How to Find the Right Business Mentor For You

Since you are an entrepreneur, I can assume a few things about you: you are a go-getter, self-starter, and hard-working person. And I hope you recognize that and are proud of having those traits! It’s difficult starting your own wedding business, or any business, regardless of the industry you’re in. 

But I also know that sometimes that makes us a bit stubborn, and we’re tempted to figure everything out on our own. Here’s the truth, though: being a business owner isn’t a career that’s commonly taught, so sometimes we have to bow down to humility and seek help from a wedding business mentor if we want our business to grow. Actually, I believe this is important no matter where you are on your entrepreneurial journey. Everyone needs (and deserves) a wonderful mentor by their side who’s gone through what you’re about to go through. They’ll be able to provide valuable insights and the support you need when no one else in your life quite understands or is qualified to give advice. And your mentors can change as you grow in your business.

For example, I charged $4k for the first big full-service wedding I did, and I thought this was a lot of money — don’t get me wrong, it was a significant amount!  But I quickly realized that my business was going to be in the red on this event because my team and I were spending hundreds of hours designing and producing every single detail. We were spent! I knew we couldn’t do that again, so I sought out a mentor in the industry who was well known for high-end weddings and asked if she would teach me how to price these types of weddings. She walked through the process with me, helped me to understand how to estimate the hours and our hourly rate, etc. and how to present a proposal for staggering amounts of money. To my utter surprise, we got an inquiry a month later for one of the most epic weddings we have produced to date, and I was able to confidently present a $25k proposal for our service! They signed with us just a few days later.  

I share this example to demonstrate how dramatically a mentor can change the way you do business, the way you see your business, and even the way you value your services as an entrepreneur.

Of course, finding a mentor isn’t an easy task because this is someone you’re going to have to put a lot of trust in, someone you’re going to get vulnerable with, and someone you’ll be sharing the behind-the-scenes of your biz with. To ease some of the pressure of finding that perfect business wedding mentor who can take your business to the next level, I jotted down three tips I think are the most crucial ones to follow.

Step 1: Figure out what services you need.

The first step to finding your soulmate wedding business mentor — or any business mentor within your niche — is to figure out what you need at this moment on your business journey. As you already know, since you started your business or are in the process of starting your business, being an entrepreneur is always going to be a learning process. It can be tempting to jump a few steps ahead and find a business coach who can help you with something that usually comes later down the road or that might not apply to your business yet. Be honest with yourself and take a hard look at what you need right at this moment so you can move the needle forward sustainably.

For example, maybe you need help just starting your business, which could look like registering your business name, setting up a website, creating a cohesive brand, or any other aspect that lays the foundation of your business. Or perhaps you need help with creating efficient systems to streamline your signature experience. Some other popular areas of business that people seek a coach for are team building, marketing, sales, budgeting, and social presence.

No matter what it is, the key point is you have to know what you need before you search.

Step 2: Find a coach or expert that specializes in teaching what you need.

Step two is to find a specialist. You will end up in a better position and have a more fruitful experience if you find someone who is excellent at one specific aspect of business building than if you work with a jack-of-all-trades, as tempting as that option may be. This is because an expert has trained specifically in this area and has had time to establish a tried-and-true framework or technique.

If you need help with social media presence, it makes sense to find a mentor that teaches specifically how to become more visible on social media. Or if you need help with sales, find a sales coach who teaches and preaches sales strategies that have helped other businesses like yours take them to the next level.

Step 3: Make sure you like your business mentor.

This step may sound strange and unimportant, but finding a business coach you get along with is such a crucial (and underrated) step. It will make working with your mentor much easier, exciting, and motivating if you both can relate to each other. When searching around, ask yourself these questions:

• Does this business mentor value the same things I do?
• Do they have a similar lifestyle?
• Have they gained success in a way that I would like to gain success?

This person is most likely going to play a significant role in your company’s next big steps, so don’t settle. Go with someone you can be genuine and transparent with. Trust me, your business will thank you.

Final thoughts

Ok, now I want to hand the mic over to you all. Did this help you gain clarity on how to choose a wedding business mentor that’s right for you? Are there any tips that I left out? Drop all your thoughts in the comments!
And hey, if you feel like we’re vibing, I coach wedding and creative entrepreneurs to bring their business to the next level and help them create a business they’ve daydreamed about. I’d love to see how I can help you in the same way — let’s chat!