Finding a good mentor can transform your life.

How to do it and why you need to:

The complexities in our world aren't going away.

And successfully navigating life isn't something a Google search can solve for.

What helps is EQ, wisdom, understanding, and experience. People skills.

That's why I've sought out mentors to guide me through at every stage.

Obviously, being an athlete has benefits. It opens tons of doors to find mentors at the highest level.

I don't think Buffett would've said yes to a rando that slid into his DMs.

But good mentors don't have to be titans of industry.

They just need to be the best fit for you.

The right mentor should be someone with experience in what you're trying to do.

They should have the time and energy to teach.

They can be older or younger, but must be able to fill in the gaps as you make your way.

Most importantly, they shouldn't need anything from you.

So how can you go about finding a mentor? Three things:

1) Go where they are
2) Be bold
3) Know your ask

Early on I was really interested in the food space, so I went to the Natural Products Expo every year.

I knew I could throw a stone there and hit someone good.

These days, I'm interested in investing and real estate.

So I spend time at places like the Milken Institute conference and with people like Gary Shiffman.

You can always ask your network for help in identifying who could be a good fit.

Intros go a long way.

Once you've found the right person, the most important thing is being a good mentee.

It's a lot of what your parents taught you. Be respectful, be on time, be focused.

Don't be afraid to ask questions. Be open and vulnerable.

Know that they will take pride in your success.

Having the right mentors has helped me:

- Learn from others mistakes instead of making them myself
- Bring me out of tunnel vision and shift my perspective
- Soak up knowledge that is contextualized specifically to me
- Understand what it is I really want to accomplish

I've learned that nobody can be 100% at every aspect of their life.

And a lot of times, it can be the people at the top of their game who need mentors the most.

Success can be a hell of a drug.

Mentors bring you down to earth and help you become more well rounded.

Deciding to seek out good mentors has probably been the most impactful decision of my life.

The right ones can bend your trajectory to exponential.

If you don't have one (or several) it's time to start looking.

(Twitter can be a great place for this!)