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

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

The Do’s and Don’ts of taking on a new job

advice, interview, learning, mentorship, Personal Growth /

1) Become a highly-concerned observer 2) If your mouth is open, you are not learning  3) Challenge your assumptions 4) Listen to your peers 5) Help your boss raise their status 6) Create a business plan for every assignment 7) Direct your availability up, down, and sideways 8) Be aware of others’ feelings and goals  9) Know the names and responsibilities of your peers 10) Ask for help and show your appreciation 11) Do not try to impress others with your past  12) Keep to your word 13) Become part of your team first before you become a leader 14) Arrive early and stay late. 27 years ago, the CEO of American Airlines gave me this. This will stay with me forever, and I am sure with my mission to provide jobs to a million Pakistanis this will come in very handy for them. 

The Do’s and Don’ts of taking on a new job Read More »

mentor

Finding a Mentor is Hard – Jeremy Ryan Slate and I share our secrets of success

mentorship, Awesome People /

I‘ve been praising the benefits of mentorship for decades. There’s no way I would be where I am today if it weren’t for my mentor, former CEO of American Airlines, Al Casey. He took a chance on me, which opened the first door and put me on my path to success. You know, the apprentice model has been around forever, way before the United States. That has always been the case. The folks in the United States don’t understand the apprentice model, where you’re going to school and you’re doing some kind of job to learn a skill, not because the businesses are trying to get slave labor, but because they believe in the careers and these folks who are apprentices or students or mentees understand that they’re going to be loyal and stay for a few years and learn a particular trade. Apprenticeships can open up all kinds of opportunities, and the mentors can open their networks, and then these folks can then start their own shop, do their own thing, or actually go work at the company. But whatever they do, they do it prepared.  That way of thinking has been lost. Maybe it’s because of the loss of respect for your elders or the idea that millennials need a prize every 30 seconds for attending, for breathing, or loss of patience because of the whole, like the distraction of electronic devices.  Whatever you want to call it, the lost art of mentorship is what I want to bring back.  But what I really want is to bring it back to scale. When I say mentorship at scale, all the stuff that I’ve learned, how to do, which I’ve learned from other people, because you always start with the purest source, I have sought to write it down into checklists. It could be a checklist on How to boost a post. It could be a checklist on How you set up a website. A checklist of What do you do before, during, and after a client meeting. A checklist on How to create a statement of work.  You can take that and systematize it, and that’s mentorship. You know, education and mentorship are really the same thing. You can read more about cultivating mentorship in this article. Then listen to this podcast I did with my buddy Jeremy Ryan Slate on how mentorship can enhance your life, income, and impact to gain deeper insights on how mentorship can help you, and strategies on how you can leverage checklists in your own business. And check out this video, where Jeremy gives us a shout-out.

Finding a Mentor is Hard – Jeremy Ryan Slate and I share our secrets of success Read More »

Leverage your weak connections for a network boost.

Things I wish I knew 20 years ago, which would have avoided me much suffering…

advice, Learn Do Teach, mentorship /

Choose ONE niche serving ONE type of customer doing ONE thing really well, instead of doing many things for many types of people. The latter doesn’t scale and results in headaches. Even a technology business is still a people business first— you need relationship skills to sell, manage employees, and build partnerships. Develop EQ instead of being “just business” all the time. The path is longer than you think, costs more than you think, and has problems your best-laid plans don’t account for. Still set goals, but don’t beat yourself up when things go wrong. Focus on getting results, not on how you look. In due time, people will know you by your accomplishments. Charge a LOT more than you think. Easier to service a few customers paying a lot than many customers who pay little. The less they pay, the more they expect. Don’t be too proud to ask for help. Keep a list of mentors who advise you on key issues. The “hustle” of working non-stop is a young man’s game. Take care of your body and have no guilt in enjoying downtime. A fully charged hour of yourself is more productive than a full day of grinding while tired. Turn the camera on to document the journey. Others will learn from your struggles and things they don’t have the courage to reveal openly. Rather than trying to “network”, be choosy in having a close group of high-vibration friends who have done what you want to do. Take advice only from people who have achieved the goals you have— everyone, especially friends, loves to offer you their unqualified opinions. People who are mean to you are actually revealing their hidden pain. Be kind to them. It’s not personal. Honor promises you made to yourself at the same level as an important client meeting in your calendar. Happiness comes from serving others— toys and status soon lose their shiny appeal. Your income is in direct proportion to the value of the problems you solve. What do you do well that you can scale through people, processes, and platforms? Wealthy people own assets that produce residual income— so they focus their efforts on impact, not by hours worked, meetings had, or tasks done. Build a business or multiple businesses that can operate without you, but set the example as the first employee. Give away your knowledge freely— karma will come back 100-fold, even years later.

Things I wish I knew 20 years ago, which would have avoided me much suffering… Read More »

If you find yourself unhappy, ask yourself…

mentorship, Personal Growth /

Are you making excuses or are you making progress? Are you blaming others (diminishing your power) or are you being accountable (taking charge)? You can make a million dollars or make a million excuses– but not both. My mentors taught me that success is a 50% mindset. And when you are super choosy about who you associate with, you dramatically affect your mindset. Whoever you are around WILL rub off on you (good or bad)– even if you think you’re immune. Usually, it’s not YOU that is wrong, but that you’re in the wrong SITUATION. My eagle friends, it’s time to stop associating with the pigeons or trying to impress them. Instead of them pecking at your feathers and weird non-pigeonlike looks, raise your wings and soar!

If you find yourself unhappy, ask yourself… Read More »

Tell me if you’ve been here before…

mentorship, Relationships /

Rent is due and you don’t have the money. You’re stressed out since you’ve drained your bank account and maxed out your credit cards, hoping that the big “deal” is coming through. Any day now, you promise others. But you’re conflicted inside since you can’t publicly say you’re on the brink of implosion. So you grin and bear it since nobody would hire you if they knew the truth. You’re afraid others will expose you for being a fraud. But you make promises on stuff you know you can’t deliver, since you need the money. In fact, you’d take on even random stuff or screw over others if it meant you could get some money today. Because once you get past this emergency, it will all be smooth sailing from here on out. But you know that’s not true— you’ve been here before. And all those other times, it was someone else’s fault that the big “deal” didn’t come through. This time will be different, I swear! I’ve been here many times and can tell you that the only way out of this mess is to immediately seek help from mentors— people who have achieved what you are trying to do. Ignore the “successful” boasting you see on social media. Most are broke and pretending, talking about stuff they have no experience with. The person who created the problem, you, isn’t the one who can solve it— because problems must be solved on a higher level than they were created. Talk to a mentor who cares and can guide you out. But that means you have to stop pretending and start being honest. Then you will feel massive relief since you won’t have to misrepresent how things are going. And you’re not solely relying upon your limited knowledge, experience, and questionable ability to work 24×7. If you want to go fast, go alone.But if you want to go far, go together. That ancient African proverb reminds me of how important it is to have a high-quality, ethical team around you. Are you building your team first or just hustling and hoping this next deal will be “the one”?

Tell me if you’ve been here before… Read More »

When your team member FAILS, guess whose fault it is?

Learn Do Teach, mentorship, team management /

If they failed for not having enough skills, YOU should have trained them better. If they just don’t seem to get it, YOU should have put them in the right role. If they’re not motivated, YOU should have aligned with their goals and actively helped them get there. If they don’t treat your customers well, YOU should be treating them better to set the example. If they stole from you, YOU should have a stronger qualifying process. I had a co-founder rip me off blind, rationalized away— and I know it’s my fault for letting it get that far. Real leaders know that 99% of the time, it’s a problem with management, not your team member. The rookie manager blames his people, while the pro manager knows that their job is to take care of their people and help them succeed! Instead of being a policeman, be a coach, mentor, and cheerleader.

When your team member FAILS, guess whose fault it is? Read More »

Partner with someone who can teach you.

advice, Client Management, mentorship /

Someone just asked us what they should send to a potential client who is asking for case studies– but they have none. My answer: You partner with an agency that does. Trying to sell without authority is not only hard, but it sets you up for failure on something you’ve done before many times. Would you trust a heart surgeon to operate on you if they’ve not done heart surgery before? I feel for consultants who are trying to get their first few clients– it’s hard. If I were starting from scratch, I’d find a mentor who has done what I’d like to do and work for them for free– doing anything necessary to build their business, while having the chance to learn from them. Maybe they aren’t paying you– but consider how much you’d have to pay them for mentorship and to grow your career.

Partner with someone who can teach you. Read More »

I believe teaching is the highest professional responsibility we can have.

Entrepreneurship, Learn Do Teach, mentorship /

Even if you are not a Karen Freberg, you can still teach others from right where you are, to lift where you stand. Formal educators must work with private sector professionals like us to bridge the training gap that students face when they graduate- so we can help them get great jobs and be awesome employees in our companies. Karen not only is an incredible professor, but somehow finds the time to train professors who want to teach social media to their students, write textbooks, speak at conferences, and be a practitioner herself. We are all teachers, even if not formally, and can learn from her example.

I believe teaching is the highest professional responsibility we can have. Read More »

How do you get a job without experience?

Leave a Comment / Growth Mindset, mentorship /

How do you drive warm leads without a network? How do you own a niche when you don’t have industry authority? I get thousands of these questions, so let me tell you the “secret”, okay? +++++++1) Find someone who is successfully doing what you’d like to be doing. 2) Study what they do and what they’ve written, so you can stand out among the many others who hit them up all the time. 3) Offer to work for them in whatever way they see fit– whatever tasks at whatever pay. 4) Become so valuable that they pull you into projects of greater and greater importance, to where eventually you become their confidant and indispensable. 5) Before even have to ask you to follow up on something, you’re already there– you anticipate their needs before they even realize it. +++++++++And pretty soon, their network has become your network. You’ve not needed to cold-call or grovel for business, since you’re drafting off the power of your mentor. You don’t need to worry about pricing since your mentor already commands top dollar. You’ve completely side-stepped the pain of years of foraging for pennies in the gutter, hoping to trade up to nickels. Instead, you’ve taken the express elevator straight to the top, where the clients treat you well, pay you well, and provide you with the best education possible. ++++++++This is the path I took 20+ years ago with the CEO of American Airlines. And it’s the path most of the young adults in our program are benefitting from– the deserving and hard-working ones that have earned their spot. But even if you’re not a young adult, you should still be seeking out industry mentors. Find ways to add value to them before you ask, ask, ask. Are you trying to valiantly survive in business by “hustling” harder and praying that something things will turn out well? Or are you guaranteeing your success by tying yourself to someone who has already achieved it?

How do you get a job without experience? Read More »

Scroll to Top