Mentorship, two

 
 
 

Vocabulary

fitness	protégé	entrepreneur
income	hesitation	breakthrough
coach	enterprise	accomplished
receive	memorize	apprenticeship
phase	assistance	approach (2)
join	audience	associate (2)
mentor	aspects	advanced (2)
access	character	surrounded
assure	deal (3)	evolution (2)
chance	trainer (2)	on top of it all
attend	encounter	hold accountable
overall	respected	identify (2)
guide	charisma	personality
gain	achieve	well-known
merely	sign-up	consultant
deliver	articulate	pay attention
invest	note (2)	opportunity
charm	manner	role-model
afraid	potential	convenient
role (2)	seminar	achievement
formal	observe	partnership

 
 
 
 
 
 
By Gary Valens

The Question

Last week I received a question from a young man regarding business. He and a partner had recently opened a fitness center.

“Could you tell me how I can have a really successful enterprise?” he asked.

Without hesitation, I replied, “That’s easy: get a mentor.”

Mentorship and Coaching

Having an accomplished mentor or coach has always led to the biggest breakthroughs in people’s lives. People associate the mentor-protégé relationship as direct and one-to-one, just like the traditional apprenticeship.

But this approach may not be convenient for college students or those working their first jobs who have neither the time or money to join an association or to hire a personal consultant.

Development

That doesn’t matter: in the early phases, you can establish a mentor-at-a-distance, simply through their books, CDs and newsletters. I studied the works of Brian Tracy and Michael Masterson in my early year beginning in 2003.

Another one of my early mentors was a gentleman named Bob Serling. Reading his book felt like I was having a mentor guide me through different aspects of a new industry (in my case, fitness).

I’ve never actually met Bob, though he has helped me immensely in my career.

Later, as my business advanced and my income rose, I was able to work directly with new coaches and masters, and had access to them through phone calls, emails, and meetings.

Mentors, Partnerships, Networks

Today, I’m surrounded by business partners, friends and mentors who I’ve met over the years while attending seminars, making deals, and even chance encounters.

And on top of it all, I have now become a mentor to others. In the past few years I’ve been working with young personal trainers as they start their own fitness businesses and fitness experts who wish to sell their information products online. To be held accountable as a teacher, I have to continue learning as much as a student.

That is the classical progression of the mentor relationship.

Everyone Can and Should

Learning and developing from mentors and coaches is something everyone should do.

To begin, first identify what you want to achieve in your life. Look for a respected person in your community with the exact character, personality, talents, knowledge and skills to use as a role-model.

You can also choose a mentor in your company or industry. Simply obverse from them and learn by example. As a great football coach, Yogi Berra, once said, “You can gain a lot by just watching.”

If the expert is well-known, sign-up for their newsletters, read their books, listen to their CDs, attend their seminars.

Theory and Practice

As you do so, don’t merely memorize facts, but also pay attention how it is presented, organized, delivered and articulated. How do the experts make their audience feel? Note their charm and charisma.

But most importantly of all, APPLY what you have learned in real life.

Opportunities and Success

Later you can move to a more formal mentorship, often by investing in one. Connect with as many of these potential mentors as you can and get to know them. Don’t be afraid to ask them for assistance.

As someone who has stepped into the role of mentor, I can assure you, a possible mentor will be happy to help.

As you grow powerful, you get to know more people who come to know you through your achievements. You form more personal connections and create more mentorships and partnerships in this manner.

Overall, the investments in mentoring can open up a whole new world of opportunities for all.

 

 

Questions

1. According to the writer, what is the number one, biggest secret to success?

2. Mentorship has always been the same. True or false? What were mentorships like in the past?

3. How can people begin a mentorship? Did the writer give specific examples of mentors?

4. Mentoring is confined to books, newsletters and seminars. Is this right or wrong? Does mentoring “progress”?

5. What is the final stage of mentoring?

6. Should you only learn and memorize information from books, speeches, newsletters? What else should people do?

7. Does mentoring come more easily and naturally the more successful you get?

 

A. I have a mentor. Yes or no? Who are your direct, personal mentors and mentors-at-a-distance?

B. Have your mentors been valuable? What have you learned from them?

C. Who are the most successful persons in your profession, field or industry? Would you like them to be your mentor? Have you read their books?

D. Are you a mentor? Do you have protégés?

E. What will happen in the future?

F. What should people do?