Just another slight rant for you guys 

Just another slight rant for you guys 

I keep seeing folks slow down their progress because they ‘can’t afford’ help or expert advise. This is NOT a sales pitch – it’s a lifeline to folks who are struggling more than they should, given their expertise & good-heartedness.

I think few things are more expensive than the opportunity cost of ‘not knowing what you’re doing’. Or, of not seeing the opportunity right in front of you. Or worse, fainting before the finish line, or chickening out at the moment of triumph.

One of the biggest reasons people don’t make these kinds of investments? Your lizard brain wants to keep you safe, and your rational brain doesn’t have any way to justify these kinds of investment.

(BTW, some folks use intimidation & fear around opportunity cost etc to pressure people into buying like this. RUN from those folks. It’s nothing but a train wreck.)

On evening when I was feeling particularly grouchy, I complained to my wife about how much I was spending in mentorship. We had food on the table & a roof over our head. I’d been on a steady path of becoming a better husband & father (still have a ways to go yet!). I’d been seeing steady progress in the business. BUT, some of the checks made me wince…

She asked me, “Well, is it going to pay off?”

I didn’t have to think twice.

100X yes.

BUT…my lizard brain wanted to keep me safe. Most of us love having investments that go like this:

– $100k asset

– Acquirable for 10% of asset cost

– Generates returns of $12% / yr

– Payoff in ____ yrs (**too lazy for the maths lol)

OR a mentorship / coaching program that goes like this:

– Here’s the paint-by-numbers

– 1000s of people have done this successfully

– If you follow the process it will work

Ironically, some of us like to be beaten up and told what horrible people we are, and if we’d just get off our seat and into action and massively execute, we’d solve our problems.

(All lies. It’s dysfunction. Again, RUN.)

So I get the hesitation…

I’ve made a lot of mistakes along the way.

I’ve made invested into mentorships that were misaligned at best, unethical (or even illegal at worst — other story lol). I’ve also hung onto mentorships WAY past their useful life.

Good news? I learned a thing or two about how to value ‘intangible’ business investments, and you can learn a thing or two.

Here’s how I value these things:

>> Do the people share enough of my values that I’ll be able to execute on the advice I’m given?

I’ve been in some pretty toxic coaching environments. Those have ALWAYS gone horribly because they needed me to listen to them for their ego, success rates, and retention/upsells. I needed to ignore them for moral & LEGAL reasons.

(Yep, I had a coaching program early on that blatantly told me to break the law as part of a 6-figure sprint, and got made when I refused. Suddenly I was the problem!)

>> Does this mentorship seek to conform me to THEIR ideal, or does it create space to embrace my current & future TRUE SELF?

Conforming to others’ ideals is a short road to self-sabotage, and it’s expensive. Just heard of an owner sitting on a multi-$MM deal, but tapping the brakes because he doesn’t feel free to show up as his true self.

>> Does this mentorship use shame, intimidation, gaslighting, and ego flexes to motivate their people? (see values)

Do I need to explain this one?!

>> Can this mentorship help me avoid a knuckle-headed decision that would cost way more than the fee?

THIS is one of the best ways. It’s far easier to have wise folks poke holes it your idea, than burning a hole in your pocketbook with a dumb idea.

>> Can I live with a 12-month experiment on this, if nothing but the lessons of who I should or shouldn’t listen to?

If you can’t, you should go seek out SOMETHING that you can afford to take a risk on.

>> Once I’ve done those 12 months, if I’ve experienced growth through this past year, what’s the likelihood I would have experienced it without this mentorship?

Most times, there were critical points of failure. “If I hadn’t had this conversation with “Grandma B”, and if my colleagues wouldn’t have lovingly but strongly challenged me, would I have gotten to where I am?”

>> Does this put me around the types of people who, through a hallway conversation, can give me insights that can unlock another level of growth in the business, fulfillment for myself, or some itch that I’ve been trying to scratch for years?

Inspiration is powerful, my friend. I love the friends of mine that I can jam with for no business reason, but it’s one of the most insightful, invigorating types of conversations.

>> Does this person/group have a history of helping people who I’d enjoy hanging out with?

Nope, they can’t help everyone. But if they’ve got a track record of success with people you’d like to hang out with…what are you waiting on?

>> What’s the likelihood that this will put me in touch with people who can make more $, either as a partner or client?

Just a heads up…

Partnering or serving people who pay $ to avoid knuckle-headed decisions is WAY better than the alternative.

>> Can this mentorship grow with me?

If not, you’d better jump in & get right back out. Or maybe, never get in at all!

BOTTOM LINE:

Once you’ve checked some basic boxes, the biggest thing you need to do is stop figuring out HOW it’s going to pay for itself. Just make sure you’re comfortable enough with the cash flow. And figure it out well enough that your rational brain can justify it.

I remember the first time I paid $3000 for a 1-hour consult. I practically soiled my pants. “Will my Zoom connection work? What if my Internet drops? Will I get my value? Will I know what questions to ask? Will I be able to make the most of it?”

I don’t remember all the specifics of that call, but I remember that call gave me a single mindset shift that I still use and still return to today. It’s a principle of success that I use when I work with clients, and it’s saved me 10X what I paid for the call.

I used this to answer a question in a private group, and one of the veterans chimed in with, “This is advice that EVERYONE should be following, no matter how long you’ve been in business.”

That’s the VALUE of good mentorship.

So…

You on the fence?

Check the boxes.

Calculate the downside & upside.

Figure out how to cash flow + justify it.

Then get on with your game.

This is NOT a sales pitch to work with me.

I might not be the right person for you to work with.

I’m just sick of people staying stuck.

I can offer a lifeline, but I can’t help you grab it.

The rest is up to you.

GO, GO, GO!