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How do you build your own mastermind when you’re not getting invited into the room? You stop waiting for the invite and send it yourself. Here’s the short version of exactly what I did: I DM’d three people I already respected, started a group text, and pitched a casual mastermind weekend where everyone paid their own way and split an Airbnb. The group picked a central city (Austin), we split the cost evenly and coordinated flights, and I built a simple itinerary (I used my AI agent to help). The heart of it was one structured day—hot-seat mastermind sessions in the morning, a hands-on working session in the afternoon. You don’t need a big audience or permission to do this. You need the willingness to make the ask. Here’s the full story, plus the step-by-step you can copy.
In today’s episode, I’m sharing the story behind a spontaneous idea that turned into one of the most impactful business experiences I’ve had in a long time. After watching other creators attend mastermind-style weekends and feeling a little left out, I decided to stop waiting for an invitation and create my own room instead.
I walk you through exactly how I organized a creator retreat in Austin, from inviting the first few people and coordinating travel logistics to planning mastermind sessions, booking an Airbnb, and creating an experience that helped everyone leave with actionable ideas for their business.
Most importantly, this episode is a reminder that if the opportunity you want doesn’t exist yet, you have the power to create it yourself. Whether it’s a mastermind, a networking event, a girls’ weekend, or simply a space to connect with like-minded people, sometimes the best opportunities are the ones you build.
In this episode, I cover:
- Why waiting for an invitation may be holding you back
- How I organized a creator mastermind weekend from start to finish
- The simple mastermind framework we used to solve real business problems
- Ways to create meaningful connections with other entrepreneurs
- Why creating your own opportunities can lead to unexpected growth and friendships
How to build your own mastermind weekend: the step-by-step
Here’s the exact process I used to go from “I wish someone would invite me” to hosting my own mastermind weekend:
- Make a short list. Pick three or four people you already respect—past podcast guests, someone you met at a conference, a former student who became a friend.
- Send the DM. Ask for their number because you have something to invite them to. Don’t overthink the wording.
- Start a group text and pitch it. A casual mastermind weekend: everyone pays their own way, you share an Airbnb, and you spend intentional time together.
- Let it grow (a little). Have each person invite one entrepreneur who’d be a great fit. Keep it small—four to seven people is plenty.
- Handle logistics simply. Vote on a central city, book one Airbnb, split the cost evenly, and coordinate flights. I used my AI agent to build the itinerary, research restaurants, and make a simple landing page with all the details.
- Run a hot-seat session. Give everyone a turn in the “hot seat” to share their biggest current business challenge while the group asks questions and brainstorms solutions.
- Turn ideas into action. After the strategy session, have everyone pick one thing to build or fix right there in a collaborative working session.
If no one’s inviting you into the room, build your own
As entrepreneurs, it’s easy to look around and feel like everyone else is getting access to opportunities, communities, and experiences that somehow seem just out of reach.
You see the mastermind retreats, networking events, and business getaways. You see the group photos of people who seem to have found their circle, and if you’re anything like me, you might find yourself wondering, How do I get invited to something like that?
That question had been sitting in the back of my mind for a while. One of my friends regularly shares highlights from mastermind-style weekends with other creators in her industry. They rent an Airbnb together, spend time connecting, talk business, and simply enjoy being around people who understand what it’s like to build something online.
Every time I watched those Instagram Stories, I felt a little bit of FOMO. Okay, maybe more than a little.
At one point, I jokingly thought, Maybe I should start a DIY account just so I can get invited on one of these trips.
But eventually, another thought crossed my mind: What if I stopped waiting for an invitation and created the room myself?
And that’s exactly what I did.
The decision to build my own room
The first step was the simplest and the scariest: I just sent the message. Late one evening, I stopped overthinking, picked three people I already respected, and asked them in.
Three people immediately came to mind. One was someone I had met at a conference and later invited onto my podcast. Another had also been a podcast guest. The third was a former student who had become a friend over the years.
I sent each of them a direct message asking for their phone number because I had something I wanted to invite them to. Once I had everyone’s numbers, I started a group text and pitched the idea: a casual mastermind weekend where everyone would pay their own way, share an Airbnb, and spend intentional time together.
After I hit send, my brain immediately started doing what brains do. What if they thought it was a terrible idea? What if nobody responded? What if I had completely misread the situation?
Fortunately, my fears lasted about five minutes.
The first response came in almost immediately. One of the women replied, “I was hoping this was what you were going to invite me to.”
Instant relief.
How we organized the weekend
Organizing it was surprisingly low-lift: pick a central city, book one Airbnb, split the cost evenly, coordinate flights, and map out a loose schedule. Keeping the logistics simple is what made it actually happen.
Once the initial group was on board, everyone invited another entrepreneur they thought would be a great fit. Soon, we had seven women from different parts of the country planning a weekend together.
To keep things simple, we voted on a destination, selected an Airbnb, split the cost evenly, coordinated flights, and mapped out a rough schedule. After discussing a few options, we landed on Austin because it was the most central location for everyone traveling in.
I booked the Airbnb, collected reimbursements, and started putting together the experience. One of my favorite parts of the process was using AI to help organize everything. I used my AI agent to create an itinerary, research restaurants, coordinate reservations, and even build a landing page with all the trip details. (I go deeper on how I use AI to save hours in my business in another episode.)
Having everything in one place made the experience feel organized and professional without adding a ton of extra work.
When things don’t go according to plan
As often happens in business and life, things shifted.
In the two weeks leading up to the trip, three attendees had scheduling conflicts and could no longer make it. Our group went from seven people down to four.
And honestly? It was perfect.
The smaller group created space for deeper conversations, stronger connections, and more personalized discussions. Sometimes the experience you end up with is exactly the experience you’re supposed to have.
What our mastermind weekend actually looked like
The format was simple: a travel-and-dinner day to settle in, then one full day split between a structured hot-seat mastermind in the morning and a hands-on working session in the afternoon. No rigid agenda beyond that—just intentional time to think and build together.
The first day was primarily a travel day. After everyone arrived, we headed to the Airbnb, settled in, changed clothes, and went out to dinner. There wasn’t a strict agenda. We simply talked.
We talked about business, life, goals, challenges, and everything in between. By the end of the evening, we were exhausted from traveling and called it an early night.
The next day was our only full day together, so we made the most of it.
After breakfast, we spent several hours in a structured mastermind session. Each person took a turn in the hot seat, sharing the biggest challenge they were currently facing in their business. The rest of us asked questions, gathered context, brainstormed solutions, and worked through implementation strategies together.
What made the experience so valuable was that even when someone else’s challenge wasn’t directly related to my business, I still walked away with ideas I could apply immediately. That’s the power of getting smart people in a room together.
After lunch, we shifted from strategy into action. Rather than leaving with a notebook full of ideas and good intentions, everyone selected one thing to work on immediately.
The afternoon became a collaborative working session filled with building, troubleshooting, brainstorming, and sharing ideas. We spent a lot of time talking about AI, exploring new tools, and helping each other solve problems in real time.
That evening, we met up with another entrepreneur who lived locally in Austin. What started as dinner turned into hours of conversation, learning, and relationship building.
When we finally made it back to the Airbnb, nobody was ready to stop talking. We stayed up until nearly 2 a.m. sharing resources, testing AI tools, exchanging ideas, and having the kinds of conversations that simply don’t happen on a typical Zoom call.
The biggest lesson from the entire experience
The biggest takeaway wasn’t a business strategy, a marketing tactic, or an AI workflow.
It was this: Stop waiting for someone else to create the opportunity you’re looking for.
If you’re waiting for someone to invite you into the room, consider creating the room yourself. You don’t need permission. You don’t need a massive audience. You don’t need to be the most successful person in your industry. You simply need the willingness to reach out, make the ask, and bring people together.
The room you create doesn’t even have to be a mastermind. It could be a local meetup, a co-working day, a retreat, a dinner group, or simply a gathering of people you admire and want to learn from.
The format isn’t what matters. The connection is.
Build the room
If there’s a community you’re wishing existed, build it.
If there’s a conversation you’re wishing you could be part of, start it.
If there’s a room you’re hoping someone invites you into, create it.
Because the entrepreneurs who build incredible opportunities often aren’t the ones waiting for invitations. They’re the ones sending them. (That same Austin weekend is where the conversation that inspired my daily routine and seasonal planning episode started.)
FAQ: Building your own mastermind
How do you start a mastermind group?
Start by DMing three or four people you already respect and asking for their number because you have something to invite them to. Start a group text, pitch a casual weekend where everyone pays their own way and shares an Airbnb, then let each person invite one great-fit friend. You don’t need permission or a big audience—just the willingness to make the ask.
How many people should a mastermind weekend have?
Small is better. We started with seven and ended up with four after a few dropped out, and honestly four was perfect. A smaller group creates space for deeper conversations, stronger connections, and more personalized hot-seat discussions. Four to seven people is a great range.
What do you actually do at a mastermind?
Our core day had two parts. In the morning, each person took a turn in the “hot seat” to share their biggest business challenge while the group asked questions and brainstormed solutions. In the afternoon, everyone picked one thing to build or fix in a collaborative working session, so people left with progress, not just notes.
How much does it cost to host a mastermind weekend?
It can be low-cost because everyone pays their own way. You split one Airbnb evenly, each person books their own flight, and you share meals out. Keeping costs shared and logistics simple is what makes a self-organized mastermind doable without sponsoring anyone or turning it into a paid event.
Resources & Links:
- Scalability
- Overflow Mastermind
- Kajabi 30-day free trial + 2 bonuses
- 150 Free Hooks
- IG University
- 30 Days of Manychat Pro FREE
- Learn how to run successful paid ads
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More about the Radical Disruption podcast:
Are you wanting to make waves in your industry, push the envelope, and change the way things are done in a radical way? Are you looking for tangible, tactical, and actionable steps that will help you build a sustainable business that stands out? You’re in the right place!
Radical Disruption is home to the disrupters. Here, you’ll learn how to take your business to the next level, break the status quo, and build a disruptive business.
Nursing student turned business and social media expert and host Mya Nichol (hey, that’s me!) shares the real and raw of the crazy journey of entrepreneurship and building a multi-six-figure business.
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