Hi this is Jay P. Morgan. Today on The Slanted Lens we're gonna talk about mentors. How to
get one, and why you need one.
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I think there's several reasons why you need a mentor. If you look at a lot of the great
successful people in history they've had someone that they've patterned their lives after.
Even Zuckerburg patterned his life after Steve Jobs. Steve Jobs actually mentored him and
helped him get started. I mean these great people come from great people who've trained
them and moved them forward in their career. If you want to move forward in your career
and be the best at what you do, you need to find a mentor. And there's several reasons
why. Number one, you need to find a person who inspires you. Someone you think, "They're
the best at what they do and I want to be like them and I want to be able to accomplish
what they've done." My career got going, I joined APA. I was on the board with Jim Wood,
Reid Miles. A lot of th-- these people I had looked up to for years. I felt like I was
walking with the gods. These were amazing individuals. When I got to photograph Jim
Wood it was like I was scared to death to take a picture of him. Because he was the
man. He was the one that I'd looked up to for so many years. Mentors inspire you and
give you the desire to be the absolute best you can be. So choose a person who'll do that
for you. Number 2, having a mentor takes the mystique away a little bit. You know sometimes
we look at people who are successful in film, in s-- uh, photography, and you just think,
"My word, they're just amazing. I could never be like that." But when you get around them
and they mentor you and they talk about their process you're like, " Oh my word. These people
are just like anybody else. This is not so difficult. I can think like this. I can work
like this. I can accomplish this." I had this experience with my father. My father shot
for National Geographic. He shot for all the nat-- all the wildlife magazines. I was around
him the whole time I was growing up. I thought, "My word, this-- it's just a guy who takes
pictures." It took that layer away of this is too hard for you, this is too much for
you to accomplish. It allowed me to think I can do this. Number three. They have years
of experience that otherwise would take you years to gain. So look to them, take advantage
of their experience. It'll help you avoid problems that you're going to face in this
industry. It'll help you to know the problems before they happen that you don't even know
about. They really are people that'll help you to be able to avoid issues and situations.
It'll further your career quicker and help you to not get bogged down in things that
you do not have to deal with. I had a great mentor when I started to do film. David Wilson.
He was my first AD. He had been a director, he'd been in Hollywood forever and he would
put his arm around, he'd pull me aside and say, "You know, uh, Jay P. maybe you wanna
do this. Maybe you wanna do that." He was always very respectful of being on set but he was very
helpful to me. I always looked to him and think, oh my, I'm so grateful for David. He
gives me a perspective about the industry that I just don't have. I was a young director,
I was just getting started. He was a great help and a strength to me. Number four, you
need someone to hold you accountable. This person can play that role in your life of
making sure that you meet your goals. Making sure that you're working on things. Check
in with them weekly so that they can say, where are you at? What are you doing?I know
a group of very successful businessmen that had mentors that kind of moved them along
on their careers. But they got to a point where they're going, they're not sure who
to look to anymore. These are multi-million dollar companies. So they mentor each other.
They have a call once a week. They set goals in the call. They hold each other accountable
to make sure they've met their goals. So a good mentor will hold you accountable. Number
five, a good mentor is going to know people that you need to know. And help you move up
the ladder because of those connections. That person's going to know crew members, gonna
know suppliers, going to know other successful people who can help your career move forward.
This person is going to have contacts and a network that is way superior to yours because
of the number of years they've been in the industry. That network will help you move
forward because you can take advantage of the contacts and people they have. Number
six, their unbiased opinion about the things that you need to do in your career. They can
look at your work, they can give you an honest critique. They can say, you need to get rid
of this, you should add this, you should go here, you should talk to these people. They
really become an honest, unbiased opinion that'll help you to move forward and help
you grow.
So there's six reasons why you should have a mentor. I hope you see the value and importance
of this. Now let's talk about five different ways you can find this individual.
Number one, work for free for someone. You think, that's crazy. It's not crazy. I've
had people that come and work for free for me. And when it's done I owe them. I want
them to be successful. I want to help them. I feel like I-- I want to do all I can to
help their careers grow. I had one young man who came and worked for me here and when we
were done I met with him and, uh, he said, "You know, I didn't really learn that much
here. I just really didn't." And he went back to college. Well about two months later he
goes, he called me up and goes, "I am so sorry. I learned so much while I was there. I didn't
even understand how much I learned while I was working there." You'll learn a ton working
for someone. You'll also connect yourself with them. But you've got to keep that relationship
alive after you leave. You've got to continue to call and to -- to think about them and
to reach out to them. And to create a mentoring situation with them. Ask them if you can continue
to call and to touch base with them and to help you to be able to grow in your career.
If you've worked for free with them most people are going to do that. Number two, great way
to find a mentor is to join a photo club or a video group where there's a group of people
that comes together. Look for a place where you can come together with other people who
are doing the same kinds of things that you're doing. And you rub shoulders with them. You
can identify a person that you would like to mentor yourself after. ASMP, APA, there's
a lot of great organizations out there that'll help you to find mentors. People that you
can pattern your life after and find a connection with. So join those groups. One of the photographers
said through a facebook group that she connected with online she found other people who were
doing the same kinds of work that she did and a -- and eventually identified a photographer
that was very successful in this type of genre and she connected with that person who eventually
became her mentor. Helped her to grow and progress in her business. Number three, if
you're in right now, or you've gone to, a film or a photo program at a university, your
professors there have connections with other graduates. Connect with your professors. Look
to work them to help connect you with other graduates who have been very successful in
the industry. Let those professors connect with you those successful individuals that
have gone through your same program at your same school, and those become great mentors.
Number four, apply for low level jobs at places that have high potential. A place that's going
to help your career move forward. Even if you're gonna be getting coffee. It doesn't
matter. I know a very successful individual who walked the dogs for a very successful
director. And got to know him, got to connect with him. And eventually the director started
giving him advice and pretty soon it helped his career move forward. So don't be afraid
of getting some coffee if it's gonna get you a good mentor. Number five. There are conventions
going on all over the country, all the time. Things like NAB, WPPI, PPA. I mean, there's
all kinds of things going on all the time. At these conventions they bring in the best
in the industry to speak and to make presentations. You'd be smart to volunteer at these conventions.
Ask to be assigned to individuals that would be great mentors for you. Try to connect with
that individual as you help them at their seminar. Talk to them afterwards. Get their
business card. Reach out to them. I've found some great business mentors at conventions
just by going up and talking to the individual afterwards and saying, "Look, can I send you
an email and ask you about a problem that I'm facing?" And they respond and that situation.
They're in a teaching moment. They want to help and to mentor people. So don't just go
and sit there, connect with the people who are speaking there. And do all you can to
be able to make a connection with them because it will help your career. So there's five
ways to find a mentor. Don't just put this on the back burner and forget about it. This
is something you need to make a priority in your career. You need someone to help you
grow your business. It's going to save you so much time if you find this individual.
I can be this individual in your life. I've mentored many photographers and videographers through the
years that have gone on to be very successful. We actually have a business coaching class
free call where you call in. I'm going to take questions and answers. I'm gonna teach you
the Daily Routine for Success. I'm gonna help you kind of start this career process. So
go to theslantedlens.com where you can sign up for our free call. Have an opportunity
to see what we're going to do in our Business Coaching Class and see if it's right for you.
But come join us on our free call. So keep those cameras rollin', keep on clickin'.
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