It is said that no great success has ever truly been accomplished alone, and that the narrative of being "self-made" is in itself a misrepresentation of any individual's journey to greatness. Take it from Sir Isaac Newton, who once wrote, "If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants" – one of the most brilliant thinkers in history attesting to how mentorship is such a crucial ingredient for the recipe of success. But first, we should understand what a mentor is really in order to determine how we go about finding one.

A mentor is a guide. A guide that may be found to come into your life and help guide you on your journey to personal, professional, financial or relationship success. A guide who has successfully been down the path for which you seek to venture and possesses the knowledge to help navigate you on your own unique journey. Consider a mentor like a mountain field guide or a Sherpa on Mt. Everest – sure, you could attempt the climb on your own, but why force yourself through all the trials and pains that others have already experienced and can show you a better way? A more effective path with a greater likelihood of success?

Mentors come in all shapes and sizes, but unlike the folklore of Hollywood, don't necessarily always have to be the wise old man with a long white beard. Mentors may come into your life in the form of friends, family, business associates, teachers, books, radio show hosts, biographical documentaries, keynote speakers and more. There is great misconception of what a mentor has to look like moreso then the actual impact the individual's story and experience has on our lives.

In my 20 years experience within the real estate industry I can attest to how especially valuable the importance of having a mentor is. The real estate business is tough, actually I'd go as far as to say absolutely brutal. There are reportedly over 20,000 active real estate licensees in Palm Beach County alone, and the vast majority of newly registered agents end up in search of another career before the end of their first year.

So what differentiates those that struggle from those that have made it as a career? What differentiates those career real estate agents from the ultra successful real estate professionals who run their own teams? Both have walked the path you currently walk, and both have tremendous insight as to how you can navigate this path to suit your personal and professional goals – knowing that, why would we even want to go it alone?

This is what lead my team and I to launch our first ever Heavy Hitters speaker series – where we interview local industry leaders to learn from their experiences and enrich our careers. For our first Heavy Hitters event we are excited to have Mark Rucco of the Mark Rucco Group joining us. Mark was ranked as the #1 Agent for Palm Beach County by Most Closed Transactions in 2016, and ranked in Wall Street Journal's Top 200 Realtors Nationwide. I know Mark's story well, and can assure you that at some point in his career you will find common ground, and more importantly, stories from this shared experience that can help us overcome whatever difficulty currently preventing you from your best self.

This event will no sell out quickly and in fact, we're well over 50% of capacity within 24 hours, as Mark is certainly the type of professional we all wish to learn from. So please reach out and RSVP your seat today by calling 561-864-2458, or emailing Brett Vidro at [email protected]. Our Heavy Hitters interview with Mark Rucco will be held at the Cinemark Theater in Boca Raton on October 26th from 9:30am – 12:00pm. While this is only the first of many in this series, it is surely one you will not want to miss.

I look forward to seeing you there to stand on the shoulders of a giant.                  

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The views of this blog, "Your Morning Shot" podcast, and on this site in general are solely those of the authors, Matt Weaver (NMLS-175651) and Zack Lewis, and do not express the views or opinions of Finance of America Mortgage.