Welcome back to our ongoing series, "A Decade of Marketing Insights." Over the last decade, I've grown as a leader and as a marketer. Throughout this series, I'll share 10 insights to help you along in your own entrepreneurial journey. Today I'm diving into the benefits of having a digital marketing coach or mentor.

A mentor or coach will guide you through the complexities of digital marketing strategies, and help you to avoid common pitfalls. Their real-world knowledge allows you to learn from their mistakes and successes alike. A mentor also provides valuable networking opportunities. They often introduce you to key players in the field, expanding your professional circle significantly.

A Decade of Marketing Insights Part 4: The Importance of Mentors

How To Find and Choose the Right Mentor

Finding the right mentor can be a transformative experience. So if you're ready to bring in another perspective from a coach or mentor here's what to do:

1. Identify your goals: What do you hope to achieve in your marketing, your career, etc.? This clarity will guide your search.
2. Consider the expertise of potential mentors: Look for someone with a proven track record in areas that resonate with you—be it sales strategy, SEO, or financial management. 
3. Connect with your potential mentors: You might already have a relationship with your mentor. Several of my mentors have been colleagues or clients. If no one jumps out at you, attend industry conferences and join online forums where the type of experts you're looking for gather.  Don’t shy away from reaching out directly. Be clear about what you’re seeking and how you believe they could help.

How Mentoring Has Helped Me Thrive

I attribute much of my marketing success to the guidance from my coaches and mentors. I'll share a few examples to help give you an idea of how easy it can be to grow with the help of a mentor:

• Dr. Rick Markson & Dr. Brett Axelrod: Dr. Markson was already a client of Page One Digital (he's been with us for 10 years and counting). He decided to bring us into the fold to support his chiropractic coaching business, ChiroDestiny. At this time, I was introduced to his business partner, Dr. Brett Axelrod. To familiarize myself with their services, I attended their three annual seminars, joined in on coaching calls with their clients, and observed monthly coaches meetings. Thanks to these experiences, within my first year of business, I had a very strong handle on, hiring and firing protocols, the importance of repeatable systems and procedures to make training said new hires a breeze, and how crucial it is to be able to problem-solve common pain points with other entrepreneurs. Eventually, I began to speak at their seminars to provide their clients with insights from my own marketing expertise and ultimately took on some of their own clients as my own (so a very fulfilling mentorship ultimately).
• Dr. Larry Markson: Keeping within the world of chiropractic coaching, I was introduced to Dr. Larry Markson through Rick. Larry was a frequent keynote speaker and coach within ChiroDestiny as he formerly ran a very successful chiropractic coaching group himself. At the time we were introduced, Larry was hosting a handful of 3-day personal growth retreats per year that he called The Cabin Experience. He asked for my help to market these events outside of the chiropractic industry (which to that point had been his only target audience). As I did with ChiroDestiny, I requested to attend one of his retreats in order to really understand what it was I would be promoting. That retreat genuinely changed my life, I've referred several people to attend since including my husband! I learned a great deal about the importance of a positive headspace when it comes to approaching any challenge. With the help of Larry, I was also able to identify the common fears that we all experience and ways to overcome them. This has helped me to become a much stronger marketer because it informs our marketing content on a regular basis. Ultimately, I was able to help Larry fill his upcoming event within a week of those marketing campaigns launching. Each time he decides to host another Cabin, we partner up to market it.
• Jordan & Kristin: Both Jordan and Kristin are not official coaches of any kind. I was introduced to them through a contract I've had since 2016 with a Fortune 500 company. Kristin was a project manager on that account for the first few years, and Jordan was the team lead on that account up until 2020. Though this was not an official mentor/mentee dynamic I was able to learn so much from each of them about how females in leadership roles should carry themselves. Thanks to these relationships, I've incorporated things like team retrospectives, quality assurance trackers, and several other tactics to maintain an asynchronous working environment. Though neither of them have been on the contract with said Fortune 500 company for a handful of years, I'm still in touch with both of them and learning something new each time we connect.

I am eternally grateful to the folks I've highlighted in my examples, but there are honestly several other people who have given me really great advice, insight, or guidance over the years. If you're open to collaborating with a mentor or coach, it can take your business (or your career) quite far. Page One Digital does offer mentor-like services via our content marketing services if you're interested in some one-on-one support.