How To Find (And Get The Most Out Of) A Mentor

When I was 22, I was aggressive about finding mentors. At the time, my coach told me, the five people you surround yourself with are the five people you are likely to be. I looked around and I thought, “Man! I have some good friends but they aren’t exactly the best role models.” I realized that I needed to find people who were smarter than me, people who were doing better than me, and people who I could learn from. My biggest hangup? I didn’t know how to reach out and I was afraid.

The Fear Factor

What would I say? How do I reach out? Who do I reach out to? Are they even going to want to help me? I’m some young kid! No one is going to want to help me!

Here’s the truth: People who are successful, like to give back. Of course, not everyone is going to say yes. But for the most part, people like to help those who are hungry and want to learn.

In a way, I’m your mentor—I give advice, and I share tips and tricks with you. It’s because I love to give back. I’ve had to learn some pretty tough lessons and I want to help you avoid the struggle.

But aside from watching my videos, reading my blog, and sending me Facebook messages, you have to find a mentor who you can really get to know.

If you really want to grow, you have to have a mentor. Here’s a quick rundown of how to find and connect with a mentor.

Research and Identify Potential Mentors

It doesn’t have to be a top producer. Your mentor could be a builder, an entrepreneur, or a health coach. At the very least, it should be someone who is doing better than you in their business. All you have to do is look around. I hate to break it to you but there are tons of people who are better than you. Read your local lifestyle or business magazine, you’re bound to find someone who is crushing it and getting notoriety.

Making Contact

Introduce yourself. Tell them how you know them and why you’re reaching out. Ask them if you can take them to coffee or if they can spare 10 minutes for a phone call.

Don’t get too hung up on this part. It can be intimidating and no one likes rejection, but it’s better to get a few no’s then to never even try. Download additional tips and a phone script to give you a jumping off point.

And I’m lucky enough to have some amazing mentors and it’s all because I asked.

Be Prepared

When you have the opportunity to meet this mentor, you better be prepared. Respect their time because time is precious. Go in with questions (you can ask for recommendations, what books they’re reading, or what they would do if they were you). Tell them what interested you about them. Make sure you take advantage of the time you have with them and soak everything in. I have some great sample questions in my Guide to Becoming a Kickass Realtor (you may also want to revisit Day 10 of the 30 Day Challenge).

Surround yourself with people who give you great advice. If you get garbage, you’ll give garbage. The mentor I had when I was 22, changed my life. To this day, I still have mentors and they continue to change my life and guide me in the right direction.

Don’t be afraid.

Be prepared.

Write down your takeaways.

Continue to cultivate the relationship.

Grow and strive to be a better version of yourself.

#makeithappen

 

 

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