tylerwardis

How to Start a Mastermind Group.

06/11/13

A few weeks ago I published an article about “Why I Think You Should Start a Mastermind Group,” opening a conversation with several readers on the topic. Most of the feedback I received was along the lines of, “I’m convinced. Now what?”

So…Here’s an aggregation of mine and other’s experiences with launching mastermind groups. My hope is that it further entices you to start your own group, as well as serves as a quick guide to do so.

Keep in mind that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all way to start or lead a mastermind group. My intention with this guide is not to create rules, but a launchpad for you to experiment with in your leadership style and the unique DNA of your group.

3 Things to Remember When Stuff Hits the Fan.

06/03/13

Yes, it’s been one of those weeks. You know the kind when everything that could go wrong goes wrong?

You overshoot your companies budget due to unpaid bills that your accountant forgot to mention. An investor pulls out of one of your projects. Three massive and unexpected medical bills hit within two days of one another. And all of it, with a 8-month-pregnant wife on partial bed rest and a teething two-year-old. (Somebody, please call the Wham-bulence.)

Anyone that signs up for life seems to have their own version of this story, because stuff inevitably hits the fan for every one of us. In fact, it’s a beautiful way that life seems to invite us into progressive self-development. Yet, just because there may be purpose in the challenging times, it doesn’t mean we have to be victims of these fan episodes.

Here are three things I like to keep in mind when “stuff” finds my fan.
Read More

How to Become a Jack of All Trades, Master of Many.

05/21/13

{A Lifestyle Experiment for Future Entrepreneurs}

Many people dream of being an entrepreneur. And why wouldn’t you? Yes, it may require more arduous hours and weighty responsibility than most jobs, but entrepreneurship offers the opportunity to design your lifestyle and when successful, to be rewarded exponentially more. Michael Gerber, in his besteller E-Myth Revisited, points to the entrepreneurial allure this way…

Entrepreneurs yearn for relationship with themselves & the world in a way impossible to experience in a job.

However, the thing I’ve noticed most about those that have dreamt the entrepreneurial dream – whether in college or a 9-5 – is that they are often simply waiting for the right opportunity to come along. This posture of waiting may be full of hope and good intentions, but it is a powerless and anti-entrepreneurial way to think. Sadly, most of the time, it’s simply the only option most wanna-be entrepreneurs believe they have.

You don’t have to wait for opportunity or funding to begin thinking and acting like an entrepreneur. You can do things TODAY that create momentum that will inevitably attract opportunity. And at the heart of this kind of momentum is self-development and the intentional pursuit of mastery.

Is Marriage an Institution?

05/17/13

If you’ve read the book “The Shack,” you’re familiar with Paul Young. He’s a long time friend and father to my wife and I. In fact, he and his wife, Kim, played a particularly large role in our marriage by not only officiating the ceremony, but also being a significant voice in me chasing Analee across the country to propose.

I’ve had the gift of sitting across the table from Paul as he beautifully rambles about things like life in God, the superiority of relationship, the misconceptions of modern religious society…etc. Its a gift I wish I could give to everyone of you. But considering our circumstances, a blog interview will have to do.

I recently asked Paul a few questions about marriage. To say he’s “rethought” the modern concept of the word would be a trivial understatement. The following is one of my favorite parts of our conversation…

Why Everyone Should Become An Entrepreneur.

05/08/13

I don’t believe that everyone should start a business. However, I do believe everyone should become an entrepreneur.

‘Entrepreneur’ is not a job title. It’s the state of mind of people who want to alter the future. - Guy Kawasaki, The Art of the Start

The invitation to entrepreneurship isn’t always to risk your financial security in order to launch a company. It is simply to understand the power you have to change the future for yourself and the world around you.

Can generosity pay the bills?

05/02/13

I understand how unappealing it can be to financially give. Most days, the anxiety-free lifestyle that a healthy savings account provides can be far more enticing than writing a check for a child’s education in Myanmar. However, could there be more benefits to generosity than the satisfaction of imagining a kid on the other side of the world going to school everyday?

I spent 2012 putting this question to the test.

For the first 6 months of the year, Analee and I only gave away a small percentage of our income. A need would arise, so we would give, but it was always very unintentionally. For the last 6 months of 2012, we intentionally put 8-15% of our paychecks into a special bank account. The money in this account was then, overtime, given to needs, causes, churches, or an occasional act of kindness throughout the month.

With the help of Mint, a personal-finance-tracking app, I was able to monitor the amount of money we gave away in proportion to the unexpected income we received over the 12-month-period of time. Unexpected income was considered to be anything beyond my base income (which stayed fairly consistent), including special projects, random gifts, or work bonuses.

The results built a jaw-dropping case for generosity.

Why I Think You Should Start a Mastermind Group.

04/18/13

Three months ago, a good friend passed on a 44 page eBook about “Mastermind Groups.” On the surface, it explains a mastermind group as 12 (or less) people meeting once a week, reading books, and sharing life together. However, the more I read, the more clear it became that the proposed idea was more than a glorified book club or holistic mens group. At the core of this mastermind concept was a culture of intentional relationship, investment, and advocacy that captivated me.

So, three months ago, five guys & I started an experiment with the idea. We get together every Friday, smoke cigars, and make it our primary goal to care just as much about the professional, relational & spiritual success of the one next to us as we do our own. Since then, four of us have doubled our income, five of us have launched new businesses and all of us have found a new level of fulfillment both professionally and personally.

Obviously, I’d highly recommend starting a group. However, my recommendation wouldn’t be just because of the career implications. Yes, the potential of doubling income and launching new endeavors is great and certainly a decent motivator. But, here are five far-more-worth-while reasons for you to start a mastermind group…

Marriage Doesn’t Happen on Your Wedding Day.

04/11/13

If you’ve read anything I’ve shared on marriage in the past, then you’re familiar with Jared Black. He is not only the one that first invited me on this journey of “rethinking” marriage, but he & his wife Stephanie have been incredible sounding boards and shoulders to whine on for Analee and I when matrimony burns extra hot.

Jared has made a lifestyle of “rethinking” life and is often one of my favorite people in the world to process with, especially when it comes to marriage. The following 900 words come from a conversation he and I shared over a cup of coffee weeks ago. I thought his refreshing perspective could liberate a few of us.

Enter Jared Black.

Jared, I know you have plenty to say on the subject, but can you share one significant shift in your thinking over the years that has changed the way you approach and experience your marriage?

2 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Went to Church.

03/22/13

The Christian church has less and less meaning to people in America today. Sadly, recent studies report that two out of every ten churchgoers will exit their current expression of church in the next year.

And though this diminishing relevance of the modern church is disheartening, it’s also understandable.

I grew up Presbyterian, became a Baptist youth pastor, lived overseas on an evangelical mission, was the assistant to a travelling prophet, served the poor as a non-denominational, did justice work with the emergent’s and have enjoyed starting several house churches. I guess at worst, I’m a christian schizophrenic and at best, I’m well cultured. Regardless, through all my exposure to modern christianity, I -like many- have experienced both her flawed humanity and stunning virtue.

Even in the church’s Divine purpose, we are people that don’t always personify God well. And whether you find yourself in the ranks of those disillusioned with us or not, the following thoughts may help when attempting to navigate through the often precarious waters of modern Christianity.

Download Rethink Marriage, the E-book, for FREE!

03/21/13

RETHINK MARRIAGE invites a reader into a conversation, marked by four ideas, that attempts to challenge the “stale brand” of modern marriage and re-envision what it could be in our culture and lives. Its author, Tyler Ward, uses an honest and practical approach, to unveil unique perspectives and challenge us to rethink the way we approach marriage. Regardless of where you are today – pre-marriage, married or divorced – this book promises that you’re four ideas and 21 pages away from a healthier and happier view of matrimony. Click Here to Download.

How to Kill the Critic.

02/26/13

Anyone interested in doing extraordinary things and living a whole life is guaranteed to meet resistance.

However, this resistance doesn’t always come in the form of train wrecks or rock bottoms. It tends to come packaged a bit more strategically than that.

Psychologists call it self talk and it’s the conscious thoughts and unconscious assumptions (and we’ll add the spiritual voices) that attempt to interpret every experience we have throughout the day. In layman terms, self talk is the voices inside of our head. And if you’re anything like me, these voices are often far more negative than not.

I recently began tracking this negative self-talk in order to observe the influence it had in my life. What I found was resistance at it’s best.

3 Things I Wish I Knew Before We Got Married.

02/22/13

The following is a post recently published on Relevant Magazine’s Blog. I’m both very shocked and very happy to say that with over 108,000 Facebook Likes, it has become the most viral article they’ve published! Very fun.

I used to think I had my stuff together. Then I got married.

Marriage is great—but it rocked everything I knew. I quickly realized my basic goal in life, prior to getting married, was to simply remain undisturbed.

This “disruption” came suddenly and was disguised as a 5-foot-nothing Swedish-Filipino woman. When I decided I’d rather not live without her, I proceeded to ask her to marry me—that is, to officially invite someone who wasn’t me to be in my personal space for the rest of my life.

This decision introduced my most significant experiences and most challenging experiences—none of which I would trade for the world.

However, I wish I’d had a bit more insight on the front end of our marriage to help me navigate it all.