The Importance of Having a Mentor
Seems I get this question more and more and thought it best to address it here.
Many years ago after my company began to find success I invested in my first mentor. Let me say for the record that for me I define a “coach” and a “ mentor” very differently. I have many friends that are “coaches” and they do an amazing job in their skill sets.
I often find people in my network or those I come across and refer the to the right coach for what I see as the topic they are being faced with. A good coach can absolutely help you through everything from “change” in your life, to support you in gaining clarity on an array of topics.
For me a mentor is someone that is needed when you are looking to achieve or do something that that person has specifically mastered. When I began to look for a mentor I was looking for someone who had achieved the level of success I was working to obtain specifically in consumer goods.
To take that a step further I was looking for a mentor that not only had rock star success in consumer goods but one that knew how to do it as an entrepreneur on a boot strap budget and not a high end expense account. That made the list MUCH shorter – now add in that I wanted this mentor to have both business and personal success, and the list shrank again.
Whether you’re looking for a coach or a mentor remember that you are making an investment in YOU, your personal growth, and your success. If you are not investing than you are most likely trying to do some quick patch work to a problem and not “really” ready to learn, grow, and achieve.
In many of my presentations, you will hear me say one of my famous quotes “ I was asking all the right questions to all the wrong people” – this is in fact true.
I was asking the right questions but asking them to people who did not have what I defined as success in that area. Often I hear people ask questions to people that they would not trade shoes with. WHY?! If you do not want the results of whom your asking a specific question to, then DON’T ASK THEM!
I only ask for mentorship from people that have succeeded in that specific area on how I DEFINE success. Example: the person I have that mentored me in relationships has an amazing incredible marriage that has lasted over 20 years (yes to the same person). They know a thing or two I could learn from.
I ask financial questions to the mentors in my life that have not just obtained riches but extreme wealth. I have a health mentor that has defied the odds in age, health, and beauty and helped me learn how to keep my health in my top priorities. You get the idea – Ask your questions to only those who have achieved success in the specific area of life you want to prosper in.
Here is what I look for in a mentor:
- Success in a specific area where I am weak
- Someone who has the right personality and attitude to give me the tips, tools, connections, and program in a language that works best for me. I need information clear, straight, and action-oriented. Ask yourself if the mentor you’re choosing is strong enough or approachable enough to give you the security or strength to allow you to grow.
- Expectations. Goals. Time lines. Boundaries. I like to have a plan, I like to know ahead of time what is expected of all parties and what the rules are. The clearer these are, the higher chance of success for me. Ask yourself how you like to communicated to and find someone that fits your needs.
Are you interested in having Amilya as your Mentor?
You can! Amilya has created a Life by Design Mentoring program to help you discover what’s holding you back and what you need to propel you forward. Whether it’s in your business or personal life, Amilya’s an expert in both building and turning around businesses, and getting out of the details of everyday life living a life you WANT to live – one that YOU design.
Click here to learn more about Amilya’s Life by Design Mentoring program.
