The right mentor can make a big difference in your life and career. He or she can guide and inspire you and help you avoid certain mistakes. The question is, where do you find a mentor in the first place? Most advice on this topic is fairly generic and even cheesy or downright misguided. At networking events, for example, you mostly meet other opportunity seekers rather than potential mentors. Nor does calling or emailing people cold usually work. Here are some creative and effective ways to find the right mentor!
Join a Mastermind Group
Mastermind groups are highly focused and designed to help members achieve specific goals. Napoleon Hill recommends the mastermind strategy in his self-help classic Think and Grow Rich. This group setting can be a good place to find a mentor. You might be able to find a mastermind group in your area or through job contacts. Otherwise, there are many online groups you can join.
Add Value First
You may have already identified a mentor with whom you’d like to work. Before you make contact, however, it’s best to figure out a way to add value. There are several ways to do this. Mention and link to the person’s work in your blog, social media posts, videos, or podcasts. Subscribe to the person’s newsletter, buy and review his or her book(s), or attend a live event where he or she is speaking.
Reach Out to a Teacher or Speaker
Sometimes you find a potential mentor by taking a class or attending an event. When you take a class with someone, whether it’s a college course or business event, you get to absorb quite a bit of the person’s knowledge and get a feeling for his or her personality. If you think such a person can help you, make contact. Start off by asking some questions or sending a few emails. If you get a positive response, you may be able to turn it into an ongoing mentoring relationship.
Get Involved With a Charity
Volunteering your time can be a rewarding experience. It also gives you a chance to learn quite a bit and meet new people. Well-connected business leaders and influencers often get involved with charities, making this a good way to meet a potential mentor. Choose a cause that you truly believe in, and you’ll have a chance to make a positive contribution while possibly finding a mentor as well.
These are just a few ways that you can meet a mentor without coming across as pushy or desperate. All of them provide you with benefits even if you don’t meet your mentor. Mastermind groups, for example, can be highly motivating in their own right. The best approach is to go out in the world and make as many connections as possible in a natural way so you’ll recognize the right mentor when he or she appears.
