What I Realized About Mentorships Ep 445

In this podcast, the host reflects on the evolution of mentorship and personal growth in business, emphasizing the importance of respecting one's mentors while acknowledging their foundational role in one's success. He draws parallels between learning arithmetic before algebra and the necessity of foundational knowledge before advancement. He underscores the inevitability of being surpassed by those you mentor as a natural progression and a testament to effective teaching, rather than a personal defeat. The host, who has built acquisition.com into a billion-dollar portfolio, encourages mentors to share their wisdom without reservation and mentees to honor their predecessors, fostering a collaborative rather than competitive community. He concludes by advocating for a shift in perspective, where the true success of a teacher is measured by the ability of their students to exceed them, thereby advancing collective knowledge and capability.

• Gary Vee acknowledges the importance of sequential learning and growth.
• He reflects on how people often dismiss early mentors when they advance in their knowledge or career.
• Gary Vee emphasizes the importance of recognizing the role of early mentors in preparing one for future lessons.
• The growth process is compared to academic progression, from arithmetic to algebra.
• It's important to value each stage of learning and the teachers who guide us through them.

When you get to algebra, you don't think, man, my arithmetic teacher was a fucking idiot. I can't believe they didn't teach me this stuff.

This quote illustrates the illogical nature of disparaging early educators upon advancing in knowledge, emphasizing the necessity of foundational learning before tackling more complex subjects.

• The competitive nature of successful individuals is acknowledged.
• Gary Vee discusses the inevitability of being forgotten over time and the importance of who surrounds you at life's end.
• He shares a personal realization about surpassing his mentors not making him superior, but rather grateful for the head start they provided.

One is that you are going to die and no one is going to remember, like real, real, like 10,000 years from now no one's going to remember at all.

This quote underscores the humbling truth that individual achievements will eventually fade from memory, highlighting the transient nature of success and recognition.

• Mentees should appreciate their mentors rather than belittling them.
• Mentors should share knowledge freely without withholding secrets for competitive advantage.
• Gary Vee suggests that both mentors and mentees should recognize the mutual benefits of their relationship.

I was only able to get better than them because they gave me the head start.

The quote conveys gratitude towards mentors for their role in one's success and the importance of acknowledging their contribution rather than claiming superiority.

• Gary Vee talks about the natural progression of society where each generation ideally has a better starting point.
• He addresses the contradiction between the desire to improve life for the next generation and the resentment that sometimes follows when they face fewer hardships.
• The ultimate goal is to make a positive impact and improve the world, which includes giving the next generation an advantage.

That's the point of progress as a civilization.

This quote encapsulates the essence of societal advancement, which is to create conditions for the next generation to have better opportunities than the previous ones.

• The mission of Gary Vee's business is to make a positive impact and improve lives.
• He calls out the hypocrisy of resenting younger people for having it easier when that is a sign of successful societal progress.
• The goal of making the world a better place is tied to the concept of leaving a legacy of improvement and assistance for others.

We want to make the world a better place. We want to make an impact. We want to make positive impact in people's lives.

This quote reflects the aspirational vision of a business that aims to contribute positively to society and the importance of aligning actions with this vision.

• Mentors play a crucial role in guiding and accelerating the journey of their protégés.
• They provide warnings and advice based on their experiences, helping the next generation avoid obstacles.
• The mentor's path becomes a blueprint for the protégé, allowing for faster progress.
• The cycle of mentorship continues as each generation becomes mentors for the next, creating a compounding effect on speed and efficiency.
• Acknowledging the contributions of mentors is important for a collaborative and productive community.

"My point is to forge as far as I can, look back and be like, hey, watch out for that hole. Watch out for that rock. Keep going."

This quote emphasizes the mentor's role in laying down a path and warning about potential pitfalls, thus facilitating the protégé's journey.

"And then they get to the next non clearing and they have to start hacking away and hacking away and hacking away to forge the next path."

The quote highlights the ongoing process of progress, where each generation must encounter and overcome new challenges, contributing to the path for those who follow.

• Expressing gratitude for predecessors is essential for recognizing their efforts in paving the way.
• The speaker reflects on his appreciation for Gary Vee's work, which provided a foundation for his own success.
• There is an understanding that while one might not be the best, competition and striving for excellence remain important.
• The relationship between generations is not one of rivalry but of passing the baton and honoring the sacrifices made.

"And so I think if we can shift the perspective from the mentor side of, like, my point is not to beat the progeny."

This quote suggests a shift in perspective where mentors focus on enabling the success of the next generation rather than competing with them.

"And so when I think about the gratitude that I have for the Gary Vee's who he's, whatever, eleven years, twelve years older than I am, and he's forged so much of this path that I didn't have to think about how am I going to create this whole thing?"

The speaker expresses gratitude for Gary Vee's work, acknowledging the advantage gained from his mentorship and the path he has cleared.

• The true measure of success is the impact one has on the next generation and the world at large.
• The speaker emphasizes the importance of giving the next generation a head start.
• Recognizing the contributions of one's mentors is seen as a way to honor their legacy.
• The goal of mentorship is to make the world a better place by sharing knowledge and experiences.

"You're going to live, you're going to die, you're going to learn some things and you want to teach to the next guy."

This quote captures the essence of human existence and the importance of passing on knowledge to the next generation.

"If you look at some of the greatest success stories, a lot of them talk about their mentors."

The speaker points out that many successful individuals attribute part of their success to the guidance of their mentors, highlighting the significance of mentorship in personal growth and achievement.

• Warren Buffett is cited as an example of someone who greatly benefited from a mentor, Paul Graham.
• The speaker notes that Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger discuss what they learned from their mentor as well as their own subsequent discoveries.
• The anecdote about Warren Buffett and Paul Graham illustrates the value of mentorship and the potential for protégés to surpass their mentors.
• The speaker draws parallels between his own experience with Gary Vee and Warren Buffett's with Paul Graham.

"Warren Buffett had Paul Graham, who was his mentor early on, so he wanted to work for him."

This quote introduces the mentorship relationship between Warren Buffett and Paul Graham, showing the impact of Graham on Buffett's career.

"And so Gary Vee didn't have Gary Vee to mentor him on his career. I did. I do. Right now we all do."

The speaker contrasts his own experience, having a mentor like Gary Vee, with Gary Vee's experience of not having a similar mentor, highlighting the advantage he has received.

• The concept of mentorship is dynamic, with each generation benefiting from the previous one's experiences.
• The speaker acknowledges that as people learn from their mentors, they eventually have to forge their own paths.
• The idea that future generations will surpass the current one is presented as a natural and desirable outcome.
• The speaker implies that while he has benefited from Gary Vee's mentorship, there is someone younger who will benefit from his own experiences.

"But you know what's different is that there's a 20 year old, it might be you who's watching this, and you've got me."

This quote suggests that the speaker is now in a position to mentor the next generation, continuing the cycle of progress and mentorship.

• Gary Vee discusses the importance of mentorship and the natural progression where mentees are expected to surpass their mentors.
• Mentors should feel successful when their mentees excel beyond their own achievements.
• The true measure of a good mentor is their ability to elevate others above themselves.
• A mentor's success is not in maintaining superiority but in effectively transferring skills and knowledge.
• Gary Vee suggests that if no one taught by an educator is doing better, it may be due to the educator's reluctance to share genuine secrets to success.

"And when I see guys who are in their 60s, I'm like, man, by the time I'm 60, I'm going to be ten times as wealthy as them."

Gary Vee reflects on his ambition to outperform his older mentors in wealth and success, recognizing the role they played in his journey.

"And so it's like I'm trying to rub it in someone's face who has literally been doing nothing but feed me and help me."

He acknowledges that it's counterproductive to boast about surpassing mentors who have contributed to his growth.

"If your mentees and the students that you have and the people that you help and the people that you teach don't move above you, it means that you're a bad teacher, not a good one."

Gary Vee indicates that a mentor's greatness is shown by the ability of their mentees to exceed their own level of success.

"It's not that the student no longer needs the teacher, the student, whatever. It's that they should move faster through those careers and then get to the point where they're both looking together with his experience and his raw talent, looking at the new landscape, saying, all right, what do you think we should do?"

He emphasizes the collaborative nature of the mentor-mentee relationship and the goal of mentees advancing rapidly with the guidance of their mentors.

• Gary Vee believes in the power of sharing knowledge and experiences to propel others forward.
• He criticizes educators who hold back their true insights, suggesting they are not truly superior but rather poor teachers.
• The success of a teacher or mentor should be redefined as their ability to have students surpass them.
• Gary Vee encourages sharing valuable information freely, as it will be the lasting legacy after one's death.

"So, for everyone who's got an education business, if you've got an education business and no one's doing better than you, it's because you're not willing to give the secrets that you know are really the things that are driving."

He challenges educators to be more open with their knowledge if they want to see their students succeed beyond themselves.

"I promise you, there are so many smarter people on Wall street than you promise there are."

Gary Vee points out that there are always smarter individuals out there, implying that one's success is not solely due to being exceptional but also due to the quality of teaching.

"I get asked a lot of times because I have this quote, give away the secret, sell the implementation with your business."

He shares his philosophy on education in business, which is to freely share knowledge while selling the service of implementing it.

• Gary Vee speaks about the significance of leaving a legacy through sharing knowledge and helping others.
• He believes that tangible contributions such as books will outlast other forms of content.
• The act of sharing information is seen as a way to extend one's impact beyond their lifetime.

"I'm going to die. And the only thing that will be left will be the documented stuff that I've been able share the books that I write, the courses that I make."

Gary Vee expresses an awareness of mortality and the desire to leave a lasting legacy through his shared works.

"And realistically, the courses will probably fade. So the books might be the only things that are left with given en"

He acknowledges that while some forms of content may be forgotten, books have a chance of preserving his teachings for future generations.

• Gary Vee emphasizes the role of community and word-of-mouth promotion in the growth of his podcast.
• He does not rely on traditional advertising methods but instead asks his audience to share and promote the content.
• The act of sharing is seen as both a way to grow the podcast's reach and to generate positive karma for entrepreneurs.

"The only way this grows is through word of mouth. And so I don't run ads. I don't do sponsorships. I don't sell anything."

Gary Vee explains his reliance on organic growth through the recommendations and actions of his listeners.

"My only ask is that you continue to pay it forward to whoever showed you or however you found out about this podcast, that you do the exact same thing."

He encourages listeners to actively share the podcast, creating a cycle of growth through personal referrals.

• Gary Vee emphasizes the importance of documenting the process as it happens to remember the nuances and details.
• He balances building a bigger business with documenting his experiences to provide guidance for others.
• Documenting is seen as a way to help others and make the world a better place, rather than just focusing on personal wealth accumulation.

"And so I also do this because I forget this stuff when I'm in it is when I want to be making it, because if I'm looking back, you forget the nuance, you forget the details."

This quote explains why Gary Vee documents his journey—to capture the details and nuances that might be forgotten when reflecting on the past.

• Gary Vee sacrifices potential business growth for the sake of writing books and creating frameworks to help others.
• He believes the long-term satisfaction of positively impacting others outweighs the monetary gain he could achieve by focusing solely on his business.
• The joy derived from knowing he has reduced others' suffering is a key motivator for him.

"If I wanted to make more money, I would get half my time back and just double down on building my business faster."

Gary Vee acknowledges that he could focus more on his business to increase his wealth but chooses to invest time in helping others instead.

• Gary Vee reflects on the relative unimportance of the difference between extreme levels of wealth at an old age.
• He prefers to live a life focused on helping others rather than accumulating wealth for himself.
• Making a positive difference in others' lives brings him more joy than personal financial success.

"I don't think that I'll have a difference between being worth 10 billion and 20 billion when I'm 85."

Gary Vee expresses that the difference in wealth at an advanced age is less significant than the impact made on others' lives.

• Hearing about others' success stories, which were facilitated by his advice, provides Gary Vee with emotional fulfillment.
• He finds meaning in his work when it helps others overcome challenges and achieve their goals.
• This sense of purpose helps him endure difficult times in his own business endeavors.

"And so when I hear somebody's like, dude, you help me get my business from 10,000 a month to 50,000 a month, they're like, dude, we were walking around outside yesterday, and someone's like, dude, I did everything you have, and we're doing $4 million a year now."

This quote highlights the joy Gary Vee feels when learning about the tangible success his guidance has brought to others.

• Gary Vee sees his own business challenges as opportunities to develop solutions that can help many others.
• By sharing his experiences, he enables others to bypass similar obstacles more quickly and efficiently.
• This sense of collective progress and the ability to help others at scale is a source of personal satisfaction for him.

"I was stuck at mid 30 million for three years, which, to everyone watching, they're like, boohoo. That's not the point, is that there's another guy who's going to get to that point and he's going to move right past it, like, in a blink of an eye because he'll have had the right advice that I didn't have right or didn't have the context."

Gary Vee discusses his own business plateau as a learning experience that, when shared, can help others accelerate their success.

• Gary Vee encourages expressing gratitude to mentors and teachers who have contributed to one's growth, regardless of how far one has surpassed them.
• Acknowledging the role of mentors can be emotionally rewarding for both the mentor and the mentee.
• He challenges individuals to reframe their perspective on past relationships with mentors, recognizing the value they provided.

"If this changed your mind about some of the shit talking that you've done to a teacher or to a mentor who was earlier on in your career because you passed them or they taught you part of the way and then somebody else taught you more of the way, my only ask now is just like, shoot that guy a text and be like, hey, respect. I appreciate you."

This quote emphasizes the importance of showing appreciation to those who have guided us, even if we have since outgrown their tutelage.