I don't know, I don't know if practical is the right word, but for those listeners out there that are looking for the, well, what, like what really do you get done there? If you kind of know what I really got done with this group of women, I have tripled my revenues. I'm in high six figures now on an annual basis. So, and I think over the time that we've been together, it's, I've made millions. I have the podcast came out my conversations with these women and not only that, the practical parts of it, but the courage to do it came out of this. 

I have fallen apart completely basically dismantled and rebuilt my business. With the guidance of this group assembled, I have slowed myself down and or sped myself up.  Masterminds are for the, the practical parts of things, but this is the group that has been the glue that's held my bones together when I felt like I didn't even know what I was doing. I just wanted like, take a plug, give it a moment for everybody to consider that if you're struggling or even if you just want more out of the business that you're running, joining a mastermind is probably a next step for you.  

I would love to know too, what are some of the challenges that you have brought to this group? I just shared one of them. Like I, there was a time when I couldn't get off the ground, like I was running my business from the floor because I was so messed up physically. Like what, what have been some of the challenges that you've brought to this group and then had them help you resolve? 

Jean Berry: The, it's so entangled with the last question that I'm like, okay, well this is fascinating. It was realizing that I simply don't have the energy to run a push business ever. Like I don't work very much. I don't, I don't work very much and being okay on the planet with not working very much. I actually just spent the last three days in a headache in bed like that, that's how it was.

And I don't work very much. And yet the last eight years, I've moved across the country twice. I have upleveled my living situation in such a amazing way that it was mind blowing. We have quadrupled our family business income. We have, you know, I've launched games on Kickstarter for clients I have, and fully funded them. Like it's this really fascinating place of working just a little tiny bit and having huge, gigantic results. And that is what I feel like I'm always bringing to the group of saying,  what am I not doing anything? Why, I think I'm gonna quit my whole business obviously this isn't working and yet here we are.

Carrie Roldan: Okay, you guys, I feel like I am remembering where we were eight years ago. And this, I'm gonna answer your question, Dawn, like what's happened? Like I actually have a business, I think of all of you guys. I created this group cause I had no business. I just really wanted one. I just, I wanted to make money being who I was and I didn't know how to do that. And like Jean, like Jean and I know our human design. Like I'm, I'm not somebody who's ever gonna like be posting on social media 40 times a day. I'm not. And so I was like, how do I do this? Like how do I turn this desire into something real? I've watched that hap, it happen for myself, right?

It happened, it's still happening for me. I was just telling Rachel this morning, oh crap, I got a whole another transformation coming like, here, here's the next iteration. I think that that's super important. And I don't think you get that in like a regular mastermind that was air quotes around regular, where like Jean said, they're, they often are like very focused on, okay, what's your goal? What's your objective? Let's do this. 

And, and where we come from is like, but why? Right? So when, when you wanna do something like why, and sure is it, is it just about the money? Is it like where you wanna go? And we have supported each other in becoming who we wanna be in the world. And that usually means the next version of what, like what we can see into the future, right? So we maybe can't see our own end game. We can sense it, we can feel it. I know every person listening feels the, I'm gonna use the word magic, but you could say the spark of their own magnificence, right? 

I think most people feel deep inside that they were meant for something great, and then it just gets squashed. And then we allow ourselves to sort of settle for whatever, like we can manage to vision, which is usually much smaller than what's real. So the beauty of this group is that we see the wholeness of each other. Each of us come with like in all our magnificence to show up for each other, and then in a puddle of our own, fear and shame and unworthiness, right?

Like we can be both things here.  The thing that's happened for me is that in this time, I've created something better than, something easier, something more relaxed than I ever thought was possible when I started. I've like Jean, I've, like, I'm living in, in a home that I, I didn't think was possible. Um, or I couldn't see how it would be possible. I'm working in a situation that like was a dream. Right. I remember thinking if I could only just if

Dawn Andrews: Get, get paid to be awesome, I believe the phrase that used. If I could just get paid to be awesome.

Carrie Roldan: Yeah, and I totally do that now. So, um, so, and I'm thinking about like, when Jean you came here, you had a business that wasn't anything close to what your business is now. And Rachel had lots of dreams and ideas and how am I going to, how do I get this all under one roof? There's a couple members who aren't here, uh, who just weren't able to make it today, who have, same, you know, like they're, we're all cheering each other on and reminding each other everything that you're asking for and more, or something better. And people who really, really, really truly just want you to have what you want and believe in it with you and for you when you're, when you're the puddle.

Dawn Andrews: Yeah, and I mean, just show of hands and I'll report, I'll report back from an audio perspective, how many of you, how many of us have been puddles on these calls?

 It's all hands raised, by the way. Yeah. Every single one of us, and on multiple occasions and sometimes over multiple calls, even multiple years, sometimes it has been really tough years that we've been through together. And each of us has been the person, you know, holding, holding space, holding the other person up, giving the calls in the background. 

I've received coaching or conversation from every single one of these women at various points, Carrie has like done, you know, let's try it, make a little, you know, there was some sort of Google Plus show we decided to do at one point. Like we've tried out really silly ideas with each other and there's no, there's nowhere else to get that, but to, to join it or build it.

There really isn't, and you can't create it on your own. And it's a different situation once you cross over just a one-to-one relationship with somebody else. Like what the, what comes from the collective is, definitely greater than the sum of its parts.

Courtney Long:  Yeah, I just wanted to share that I'd been part of other masterminds in the past and I definitely received some great things, but I also was craving a group of people that were more kind of on my same wavelength, which is all of you. And, and I mean, I've even been in some masterminds where like I was more of an advanced business owner and the majority of the people were beginners, and I was just like, it's too much of a mismatch. I, I, I didn't feel like I was being challenged to grow. 

It, so I, I just felt like I wanna be part of a group where we're on the same wavelength and where, because these people are doing amazing things in the world. Like it stretches me and, and invites me to grow and to step into more of my amazingness. So I just wanted to throw that in there. Cause I think in terms of finding a mastermind, it's really important to find a group that you really resonate with, and it could be that the other members are going where you want to go. 

It could be they're living a happy life. Don't accept, business advice from someone who doesn't have a thriving business,  find a great group and find the group that just really speaks to you deeply.

Dawn Andrews: What I've noticed with this group is that there are times that the wheel turns, it's not that we intentionally put someone in a spotlight each time we meet, but to Courtney's point, everybody has done really unique, interesting, successful things in their business space. And then sometimes you're not that person and sometimes you may not be that person for a while and everybody's reporting these incredible wins.

Like, I just sold this big thing, or I just signed this person, or I just did this, you know, completed this book, or whatever it is. Like everybody is reporting their wins and you're not the winner that particular week or month or even year. And what I find special about this group is that there's no judgment.

There's always curiosity and there is a mountain of support so that when you get out of your pity party, you can call on anybody and say, what am I missing? What am I, you know, or do I just need to sit with it for a little while longer? And everybody is, is patient and generous and giving in their support for each other.

Rachel Archelaus: That has been huge for me because I didn't have a lot of friends, like Courtney was saying, on my level when this started. I don't know if I had any really, who matched me where I had grown to, you know, when you're on this entrepreneurial journey, you change a lot as you get the self-worth to promote yourself and, you know, learn business skills and get out there in the world. And it's quite a journey. 

So you really do evolve. and I know a lot of people starting out kind of find like, well, I don't have really a lot of time for my old friends and we don't have a lot in common anymore, but how do I meet new people? And so that's really what you all have done for me, and I know I've shown up in lots of distress. 

You know, I, I went through a lot with you. I had left my partner for a while and then went back and, I've been in lots of self-discovery about being non-binary, being autistic, being ADHD, like all these things have come into my life and channeling an alien, who would've thought, right? I brought that to you right away. So it's like regardless of whether you can actually relate or connect to what I'm personally going through, you're always there for me. 

You're always listening. You're always nonjudgmental and supportive and that idea, it's like the care bear stare you all have of like reflecting back to me who I really am regardless of a label, regardless of a tough time. It is just so incredible to receive that and when any of us have needed that, you've just all been there. And we do that for each other and it's, it's absolutely incredible to not only have business support, but personal support and friendship and a safe place to go with anything. It's incredible that this space exists and it's also incredible that, it could be replicated.

Dawn Andrews: What do you think your businesses would be like had you not been and, and not even this mastermind, but in a group of other entrepreneurs, what do you think the path might have been like? This is like a sliding doors moment, right? What is the veering off to a different timeline look like?

Carrie Roldan: I will tell you, I probably would not still be in business. I probably would have a job. I think if I didn't have you guys, I this group. 'cause I was like, I know what the entrepreneurs need, they need this. Right? I really needed this, you know, I needed people to tell me to keep going. I needed people to say, Hey, I've been on the floor too. Hey, I didn't know how I was gonna pay my bills, either. I right like just the stories that you have told and, and the ways that you guys have supported. 

I had joined other various business groups that were designed to help me succeed, but I felt like the other people in those groups were there to network and to sell me something and to get something from me. I don't think I asked you accidentally I think that you're, you're the right people. And Courtney, I don't think you asked us accidentally but I, for sure, I I don't think I would still have a business if it wasn't for having created this. So thanks guys.

Dawn Andrews: So welcome. It's our privilege. I'm just gonna speak for everybody else. It's our privilege.

Jean Berry: Our privilege. Absolutely. And I, you know, I am an eternal optimist, and I, I'm the person who's, I would've started another group and I would've like put a call out to more girlfriends to try to find some group. But the challenge is that burns out and I have to honor Carrie and, and the whole group for not burning this group out. There is a space and time for everyone to step forward and say, I got you. And, and truly, Carrie, you created that hand on the back. I so appreciate that. 

Dawn Andrews: You did it. Woo hoo.  What would your business be like if you didn't have the BFFs or a Mastermind of any kind? 

Rachel Archelaus: I don't know. I mean, I honestly, it's an interesting thing because I really needed this comradery. Like I said, I, I don't know if I would've been able to continue if I didn't have, people to help me get through all the personal stuff I went through. I mean, honestly, I, I might have moved back in with my parents. 

I don't know, like it's just so hard to know because you've helped me grow as a person so much and, and ground myself. Oh my God. Can you, do you remember how I was like, so not even a human being when we met and now I'm just so much more grounded and, and aware and capable and, you know, I got myself to a great place. I'm not saying that, but it was rarely difficult, to sort of integrate all the things I needed to integrate. And without you, I mean, I don't know where I would be.

Courtney Long: And I would say I would be very lonely because like I found at the beginning, when I started my business 14 years ago, it was so lonely compared to when I was a social worker, uh, managing nonprofits. And I had a team and clients there with me every day. And then suddenly I was sitting at home in a room by myself on a computer and it just felt very lonely. 

And so it's just different being an entrepreneur, even when I have team members supporting me, it just, it can still feel lonely. And so I feel that, yeah, that sense of comradery and cheering each other on. Not that we meet all the time, right? At this point, we meet once a month, and I think you all used to meet twice a month, right? In the past. But still just that sense of we're there for each other. It just, it feels tremendous. Like, that support carries through even through the rest of the month on the days that we're not meeting.

Dawn Andrews: So I'm gonna be real honest and out myself. And I, again, there's a particular slice of listeners that I'm sure are gonna identify with this. I am highly driven and ambitious. I get a lot of shit done all on my own. And there's a part of me that that could easily try to say, which is a, I'm gonna say this is bullshit before I say it, but would easily try to say, I would be exactly where I am because I am driven and I can do it myself and I, I, I, I, I, I, all the things.

 And I am so present to the cost to myself, my family, even my clients, of what that personality can bring when it is unleashed, when it is not given some reflection back. I think it's a miscalculation of that personality type to think that you would get everywhere that you are. It just means that you've ignored the people that have helped you get there. I have been so fortunate to find you guys before that beast got outta control, truly. Yeah, I don't Carrie's. Carrie's Got it. Carrie's got it. Ah,

Carrie Roldan: Dawn. You would've created a business you hated.

Dawn Andrews: Yeah.

Carrie Roldan: You totally would've created a business that you hated.

Dawn Andrews: And I would've done it anyway, Carrie. Like, that's the part that's so scary is I would've totally just kept going.

Carrie Roldan: Because you are an, you are a brilliant strategist, you know what to do and you would've forced yourself to do it in the name of the end goal, you only to get through the end goal and be like, this sucks. I'm glad because you are, honestly, you're, everyone's my favorite. But you come to this group in, in two ways, right? Okay. Three ways. Sometimes you come just in total service, right? 

Sometimes you come just to soak people in, but you usually come either in massive celebration or total like (chaos), my god, you guys Yes, Yeah. You are slightly different than probably you and Courtney, although it's funny 'cause Courtney, your, your brand is so very magical. Yet like who you are is, I'm gonna use the word practical you have a very, very like practical and structured side, but Dawn for sure brings the most of that like, and one, it's incredibly helpful to the rest of us, Dawn. Um, but two, like I think for sure you would've created a really successful business that left you feeling empty. So I'm glad you're here.

Dawn Andrews: Oh dude, dude. So happy to be here. Yep. Yep. Whew. I love the truth. Isn't it so good to get the truth from people that love you,

Rachel Archelaus: Yeah.

Dawn Andrews: Okay. What I would like to do is, pick a person on screen and I don't know how people are lined up next to you. 'cause I was gonna say like, turn to the person doing, you're right. But you know, we're not able to do that. Um, but say one thing that you appreciate about somebody in the group. Okay, I'm gonna start with Rachel, go.

Rachel Archelaus: All right. I am gonna pick Carrie, 'cause she started this whole thing. Carrie, I appreciate your never ending optimism and unwavering truth telling because it's so brave, it's so loving. It's so incredible that you're able to hold your presence and tell your truth under almost any circumstance I've ever seen. And it's the most incredible thing I've ever witnessed.

Carrie Roldan: Okay. Wow. Thank you, I'll go next and I am Oh, well, I, I appreciate you all so much, but I'm looking, I'm looking Jean square in the eyes right now. Jean, I appreciate your wisdom. I appreciate your spontaneous genius, and I love you and appreciate you so much. We, we haven't talked about, there's various ages of women in this group, but Jean is a few years ahead of me on the journey, and I appreciate you as an example of what's possible.

 Like, I really look to you as like, okay, I can do it because Jean just did it. So thank you for being amazing, awesome, wise, brilliant, but I wish I could put into words the spontaneous genius that comes out of Jean. It's like someone's talking and Jean just starts writing and like magic, like out of like Mickey Mouse sparks out of her fingers. So I appreciate that about you, Jean.

Jean Berry: Oh, thank you so much. And just, just for clarity, yes, I am turning 62 this week, so I am on that edge. It is birthday week and I would love appreciate Courtney.  And I appreciate first of all your never ending smile. The smile that goes always regardless of what seems to be going on behind the scenes and the capacity to hold two sides of life.

This, this really magical piece and this really powerful, amazing get shit to happen in your world piece through sexuality and through something that some people would be like, Ooh, you can talk about that. And she talks about it in an amazing, beautiful, powerful way. So I appreciate that.

Courtney Long: Oh my gosh. Thank you so much. My heart is beaming Thank you. Okay. Oh my gosh, it's so hard to choose. Let me feel into. I'm gonna go with Dawn actually. So Dawn, I appreciate so much about you. I appreciate when you show up on the calls, you are so fully present, like you are just ready to dive in and sometimes you can only stay for a short time. Sometimes you say the whole meeting. 
 
Even if you're just there a short time, you add so much value and support and you're always so curious about what's happening in our worlds. And there's just something about that balance that you have of service, curiosity being there for us, and then also your ability to get shit done. And there's, yeah, I just feel like you, you're so powerful and you have such an amazing ability to hold space and such a beautiful, brilliant heart and so business-minded and just your warmth. There's just, yeah. I just feel like I can just melt in your presence and I feel so comfortable.

Dawn Andrews: Thank you, Courtney.

Courtney Long: You're so welcome,

Dawn Andrews: Here it comes. Rachel Archelaus I have never met anyone like you. You are singular. You are brilliant. You are, Ooh, hold on. I'm rising to the moment instead of crying it out, cause I need you to get this.

Rachel, you are a powerful multi-level being and saying that out loud for people listening, they may not really understand fully what that means to be in the presence of somebody who is operating on so many different levels at one time. When I talk to you, when I've had the benefit of receiving your wise counsel, I feel like I'm talking to the you that's sitting there in front of me.

I'm talking to people from the past, from my future self, and it's a really unusual experience to be on the receiving end of that. It makes you feel very vulnerable, which is why I think I'm all wiggly voiced right now I've never met anybody that can do that for people. And it's a value because when we're, when we're in a struggle in our business, it's because we're in our own head, our own patterns, our own history, and you help people see their future selves and that they're not always gonna feel that way.

That the situation is not always gonna be that way, and it's gonna be quite, it's gonna be more exceptional than what they thought. And what a gift that is to business owners, to this particular group of people. What is, what a gift it is to any human being, to be able to stand in the presence of somebody who can gently guide them out of whatever suffering they're in.

Rachel Archelaus: Thank you, that was really amazing.

Dawn Andrews: Remember how Carrie said I can be like a lot when I come in . You guys are hearing it over the mic. This has been a big appreciation fest, I'm sure, and I'm really glad that we had the opportunity to do that, because when we're in our regular meetings, we don't have a, I mean, not that we don't appreciate each other, we absolutely do.

But this is like a marking moment, a milestone moment where we got to come together and do this and appreciate why we did this in the first place. What's kept us here for eight years, what we've gotten out of it, who we are for each other, you know, how it's benefited us and our businesses. So, Carrie, Jean, Rachel, Courtney, and on the outside, Sherry and Roseanne, giving you the shout out.

I just really want to thank you guys for taking the time to be on the My Good Women Podcast today, so that people get an understanding of how amazing Masterminds can be. Thank you so much.

Carrie Roldan: Yeah. Thank you for having us.

Rachel Archelaus: Thanks for having us.

Courtney Long: Yeah. Thank you. It's been so fun and I, I hope that everyone listening, I hope you feel inspired and I hope that yeah, if you're guided to have a mastermind of your own, create one or join one. Yeah. I just hope it is as exciting and nourishing for you as it has been for us.

So, what do you think. What was it like being on the inside of a really unique business mastermind? I'm so happy to have been able to share some of the magical women that have made such an impactful difference in my life and in my business over the last eight years, the growth has been incredible. 

So here's a little nudge for you. If you've been thinking about taking a bold step to convert your executive expertise into entrepreneurship. Why not check out our executive transition mastermind. It's a fantastic way to learn how to create and launch a profitable consulting business, in community with others. Now, you know, a little bit more about me. You know, a little bit more about where I've come from. 

So, you know, it's probably not going to be your traditional mastermind experience. We'll be focusing on getting things done, of course, but we're also focused on who we are, who we're being, the difference we're making and how we're supporting each other.

So visit dawnandrews.com/mastermind to apply for the program. And start your business. Don't wait any longer because you've got this. Come join us. And until next time, keep shining, trust your intuition and go build a business that you love.

  Thank you for joining me this week. To view the complete show notes and all the links mentioned in today's episode, visit mygoodwoman.com. And before you go, make sure you follow or subscribe to the podcast so you can receive fresh episodes when they drop. And if you're enjoying My Good Woman, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts.

Reviews are one of the major ways that Apple ranks their pods. So even though it takes only a few seconds, it really does make a difference and helps our show grow. This episode was produced by me and Julissa Ramirez. Thank you again for joining me, Dawn Andrews, in this episode of My Good Woman.​