When you’re building a business, the super-smart shortcut is learning how to do it from someone who’s already done it.
Let’s face it, there’s no business idea on earth that hasn’t been tried, proven and turned into money by thousands of other people before you.
But choosing who to learn from can be as hard as deciding on the “right” baby name, picking which Netflix blockbuster to watch next, or choosing a birthday gift for the spouse who has everything.
[Chocolates are the safe option, BTW.]
And there are more ways to screw this up than there are to do it right. Picking the wrong mentor can set you back years, and pots of cash you might not even have.
The ones you need to watch are the ones who tell you to do stuff they’re not doing themselves.
- They’ll get you to 10,000 followers in 7 days and their IG account has 68
- They’re Facebook ads specialists when their ad has zero engagement
- They turn coaches into 6-figure earners when their profile pic has them in a run-down trailer (I saw this yesterday)
- Their “How To Master YouTube” video has 11 views
- The branding and visibility coach has no mention of what they do on their FB profile
As Sun Tzu points out in The Art of War:
One may know how to conquer without being able to do it.
But in your 21st century coaching or therapy business, knowing how to do something is not enough of a credential to seek in a teacher.
The world’s moving so quickly that you can only learn what works from those actually making it work right now. Check out their business, and try to find at least a few of their client success stories.
Shortcuts are only shortcuts if they get you closer to where you want to be.