How to Run a Peer-Led Mastermind (Lessons from Lisa Huff's Six-Figure Business)
Lisa Huff went from making $8,000 a year doing $14 haircuts at a Walmart salon to running Stylist Soul Tribe, a six-figure peer-led mastermind that's been going strong for almost seven years.
In our recent conversation, she walked me through how she structures her mastermind, the sales strategy she's using right now (with a DM setter and discovery calls), and what didn't work along the way.
This post breaks down the key lessons and practical takeaways you can apply to your own education business.
What You'll Learn:
Peer-led vs. expert-led masterminds: which model is right for you?
How to structure a mastermind without doing all the teaching yourself
The exact sales strategy that's working (DM setters + discovery calls)
How to scale a high-touch mastermind without burning out
Practical steps to start your own mastermind
Peer-Led vs. Expert-Led Masterminds: Which Model Should You Choose?
Before we dive into Lisa's approach, let's break down the difference between these two mastermind models.
Expert-Led Mastermind:
You teach all the content
Higher price point (typically $10K-$50K+)
Requires you to be THE expert with a proven system
More prep work for each session
Best for: Educators with a specific methodology or framework
Peer-Led Mastermind (Lisa's Model):
Members teach each other
More accessible price point
You facilitate and hold space
Less prep, more coaching
Best for: Educators who want to create community and connections
Scales differently (through peer support vs. your time)
Hybrid Model:
Mix of your teaching and peer teaching
Medium price point ($3K-$10K)
You teach some months, members teach others
Best for: Educators who want flexibility
Lisa chose the peer-led model because her mission is creating connections and sisterhood, not positioning herself as the only expert. This is a crucial distinction when deciding your mastermind structure.
How Lisa Actually Structures Her Peer-Led Mastermind
Here's what makes Lisa's model different: Every single month for the last six years, someone in Soul Tribe teaches something that is working well for them right now.
Lisa is the face of it, but it's not about her. It's about the group. She holds the space and pulls the strings to make it happen, but it's much more peer-led than her giving all the information.
"I would say I'm coaching often, more so than educating," Lisa explains. "I love a one-on-one coaching aspect, even one to many, but then everyone else gets to absorb it. That's where I shine.”
Why This Model Works
This approach solves one of the sneaky thoughts that comes up for educators: that they have to know it all or have all the answers to facilitate powerful education. Lisa proves that's not true.
By inviting community members to teach what's working for them, she:
Keeps content fresh and relevant
Reduces her own prep time
Creates more engagement (members are invested when they teach)
Builds a true community vs. a one-way teaching dynamic
The Front End Offer That Solved Lisa's Capacity Problem
As Lisa's mastermind grew, she hit a wall. Bringing new people directly into a community that had been curated over years was overwhelming for new members and wasn't serving them well.
Her solution? SST Jumpstart: a 12-week, high-touch group container where she spoonfeeds new members Soul Tribe assets for three months. They get acquainted, and then they can join the mastermind.
This "bridge offer" solved two problems:
New members get onboarded properly without feeling lost
Cash flow increased, allowing her to hire support and scale
Lisa was hitting capacity and needed to inject more revenue into the business to outsource and grow. The bridge offer made that possible.
The Sales Strategy: DM Setters + Discovery Calls
Lisa's current sales process is what she calls "something I have never heard people talk about before."
Here's how it works:
Step 1: Content + Paid Ads She got really dialed in with her content strategy and messaging, then started running Facebook and Instagram ads.
Step 2: DM Setter (90% of conversations) A DM setter handles 90% of the conversations. Lisa only handles about 10%. The setter asks qualifying questions:
"Thanks so much for the follow. What about the content resonated with you?"
"Tell me more about your business. Where are you at currently?"
"Where do you wanna go short term, long term?"
"What's holding you back? What's the next step?"
Step 3: Discovery Calls (Lisa closes) If they fall into the person Lisa knows she can serve very well, a discovery call is offered. Lisa gets on the call and closes from there if it's a good fit.
Step 4: Join Jumpstart or Downsell to Mastermind Depending on fit, new members join the 12-week Jumpstart or go directly into the mastermind.
How Much Does a DM Setter Cost?
For educators considering this strategy, DM setters typically charge:
Hourly rate: $15-$30/hour depending on experience
Per-lead rate: $10-$25 per qualified lead
Percentage of sales: 5-10% commission on closed deals
This sales-heavy approach is different from a marketing-heavy strategy where systems do the selling for you. Both work, they're just different models.
How Lisa Scaled Without Burning Out: The Board of Support
After hitting capacity and keeping her mastermind at the same size for years, Lisa realized two things:
The business wasn't scaling
The membership was getting boring for members
Her solution? A rotating board of support.
This isn't a hierarchy or a "these are the best members" situation. It's a fluid, volunteer-led program where any member who wants to give back to the mastermind can serve on the board of support.
The board helps:
Support new members coming in
Keep the community fresh
Share the facilitation load
Prevent Lisa from burning out
If people love serving on the board, it could turn into a paid position. But it starts volunteer-led, keeping it accessible and community-focused.
What Didn't Work: The Lower-Tier Membership
A few years ago, Lisa thought she needed a more affordable front end offer. She launched something called the Collective - a lower-tier membership where she'd teach the same content to more people at a fraction of the cost.
On paper it made perfect sense. That's what a lot of people do.
But it didn't click. It didn't land. She had some interest but not a lot. And eventually, she got to the point where she was thinking "I don't like doing this anymore. The juice ain't worth the squeeze. I don't feel like I'm making an impact."
So she dissolved it.
"It messed with me mentally for a bit," Lisa admits. "I don't like failing. It was hard for me to admit that. But now that I've gotten enough distance from it, that was 1000% the right move."
The lesson? When something doesn't feel aligned, trust your gut. Dissolving an offer that's not working isn't failure. It's smart business.
How to Apply This to Your Own Education Business
Whether you're thinking about starting a mastermind or already running one, here are the key takeaways:
If You're Starting a Mastermind:
Step 1: Decide on your model
Will you teach everything (expert-led)?
Will members teach each other (peer-led)?
Or a hybrid approach?
Step 2: Test the idea with a simple post Lisa made a post asking if 5-10 people would be interested. She didn't build the whole thing before validating demand.
Step 3: Start with monthly calls
Pick a consistent day/time
Charge enough that people show up (even if it's just $50-$100/month to start)
Focus on creating powerful conversations, not perfect content
Step 4: Let it evolve Lisa's mastermind has changed significantly over 6 years. Don't feel like you need to have it all figured out on day one.
If You're Already Running a Mastermind:
Are you hitting capacity? Consider:
A bridge offer (like Lisa's 12-week Jumpstart)
A board of support/volunteer leadership team
Raising your prices to manage demand
Creating tiers (different levels of access)
Is it feeling stale? Ask yourself:
Are members getting bored?
Has the community been the same for too long?
Do you need fresh perspectives or new teaching methods?
Is conversion low? Look at:
Your content strategy (is your messaging clear?)
Your sales process (could you use DM setters or discovery calls?)
Your pricing (too high? too low? not clear enough?)
The Real Question: Is This Approach Right for You?
Choose a peer-led mastermind if:
You love facilitating and holding space more than teaching
You want to create community and connections
You're comfortable not being the expert on everything
You want a business model that can scale through peer support
Don't choose this model if:
You have a specific proprietary method you need to teach
You want to command premium pricing as THE expert
You're not comfortable with members taking the spotlight
You prefer structured curriculum over organic conversations
Tools and Platforms for Running a Mastermind
Based on Lisa's experience and what's working in 2025:
For hosting and payments:
Kajabi (Lisa's choice): All-in-one platform for course hosting, payments, email, and community
Circle: Great for community-focused masterminds
Mighty Networks: Another community platform option
For meetings:
Zoom: Most reliable for group calls with recording capabilities
Fathom or Otter.ai: Auto-transcription for calls
For DM setting:
ManyChat: Automate some DM conversations
Virtual assistant or setter: Hire someone to manage DM conversations ($15-$30/hour)
For discovery calls:
Calendly: Easy scheduling
Zoom: For the actual calls
CRM like Dubsado or HoneyBook: Track where leads are in your sales process
Key Metrics to Track in Your Mastermind
If you want to know if your mastermind is healthy:
Retention rate: Are people staying or leaving after a few months?
Good benchmark: 70%+ annual retention
Lisa's approach: Members stay for years
Engagement: Are people showing up to calls and participating?
Track attendance rates
Monitor community activity
Referrals: Are members bringing in new members?
This is a sign of a healthy community
Lisa grew initially through word of mouth
Your capacity: Are you burning out or energized?
If you're dreading calls, something needs to change
Lisa dissolved her Collective when it stopped feeling aligned
Key Takeaways from Lisa's Mastermind Journey
1. You don't need it all figured out to start Lisa started with a mirror selfie post asking if 5 people were interested. She didn't have a perfect plan or a detailed blueprint.
2. Charge enough that people show up Even in the beginning, Lisa knew she needed some investment so members would be committed. If people aren't investing enough, engagement suffers.
3. Your business model can evolve Lisa's mastermind has changed significantly over 6 years. What worked in year one doesn't have to be what you do in year six.
4. Listen when something doesn't feel aligned The Collective wasn't working and Lisa dissolved it. She trusted her gut even though it was uncomfortable.
5. Solve for capacity before you hit burnout Lisa stayed at capacity for years before creating solutions. If you're turning people away or burning out, address it sooner rather than later.
6. Community-led can work just as well as expert-led Lisa's members teach each other every month. You don't have to be the only expert in the room to create massive value.
Lisa's Advice: If Not Now, When?
When I asked Lisa what advice she'd give to educators listening, she said:
"If not now, when? I always like to ask people, what if you did this five years ago? Imagine where you'd be now.
I am a very intuition driven person. If I get a feeling in my gut, if I get an idea, there's just no stopping me. So if you're listening to this, whether you relate to that or you don't, I would either look for that feeling, get curious, explore that feeling, do not shove that down."
Her other big piece of advice? Fast, messy action after a big magic idea. Stop waiting. You can always expand, you can always add to it. But ideas mean nothing until you do something with them.
Connect with Lisa Huff:
Instagram (@lisahuffhair) Lisa Huff | beauty business coach .Find her and send a DM (she's a real person and will see it!)
If this post gave you an idea or a new perspective, send me a DM on Instagram @itsJodiebrown. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
And if you’d like to listen in on the exact podcast episode that accompanies this blog post, you can do that here, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Xo Jodie
Ps. Don't forget to subscribe to the Sought After Educator Podcast to get more insights like this delivered to your phone every week.
