As a very self-driven person, it hasn't been my modus operandi to seek out guidance or people to model after. Since 2014, I quit the full-time employment scene and decided to do my own thing.
I haven't looked back since, but it does get lonely and disorienting being out on your own. Over the years, I began seeking out advice and looking to people for options on the self-employment path. Through this, I've come to appreciate the importance of great mentors and role models.
What does "mentor" mean to me?
A mentor could play many roles in one's life. For me, looking at someone for guidance often means looking at their life and values--how do they live? How do they treat themselves? How do they make decisions? What is their system and hierarchy of values? That's gonna tell me much more about them than the pragmatic advice of "how do I get to do X like they're doing?"
In short, a mentor, for this blog post, means a person I've learned something very valuable from, whether they guided me directly or indirectly.
Two of my mentors
These are two of my favorite people as I embarked on this self-guided career and lifestyle:
Brennan
Perhaps one of the first people I learned about during my freelance journey. Brennan might be best known for his brand, Double Your Freelancing. Through his courses, he empowered many freelancers to build a better business, and ultimately have a healthier professional life (and work/life balance). I won't waste your time repeating what he says, so just go over to his sites and see for yourself. But here I tell you what I personally learned.
I can't remember who or how I stumbled upon Double Your Freelancing Rate, but I ended up buying the course and joining the community. I've also learned a lot about freelancing and building an agency through the free materials that Brennan puts out. (If you follow online courses/personal brand trends, you know by now that providing free value is a sure way to get people interested in paying for your courses.)
Through the book, and the multiple email series, I learned a lot of valuable advice, but this is the one that stuck with me the most:
Respect yourself. Treat yourself as a professional and others will do the same. Know what you're worth and charge accordingly.
There are tons of ways to distinguish yourself in the business world. But no matter what your values are, you must act professionally. Deliver on time. Respect your promises. Respect your own hours. Push back on client requests. Communicate clearly from the beginning and inspire trust in your services. This mindset has probably generated more value for me than anything else in the past 4 years, honestly.
