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
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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.)
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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. It’s what creates those kinds of relationships.” It’s about honesty, vulnerability, and transparency — and truly showing up for your business ally, too.
Finding your next business ally
“Curate a sense of who you think is interesting. Don’t overthink it. I keep an Evernote file of interesting business owners. If I’m listening to a podcast and I think someone’s interesting, I mark them down. Then, I have a goal to have an online business coffee date once a month because it gives me a way in.” — Mia Scharphie
At this point, you might be wondering how to find a business ally. Fortunately, Mia shares a number of ways for doing just that. It all comes down to putting yourself out there, whether that’s through an online (or offline) business community, listening to business podcasts, and thinking strategically about who could benefit your business.
For example, Mia recommends thinking about someone who isn’t a competitor but instead thinking of one who serves a similar customer or client base. Beyond that, think of who you admire. Who’s leading from the values you want to lead from? “The people who are in their world will be good people for you to know, too,” says Mia.
And, of course, a business community like CoCommercial can be a great place to meet like-minded business owners. But, as Mia says, it’s imperative that you reach out and make the ask, even if you don’t know exactly what you need yet. Getting visible is the first step in upleveling your business connections, your virtuous circle, and your business.
Listen to this episode to hear more from Mia Scharphie on the importance of growing your virtuous circle and practical ways to find the right business allies to take your business to the next level.
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