We might need heroes…

In a blog post by Sergey Faldin titled “You Don’t Really Need a Mentor” he explains why uhm … you don’t really need a mentor. Rather you might benefit more from looking to heroes.

Heroes are public figures that broadcast their model or blueprint to everyone. The key difference between the two is mentors have one on one conversations with you, giving advice and tips to help you grow faster whereas heroes are people you respect but never meet. The idea you have of them is based on the little extraordinary things you know about them.

This was an interesting read for me having had mentors and being the one giving the advice. I have come to understand it is never really about the advice, strategy or plan. It is the execution. If the advice someone is giving you, doesn’t resonate with you personally, you might find it hard to execute. This is the beauty of heroes, they are an embodiment of ideas and aspirations you already have. Trying to emulate them is a lot easier.

This got me thinking: Who are my heroes? Well, Kanye.

See once upon a time there was a teenage boy who only ever dreamt of being a soccer star. Then on a beautiful sunny day he listened to a song that changed it all. POWER!

At first I was confused at why I loved it so much, then I realized I was not listening to the greatest song I have ever heard but rather a musician displaying high level artistry. This was something that resonated with me. So subconsciously I put together this collage of moments that justified my hero being the peak of artistry.

In hindsight, maybe the image I created of my hero wasn’t an accurate or well-rounded representation of him, but it worked. Ten years later I’m a freelance creative doing something I genuinely love.

All that said there isn’t enough time to sit and wait for new heroes. We have to be more intentional about who our heroes are. There are a lot of ways to find your heroes faster like: looking for industry leaders, documentaries, biographies or biopics but sometimes it's just paying attention. One of my heroes is Oprah. Which is funny because I was never a fan of her show or anything else she did, till I listened to her super soul conversations and read some of the books she recommended. Turns out I like a lot about her like how her brand, her business and life is structured. We also share a star sign which makes sense.

In conclusion as much as we’re all looking for someone who can give us the answers to make life/business make sense. Sometimes we already have the answers and need to explore ways of finding them within ourselves.

Thanks for reading!