6 Types of Mentors for Your Personal Brand
A personal brand is more about others than it is about yourself. Mentors help you look outside yourself. But, how do you find them?
If you’re asking yourself how to find a mentor, could you be asking yourself the wrong question? Discover the mentors already in your life.
Growing up, my grandma lived with us. I adored her.
She taught me to read and write. She also taught me numbers. She’d ask me to write out hundreds at once.
One day, preferring Play School, I tried to fool her. Showing her a page I’d finished on an earlier day. But, she outsmarted me, making me do it anyway. She wanted to challenge my comfort zone. That’s what mentors do.
For 32 years, I officially learned from my grandma. And still do.
But, personally and professionally, mentors aren’t always in your life for the long haul. They can be momentary mentors. Sometimes, even people you never meet in person.
I regularly see coaching clients struggle with mentor conversations. Many disheartened by having never ‘found’ one. But maybe, it’s an opportunity for a reframe. What mentors are already in your life?
Mentors can take many forms. In this blog, I’ll explore six types of mentors for your personal brand. They might be hiding right under your nose.
#1. The Momentary Mentors for Your Personal Brand
It was a reverse elevator pitch. In a short ride, my neighbour was selling my personal brand to me. I had just started my business. As a friend, he understood the big leap this was. “Make sure you’re charging what you’re worth”, he said. “Don’t undercharge. You’re very experienced and need to remember that when setting your prices.”
A highly esteemed professional in his own field, this short elevator ride stayed with me. In just moments, he had mentored me. Sometimes, just a few sentences can change everything. Learn to listen for them.
#2. Invisible Counsellors for Your Personal Brand
How people remember you is an important part of your personal brand. It’s your legacy. The impression you leave on every interaction, every room and those around you.
As you work on your own personal brand, remember the impressions personal brands have left on you.
If you’re a regular reader, you know I often recall memories with my late grandma and dad. This is because I still use their legacy to guide my own.
Spend time recalling the advice of the people who helped define you. Napoleon Hill famously popularised ‘invisible counsellors’ in Think and Grow Rich.
I propose you can engage with your ‘invisible counsellors’ by:
Journalling (or blogging your memories)
Reviewing any written words special people left (texts, notes or letters)
Revisiting any videos or verbal communications they created
Dead or alive, value the wisdom of those that helped pave the way for you. Discover the clues they left.
#3. Community of Mentors
Think outside the box of traditional one-to-one mentoring. Why not be mentored by many? It’s possible through the power of a community.
What communities are you already a part of or can easily join? Ideas for this include:
Professional associations
Alumni networks
Private LinkedIn or Facebook groups in your field of interest
Personal interest hobby groups
Community groups
Local neighbourhood
Shift into a mentee mindset at every opportunity. Listen for momentary mentoring.
#4. Nearest and Dearest
Take a moment to consider your family, friends, maybe colleagues, clients or customers. They can be so near to you personally that you forget their value professionally. Avoid a near miss. Let them know if you’d value their support professionally.
#5. Thought Leaders
Nelson Mandela famously said,
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”
Mandela was a lifelong learner, even during his confinement. His autobiography describes his cell block as feeling more like a study hall. There, he encouraged his fellow prisoners to also commit to ongoing self-education.
You live in the information age. Information has never been created, distributed and consumed at a more remarkable rate. If you have access to a computer, library or the tiny, but mighty computer in your pocket, you’re privileged.
Access to the greatest minds is available to you. Thought leaders are usually master content creators. Access world-class mentors via their:
Books
Podcasts
YouTube channels
Blogs
Emails
Social media
Courses
Make the most of the privilege you’ve been afforded in this glorious information age.
#6. Accountability Partners for Your Personal Brand
As James Clear popularised in the bestseller Atomic Habits, find an ‘Accountability Partner’.
Accountability Partners create an immediate cost of inaction. A social contract. Knowing someone is watching you is a powerful motivator.
If you’ve ever been a regular at a gym, you likely know it can be a lot easier when you go with someone. When someone else is expecting you to show up, you more likely will. This is true with many goals.
In her book, Jump, Kim Perell states:
Researchers found that people are 40 percent more likely to achieve their goals if they write them down . . . but that number rockets up to 70 percent if goals are shared with a mentor or colleague.
If you have access to the internet, your accountability partner can be anywhere. You just need:
A partner who inspires and challenges you
A shared commitment
A regular meeting time
An agreed location
A loose agenda (which can be as simple as ‘what are you working on?’)
Create accountability for your personal brand with an accountability partner.
While finding a mentor can feel like a challenge, look at your life with a fresh mentee mindset. Opportunities to be mentored could be all around if you take a moment to notice them.
So, before you go on a hunt for a mentor, ask yourself, what mentors are already in your life?
