How to find and work with a mentor

You are your network

King kong, talking to other gorillas, everyone is laughing, everyone is smoking cigars

“Have one more fucking drink with me!”

I was at a bar association networking event. I told my friend that I needed to work the room a bit, and that it was great to see him.

We had that drink, as well as a few laughs.

A few weeks later, his daughter texted me.

“Hi Kong, we were going through my father’s phone and one of the last pictures he had was of you two. He passed away three days ago from a heart attack.”

Said lawyer was a long-time mentor of mine, and much of my office is decorated with items from his office gifted to me by his family.

I, and many others, lost a real one.

But that was not my only legal mentor.

Why would someone mentor me, or you?

Mentors want to take younger people under their wing, because either

a) they had them and it was helpful,

b) they did not, it sucked, and they want someone to not go through that process, or

c) ego - people like being looked to for advice

There are an UNLIMITED amount of mentors for you and me.

But how do you find them, and how do you work with them?

This is how I have curated a network of mentors, many of which I can now reach with and get responses from within hours: