Photo by d ‘n’ c

If you ever read Consumer Reports, you may remember their reader-rated movie guide.
Because of the subjectivity of cinema, Consumer Reports couldn’t very well put a batch of DVDs in a blender and analyze the slurry for quality.
The readers’ recommendations served as the social proof that drives so many consumer purchasing decisions.

Today, we can immerse ourselves up to our necks in social proof.
With so many sub-webs, cyber-cabals and authority sites from which to choose, how can you possibly decide what to buy, how to dress or what to do with your blog?
To me, this opinion overload is similar to having five years’ of Consumer Reports readers’ recommendations dropped into your lap.

Instead, your own private mastermind partners can give you all the reassurance that you need.
In this context, mastermind takes its original definition: a person who supplies the directing or creative intelligence for a project. So, you’ll be relying on expert advice from trusted sources.
By private, I mean just that. Only you need to know which authorities you’re going to heed.
Besides, why reveal your sources to your clients and competitors?

Here are some suggestions:

• Keep it simple. Use a feed reader for blogs. Use old-fashioned bookmarks for old-fashioned websites.
• Resist the urge to have too many authorities. You’ll become overloaded, again.
• Don’t hesitate to “retire” an authority whose advice becomes irrelevant to you.
• Silently reward your partners whenever you can. Buy their stuff, link to their posts, give silent thanks for their expertise.

Your private mastermind partners have already done the hard work, so why not tap into their brain dumps and benefit?