Sometimes I think I’m too good at what I do to need a mentor. Is that the way many of us think? Well, as the founder of several side businesses, I often get the idea that I can manage everything on my own.
However, these moments of supreme confidence don’t last as long as I would like them to. Also, there is the fact that this sort of prideful thinking has turned out to be quite counterproductive for me.
Thankfully, fate stepped in, and I came to have the utmost respect for top business mentors after stumbling upon an unforeseen mentor for myself.
Mentors Motivate and Inspire
I signed up for a course on valuation and financial analysis. My teacher turned out to be an amazing man who gave me a drive-through-the-storm energy that I had always wanted but never before found anyone to help me internalize.
Basically, my teacher tactfully taught me how to beat the blues and get on with the tasks. The motivation came from the real world, from a real person who has been through the grind himself. His experience led him to communicate with me on a level that I could respond to.
So in those days, I would ask my teacher for his insight on specific troubles that I was having with my startup. Talking to him would help me consider new possibilities and analyze the decisions I was making. My thoughts cleared up a lot, and I was able to take on brand new initiatives.
I would call up my teacher and discuss a theory that I couldn’t make heads or tails of. Soon my business started gaining traction. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I was being mentored.
Later, I realized that this is why the mentorship was driving me to such huge success — the feedback was very thought-provoking without trying to steer me in any particular direction.
When the course eventually came to an end, I was left with a yearning for that kind of advice and energy from a professional working in the field.
Mentors Help Solve Problems
Initially I could quite easily find content on the internet to help me out with problems that I got stuck with. Sometimes I talked to actual people, and even though they helped me to feel more uplifted, they couldn’t offer much professional help.
That’s when it occurred to me— finding new innovative ideas doesn’t require you to self-isolate. This got me thinking that maybe it’s about finding the right mentor. Not everyone will be your cup of tea, so an out-of-sync mentorship could definitely do more harm than good.
The right mentor has the 3 A’s of mentorship. They are available, listen actively, and have the analytical skills to understand your concerns and come up with the most effective solutions as quickly as possible. There are professionals in the field with more knowledge and experience who are ready to share their insights with you.
Now I personally do not respond well to feedback from someone who seems as though they’re doing me a big favor because they’re so important or way more successful than I am. It’s true that mentorship can help you jump through milestones and drive your growth at a faster pace than you could do on your own. But only the right mentors can help you do that.
It is important to note that not all mentors can help us become a better version of ourselves.
How to Find the Right Mentors
Finding a good mentor is quite a task, to be honest. I had found that teacher out of sheer luck. He was the perfect advisor for me because he had been teaching determined students like me for a long time; he knew exactly what I needed help with.
Unfortunately, I haven’t found anyone like him since the class ended. So although a living, breathing physical mentor would be great, I had to resort to the solution that was most viable to me at the time—the internet, again.
Now wait, hold up right there! The internet is a very slippery slope into a deep rabbit hole, so let me emphasize the fact that you need to be very careful when seeking advice here. It’s just too easy to get lost in the sauce here.
You need to know and focus on what’s best for you and your business when you’re looking for help on the internet. So far, it has worked out well for me. I have found some great websites to go to when I am in particular need of advice or support.
For me, one that has been especially helpful is a company called The Futur. Their objectives match mine, so whenever I have felt lost, I can go to their YouTube channel and get help on the topic that’s uppermost in my mind.
Mentorship is great, when it comes from the right place. It sets you up for the success that you want to have.
A survey has found that 93 percent of entrepreneurs who worked with a mentor considered their business a success as opposed to just 7 percent who had not worked with a mentor but still considered themselves successful. The right mentors pump up your energy and provide the help you need to use that energy in a way that will best serve your business.
Without a mentor, you have to create the light of possibilities in your life all by yourself. A mentor will take the weight off your shoulders and help you get back that excitement that a clear direction for your business always seems to give you. He or she will feed energy into your soul so that your business ideas have enough life in them to grow.
Conclusion
So yes, I do think that founders need mentors. Top business mentors will only speed up the growth of your startup and help you build immense inner confidence founded on a solid base of business acumen. This will go a long way in the future.
The right mentality is the only mentality that wins this competitive race of new startups. So gear up, keep an eye out for your mentor, and don’t be too proud to take advice from those who are more experienced than you. Best of luck!
