Gary Ong & Dan Goodman | September 11th, 2021

I have had the privilege of good mentors, the kind of people you look up to, people that you trust and trust you in return. When you’re young like me, restless energy is the default. Everything is fast. The mind never ceases. Impatience is the norm. Mentorship is there to balance the energy of the young with the wisdom of experience, the kind that is obtained only through living and making mistakes.

I rely a lot on mentorship for growth. There are too many things a founder is expected to know. One day, it might be accounting, legal, and project management. Another day, it may be about building culture, inspiring people and mentoring my own employees upward. It’s a lot of growth, and most of the knowledge isn’t found in books. My mentors act as a sounding board for me in all decisions. They check my most rash impulses long before they turn into action. They practice compassion mentoring me, and in turn, help me practice the same when mentoring others.

So, how you find a good mentor? Well, I don’t know. So I asked my mentor. Here’s what he had to say:

Finding a good mentor is a lot like finding a good significant other. In both cases you start by being open to having that relationship. You may not get it right the first time. So, if it’s not a great fit, have the courage to thank them and move on. Find someone with varied experiences, one with failures under their belt. They will offer far richer guidance than one who has spent their career in a single industry with only a string of successes. The search will take time and effort, but as with all relationships, when you finally find your mentor, you’ll know.