find a mentor

The quickest way to find success in your industry is to find a successful person and figure out how they did it.

Everyone needs a mentor.  Someone you can talk to who can provide not only friendship but also be a valuable source for information within your industry.  The problem is not everyone is qualified to be your mentor.  It seems that almost everyone knows almost anything so we need to be careful on whom we befriend.

The first thing I look for in a mentor is their success.  How successful are they?  I had a big problem with this in school.  My photography professors claimed to know the industry yet they were making a measly 30-50k a year.  Some of them failed in business so they fell back on teaching, some of them didn’t even try to succeed in business; they wanted to teach from the beginning of their careers.  Sure they offered valuable information here and there but in the end should I be taking stock in everything they said?  For me the answer was a big no!

Would one who was seeking financial advice go to a financial investment firm and work with a salesman making 30k a year plus commission?  It happens everyday.  A friend of mine Cameron Taylor said in his book,

“I am called on all the time by people who want to sell me insurance, investments or  help with my financial plan. In response, I simply ask to see their tax returns and the performance of their investments for the past three years, as well as a statement of their net worth.”

Seek out someone qualified who has been successful within his or her own industry.  You’ll be glad you did!

So tell me this:
Who’s your mentor?