What Works

The Nitty Gritty * The origin story of the “wing woman effect” * How Mia Scharphie, founder of Build Yourself Workshop, uses what she calls a Virtuous Circle to connect with other business owners and grow her company (and how it differs from a mastermind) * Why making amazing connections with other entrepreneurs doesn’t come down to magic or luck but instead by intentionally crafting the relationship * How to use online business communities to find a business ally (plus, a number of ways to do this offline, too) * What to do when you struggle with making an ask in business Mia Scharphie believes in the power of a virtuous circle. It’s all about proactively cultivating the business allies within your realm who help take you to new heights — in business and in life. In this episode, Mia shares exactly how she cultivates strong business allies by making asks, connecting over a virtual coffee date with people she admires, and so much more. If you’ve ever wondered how to take your business to the next level through strategic business connections, a business bestie, or a wing woman as Mia describes, this conversation is for you. (And be sure to download her guide on growing your virtuous circle by clicking here.) We release new episodes of What Works every week. Subscribe on iTunes so you never miss an episode. Creating your virtuous circle “It’s about linking together with other people who can support you and connect you to the opportunities that you want. But it’s also about building deeper, longer-term relationships with other people that really levels you.” — Mia Scharphie For Mia, a virtuous circle isn’t a nice to have; it’s a must-have. “It’s a fundamental approach to how I think about and grow my business,” she says. “It’s really about focusing on other people — but as part of this collective pact that can move you forward.” There are a number of totally practical ways that Mia creates and grows her virtuous circle. First, she has what she called a business wing woman. “It’s what some people might call a mastermind,” Mia says. “We get under the hood. We share language and templates. Sometimes we’ll even swap challenges and solve them for each other.” For example, Mia recently helped her wing woman through a recent challenge on structuring her calendar… and ultimately, Mia helped streamline her schedule so it’s that much easier to say yes to what she wants and no when she feels it necessary to preserve her energy and focus. Working with this business ally is something Mia’s done for the better part of four years. She also makes goals to meet for virtual coffee with interesting business owners that she connects with through CoCommercial and podcasts. This approach to connecting with other members and online business owners has led to partnerships and a safe space to share what’s working — and what’s not — in business. Intentionally crafting connections “Sometimes things seem magical… but I think you can craft a relationship this good.” — Mia Scharphie In this episode, Mia talks about the origin of her relationship with her “wing woman” Kristen… and how, over 4 years, they’ve supported each other through countless business challenges. And, as Mia mentions, this connection with Kristen didn’t happen by magic or by accident. Instead, relationships that click and last begin with your willingness to make an ask — even if you’re not fully clear on what you’re asking for, Mia says. The other key, she adds, is “to show — not tell — what is really going on in your business.