Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

A mastermind is a group of approximately 8 women lawyers who commit to becoming each others’ personal board of advisors. We find your peers - those who work in the same type of work environment as you (ex. solo practitioners) - and we bring everyone together. The group meets and agrees to initial ground rules that allow for trust to grow and true learning to happen. Your mastermind will meet bimonthly, online, for confidential, structured group conversation.

These women will have committed to participating in your mastermind for a six month minimum (just like you), and also will have taken an oath of confidentiality. With this in place, you will get to know one another, and begin to confide in one another about what is going on in your life.

In short order, the group’s feedback encourages all participants to make decisions more confidently. Whomever’s topic is being addressed in any given meeting, it is very likely to be relevant to your life, too. Members build connections that often last for years, opening you up to new possibilities and nurturing your long-term success.

You will be placed in a mastermind with fellow women lawyers who work in a similar environment as you (i.e. Big Law, solo practitioners, small firms, etc.); as the goal is that you gain camaraderie, meaningful feedback, and an expansion of your network. Our intention is that the issues and opportunities that are brought up will be compelling and relevant to everyone.

To participate in a mastermind, fill out our “Sign Up” or “Join Us” form, linked from either of these buttons on our home page. You will be prompted to set up a time to meet, so we can get to know you, answer any questions you may have, and ensure that the masterminds are a good fit for you.

At your bimonthly meetings, led by one of our trained facilitators, everyone will share their updates, focusing on the best and worst of what has happened in their lives since their previous meeting. The group will choose one or two member’s updates to focus on, and will spend the balance of the time discussing that person’s issue. The presenter will share it in more depth, and the members will have a chance to ask questions and share relevant experiences - never to give advice.

Occasionally, the group will also choose to study or discuss a particular theme as well, such as a wellness topic.

We have partnered with several experienced group facilitators.

Our mastermind groups here at Interconnected Us are curated by Rachel Clar, Founder and CEO of Interconnected Us.

Rachel has also created the Interconnected Us community guidelines.

Our Inner Circle mastermind best practices were adapted from studying under Rachel’s mentor and IU advisory board member, Mo Fathelbab. Mo wrote the book on mastermind best practices (FORUM: the Secret Advantage of Successful Leaders, published by Lulu.com, April 22, 2008) and has taught hundreds of group moderators in best practices. He is one of ; moderators who now collectively lead tens of thousands of leaders worldwide, such as Harvard Business School alumni.

You’re in great hands!

Like great sleep and regular exercise, any action of self-care or self-improvement, including participating in a mastermind, requires a consistent commitment.

Our masterminds meet two times per month for 1.5 hours each time for 6 months. We believe this allows for bonding and trust to develop naturally.

The groups meet virtually.

At signup, each member signs a binding contract, and payment is made. Payment is a commitment unto itself and is a statement that you value participating in this unique learning opportunity.

Additionally, the

Further, each mastermind is moderated by a professional facilitator who is trained in industry best practices.

Lastly, at each mastermind’s launch, the members will adapt the boilerplate IU mastermind constitution to the group’s desires, so mutual expectations and a code of conduct is developed.

The meetings are organized so that they are productive and forward-moving; people show up because they want to grow and they want their investment of time to be valuable, just like you do.

You might not; that’s not the point. That very person you would never choose to be friends with might teach you a masterful way to plan for a negotiation for example, share how they relocated seamlessly or handled aging parents with lessons that you could learn from.

Women’s Bar Associations are wonderful platforms for professional development and networking; but our masterminds are a different animal altogether. Our aim is to create a safe, confidential space among similarly situated women from outside your immediate circle, if not from outside your community completely, so that you can speak freely and get the advice you most need but are hesitant to seek elsewhere.

Believe it or not, I am an introvert. I love reading, quiet reflection, and need big swaths of solo time to recharge.

What I found in my own mastermind, though, is that I was taking it too far, especially after the pandemic, becoming a martyr (and a very tirea one at that!) of trying to do (i.e. learn or figure out) everything on my own. Joining a mastermind changed my life and got me unstuck in several areas I couldn’t “figure out” on my own. You’ll have the same experience, should you choose to participate. Coming out of isolation and joining a new circle takes courage.

You choose what challenges you want to discuss; you are in full control.

What happens often, though, is that members experience a level of trust and intimacy that they have either never experienced before, or haven’t experienced in years. Members find it deeply reassuring, and are in full control about if, and when, to potentially share about their challenges.

We all have challenges that we all may feel embarrassed about, or that we don’t even fully understand. The roundtables follow a structured process for raising topics:

(1) We begin with our own thoughtful reflection;
(2) We are coached offline by a fellow member before the full group hears our issue in depth;
(3) Lastly, we present our well-fleshed out challenge to the group.

In going through this process, we are continuously reminded that none of our problems are that unique - even though it totally feels that way. But now, we have a place to take them.

Mastermind members choose as a group when they would like to meet. Some groups choose times during the work week; others choose evenings or weekends.

Members commit to attend and participate in bimonthly meetings, which maximizing group connectivity and creates a compounding effect as trust builds and deeper topics are addressed.

Absolutely! As our community grows, we will offer more and more masterclasses, CLE’s, coaching-like “office hours,” playful virtual happy hours, networking, affinity groups, retreats, and other opportunities to connect with women outside of your mastermind - this is another critical component to growing your network and evolving personally and professionally.