Build — Blog — Mastermind Connect

A men's collective helping you connect with your passions, higher self and community.

Posts in Build

Am I My Own Keeper?

Am I My Own Keeper?

I’m here, taking risks in these mean relationships streets. And boy, this is hard to keep. Deep connections and brotherhood require using love as a verb. These things require proactive action and nurturing. They need a strong covenant. Not a pendulum that swings with the mood of the day. Yet, we are human, and grace is given to us more often than we deserve it. Even when we may think that we deserve it all. We don’t. That’s when forgiveness for self, and others, must be always at play.

BuildManny AlmonteMay 4, 2021Mastermind, Mastermind ConnectComment

I Almost Died from a Bottle of Divergence in The Time of Rona

I Almost Died from a Bottle of Divergence in The Time of Rona

I Almost Died from a Bottle of Divergence. Rona got me tripping. Yeah, I said it.

I was dragging my feet and I didn’t know why. I didn’t feel like engaging in conversation, or take on any tasks. I couldn’t bring myself to shift gears either. It was Monday morning, and I was just like, meh… if meh was on steroids.

BuildManny AlmonteMay 5, 2020Westworld, DivergenceComment

Meet Christopher Rucks: Video and Music Producer

Meet Christopher Rucks: Video and Music Producer

New Mastermind Connect member Christopher Rucks (aka “Chris”), is an entertainment, media, and tech professional based in Brooklyn, NY. His background has significant breadth, but his work has always been anchored by creativity and the communication of ideas.

BuildManny AlmonteFebruary 24, 2020members, Christopher Rucks, Mastermind Connect Comment

Building Legacy: What is your 2020 Vision?

Building Legacy: What is your 2020 Vision?

The Mastermind Connect collective is not the typical Mastermind group. We have several focus areas, providing an immersive experience that encourages vulnerability, mental and physical health, as well as community involvement. During our most recent Legacy Dinner, we decided that our goal for 2020 is radical self-development by way of full accountability.

BuildGuest UserJanuary 2, 2020Legacy, Legacy Dinner, Brooklyn Borough President, Eric AdamsComment

Soulful Sundays: King, Warrior, Magician, Lover (Recap)

Soulful Sundays: King, Warrior, Magician, Lover (Recap)

On the morning of Sunday, October 22, 2019, Mastermind Connect members decided to come together (virtually) for some fellowship and fulfilling conversation. Focused around David Deida’s The Way of the Superior Man , we wanted to dive into the topics that hold us back from reaching our highest potential.

Build, Enhance, Every Man Should Know, LifestyleJD WeatherspoonNovember 15, 2019soulful sundays, Mastermind Connect DC, Mastermind Connect, virtual platforms, mastermind connect coloradoComment

Self-Help Doesn't Need to Be All By Yourself

Self-Help Doesn't Need to Be All By Yourself

The greatest misconception about self help: we're supposed to do it alone. We're not. Mutual self-help groups for issues like weight control, mental health, and physical health not only provide like-minded companionship and support but also education and direction from peers and, often, professional leaders.

BuildManny AlmonteNovember 11, 2019Self-Help, Self help, self care, Sself-care, Mastermind ConnectComment

Brooklyn Borough President Honors Mastermind Connect Members

Brooklyn Borough President Honors Mastermind Connect Members

“Our annual Latino heritage event at Borough Hall recognizes and celebrates the unique contributions of the Latino community to the great borough of Brooklyn,” Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams said during October’s Office of the Brooklyn Borough President’s Hispanic Heritage Month event where it honored various local leaders of Latino Heritage.

Build, Give BackManny AlmonteNovember 6, 2019Brooklyn Borough President, Eric AdamsComment

Soulful Sundays: The Way of The Superior Man - Part I (Recap)

Soulful Sundays: The Way of The Superior Man - Part I (Recap)

On the morning of Sunday, October 22, 2019, Mastermind Connect members decided to come together (virtually) for some fellowship and fulfilling conversation. Focused around David Deida’s The Way of the Superior Man , we wanted to dive into the topics that hold us back from reaching our highest potential.

Build, Enhance, Every Man Should Know, LifestyleJD WeatherspoonNovember 5, 2019soulful sundays, Mastermind Connect DC, Mastermind Connect, virtual platforms, mastermind connect coloradoComment

Connecting the Dots: a Camping to Connect Recap

Connecting the Dots: a Camping to Connect Recap

With the current polarized state of the world, sometimes the most revolutionary act can be found in reconnecting; with self, others, and the natural forces that unite us. This philosophy, along with the need we saw to address the issue of nature deficiency in urban youth, inspired us to create the Camping to Connect Initiative.

Motivation, Enhance, Build, Give Back, LifestyleJD WeatherspoonSeptember 30, 2019C2C, Camping to Connect, Outdoors, Mohican, YOPComment

SXSW: Aftermath in the DMV

SXSW: Aftermath in the DMV

Mastermind Connect fashioned SXSW: Aftermath to intrigue, inspire, and inform Washingtonians of all things bossy, techy, and startup-y, via the lenses of those who experienced the South by Southwest Music and Innovation Festival first hand.

BuildJD WeatherspoonMay 15, 2019Washington DC, Tech, Technology, SXSWComment

A Moment in Connectivity: A Book Club Recap

A Moment in Connectivity: A Book Club Recap

As I continue to explore, Mastermind Connect as a fellowship and as a new focus in my life. I am patient with the immaculacy true alignment holds. Intentionality, for me, is serious business. It is the foundation where a community of good character can be built on.

Build, Enhance, LifestyleCortni GrangeApril 3, 2019book club, literature, ray daleo, Gary Keller, Der JudenstaatComment

Faith, Tech, and Literature: Mastermind Connect DC's Inaugural Book Club

Faith, Tech, and Literature: Mastermind Connect DC's Inaugural Book Club

“That's the thing about books. They let you travel without moving your feet.”-Jhumpa Lahiri

Build, Enhance, LifestyleJD WeatherspoonJanuary 7, 2019Mastermind Connect DC, book club, literature, the awakening of japan, functional programming, white tiger, the circle maker, accessory to war Comment

Tour de Brewery: DMV by Bike

Tour de Brewery: DMV by Bike

As the weather begins to change, and temperatures start to drop, most folks trade in the great outdoors for warm living rooms and comfy couches. Fortunately, we aren’t most people.

Build, Motivation, EnhanceJD WeatherspoonNovember 28, 2018Mastermind Connect, Mastermind Connect DC, Biking, DMV, DC, VA, MDComment

Meaningful Coincidences Lead to Meaningful Connections

Meaningful Coincidences Lead to Meaningful Connections

Synchronicity is a concept, first introduced by analytical psychologist Carl Jung, which holds that events are "meaningful coincidences" if they occur with no causal relationship yet seem to be meaningfully related.”

Give Back, BuildVictoria Rivera, LCSW, Wellness PsychotherapistNovember 15, 2018John Jay College of Criminal JusticeVictoria Rivera, Breakfast of Champions, NYC Urban Ambassadors, Panels, Mental Health, Psychotherapy, WellnessComment

Why the NYC Urban Ambassadors Took Over Classic Man Barber Lounge

Why the NYC Urban Ambassadors Took Over Classic Man Barber Lounge

For many historically underserved young men in New York City, access to leadership training and mentorship is not guaranteed. In 2012, NYC Urban Ambassadors (UA) was founded to provide young men with purpose, leadership, and distinction. On Tuesday, June 19th, 2018, the young men graduating from the NYC Urban Ambassadors program were treated to complimentary grooming services by the good people at Classic Man Barber Lounge, in New York City’s famous East Village neighborhood.

Give Back, BuildGuest UserJune 20, 2018Classic Man Barber LoungeNYC, NYC Urban Ambassadors, Young Masterminds, Young Masterminds Initiative, New York City, New York City Department of EducationComment

Mastermind Connect Celebrates One Year Anniversary with Road Trip to DC

Mastermind Connect Celebrates One Year Anniversary with Road Trip to DC

Allow me to re-introduce myself. My name is JD Weatherspoon, some of you may know me from Mastermind Connect’s blog section, various CC’s on emails, and comments from Instagram and Facebook. That's because I live in the DMV area, though everyone who talks to me for more than five minutes knows I'm a Floridian living my best life here.

Build, LifestyleJ.D. WeatherspoonJune 1, 2018Washington DC, MC DC, DC Chapter, Eighteen Street Lounge, Surf Side DCComment

Out of a Mountain of Despair, a Stone of Hope in Washington, DC

Out of a Mountain of Despair, a Stone of Hope in Washington, DC

Dreams, like any other exercise in visualization are tantamount to the successful execution of grand ideas. Thomas Edison “saw” the light bulb before it actually lit up a room. Alexander Graham Bell “saw” the telephone before making a call. The hands can only create what the mind can conceive.

BuildJD WeatherspoonJanuary 15, 2018MLK, Martin Luther King JrComment

Consistency is Key

Consistency is Key

When it comes to fun, we all have our own opinions on how it applies to us. We know what makes us feel good, and many of us have even taken the time to find out what gives us fulfillment. Moreover, we tend to have a very clear understanding of what we dislike. Ironically enough, easily 50% of our waking hours include tasks that we may or may not actually care for - life be like that sometimes.

BuildJ.D. WeatherspoonDecember 31, 2017New Years, 2018, MotivationComment

What is the Pyramid of Wealth? | Tech Talk

What is the Pyramid of Wealth? | Tech Talk

The Pyramid of Wealth is a concept I developed while considering the creation, growing and maintaining of wealth. Wealth that lasts beyond your own life and helps future generations build for themselves.

BuildManny AlmonteDecember 21, 2017Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneur, Bitcoin, Ethereum, Crypto, CryptocurrencyComment

Getting it "Out the Mud"

Getting it "Out the Mud"

In the South we have a saying called “gettin’ it out the mud.” Basically, it equates to creating something out of nothing. Taking something small, and nurturing it over time to create something substantial.

BuildJ.D. WeatherspoonNovember 19, 2017Mastermind Connect, Mastermind Groups, MasculinityComment