Being the founder/CEO of a startup or small business can often be lonely, confusing, discouraging, and downright overwhelming. Most of us start a business around an idea we’re passionate about, and it often revolves around something we’re good at or know well.
But building and running a business requires many skills, and few of us are good at all of them. We need to make good decisions, but we don’t always have the expertise or skill to make them.
That’s why there are many CEO peer mentoring groups, both formal and informal. There are Meetup Groups, and online groups. But there are also in-person, more structured groups. For these groups, a time commitment is required, and a membership fee assessed.
There are nationwide organizations that match and facilitate these groups. The best-known is probably Vistage, but YPO and LX Council, among others, are also well-established.
And if you poke around, you’ll also find lots of CEO peer mentoring groups that are locally organized. Some are industry-focused. Others focus on startups. Some are based on religious affiliation. There are even groups for entrepreneurs who are moms, juggling business and family. Some focus meetings driven mostly by current member challenges, and others have a fairly formal curriculum.
Lori Dann’s President’s Leadership Council is a Chicago-based CEO peer mentoring group facilitator. She puts togethers groups of CEOs of small but fairly well-established businesses in non-competing industries. Lori says their working sessions are focused on solving existing problems experienced by the group members.
She joins The Savvy Entrepreneur Radio Show to share a bit of her own journey and how she decided to create her business.
Lori also offers some helpful tips on how to find the right CEO peer mentoring group for you, if you’re a CEO and/or founder.
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