Earlier this year, The Portrait System launched a new accountability group that provides members with ongoing, face-to-face business support. The new group has its home in the “On the Hook with Kevin and Angie” Facebook Group. In addition to being a place where members can check in with each other virtually, the group is also a focal point for sharing information about bi-weekly Zoom meetings facilitated by Kevin Conde and Angie Whitten.

Both Whitten and Conde have been mentors with The Portrait System for many years, but within this new group, they both consider themselves facilitators for the hive mind rather than experts. The format of the Zoom meetings, which occur on Thursdays at 10 a.m. PST and Fridays at 3 p.m. PST, allows individual queries to be addressed and group wisdom to emerge. Participants are encouraged to bring to the group whatever issues are coming up for them, and solutions to those problems are sourced from the wisdom and experience of those who are present.

In addition to offering open-ended business conversations, the group also provides a place for people to formulate and share their quarterly business goals, breaking those goals down into smaller steps that are obtainable in the short term. The Zoom calls also provide a place for members to check in with each other on those goals and provide support to each other in achieving them.

Whitten says, “There are a lot of common things that happen when you’re starting out, and a lot of us have been through them. We just came through that fire, and we know how to navigate it. . . and sometimes people will bring up something that other people didn’t realize that they had that question, too, until we start talking about it.”

In this way, the accountability Zoom sessions can provide valuable guideposts for those who are new or looking to level up their businesses. It also provides a place for people to ask questions and get directed to resources from among the hundreds of videos on The Portrait System website. And, the group hosts guests and mentors from the community, like Ashleigh Taylor Henning, Kitti McMeel, Felicia Reed, Tammy Zurak, Hadonica Murphy, and Bethany Tubman Johs.

As a mentor, Conde recognizes the value in sharing one’s business expertise. He says, “Whether you’ve been in business for a week or 20 years, you will provide value and gain value.” For Conde, the business aspect of the group is just as important as the community aspect. He says, “the environment that Angie and I create is so lighthearted and welcoming and enjoyable . . . that you want to be part of it . . . not only for the business information, but for the community.”

Learn more about the “On the Hook with Kevin and Angie” accountability group.