Podcast Summary

Shed and Shine

Hosts: Gino Wickman & Rob Dube
Episode 95: Finding Your People: How to Build a Community That Reflects Your True Self
Release Date: December 31, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Gino and Rob explore the powerful role community plays for driven entrepreneurs seeking growth, authenticity, and connection. They share personal stories about their own journeys in finding “their people,” reflect on lessons from mastermind and peer groups, and offer practical guidance and candid insights for listeners ready to build or find a group that truly resonates with their values and ambitions.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Need for Community Among Driven People

• Common Theme: Many high-achievers are independent by nature, yet often yearn for a like-minded group that supports both business and personal growth (01:00).
• Vulnerability & Growth: Modern masterminds or peer groups aren't just about success; they're spaces to shed old patterns, embrace vulnerability, and pursue personal transformation together.

The Impact of Peer Groups

• Gino’s Trajectory:

  • Started at age 22 with “mentor groups,” evolved into industry peer groups, YEO (now EO), Strategic Coach, and more (02:19–04:45).
  • Repeatedly found these experiences “had a huge impact on my success” by connecting with driven, ambitious peers (03:05).

• Rob’s Journey:

  • Entered YEO (EO) thinking everyone was “so successful” and “had their MBA”—until discovering otherwise, which was liberating (05:46).
  • “It was the first time I realized that as an entrepreneur, as a driven person, you actually didn’t have to have your MBA to be successful.” (05:59)

Authenticity and Belonging: Aha Moments

• Gino’s Epiphany in EO:

  • Quote: “I have my aha moment where I looked around that table at those 11 set of eyeballs and I said, wow, these guys are as fucked up as I am.” (00:00, recalled at 08:19)
  • Created mutual vulnerability and inspired his lifelong mission: “...my AHA...that we’re all trying to figure it out. And most of us have these facades that look like we’ve got it all figured out… and it’s just not so.” (09:00)

• Rob on Evolving Conversations:

  • Discovered peer groups could evolve from surface-level business talk to deeper, personal vulnerability and growth.
  • “I need a group of people... [who] can go beyond just the business surface...” (10:37)

Choosing the Right Community

• Fit and Timing:

  • Both hosts stress that the right group might change as you grow. Outgrowing a group is natural, not a reflection on anyone. (08:08–09:45)
  • “Think about where you want to be and surround yourself with people that are where you want to be or are going where you want to go.” (09:35)

• If You Can’t Find It—Create It:

  • “If you can’t find it, create it. Go find four people and start a group of five. It’ll be a beautiful thing.” (09:45)

Is Community For Everyone?

• Not Necessarily:

  • Recognizes “rugged individualists” do exist and can succeed without formal communities. Research and experience show about 50/50 splits among entrepreneurs regarding mentorship or peer support (12:07–13:10).
  • “...It’s not like you’re going to fail if you don’t have a peer group. It’s just if you are seeking that...that’s for you. And if it’s not, I don’t think it’s for everybody.” (12:50)

• Benefits of Genuine Community:

  • For those who crave it, authentic groups boost self-awareness, provide accountability, and reflect your true self back to you (13:33).
  • “If you have a group of people that you are feeling comfortable enough to be fully authentic, fully your true self, or working towards becoming your true self...you start to see who you really are, it gets deeper because they project back to you or they reflect back to you...” (13:33)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Gino on Vulnerability in Community:
  • “Wow, these guys are as fucked up as I am.” (00:00, echoed at 08:19)
• Rob’s Relief in EO:
  • “It was the first time I realized that as an entrepreneur...you actually didn’t have to have your MBA to be successful.” (05:59)
• Gino on Outgrowing Groups:
  • “You will outgrow your peer groups, you will outgrow your mentors, you will outgrow in most cases. So for me, I just simply outgrew some of those groups. So it’s not like it was the wrong group, it was the right group at the time, but I just outgrew it.” (09:00)
• Rob on Authentic Group Dynamics:
  • “If you have a group of people that you are feeling comfortable enough to be fully authentic, fully your true self, or working towards becoming your true self...there’s a sense of accountability there.” (13:33)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00 – Gino’s table realization: “These guys are as fucked up as I am.”
• 01:00–02:19 – Introduction: Why high performers seek community.
• 02:19–05:46 – Gino’s journey through various peer groups.
• 05:46–08:08 – Rob’s YEO experience; transition from surface to deep connection; Small Giants community.
• 08:08–09:45 – Gino’s reflections on vulnerability, outgrowing groups, and how EOS was born.
• 09:45–10:37 – Advice on how to find or create your community.
• 10:37–12:07 – Rob on groups evolving beyond business, inclusion/exclusion from community.
• 12:07–13:33 – Gino on independent types; personal need (or not) for groups.
• 13:33–14:38 – Rob on authenticity and accountability in groups.

Closing Thoughts

This candid, warm episode is a deep dive into the differing paths to belonging and growth for entrepreneurs. Gino and Rob invite us to reflect honestly on what support we truly need, illustrating through their years of personal experience the joy and transformation that comes from finding—and sometimes building—the right community. Whether you’re a joiner, a lone wolf, or somewhere in between, there’s inspiration here for every stage of the entrepreneurial and self-discovery journey.