How to find or choose the right business mentor.

I was asked on IG a while back if I ever hired a business coach. The answer to that is no if we’re referring to a 1:1 biz coach.

While I prefer 1:1 for a specific service like accounting or a funnel build out, or managing a podcast, I actually prefer to learn on my own at my own pace.

I am really big on implementation of specific needs for gaps in my business. For me, that has come through multiple courses, and investing in one off services or masterclasses for guidance in a given area.

With that, I know many people prefer a 1:1 coach in various spaces, be it fitness or business, or general life coaching.

So, let’s talk about what you need in a business mentor. Because I still chose my courses and teachers based on a few key things. Things that I believe apply to also hiring a 1:1 business mentor.

Mind you I have definitely made the decision to NOT sign up with various coaches. And I think that speaks volumes as well.

These might surprise you. Maybe they will, maybe they won’t. But in my opinion, these are the most important factors in choosing a mentor.

Know what you need mentorship on

This is unequivocally the most important piece. It is your responsibility to be crystal clear on what exactly you need from your experience with a mentor.

Expectations are everything. And they will lead to success or disappointment. Because even if you think you have no clarity, I guarantee you have subconscious expectations. We need to bring those into the light and identify them.

That way, we know if this mentor can guide you in that or not. I remember once I began applying for a high level mastermind/1:1 hybrid and the coach actually told me via dm that she didn’t think her mentorship was what I needed. Looking back, I actually think it was, but I wasn’t as clear as I needed to be on what it was that I needed. So, that’s my bad.

Moral is, get clear on what you need. What boxes do you need to check? And can this mentor help you do that? Is that within their wheel house? 

In 2022 one of my Fitspros and 1:1 biz client of over a year moved on to her new coach who could fill a different gap for her than I could. I am not passionate about building teams. Hiring coaches and assistants, for sure. But building teams is not my niche. So, she hired for THAT need.

Know your next season. Define it. Hire accordingly.

Do they run their business in a way that is appealing to you? That you want to emulate?

This might be one of the most important points. Do they use the tactics, approaches, marketing, and business model that you want to build?

I know this might sound counter to my “no one size fits all approach” and “I don’t make mini me’s” in my business coaching. But also, what will you be learning from this person?

If not the same exact tactics, there is something you’re learning from them that you’ve seen in their business. Maybe it’s their schedule, or again, the model - the way they’ve built out their offer suite. There is likely some stage of their business that was or is appealing to you.

Perhaps it is as simple as their overall philosophy around entrepreneurship. That’s what it was for me when I bought courses from Hillary Rushford back in the day - she was a personal stylist, but I was really drawn to her general approach to business. It was counter to what I saw in the health and fitness industry. And definitely different to what coaches in our space...