Listen on Apple • Listen On Spotify
When Ellie Swift first asked me if I’d ever thought about running a mastermind, I said… no. Of course not. I was deep in online course world, and the idea of a high-ticket group program felt like a very different kind of business to mine.
But Ellie has been building and teaching the mastermind model for 7 years, and she has a way of making the impossible feel completely logical. So I listened.
And the Co+Creation Design Club (which started as a tentative yes!) went on to generate multi-five figures in its first launch, and now brings in just as much income as my course that I’d been running for years longer.
In this blog, Ellie and I break down what a mastermind actually is, who it’s for, when you’re ready to start, and how to grow one that actually works.
What is a mastermind group?
A mastermind group is any premium group program with some element of community. You don’t need to call it a mastermind. In fact, Ellie works with clients who build everything from structured curriculum-based programs to completely community-led group experiences, and they all fall under the group mastermind umbrella.
What makes it a mastermind isn’t the name. It’s the combination of high-touch delivery, some form of community, and a premium price point that reflects the transformation being offered.
And in case you’re wondering, no, it doesn’t have to be B2B. Ellie has clients running masterminds in the health space, the relationship space, even the Pilates industry. If there’s a community of people who want to get a result, there’s a mastermind model for it.
How do you know if you’re ready to run a mastermind program?
This is one of the most common questions Ellie gets, and her answer is refreshingly simple: you don’t need to be fully booked or have a huge audience.
You need three things:
- A proven process (some way of working that gets results, even if it’s not fully documented)
- Some community (even if it’s small)
- A genuine desire to create a transformative group experience
Ellie has worked with clients who had fewer than 200 followers on Instagram and an email list of less than 500 when they launched their first mastermind. The maths actually work in your favour at a higher price point; you need far fewer people to hit the same revenue than you would with a lower-priced course or product.
If your goal is $100K in a year and your mastermind is priced at $10K, you need 10 clients. 10 clients from a warm audience of 200 people is 5%.
That’s a very different number to the conversion rate you’d need from a $1,000 course.
How to build a mastermind group?
Before you can sell a mastermind, you need to actually build the offer. Ellie teaches this through her 5 C’s framework:
Coaching: what does live coaching look like inside the experience?
Coaching between calls: how do you support people between sessions?
Curriculum: is there structure or a framework, and how much?
Community: how do people connect with and learn from each other?
Container criteria: what are the boundaries? What are you available for, and what are you not?
The goal is to land somewhere in the middle; not so structured that it feels like a course, not so loose that you end up burning out faster than you ever would have doing one-to-one. A highly curated premium experience where the client feels genuinely seen, and you know exactly how to support them to a real result.
Why group coaching often gets better results than 1:1 programs
This is the part that surprises most people. Ellie made the switch to masterminds because she was burning out with 27 1:1 clients, all getting the same coaching on repeat. But what she found when she moved to group was that her clients actually got better results.
Part of that is the nature of being witnessed. When you’re in a one-to-one relationship, it’s easier to hide. In a group, there are many mirrors. You’re seen by more people, held accountable in a different way, and you’re also absorbing insights from everyone else in the room… not just your coach.
As Ellie put it: “When we’re in one-to-one relationship, it’s actually easier for us to hide.” Group removes that option, in the best possible way.
There’s also the energy of being in a room with people at a similar level. You’re shaped by the people around you. A high-level mastermind puts you in proximity to others doing ambitious, inspiring things, and that compounds.
How to scale your group mastermind
Here’s where a lot of mastermind owners get stuck. They treat it like an invitation-only thing: a few posts, a mention here and there… and then wonder why it’s not filling.
Ellie’s approach is to build a real sales system. A clear funnel that warms people up, gives them an experience of working with you, and guides them through a high-touch sales process to a decision. Inside her Mastermind Model program, she teaches this as a workshop funnel, a repeatable event you can run consistently to bring in a steady stream of ideal clients.
The other piece worth noting: premium buyers are different. They have more money and less time. Once they decide, they move quickly. You’re not convincing them. You’re giving them the opportunity to make a considered decision. And once they’ve made it, the sales process is often much simpler than you’d expect.
How to improve retention in your mastermind program
Every re-sign is as valuable as a new client. Ellie is pretty clear on this, and it shifts how you think about delivery.
The way you build retention is simple, but not easy: you do what you said you’d do, and you create an experience so good that people don’t want to leave. You make every single person feel seen, nurtured, and genuinely cared for. You know their names, their numbers, their history.
And the longer someone stays, the more profound the transformation becomes. Ellie knows things about my business after years of working together that allow us to move 10 times faster than if she were starting fresh. That depth is the thing you can’t replicate in a short engagement.
ABOUT GUEST:
Ellie Swift is the Mastermind Expert & Business Coach for 6 and 7 figure coaches, mentors and consultants creating scalable freedom®.
As an ex corporate marketer turned CEO, Ellie has become the go-to for people starting and scaling their masterminds through her program, The Mastermind Model™.
She also runs her own mastermind, The Scalable Freedom™️ Mastermind, where she shares her 10 years of expertise in online business, and hosts the The Scalable Freedom Show podcast, with over 300+ episodes available to binge.
Ellie spent a decade working in marketing in London, Sydney, and Perth, achieving her goal of Head of Marketing Strategy by the age of 28 before making the transition into her business. She built to a 7-figure business in the first 5 years and has supported her clients as they’ve built 6, multi 6 and 7-figure businesses, created six and multi-five figure launches, tripled their income and completely transformed their businesses (and lives!) using mindset, marketing & strategy.
Ellie’s mission is to support coaches, mentors and consultants create businesses with a mastermind as part of their offer suite that generate results for their clients and creates the freedom they most want.
She has been featured in a range of media, including Success Magazine, Medium, Mamamia, Thrive Global, Smart Company, The West Australian and as a guest on more than 100 podcasts.
CONNECT WITH GUEST:
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@elliehswift
Podcast: The Scalable Freedom Show – https://thescalablefreedomshow.buzzsprout.com
Instagram: @elliehswift
Free Download: https://ellieswift.com/free-guide-the-6-strategies-that-sell-out-and-retain-mastermind-clients-in-2026/
WORK WITH JACQUI:
// DIY Design My Biz: The best course for business owners DIYing their own brand and graphics in Canva. Learn more: https://whitedeer.com.au/diy-dmb
// The Co+Creation Design Club: Design WITH the help of a professional designer in this high-touch coaching space: https://whitedeer.com.au/designclub
// Design Studio: If you’re after fully done-for-you design services my studio team can help! https://whitedeer.com.au/designstudio
