This is a subscriber-only article. Join Entrepreneur+ today for access

Learn More

Already have an account?

Sign in
Entrepreneur Plus - Short White
For Subscribers

Are You Experiencing Mentor Whiplash? Here's How to Manage Too Many Opinions. Seeking advice is great, but conflicting opinions can leave a founder's head spinning. Here's how to manage mentors.

By Chenoa Farnsworth

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

gremlin | Getty Images

At Blue Startups, a venture accelerator in Hawaii, we are about to enter into our 12th cohort, and as such we have seen a lot of founders (over 300) and a lot of mentors (over 150) interact over the years. So, how can you get the most out of these relationships? Seeking advice is an important part of the entrepreneurial journey, but you have to know how to take it.

Let's say you have back-to-back meetings with mentors on the topic of sales. One advises you to build a sales team and tackle direct sales, the other advises you to sell through distribution partners. You come out of these meetings reeling — which direction do you go? How do you determine what is right for your company? How do you maintain a relationship with the mentor whose advice you did not take? How do you tactfully decline advice without being offensive? These are tricky questions, let's tackle them one at a time.

When in doubt, ask your customers

Editor's Pick

Related Topics

Leadership

4 Out of 5 Entrepreneurs Step Down as CEO — Here Are 3 Things You Need to Do So You're Not One of Them.

Navigating the journey from entrepreneur to CEO is a profound transformation, one that often separates visionary founders from effective business leaders.

Business News

Chipotle Customer Throws Food At Employee in Brawl, Judge Offers Employment Instead of Jail Time

The video of the September 5 altercation quickly went viral on Reddit.

Side Hustle

This Millennial Dad Just Wanted to Help His Daughter Care for Her Bearded Dragon. Then His Cricket-Breeding Side Hustle Exploded — Earning $27,000 in One Month.

It wasn't Jeff Neal's first attempt at a side gig, and before long, the "prototypical millennial side-hustler" realized his product had major potential.

Health & Wellness

Embrace the Art of Saying No: 4 Tips for Setting Healthy Boundaries

Enforcing your own boundaries can be hard, but it's so important to master this skill. If you practice these four steps, you'll find it doesn't have to be so difficult.

Business Ideas

55 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2023

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2023.