When I first started my business, I always tried to figure things out on my own. Long ago, I learned the hard way that when you are trying to do everything by yourself, things take a lot longer than they really should!
I remember years ago getting so frustrated because I couldn’t figure out how to get my copy right. I couldn’t figure out how to do my launch correctly for my program. I couldn’t figure out how to make sense out of Facebook Ads.
You know what I found out? That I really needed a mentor.
But how the heck was I going to find someone?
I remember sitting there thinking, “If I could just work with someone for one hour – one hour! – it would help so much”.
So one day, I decided to take the plunge. I paid $1,000 for one hour and I thought I was going to be sick to my stomach. It was the most money I had ever spent on something. I wasn’t going to tell my husband and I did it anyway – and I’m so glad I did.
The person I talked to was someone I had followed on social media, who had a lot of the same experience that I had but also had experience in areas I wanted to learn more about to make me a better entrepreneur.
So, what does a mentor do?
Well, a mentor is going to call you out when you’re hiding. When that fear comes up, a good mentor is going to make sure that they push you further, that they push you out of your comfort zone. They’ll also help you to make the hard decisions and make sure you aren’t spending crazy money on something that isn’t worth it. And a great mentor is going to inspire you to go farther, faster because they’ve been there themselves at one time.
And now, after that $1,000 per hour experience I had, I’ve worked with so many different mentors in my industry and I continue to work with them today.
Mentors can come from all different places. They could be family, managers you’ve had and actual business mentors that you may be working with now.
So, here are four things to think about when finding a mentor.
#1: Find someone who has the same values as you. There’s nothing worse than working with somebody who you don’t connect to and someone who doesn’t have the same values and ethics you have. I remember years ago when I was in corporate America and the owner of the company brought in a business mentor for us. This gentleman, on the outside, had specific things he expected from us and specific values he wanted us to have. When we really dug in, we found out this person did not have those values himself. So basically, the things he was teaching people to do, he wasn’t actually living by himself. That was the worst experience I’ve ever had in business! So make sure you find someone with the same beliefs and core principles that you have yourself.
#2: Find someone who has achieved the same level of success you want to achieve. Somebody who has been there, done that, gotten through it, gotten to the other side and can teach you how to get there as well.
#3: Find someone who has dedicated time and will meet you halfway. I’ve also experienced mentors who rush you off the phone or say they were going to respond to you but never do. A mentor should not do all the work for you. They should be guiding you towards where you want to go, but the work is all you!
#4: Find someone who you can also bring value to. It’s not only a one-sided thing! It should be both ways, so ask yourself, “What can I do to help them as well?”. It could be that they have a new book that’s launching and you’d like to help them promote it, you’d like to give a testimonial to their program or maybe you’d like to feature them on your podcast.
Finding good mentors was the best thing I ever did for my business. When I did find the right mentors, the trajectory of my business completely changed based on the experience that I had with them.
I hope these tips help you find good mentors who will help you get clear on the vision you have for your business and your life, as well as push you out of your comfort zone so that you can get there faster!
