Storytelling is a great skill to master.
But studying and practicing alone will not lead you so far. You need a mentor that, from his experience, can help you find what works and what doesn’t in your stories.
Here’s how having one or more mentors will level up your storytelling skills.
1: Personalized Feedback.
A mentor will give you tailored advice based on your specific strengths, weaknesses and style.
And this is the kind of help you can’t find anywhere else.
2: Industry Insights.
Mentors have real-world experience and knowledge about your industry.
It doesn’t matter if you write fiction or tell stories in public: insider’s knowledge is hard to get and extremely valuable.
3: Support.
A mentor, like a sport’s coach, can provide encouragement and motivation, especially during tough times.
They can help you find your limits and break them.
4: Career Guidance.
Mentors can help you navigate the industry and find great opportunities.
Great mentors are always happy to see their own students succeed.
5: Fresh Perspectives.
A mentor can offer a new perspective on your work, helping you see it in a different light.
It will also help you to go outside your comfort zone and add variety to your stories.
6: Networking Opportunities.
Mentors can introduce you to other professionals in the industry, expanding your network and creating new opportunities.
The more skilled you are, the happier they will be to introduce you to potential clients.
7: My 1.000.000€ Advice.
Hiring a mentor is not cheap.
In fact, if it is cheap, you must be very suspicious. Most likely, he is not the expert you are looking for.
But since mentors are expensive, here’s my advice.
Work for one.
I did it in my 20s and, while I didn’t get paid as much as I would have in a normal job, what I got was thousands of dollars worth of education.
Mentors always need help and, if they see that you are “coachable” they will gladly teach you.
That’s because the more you grow, the better help you can give them.