Do you want to know how to get into rooms with people who are several levels above you?

Jayson Gaignard is the reason about 50 of my favorite entrepreneur friends are in my life. He’s the founder of Mastermind Talks, an invite-only community for entrepreneurs, and the author of Community Made, which breaks down exactly how to build those key relationships yourself.

In this episode, Jayson shares how to find your people, invest in them, and ask for help. We get into how to host your own event when you can’t get an invite, the three ways to get access to people above your level, and why “How can I help?” is the wrong question to ask.

If you want to build relationships with people you admire, this is the episode to watch.

Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
01:23 How Jayson connected Nathan to 50 entrepreneur friends
02:15 Why Jayson wasn't always a super connector
02:57 The loneliness that led to Mastermind Dinners
04:14 Never beg for a seat when you can build your own table
05:29 Why the host gets the most status in the room
06:14 Lower-lift ways to bring people together
06:49 How Summit Series started with a ski trip
08:57 Start with the easiest yes
09:28 The anchor tenant strategy
10:27 Nathan's author mastermind with James Clear
11:06 Partnering to host the room
12:35 Organizing a team to play above your level
13:21 Will Guidara's gratitude for being invited
14:51 Buying access and the speed of relationships
15:43 Money, moxie, and service
15:58 Andrew Wilkinson's $57,000 lunch with Bill Ackman
17:58 Moxie and the power of cold emails
19:30 The man who stood up Mark Zuckerberg
20:45 Nathan chickens out of meeting his heroes
22:55 Eight seconds of courage
24:02 Leaving energy vs. lingering energy
24:47 Nathan's 45-second intro to Chris Brogan
25:44 How a quick hello led to a call with Steven Bartlett
27:06 Why you shouldn't put people on a pedestal
27:53 Abundance vs. scarcity when meeting people
29:47 Service and Ryan Holiday's apprenticeship
31:20 Why Benjamin Graham told Warren Buffett he was overpriced
31:58 Why "How can I help?" is the wrong question
32:18 How Jayson built a relationship with Shep Gordon
33:12 How to offer help that's actually specific
36:00 The relationships that weigh you down
38:55 Why all relationships go dormant naturally
39:45 Why entrepreneurs and creators feel isolated
41:17 Craft + Commerce as an annual pilgrimage
42:35 Conferences vs. masterminds vs. communities
46:00 Conversations that normally take years
48:00 Do great work and your network will find you
49:55 How great work raises your hit rate
51:54 Why you're not ready for Diary of a CEO
53:35 Putting in the reps on camera
54:28 Ramit Sethi's advice on media training
56:39 Increasing your surface area of luck
59:38 Jayson's friends-only email updates
1:02:06 The email that saved MMT in 2020
1:04:59 Who to include on your update list
1:05:50 Nathan's missing annual review
1:07:22 The 90-minute quarterly update
1:08:17 A fan base vs. a community
1:09:59 Curating like the bouncer at the club
1:10:36 Kit's triads and MMT's MM3s
1:15:00 People come for content, stay for community
1:15:47 The ask, give, praise model
1:18:26 How praise reinforces the value of the network
1:21:02 Praise cards mailed 90 days later
1:24:18 Why the book is called Community Made
1:27:06 Final thoughts

If you enjoyed this episode, please like and subscribe, share it with your friends, and leave a review. I read every single one.

Learn more about the podcast: https://nathanbarry.com/show

Follow Nathan:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nathanbarry
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanbarry
X: https://twitter.com/nathanbarry
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thenathanbarryshow
Website: https://nathanbarry.com
Kit: https://kit.com

Follow Jayson:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaysongaignard
X: https://x.com/jaysongaignard
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaysongaignard
Website: https://www.jaysongaignard.com

Featured in this episode:
Kit: https://www.kit.com
MMT: https://mmt.community
Community Made: https://communitymade.com

Highlights:
02:22 Jayson had two people at his bachelor party
24:02 Leaving energy vs. lingering energy
49:55 Why great work changes your hit rate on everything
1:02:06 The friends-only email that saved MMT
1:21:02 The praise cards Jayson mails out 90 days later

Why Community Beats Followers (And How to Build One) | Jayson Gaignard | 151

The Nathan Barry Show

Why Community Beats Followers (And How to Build One) | Jayson Gaignard | 151