I don’t know if it’s just me, but the idea of mentorship has become… skewed.
There’s this belief that if you find the right mentor, your success is guaranteed. Like you’ll be handed a golden ticket where all your dreams come true with minimal effort. That mentorship is magical access. A shortcut. A fast track to the top.
What I’m trying to say is I see the requests. The ‘mentor me’s,’ the ‘I’ll intern for free’s.’ But here’s the thing… I am not your mentor. Not if you think mentorship is about proximity, not if you believe it’s a way to skip the hard part, not if you’re looking for an easy way in.
…this might be a hard read… 💭…
Let’s talk about the reality of the mentor-mentee relationship, especially in a society like ours. People flock to those they admire, expecting them to fast-track their careers, open doors, and provide a direct line to success. But the truth is, mentorship is not about gluing yourself to someone’s side and hoping their magic will rub off on you. Mentorship isn’t osmosis. A mentor is not a ticket, a cheat code, or a lifeline. They are a guide, a mirror, a challenger. And if you think mentorship is about getting access to their network rather than building yourself into someone worth knowing, you’re already lost.
If you’re chasing a mentor to make things easier for you or fix your problems, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment. But if you understand that mentorship is about work, growth, service, and becoming valuable, you’re on the right track.
Let me say this: the key to your success is someone else’s belief in you.
Yes, you should believe in yourself. But sometimes, the first spark of belief comes from someone else when you are lost, or on a path with no blueprint. The right mentor sees in you what you have yet to see in yourself. They set the bar higher than you would, and without realizing it, you start reaching for it. That belief forces you to level up. And you, without even realizing it, start living up to those expectations.
The mentor-mentee relationship is powerful because it introduces you to the version of yourself you aspire to be. It forces you to recognize your potential, and demand more from yourself. The mentor believes in the potential that exists within you. They know the work it will take to unlock that potential, and they’re willing to guide you, challenge you, and push you toward it.
But here’s the truth:
A mentor is not here to make you a replica of them. Their job is to help you unleash the beast mode version of yourself. Their job is to push you toward the best version of YOU. That’s the version of you that is hungry, that wants to change the world, that will work tirelessly to achieve the dreams that seem impossible.
Too many people misunderstand this relationship. They think mentorship is about getting inside circles, gaining access, skipping steps and faster climbs. But that’s not how success works. People forget that a mentor’s purpose is not to open every door for you. A mentor’s role is to challenge you, to hold up a mirror and expose your weaknesses so you can see exactly what you need to work on, to force you to get better.
A mentor is a reflection of the path you want to walk. If you want to be like them, you must do the work that took them to where they are. You cannot just speed up the process by gluing yourself to them, shadowing their every move, and expecting things to fall into place. Success is earned. A mentor’s wisdom is built from years of experiences…both successes and failures…and you can’t rush that.
In our generation, I often see people with the mentality of “I just want to be in their circle” without realizing that being in the circle means being prepared to do the work. You don’t just get access because you’ve asked for it, or because you’re shadowing someone. You earn it. The relationship is mutual.
The mentor-mentee relationship is not a transaction, it’s an exchange of value. You learn. You apply. You grow.
And you must serve.
The structure, the success, the life changing greatness you’re looking for comes from service. When you serve, you understand what you have to give. And you only know that when you understand what you want to receive.
I am a byproduct of complete servitude.
Everything I have become in marketing started under the intense training of someone with beast-mode attention to detail. Her eye for craftsmanship, branding, and excellence shaped me. But it wasn’t just about skill. She saw something in me. I offered my lost self in service to her and she acceped but expected more. And because she expected more, I delivered more.
That belief changed me.
Everything I have done to scale my company this year has come from mentorship and complete servitude. My mentor’s belief in me changed the way I saw myself. They saw something in me that I didn’t yet know I had. They pushed me. They’ll point out your flaws not to put you down, but to teach you about the reality of the path you’re on. They want you to see that it’s not as easy as you think…because it isn’t! The process will involve struggles, setbacks, and moments when you question yourself. But, you will learn. This is part of their role: to expose you to the hard truth of what it means to grow into the person you want to be.
A great mentor holds up a mirror. They show you your flaws not to tear you down, but to make you better. They force you to see reality. They demand that you rise to the occasion.
The moment someone believes in you, you begin to believe in yourself. So many people undervalue the power of belief. Higher expectations lead to better performance. And the moment you start expecting more from yourself, you will see that belief reflected in your actions.
A mentor is not here to hand you the keys to the kingdom. They’re here to show you the gates, but you must find the key yourself.
They are not here to hand you success. They are not here to save you from failure. They are here to show you how to navigate failure, so you can turn it into success. A mentor gives you the tools, guidance, and vision to break through your own self-doubt and push yourself to the next level. They don’t give you shortcuts. They show you how to do the work that will make you great.
If you think mentorship is about riding on someone else’s wave, you will never build your own.
When people misunderstand mentorship, resentment creeps in. They start thinking, “I’ve been around this person, why am I not further along?”. "I’ve been giving so much of my time to this person, why aren’t they handing me everything?"
Because mentorship isn’t about being around…it’s about being better.
A mentor-mentee relationship is MUTUAL. A mentor invests belief, clarity, expectation, time, guidance, and wisdom that push you to levels you never thought you could reach. A mentee invests effort, discipline, and hunger. And in return, the mentor gains the satisfaction of seeing you grow, evolve, and eventually, pass on that knowledge to others. They know they’ve helped create something greater than themselves. And that, in itself, is what mentorship is all about. Anything less is a one-sided transaction.
A true mentor will hold up a mirror and say, “This is who you are right now, but this is who you can be.” It’s up to you to take that vision and make it a reality. The only person responsible for your success is you. A mentor can show you the door. But YOU have to find the key.
Success is earned.
The greatest mentors didn’t bypass the process. They worked. They failed. They refined themselves. And they expect you to do the same.
If you think mentorship is a shortcut, you haven’t understood the assignment.
If you think mentorship is about being in the right rooms instead of being the right person, you haven’t understood the game.
The real mentorship journey begins when you’re ready to do the work.
And if you’re still glued to the wrong mindset…waiting for success to fall into your lap…it’s time to recalibrate. .
So no, I am not your mentor if you’re looking for a shortcut. But if you’re ready to grow, if you’re ready to serve, learn, and earn your way forward, then maybe, just maybe, I can help guide you.
But first, let me see the hunger in your eyes.
Because this journey is earned… not given.
I came across your post on TikTok just once and I found you here again and for the first time I want to be mentored,not because I want access to the connections you have or I want a shortcut to success,but because I want that belief, that push,that servitude,someone that sees me for me now and what I can be . I have been working on myself for a while now and right now I want more,I want that push .
This was so good and mind opening. Thank you 👍