Who is Your Business Guru?
Few people set out with the knowledge and skills needed to start, build and grow a business, even Warren “Edward” Buffet, the worlds richest man; which flips between him and Bill Gates, (he is an American business magnate, investor and philanthropist) went on his one and only business course, of which he has the certificate from hanging on his wall which was a Dale Carnegie course, on How to Win Friends and Influence People.
Therefore as well as having Knowledge, Skills and action, in your business tool box, you would do well to find a mentor, the easiest but the not the best way, is to find a virtual mentor via social media, and it’s never been easier to do, but who to follow and what you get is a mine field, there are as many as there are waves on the sea shore (there is no governing body, no statutory law or license required to call yourself a business guru, you just start and away you go, well in theory anyway.
So how do you judge the wannabe from the real deal? Research and Google helps but do use other search engines and using social media platforms, does help you can come up with a list. There are numerous books and everyone is in the Guru talk business uses and exploits social media to its full potential.
People will pick what other people deem popular, that’s natural, it’s social compliance, follow the herd mentality. Who want a Guru no one has heard of? While I don’t recommend following to many Gurus, have just one virtual one, for me, is not recommend, you need at maximum five but no less then three, each Guru have their own personality and so do you, a verity will give you a mix of opinions and expertise, treat you can pick and choose, to suit YOUR needs.
Let me say from the get go, Grant Cardone is my top guru and one I use as my gold standard or yard stick. Grant did a blog on “Who is your Business Guru?” and he gave some tips on what to judge them by:
The real deal will have a business or multiple businesses with employees.
They will be paying their taxes, hiring and running a business.
They will always have specific strategies, tangible products and technologies that are measurable, not just inspiration.
That’s a great template to put the guru of your choice in to and to use as a template. Guru’s or mentors have there own agenda , and you will , should have yours , there will come a time , when you have got all you can from the virtual mentor or guru and the time to part and find a new one that can take you to where you need to go, will be needed. Use guru’s like rungs on a ladder, someone to take you up and then move on to another level, like a coach, great tennis players don’t keep the same coach forever, they move on, and so should you, use them as inevitability they have used you (buying their webinars and products) if your not making progress with them, then move on!
There is high amount of guru’s on YouTube, its where the good, the bad and the dead of the past live on and everyone broadcasts their message . The good thing about a live guru, is you can contact them through social media and even see and talk to them, if you are lucky or brave enough or attend one of their retreats, mastermind meetings and or events.
This sounds obvious, but pick one you like, one that matches your personality, or pick and mix ,to suit you current needs, which will change over time as hopefully, you progress then so should grow out of your guru and move on to a new guru and or mentor, that’s an individual call,we all make on our own.
The question you may have been asking yourself is; who are my guru’s?
Here I have used 70/30 rule 70 percent Grant Cardone, 30 percent others, you need to see what others have to say, but don't flip flop, pick a primary one and stick with them.
Grant Cardone. Lots of free information and the products and books are very readable and he has a charm, and a great voice to listen too. My gold standard and yard stick to measure others, his YouTube content is fantastic, seventy five percent of what he does is free, the rest you pay for. His books a must read especially Sell or be Sold and of course The 10X rule
Gary Vaynerchuk. Gary has a lot to say and is very open and futurist in his thinking , his books are a inspiring and has a great work ethic, and he use the Internet and the platforms for what they are, you use they or they use you. He has some great books and boy can he promote them, he sure can! such as Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook: How to Tell Your Story in a Noisy Social World and #AskGaryVee: One Entrepreneur’s Take on Leadership, Social Media, and Self-Awareness, his latest books, the latter he is currently promoting, using the very things he writes and talks about. I did a blog on #AskGaryVee.
Tai Lopez Here in my garage… insert name of the top marque of high end super cars, and you have his catch phrase…he blasts YouTube with some of the highest views and has give a ways, and thinks of himself as a sort of mad scientist for business, he also runs the “knowledge society” business from his Hollywood mansion.
He gets top names to give mini webinars and Periscopes and Meerkat ( video streaming apps) free sessions as well as offering a paid for content such as the Sixty Seven Steps, he even has people visiting him from Google, he holds seminars and acts as catalyst for others, he does pull in some big names, and they visit him at his mansion. He loves books ( who does not?) and has one of the world biggest book of the day clubs.
They all fit in the above Cardone template, but like the quote from Haruki Murakami book “Norwegian Wood” in 1987 (thanks to Tyler Hooks for the quote see here)
Just remember, life is like a box of chocolates.” … “You know, they’ve got these chocolate assortments, and you like some but you don’t. like others? And you eat all the ones you like, and the only ones left. are the ones you don’t like as much? I always think about that when something painful comes up. “Now I just have to polish these off, and everything will be OK.’ Life is a box of chocolates.
The above have a lot in common, they all use social media and are not used by it. They are not consumers of content but use it as producers, they are also all workaholics and do social media day and night every day and every night.
Its your choice and you can eat, what you like and leave the rest, I think that sums up guru’s for me, but what about you?
I would be interested to read, who your guru’s are and why?
Thanks for reading and any comments are welcome.
If you are interested in Grant Cardone I have blogs on him and a web site on books and Grant Cardone, my favorite, too.
