A real mentor is worth fighting for because they’ve once trodded a similar path to career success as yours. Also, they are passionate about you not repeating their mistakes.
The word “fight,” as the title depicts, doesn’t mean an actual fight between persons but instead the struggle and intentionality involved in finding a good mentor. Based on an interview with Reggie Brock, this article reveals how to find a mentor, the attributes of a real mentor, and practical steps to getting the best-suited mentor for yourself.
And if you’ve got one already, you’ll learn how to get the most from the relationship. Let’s dive in!
Who is a Mentor?
A mentor-mentee relationship is different from a coach-student relationship; hence, we need to define who a mentor is. And on choosing one, it’s essential to learn how to initiate a friendly, pleasant, and informative atmosphere that characterizes proper mentorship.
So who, exactly, is a mentor? The word “Mentor,” in simple terms, means an experienced and trusted advisor. Let’s break it down:
Experienced
A mentor is, first, someone with enough experience in the area of interest that you’re looking to venture into. Anyone you choose as a mentor should have been where you want to go and should have first-hand experience with the process you’ll pass through.
Such a person’s advice helps you avoid many errors, beat challenges, and save time. They’ve failed and succeeded, so they can redeem your time by teaching you principles they learned from their mistakes, saving you the stress of figuring things out yourself.
Trusted
Trust is a valuable commodity. The best way to find a mentor you can trust is to look for someone with a good record of trust with others. Take some time to check out the people your desired mentor has worked with to know if they can have your trust.
It’s great if you can trust your mentor in your personal life, industry, and other spheres you hold as important. If you must spend time with someone in mentorship, it should be well spent. And that only comes with trust.
Advisor
Mentors aren’t dictators. They should only be advisors, looking into your life based on the information you share and giving advice. A good mentor will be fearless in warning you if you’re going down the wrong path.
Four Legendary Attributes of a Real Mentor
The quality of your final choice of a mentor is hinged on your idea of how one should look. Hence, knowing the traits to look out for in choosing a good mentor is vital.
It’s crucial today when mentors, influencers, and content creators all mean the same thing to many people. Let’s take a look at a few of these important markers:
1. A Real Mentor Delivers Value
How do you establish a business that delivers long-term value, not just the phantom of influencing? Today, the allure of being an influencer is very seductive. Even those new to the roofing industry want to be influencers, so they spend time on TikTok and Youtube.
Many young roofers create content for other roofers even if they don’t have a business for other roofers (they have homeowner businesses). But the truth is, it’s fun! The dopamine heat-up of likes and follows on social media makes influencing an exciting and attractive thing.
But an important question every influencer should ask is, “Are people getting value from following me?” or “How do I keep my eyes fixed on the valuable things that matter for people’s life and business instead of being distracted by the dopamine heat?”
Your audience, consciously or subconsciously, is concerned about what you do with the attention they give you. They’ll appreciate you better if they get development and value in exchange for their attention and likes.
2. A Real Mentor Influences Positive Change
We use the word “influencer” very loosely in our world today. And it sounds so awesome a job that kids now dream of being an influencer/YouTuber! But it’d interest you to know that there’s more to the word than is generally known.
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines the word as “one who exerts influence: a person who inspires or guides the actions of others.” Sounds serious.
The definition shows that influencing goes beyond likes, followers, and the dopamine rush behind social media engagement. A true influencer walks into your life with a product or service and alters how things are moving for you in the best direction.
They guide you to make the best decisions with up-to-date industry information. You don’t need to follow an influencer based on popularity. Instead, ask yourself, “What value is this person adding to me?”
A real mentor is a good influencer who is clear about their purpose, whether it’s their service or a leveling up of people’s lives in some way.
3. A Real Mentor Leaves a Great Legacy
Every great mentor asks this phenomenal question: “When I’m Gone, What Will People Think and Say About Me?”
Reggie Brock answers like this: “What I want people to say, whether there was one encounter with me or a hundred, was that they left feeling better about themselves and their direction.”
A good mentor’s goal is to make people feel like their personal growth is still in front, not behind. You’ll always leave them feeling inspired to do more. It’s important to know that no one leaves a legacy they didn’t live.
You build your legacy by the way you live. It’s impossible to live 45 years in one direction and dive into another path for the next two years, thinking people will forget those 45 years. It’s critical to remember that every day we live adds to the definition of legacy people will remember when we’re gone.
4. A Real Mentor Inspires Others
You spot an excellent mentor quickly because they always want their mentees inspired and improved. People are motivated by leaders who have consistent convictions. Inspiring people is more of an intrinsic thing than it’s extrinsic.
A great mentor understands that inspiration has to come from inside people, not from outside. Try all you can to push things into people; they’ll only be inspired when they find a motivating reason to get where they’re going next.
They motivate you to prepare you for what’s next. It’s a mentor’s job to encourage you, but it’s your job to be inspired enough to take action.
Practical Steps to Finding a Real Mentor
You make it easier for your mentor if you’re up-to-date with what they’ve been up to before your meeting. So now that you know what to look out for in a mentor, here are two practical steps you can take toward getting one:
Consume Your Mentor’s Public Content First
If you’re trying to get information or influence from someone you believe in having valuable content, it’s good to consume all their public content first. It’s free mentorship to read peoples’ books or listen to multiple podcast episodes from your “mentor.”
If you’ve half an hour with your mentor, you can ask simple questions they’ve already answered in their books or podcasts. You’ll ask more critical questions and be sure your prospective mentor is a good fit if you’ve read or listened to them properly before reaching out.
Leverage on Communities
Communities and religious organizations like churches are great places to find good mentors. A general, community-based relationship is what grows into a personal mentorship relationship.
Communities, whether online or in-person, are a great place to sharpen your social skills; you can’t isolate yourself and still expect to grow relationships. A community also helps you see and know people for who they are beyond the public hype, and this is essential before jumping into a mentorship relationship.
The roofing community, in general, encourages growth and value-driven relationships. You can find strength here!
Attend Roofing Events
You never know who you could meet at one of the many roofing events that are held throughout the year. One of the great things about the roofing industry is that there are plenty of value-packed events you can attend, each one geared towards helping you grow as a business owner and leader.
At these events, you not only learn from those up on the stages but also from the other roofers in attendance that could be sitting next to you. Any one of these people could be your mentor if they meet all of the above criteria and are aligned with where you want to go in the future. Just remember to get outside of your comfort zone and start conversations!
And if you want to take your business strategy to new heights this year, you don’t want to miss the TOP REP Sales System event.
At this 2-day event, you’ll not only hear from top-industry sales coaches, but you’ll also get hands-on practice and coaching with the best of the best. Considering TOP REP helps contractors increase their closing percentages by as much as 50%, this is an incredibly valuable opportunity.
Upcoming dates and locations are:
- New Braunfels, TX: February 27 & 28
- Atlanta, GA: March 7 & 8
- Dallas, TX: March 28 & 29
- Denver, CO: April 11 & 12
You’re not going to want to miss the chance to meet other growth-mode roofers at this event. Get your tickets here!
Final Thoughts
The fight to find a real mentor, one that resonates with your purpose, involves exceeding requirements. You’ll need to sift through the myriad of “influencers” to find someone who builds value in you every time you listen or read them.
A real mentor corrects you from error, not seeking rewards since they must leave a great legacy behind. Lastly, a real mentor will never leave you the same after a meeting but will get you pumped up for your next move. Is someone popping up in your mind already? You should try them out!
Mentors are needed now more than ever in today’s fast-paced business world. With them, your business journey is far easier and faster. Are you looking to be mentored on roofing or general contractor marketing?
Hook Agency is your best bet! Reach out today or sign up for our contractor course below!
