Mentors are essential in life, both in or outside of business, and we all have one even if we are not conscious of it, i.e your mother or father. But in business, it’s especially key that you choose one and follow them intentionally. Justin Cobb is a mentor himself and talks about his experience with mentors when he first started out in the industry.
At the beginning of Justin Cobb’s journey to being a mentor and consultant he had come from a musical background and had many many idols and musical heroes, as he still does now — however he never got to meet them in person or ask them questions and physically learn from them. When Justin first began learning sales and practising leadership he immediately had to pick a mentor who he knew he could learn the most from, this is when he realised the difference between a mentor he can only look up to and a mentor who he can physically work and train with. “Having many idols in the music industry gave me lots of inspiration regarding my own music and taste, but that’s as far as it ever went for me, It was only ever inspiration and not much physical influence. It gave me many ideas but the actions to implement these plans were hardly seen” explains Justin Cobb. “This was due to the gap in between myself and my musical ‘mentors’, the gap being zero communication and relationship. A mentor should be right beside you physically pushing you and guiding you along the path of improvement, only then will you see inspiration transforming into actions and success.”
People look up to famous influencers like; Gary Vee, Tony Robbins and Grant Cardone etc, and these guys are experts in their industry, they have done exceptional things in their field and help to motivate and educate millions of people with their books, and webinars etc. But they too would tell you to find another mentor closer to home, pick someone who you can see doing the right things, living how you want to, and available to teach you. Here are a few tips to know if you have a mentor like this:
You know your mentor’s schedule
Your mentor takes time to socialise with you
You spend one on one time with them observing their personality and habits
Your mentor answers all of your questions
Your mentor challenges you
Your mentor answers all your calls and texts
Your mentor sets a positive example
Your mentor introduces you to valuable contacts