Mentors are invaluable. There is no such thing as a self-made millionaire. Everyone has had help with some phase of professional development. You can go a long way toward life mastery and business success with books and tapes. But eventually you will want to have mentors with whom you communicate and interact on a regular basis. There are great professional development mentors to be found right in your own hometown.



Make a list of those people who intrigue you with their achievements in business success. Then, ask the first one for coffee or a lunch meeting. Repeat this process with each one as you refine your professional development questions to get the most out of the time you spend together.

And, don't forget to ask how you can be of service to each of these people.

When I was beginning this process, I was surprised that busy, successful people were willing to take the time to share their secrets of personal success with me. All you have to do is ask! You may be surprised to find they will even pass on to you professional development strategies that they have learned from their mentors.

An attitude of openness to possibility is essential. Keep your eyes and ears open, and have enough faith in yourself to make quick decisions and go for it. Don't ever be afraid to pay someone for his or her knowledge.

The rewards you reap in saving years of trial and error, not to mention the strong possibility that you may never learn on your own the personal development strategies that they are willing to teach you, is more than worth the investment.

Just this past weekend, I was at an event where I had the opportunity to network with some of the most brilliant marketers. We brainstormed about business success over meals and in the hallways during breaks in the meetings.

You'll find that successful people love helping other people succeed. We all share an attitude of "let me tell you what's working for me now" that allows everyone to take advantage of each other's discoveries and business success strategies.

Yes, we're all in the same business as marketers, speakers and authors; but we are building strategic alliances rather than looking at each other as competitors. That makes being a well-informed risk taker much easier than going it alone.

It's a good idea to associate with the people who are already in the place of where you want to go. Only listen to people who have big goals for themselves and are willing to do what it takes to be successful. Don't make the mistake of asking someone for advice who hasn't done what you are planning to do.