The Next Link in the Chain

Mentorship changed the trajectory of my life. That's not an exaggeration; that’s literally what it does.

In a sales context, it showed me the difference between what sales actually is and what I thought it was. For someone wired the way I am, I have to understand how things work before I can do them well. Once I understood the mechanics, I could make things my own. Once I made them my own, I could do things with those skills I never could have otherwise.

My mentor (He Who Shall Not Be Named, because he's never come on my podcast) made a significant investment in me. He saw potential and poured into it, and we spent a lot of time in the field together. He showed me what to do and why, and he helped me understand what was working and what wasn't. When I say that I learned to sell by drinking beer, this is what I mean. Our end-of-day recaps closed a lot of those open loops in my brain.

He modeled good behavior (and occasionally bad behavior), but he always encouraged me to do it my own way and gave me the space to do it that way.

That last part matters more than people realize.

I’ve had a lot of mentors in my life (some more aware of it than others). By and large, I try to learn something from everyone I interact with. Parents, friends, bosses, colleagues, authors, thought leaders… Not everybody has the bandwidth to pour themselves into this kind of role, and it’s important that you don’t try to force it.

Mentorship is not puppeteering. You can’t just make someone do what you want them to do. The job is showing them how to navigate those decisions for themselves. Good mentorship reduces the scope of choices because that scope can be overwhelming. It gives people a map.

Not just the direction, but what to look for and what to look out for. Done right, you end up with someone who not only knows how to make decisions for themselves but also feels empowered to do so with their own integrity intact.

I've been on both sides of this now. When you watch someone you've invested in find their footing and run with it, you glow. You feel a lot of pride, but also gratitude, because you remember what it means and what it took, and you remember that someone did the same thing for you once.

You're not the origin of this thread. You're a contributor, a steward, and the next link in the chain.

That brings my fundraising campaign full circle. The reason I'm involved with Chosen Vision is because of my mentor. He's on the board and runs the event. When someone like him asks you for help, you say yes.

This year, in exchange for a $100 donation, I've put together a fireside chat series with four colleagues covering the sales-adjacent stuff that actually gets people stuck. The things nobody trains you on that show up in every hard conversation a seller or leader has when they're trying to figure out what's next.

Learn more and get involved →

What I'm Into

My daughter's theatre troupe puts on a series of performances called (awkward pause...). The point is to create space for you to stop and think about those moments that make you stop and think.

I don't know that we have enough spaces like that. Places where you can talk about the things that actually matter without fear of being ridiculed or dismissed. My daughter found one. She pursued it, and she doesn't just participate; she creates for it. She’s leveraged her experience to be strong enough to say and do the right things, even when they’re tough. I’m so proud of her.

Last night was their “Best-of” show, with alumni returning to perform alongside current members. It was really cool to see this multigenerational group of people getting together to perform. More importantly, they’ve created a community. These are leaders who look out for and take care of each other because they all share in the legacy of this program over the past 20+ years.

I’ve got a few places and circles where I can get vulnerable with people who will challenge me. I’m not sure everyone can say the same. Can you? What would it mean if you did?

The Shoutout

Do you know those people who are just solid, down-to-earth, quality human beings?

It's my biggest life goal to be known as one of those, which is why I try hard to surround myself with them.

Justin Krebs is one of those people. The kind of guy who would give you the shirt off his back and show up for you at 3am if you needed it. The kind of guy who, instead of just donating to your hundred-hole charity marathon, decides to show up and play with you.

Like a lot of successful people (maybe just in the Midwest?), Justin sells himself a little short. He's quick to tell you where he wants to get better before you learn how successful he's been. He's not going to mention the sacrifices he makes for his young family. He just digs in and does the work.

Salt of the earth is the right term.

In my #ThankfulThursday posts on LinkedIn, I celebrate people who I feel fortunate that they take my calls. In this case, I'm even more fortunate that Justin calls me as often as I call him.

If there's a quality human being in your life worth a shoutout, let them know.

The Nudge

A $100 donation to Chosen Vision gets you invitations to four live fireside chats on the sales-adjacent stuff that actually matters, plus access to the recordings.

Justin's playing a hundred holes for this. 😉 The least you can do is consider donating.

Learn more →

Cheers,
JB