The “Abundance Partnership” Takes The Loneliness Out Of Entrepreneurship

Do you ever feel like you’re all alone in this crazy journey called Entrepreneurship?  Over the years, I’ve tried everything from hiring coaches to attending events to getting involved in masterminds, but at the end of the day I still felt alone.

That’s why I feel extremely grateful to have stumbled upon what we now call the “Abundance Partnership.” I met my Abundance Partner – Jennifer Love, Founder of One More Woman – last year at the Archangel Academy in the morning on the very first day. Of course! It was love at first sight friendship-wise, but then it turned out to be much more than that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It just so happened that we both needed to hire each other and so at first we worked together, but after our scope of work was completed, neither of us wanted to stop supporting the other, because quite frankly we are better together.  So, our relationship organically blossomed into an Abundance Partnership, which has been deeply valuable for both of us on a number of levels, such as:

• We have fun because we have someone to celebrate our wins with!
• We feel supported and have someone to talk things through when we need to make difficult decisions.
• We keep each other focused on what we said we wanted to work on.
• We have someone to pick us up when we are having one of “those days”.

Bottom line is, I don’t feel alone anymore.

What’s an Abundance Partnership?

An “Abundance Partnership” is a friend first business partnership whereby the value exchanged is peer mentorship. It side steps all the complexities of a traditional partnership like equity and fancy lawyers agreements and focuses on the most valuable aspects of partnership.

An “Abundance Partner” is someone who is intimately involved in your business, but first and foremost sees you as a person. They deeply believe in your strengths and the value you offer the world. It’s someone whom you trust implicitly to have your back and be there for you no matter what. It’s someone you fully let in behind the scenes in your business.

This is not just a friend you drink wine with, or the person you call to meet for brunch on the weekends, or the entrepreneur you ask some questions to. I’m talking about a person you who really sees you and you see them in return. And by see, I mean, they just get you.

They know what to say to release the tension when you’re having an off day.

They can make you laugh when you’re getting really serious about something.

Plus they know what brand of dark chocolate is your favourite!

Here are some practical tips for getting started with your “Abundance Partnership”:

• Take Baby Steps and Sign an NDA

Confidentially is mission critical in the Abundance Partnership and so I highly recommend setting up an NDA to create a mutually safe environment for sharing sensitive information about your business such as financials and intellectual property.

• Assess Your Complimentary Strengths

The Strengths Finder is an excellent tool to help you better understand each other and also assess if you’d be a good fit. If you both have strengths in the relationships category for example but neither of you are strong in implementation then your relationship might not be as balanced as you would like.

• Commit For A Period of Time

Give yourself a container of 90 days to engage in seeing if the pairing is a win-win for both of you. Put the date on both your calendars and then reassess what’s working and what you would like to do more of going forward. Even if you decide to continue the partnership, re-visit the relationship from time to time and reassess what’s working and what could be “doubled down on,” as Jennifer says.

• Set Regular Times to Meet Bi-Weekly

Jennifer and I meet at least 3 times a week, but we didn’t start off this committed to one another, we worked up to this.  I’d recommend at least two short meetings a week because one of the key benefits is having regular touch points with each other and having an intimate understanding of what is going on for each of you.

• Keep it Friends First

Even though Jennifer lives in New York and I live in Vancouver, we see each at least once per quarter but usually more often and we always do something fun when we are together such as a hike or a spa day. And sometimes, when we call one another because both of us have a tendency to go into work mode we’ll say: “I just wanted to call my friend Andrea”.

• Ask The Other For Their Vision For You

This year, we spent a few hours each sharing our visions of clarity for each other. We both shared how we wanted to grow personally and what our one word for the year is and then we shared our highest vision for each other. Basically, how I see the year playing out that leverages Jennifer’s strengths and vice versa. The beautiful thing about consistently being around someone who really sees you, is that sometimes it easier for them to see your next move, then it is for you to see it yourself.

We all have different definitions of success. For me, right up there at the very top is my personal growth and quality relationships. That’s why I feel like the Abundance Partnership makes me feel like a billionaire because it’s a supportive structure in my life that keeps me in high growth mode with someone who can see my blind spots when I don’t even know they are there. The Abundance Partnership is a win-win for both of us. 

 

Do you have an Abundance Partner or potential Abundance Partner in your life? I’d love to hear your about it.  Please comment below!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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