Dennis Yu

The Power of Mentorship: Bringing Back a Timeless Model for Success with Jeremy Slate

mentorship

Introduction

For decades, I have been a strong advocate of mentorship. My success would not have been possible without my mentor, former CEO of American Airlines Al Casey, who took a chance on me and opened the first door on my path to success.

Jeremy Ryan Slate and I hold similar views on this topic and have done a number of podcasts together; we stress the importance of having a mentor to be successful and how to go about selecting the right mentor who shares your goals and aspirations.

The Apprentice Model

The apprentice model has been around for centuries, providing valuable opportunities to learn skills. Apprenticeships can lead to a variety of opportunities, and mentors can introduce their mentees to new networks, allowing them to start their own businesses, work for the same company, or explore other opportunities with the skills they learned.

My encounter with mentorship occurred during my professional journey. Mentors like Al Casey, former CEO of American Airlines and a billionaire investor who funded companies like Costco and Best Buy, played a pivotal role in shaping my mindset and opening doors to new opportunities. These mentors selflessly shared their wisdom and expertise, guiding me toward success.

The Lost Art of Mentorship

Mentors impart knowledge and influence one’s thinking patterns, paradigms, and decision-making processes. Spending time with accomplished individuals allows you to adopt their mindset and absorb their successful habits. Surrounding yourself with like-minded individuals will inspire you to continually strive for excellence and push yourself to reach new heights.

However, this way of thinking seems to have been lost in recent years. The lack of respect for elders, the need for instant gratification, and the constant distractions of electronic devices have contributed to the loss of the art of mentorship. As a result, it is essential to bring back mentorship on a larger scale.

The Importance of Selecting the Right Mentors

While advice can come from various sources, it is important that you seek guidance from individuals who have achieved the desired outcomes. Aligning with mentors who have accomplished what one aspires to achieve significantly enhances the learning experience. Choosing mentors wisely ensures that the advice received is based on firsthand expertise and increases the chances of success.

Before embarking on a mentorship journey, it is essential to establish clear objectives. Define what you hope to achieve through mentorship and outline specific goals you aim to accomplish. This clarity will enable you and your mentor to focus efforts effectively and measure progress.

Renowned mentor Mari Smith shared invaluable advice: if an opportunity or commitment is not a resounding “hell yes,” it’s a clear “no.” Embracing this mentality helps us filter through potential distractions and focus only on endeavors that truly excite and align with our aspirations. By saying “no” to questionable commitments, we create space for “hell yes” opportunities and maintain a calendar filled with activities that bring us joy and fulfillment.

The Ripple Effect of Mentorship

Mentorship is a two-way street, with mentees playing an active role in nurturing these relationships. By following up on mentor guidance, taking initiative, and delivering results, mentees demonstrate their commitment and respect for the mentor’s time and expertise. In turn, mentors may extend their networks and introduce mentees to influential individuals, creating a powerful ripple effect.

The “1000 Ingredient Kitchen” Analogy

Mentorship often involves a structured and sequential learning process. Mentors guide mentees through a series of tasks and steps designed to build knowledge, skills, and competence in a particular domain.

For example, if you aspire to build a website, your mentor may guide you through the steps of understanding web development, designing user interfaces, and implementing coding languages. By following this sequential approach, you gradually acquire expertise in a systematic and efficient manner.

The “1000 Ingredient Kitchen” analogy offers a valuable perspective on the mentorship process. Just as a chef combines ingredients in a specific order to create the desired dish, mentors guide mentees through a sequence of tasks and knowledge acquisition to achieve their desired outcomes.

Each task represents an ingredient, and by assembling them in the right order, mentees can create their unique recipe for success. Whether it’s mastering Facebook ad optimization or developing a three-by-three video grid, the mentorship process ensures that you acquire the necessary skills and knowledge to achieve your specific goals.

Some individuals may express concerns about the perceived lack of creativity or customization in a mentorship process. However, it is essential to recognize that mentorship focuses on imparting proven knowledge and methodologies. Just as a surgeon relies on well-established medical procedures rather than experimenting with each patient, mentors guide mentees based on tried-and-true practices. This approach ensures efficiency, reduces risks, and increases the likelihood of success.

Standardization is a fundamental aspect of mentorship. Mentors leverage their expertise and experience to provide a structured framework that promotes learning, growth, and achievement. This standardized approach facilitates a seamless transfer of knowledge and ensures that mentees receive consistent guidance and support throughout their mentorship journey.

Mastering the Basics and Continuous Learning

One fundamental principle of mentorship is emphasizing the importance of mastering the basics. Just as Tony Hawk excels at skateboarding by honing his foundational skills, individuals must focus on mastering the fundamentals before delving into more complex endeavors. By consistently practicing and refining the basics, individuals develop a solid understanding and gain the ability to think creatively within the framework.

Continuous learning is also a key aspect of mentorship, as it fosters growth, expands knowledge, and allows for the development of expertise over time. To create scalable systems and processes, allocating time for learning, doing, and teaching is essential.

While client work and immediate tasks may demand attention, neglecting the learning and teaching aspects hinders growth and limits the creation of efficient systems. Prioritizing these activities helps develop expertise, refine processes, and establish a knowledge-sharing culture within teams.

Mentorship at Scale

Experts and mentors possess the ability to distill complex concepts into simple and understandable terms, like a step-by-step checklist. The true mark of a knowledgeable individual is their capacity to communicate clearly, avoiding jargon and unnecessary complexity. As Albert Einstein once said, simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. By grasping the fundamentals and striving for simplicity, individuals can gain deeper levels of understanding that set them apart from amateurs and blowhards

When I talk about mentorship at scale, I refer to all the knowledge I have gained from other people, which I have compiled into checklists. These checklists can be used to boost a post, set up a website, prepare for a client meeting, create a statement of work, and more. By systematizing the checklists, we can make mentorship accessible to everyone. Education and mentorship are essentially the same thing.

Conclusion

In the business world, mentorship is not only valuable for personal growth but also vital for overall success. By implementing a mentorship system, individuals can streamline processes, pass on knowledge, and avoid repeating tasks unnecessarily. Mentors share their experiences, offer guidance, and empower mentees to take ownership of their learning and development.


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Dennis Yu

Dennis Yu is co-author of the #1 best selling book on Amazon in social media, The Definitive Guide to TikTok Ads. He has spent a billion dollars on Facebook ads across his agencies and agencies he advises. Mr. Yu is the "million jobs" guy-- on a mission to create one million jobs via hands-on social media training, partnering with universities and professional organizations. You can find him quoted in major publications and on television such as CNN, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, NPR, and LA Times. Clients have included Nike, Red Bull, the Golden State Warriors, Ashley Furniture, Quiznos-- down to local service businesses like real estate agents and dentists. He's spoken at over 750 conferences in 20 countries, having flown over 6 million miles in the last 30 years to train up young adults and business owners. He speaks for free as long as the organization believes in the job-creation mission and covers business class travel. You can find him hiking tall mountains, eating chicken wings, and taking Kaqun oxygen baths-- likely in a city near you.
I'm a member of Blitzmetrics Academy and a friend of Dennis to boot. Not only is Dennis highly intelligent and full of great and creative ideas, he's also incredibly generous with both his knowledge and his time. Success couldn't come to a better guy. Thank you for all that you do for the world, Dennis! 🙏

Michael Pacheco

Marketer

Thanks 🙏 for being shining light in this industry. Love what your building for works overseas too network for jobs so innovative. Dennis helped me navigate having bad experiences with marketing agencies and doing dollar a day marketing which has helped my personal brand tremendously. Highly recommend.

Eric Skeldon

Founder at Kingdom Broker

Working with Dennis has been a delightful experience. After meeting him in 2015 I got to collaborate with him on countless occasions. His understanding for state-of-the-art marketing, his implementation, and his leadership put him into the top 0.01% of marketers and mentors.

Jan Koch

Ihr kompetenter Partner für innovative KI-Strategien.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Dennis for my podcast in 2021 and since then we have maintained a friendship that grows with each interaction. I have seen Dennis' devotion to his friends and clients firsthand, and our conversations often result in us talking about how we can provide more value to the people around us. He is someone whom I can ask questions on a technical level, and look to on a personal level. If you have any hesitancy about hiring him, get over yourself and do it!

Isaac Mashman

Help scaling personal brands.

Geez, where do I start recommending Dennis? First, he is an absolutely brilliant marketer who understands where marketing is today and where it's going tomorrow. He also has an incredible passion for the International Worker community. The lessons he has taught me from his almost 20 years of experience hiring International Workers have been immense. Most importantly though. Dennis Yu is someone who wants the absolute best for you and is willing to tell you the truth. Dennis sat with me at a point in my business where I was floundering but did not want to admit it. He asked some very straight forward questions to get me to admit my issues, highlighted the issues, and then helped me create a roadmap to success.

Atiba de Souza

International Keynote Speaker | Video Content Superman | Superconnector |

Dennis, which I had the pleasure of working with is one of the most giving, honest and tell you as it is person I ever know. The knowledge this man has is remarkable and he just gives it out freely. He is not pretentious and always entertain anyone big or small in the industry always willing to help. If you ever get a golden opportunity to work with him or mentored by him say YES!. You will notr regret Dennis, which I had the pleasure of working with is one of the most giving, honest and tell you as it is person I ever know. The knowledge this man has is remarkable and he just gives it out freely. He is not pretentious and always entertain anyone big or small in the industry always willing to help. If you ever get a golden opportunity to work with him or mentored by him say YES!. You will not regret

Nixon Lee

The PR Whisperer

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