Find Your Ideal Mentors and Build a 7-Figure Network With These 7 Steps If you are like most people, you are realizing that you do not have the right people in your circle and that your chances of living your dream life will likely remain just that -- a dream.
By Geoff Woods Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
When you study successful people, you will find the one thing they all have in common is they have mentors. If you were to ask why this was so important, they would share that surrounding themselves with the right people allowed them to avoid many mistakes and helped them achieve their goals exponentially faster.
If mentors are vital to your success, why aren't we ever taught how you can go out and find them?
My journey to find mentorship started when I heard the Jim Rohn quote, "You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with." As I heard this quote, I asked myself, "Who are my five? Are they already living the life I want to be living?"
Take a moment and answer these questions yourself. Who are your five? Are they living the life you want to be living? If not, what does this say about you and your chances of accomplishing your goals?
If you are like most people, you are realizing that you do not have the right people in your circle and that your chances of living your dream life will likely remain just that -- a dream. How can you change this? How can you go out and form relationships with the people who are already living the life you dream of?
Related: 5 Famous Business Leaders on the Power of Mentorship
These are the questions I asked myself at the end of 2013. In that moment I made a decision to go out and surround myself with high-level CEOs and successful entrepreneurs. In less than six months this was done and in that moment I realized that your network truly does equal your net worth.
These are the seven steps you can take to find your seven-figure mentors:
1. Get clarity on where you need help.
A mentor can serve you best in their areas of expertise. This means you need to know where you need help in order to seek out the right people. To get clarity here, ask yourself these two questions:
- Out of everything going on in my life right now, what is the one thing I need the most help with right now? Get specific and answer this question. Are you looking to quit your day job and step out as an entrepreneur? Are you on a mission to building $20,000 a month in passive income? What is that one thing you need the most help with?
- Now ask yourself, "Who is the ideal person to could guide me?"
Be able to describe this person in one sentence.
As I asked myself these questions, I realized I wanted to have enough passive income from my podcast to pay for my lifestyle. Therefore, I was looking to network with successful podcasters who made at least $20,000 a month in passive income.
When you can answer these two questions to that level of specificity, you are ready to move to step two.
2. Talk about it consistently.
One of my mentors shared that 80 percent of everything you need in life is already within your personal network. We as human beings have an innate desire to help one another. So when you share where you need help, others will naturally look to support you.
Starting today, find a way to share what you are looking to accomplish and the type of people you are looking to meet. When you are talking to someone, and they ask you what's new, respond with something such as: "You know, a lot lately! I recently have been inspired to become financially free with my podcast and am looking to meet some successful podcasters making at least $20,000 per month in passive income."
Then shut your mouth and see how they respond.
The first time I did this, I got connected with Pat Flynn of Smart Passive Income. He is one of the most successful podcasters and is currently making more than $100,000 per month. He gave me valuable advice that I implemented and has helped me scale The Mentee quickly.
These results are not abnormal, and I have a long list of testimonials to back it up.
Try this today. You never know what connections you are leaving on the table because you didn't ask.
Related: 8 Ways Entrepreneurs Can Find and Get Value From a Great Mentor
3. Get off your assets and play where the players play.
Could you develop a seven-figure network if you just did steps one and two? Probably, but it would take a while. To find these people fast you have to get out of your house and attend events these people attend.
I have found success at industry conferences and seminars. The room is filled with like-minded people, and the people on stage are the authorities. Those are the people you should make a point to speak with.
4. Be more interested than interesting.
Once you are face to face, you need to stand out and make an impression that lasts. The fastest way to do this is to be more interested in them then trying to get them to think you are interesting.
Set a sincere intention as you approach someone to find a way to add value to them. Then ask them questions. Dig deep and find a way you can add value. If you do this successfully, you suddenly find people going out of their way to help you accomplish your goals, because you started by adding value to them first.
5. Rinse and repeat.
As you take action you will find certain things will work for you, and certain things will not. Make it your own. The important thing is that you keep taking action and refining your approach. John Maxwell said it best, "You will never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine."
6. Have a community.
Change is not easy. How many times have you vowed to lose weight on Jan. 1, and fast forward 12 months you find yourself in the same place?
This process of upgrading your network is one of the most important actions you can take to make your life more successful. You cannot afford to do this alone. Make sure you are a part of some community or have connections with others who are going through the same process so you can collaborate and hold each other accountable.
7. Have an accountability partner.
Once you are a part of a like-minded community, you need to find an accountability partner -- someone you can interact with on a regular basis, make commitments to and who can hold your feet to the fire when you fall short. If you are serious about upgrading your personal network, you will make sure you do this.
Incorporate these steps into your daily routine. If you do, you will find yourself surrounded by inspiring people who can guide you as you accomplish your goals and live the life you deserve to be living.
Related: The 6 Secrets to Getting Mentored by the Best in the Business
