Finding a business mentor doesn’t necessarily have to be a daunting task.
How to find a business mentor
Have you ever thought you had the best idea you’ve ever thought of that could change the world? Did you know you should find a business mentor, but not sure where to start?
Perhaps you’ve thought about trying to find someone to coach you but thought you needed thousands upon thousands of dollars to hire a professional mentor and knew you needed someone to guide you through the murky waters of starting a new venture?
But, where do you find a mentor for your business… especially one who understands what being an entrepreneur is all about?
While there are many ways to attract a mentor, I’m going to give you some ways for you to get the mentor you need and want to show you the ropes in any given area of business.
It’s okay to be a stalker… this time
Yes, you read that correctly. However, I don’t mean that you should be creepy and try to get that ex that broke up with you back by following them around.
I don’t mean that you should follow the person you want as your mentor to their home and hide in the bushes, either.
What do I mean by that when it comes to finding a mentor?
Stalk them online and mimic every move you see them make. Model what they do and apply it to your business.
Now, I don’t mean plagiarize or flat out steal anything they post. You could do that.
But, the consequences would be rather undesirable… and you’d likely look like a fool. Trust me. You don’t want that.
Have realistic expectations for who you want your business mentor to be
As former Facebook Market Development Director, Randi Zuckerberg, is quoted as saying in a recent article for Entrepreneur Magazine,
“A lot of us think that we need to find that pie-in-the-sky mentor who’s going to help with our businesses”
Personally, I found that statement very interesting. We may see a person who we want to learn from and think that they’re some sort of business god.
It’s easy to put them on a pedestal. Continuing her point, Zuckerberg shows why you shouldn’t.
“Over the years, I realised that a person will always disappoint you because the kind of stuff you’re working on didn’t exist when they were starting out in their careers. so how are they going to give you advice? When you do connect with them, they won’t have the time for you.”
Communication is the key
When you communicate with your mentor, make sure to be prepared ahead of time. Don’t be afraid to tell them anything that is going on with you and your business.
If they don’t know, they can’t help. After all, that’s what they’re there for. Right?
Here are some points to consider when you have a mentorship meeting coming up.
- Write down the things you want to discuss and/or cover before your meeting
- Be open and transparent
- Be respectful of their time (and yours) by being on-time
- Come to your mentoring meeting with clarity of what you want to get out of the meeting (this will help you get the issues you came to fix in your business resolved)
- Maximize your results by actually doing what your business mentor told you to do
Have you heard the saying, “when the student is ready, the teacher appears?”
There’s a reason why they are your business mentor. If you’re not going to listen to their advice, then why are you looking for any mentor in the first place?
They are the ones with the knowledge, influence, and connections to share with you and help you succeed faster.
My invitation to you
My goal is that you have found this post helpful in your quest to finding a business mentor.
However, even with all the knowledge I’ve gained over the past few decades in business, I know that the greatest knowledge is found in listening to other points of view.
I’m inviting you to share your thoughts and have a dialogue about finding a business mentor by posting a comment below.
You should also follow me on my various social media sites (like my Facebook page, connect with me on Twitter) where you’ll get an opportunity to sample other tips I have to offer from my over 20 years in the home business niche.
While you’re at it, subscribe to my newsletter to have a chance to learn from my personal mentors, David and William Wood, and have opportunities to win a prize just for commenting on the Daily Shortcut Show (for today’s episode, click here… I know you’ll love it).
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