Who Are Your Love Equity Investors?

This past weekend was my Mastermind retreat. We were amazed to discover that this was our ninth annual retreat, and our seventh retreat at the same location. Time is certainly flown by. Our annual retreats are a great opportunity to reflect on the prior year, connect and deepen our relationships, and get feedback from the other members of the group on the things that are most important in our lives (professional or personal). It was another amazing experience for all of us, and I was grateful and honored at the depth of our sharing, honesty and reflection.

One powerful element of our Mastermind group, both at our retreat and our regular monthly meetings, is the opportunity to be really open to and receive direct and honest feedback. What I like to call sharpening through questions. For the most part, we don’t hesitate to ask the tough questions and to dig deeper. We generally don’t hesitate to tell someone what we see or perceive, even if it may not be easy to say or hear. We have a high level of trust in the group – imperfect but high. As several members of the group commented during the retreat, our group is the only place where they can share certain elements of their life openly and honestly, and trust that the input, questions and feedback we receive is coming from a deep desire to help each other.

Having people in my life who care about me enough to tell me the truth, to ask me the tough questions and to hold me accountable is a humbling and amazing gift. At the retreat, one member of the group (Eric Kuhen) coined a phrase that really stuck with me. “Love equity” – the equity that we invest in each other, in each other’s businesses, and in each others lives. Indeed, we each invest in each other in authentic, vulnerable, loving and honest ways. While there are many forms of equity in the business world, our group has stumbled upon a non-traditional form of investment – in a business, in a person, and in a life.

Who are your love equity investors? Who have you surrounded yourself with in your life (on purpose) to provide you with invaluable feedback and honesty? Who are the people that love you enough to be really honest with you, even when it’s not easy? Who are the people that love you enough to tell you the truth and to call you on your BS? In the end, your love equity investors will likely have the most significant impact on your business, your career, your family, your relationships, your success and your life.

Yes, you need to invest in yourself and others. Yes, you need to invest in your business or career. Yes, you must invest in your relationships. And, it’s critical that you also have love equity investors for you, both personally and professionally. If your love equity investors are already in place and playing their beautiful role, then bless them and thank them for all that they do and give to you. If not, then you need more love equity investors or different love equity investors. Now is the time to take the risk, to be vulnerable and to seek out this unique and impactful form of investor. Unlike financial investments, love equity investments can yield returns far beyond your imagination for both the investor and the investee.