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Charlie Hoehn’s 6 Key Tactics for Landing Your Dream Mentor

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Charlie Hoehn

Like many other millennials coming out of college, my first foray into the work world wasn’t a smooth landing into a stable job. I spent a year in a startup incubator before leaving to start interning with a mentor to develop my marketing skills.

I then went on to lead marketing for Sumo.com, until that blew up 8 months later. There’s more detail to the story, but suffice it to say that I’ve made it to the other side successfully. Now I spend my time working for myself as an entrepreneur, traveling the world, and growing my site.

I can say without hesitation that the key to getting this ball rolling was finding a set of mentors who guided my initial learning, widened my network, and provided feedback along the way. The time I spent with my mentors set me up for success no matter what path I decided to take.

Finding a good mentor isn’t easy. It can be downright intimidating to reach out to someone you admire and ask for something. But it’s a skill that can be learned. A lot of my learning on how to find the perfect mentor came from Charlie Hohen’s book Recession-Proof Graduate.

Charlie spent the summer of 2008 after graduating college applying for jobs. Each day he’d stalk every job board applying to any job for which he was even slightly qualified – even if he didn’t really want to work them. This was at the peak of the global recession, and no employers were responding to the application of a fresh grad like Charlie.

Eventually, Charlie gave up applying for jobs and figured out how to start working on stuff he loved with mentors he admired, like Tucker Max, Ramit Sethi, and Tim Ferriss. Working with mentors eventually landed him in paid positions he could have never dreamed of before.

I was lucky enough to sit down and interview Charlie to discuss his book and his tactics for finding a mentor.

Here are the top points from our conversation that anyone can use to go from zero to getting a mentor, a fruitful internship and paid work no matter the circumstances:

1. Stop caring about what people think

You might get a lot of raised eyebrows as you opt for this atypical job search. Friends and family might doubt you, you may doubt yourself, but as Charlie says, you deserve a chance to do something unique and different. As a young person, you’ve spent more than a decade-and-a-half following someone else’s agenda, in school and at home. Now, with the fewest responsibilities you’ll ever have in your life, you’ve got the chance to follow an agenda of your own. Seize the day.

2. It’s all about communication

Finding a mentor is all about learning and mastering effective communication. Effective communication is all about giving before you ask: ‘give first, ask later’. At every point in your communication with your prospective mentor, find ways to offer value first. This might be offering insightful comments on their social media, or helpful replies to their blog broadcasts. When you’ve got something to offer, your prospective mentors will be much more receptive to offering something to you.

“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” – George Bernard Shaw

3. Get skilled

To have something to offer, you first need to develop a marketable skill. Developing a skill doesn’t mean become an expert right way. You just need to become really good at a few things. How? You can teach yourself an array of marketable skills online or through books, and then create an inexpensive online portfolio to put them on display.

4. Work for Free

This is the toughest for people to accept, but finding a good mentor means offering something in return. And there isn’t anything better than offering a useful skill for free. This drastically lowers the barrier to entry and places you in a position to impress. If working for free seems too crazy, just think about it, you’ve been doing free work for years in school. A few more months in return for a great payoff doesn’t seem to bad in comparison.

5. Make it easy for them

Don’t approach someone asking them “how can I help?”. This has the counter-intuitive effect of placing the burden on your prospective mentor to figure out what work to give you. Instead, do your research and figure out how you can specifically add value to your mentor’s life or business, and pitch that service to them. It might be editing their YouTube videos, sending them a content marketing strategy or creating an infographic based on their blog content.

“Price is what you pay. Value is what you get.” – Warren Buffett

6. Treat people like people

Resist the urge to place your mentors on a pedestal. Don’t view your mentor as a means to an end. Treat them like a person with whom you creating a lasting friendship. After all, these kinds of connections are the most valuable and long-lasting.

Here’s one more important piece: Make sure you maintain the relationship with your mentor even after you’ve moved on. A mentorship isn’t like an internship that you do over the summer and forget about. A mentorship is first and foremost a relationship, and it’s up to you to make sure that relationship keeps going. Make sure that you’re always giving back to your mentor whenever possible, and you’ll reap the rewards for a long time to come.

How did you land your dream mentor? Leave your experiences below!
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Wealth Lessons Everyone Should Hear for Every Stage of Your Life

Do you have the courage to rewrite your story?

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what i would tell my younger self

Do you see what I see? Likely not, as we each see ourselves through the lens of our own story. (more…)

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How to Choose the Best Affiliate Programs for Your Blog

If you follow these steps, you can create an affiliate marketing plan that makes money, fits well with your content, and connects with your readers

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how to choose the best affiliate programs for your blog

Picking the right affiliate programs for your blog is really important. It can make a big difference in how much money you can make and how much your readers get out of your blog. With so many choices out there, deciding which ones to go with can be tricky. 

This guide is here to make it easier for you. It will give you clear steps and helpful tips to choose affiliate programs that fit well with what your blog is about, what your readers like, and what you stand for. 

For more articles on this theme, please head over to this blog https://blog.partners1xbet.com/.

Understanding Affiliate Marketing

Before you start picking affiliate programs, it’s important to really understand what affiliate marketing is and how it works. 

Basically, affiliate marketing is when you promote a product or service on your blog, and then you get paid a little bit every time someone buys something or does something because you recommended it. 

It’s great for both the person selling the product and the blogger, because the seller gets more sales with low risk, and the blogger can make money from their blog.

How to Choose the Right Affiliate Programs for Your Blog

1. Assess Your Niche and Audience

The key to doing well in affiliate marketing starts with really knowing what your blog is about and who reads it. Consider the following:

  • Your blog’s content: What topics do you cover? Ensure the products or services you promote are relevant.
  • Your audience’s interests and needs: What solutions are they seeking? Choose affiliate programs that offer products or services that solve their problems or enhance their lives.

2. Research Potential Affiliate Programs

Once you know what your blog is about and what your readers want, start looking for affiliate programs. Choose ones that are well-known for good products, great customer service, and helpful support for affiliates. Resources to find these programs include:

  • Affiliate networks like ShareASale, Commission Junction, and ClickBank.
  • Direct searches for “[Your Niche] affiliate programs” in search engines.
  • Recommendations from other bloggers in your niche.

3. Evaluate the Commission Structure

The commission structure is a critical factor to consider. Look for programs that offer competitive rates that make your efforts worthwhile. Consider:

  • The percentage of commission per sale.
  • Whether the program offers a flat rate per action (e.g., per sign-up).
  • The cookie duration, which affects how long after a click you can earn commissions on sales.

4. Consider the Program’s Reputation and Sureness

Join affiliate programs with a solid reputation for quality and sureness. This not only ensures that you’re promoting good products but also that you’ll be paid on time. You can:

  • Read reviews from other affiliates.
  • Check the program’s history and background.
  • Look for any complaints or issues reported online.

5. Analyze the Support and Resources Offered

A good affiliate program gives you things like ads to use, training on their products, and helpful managers. Having access to these resources can really help you do a better job at promoting their products.

6. Understand the Terms and Conditions

Before signing up, thoroughly review the program’s terms and conditions. Pay close attention to:

  • Payment thresholds and methods.
  • Any restrictions on how you can promote their products.
  • The program’s policy on affiliate marketing on social media platforms.

7. Test the Product or Service

If possible, test the product or service before promoting it. This firsthand experience allows you to offer genuine charge and build trust with your audience.

8. Look for Recurring Commission Opportunities

Some affiliate programs pay you again and again for subscriptions or services that charge fees regularly. These can provide a more stable income compared to one-time sales commissions.

Implementing Your Choice

After choosing the best affiliate programs, the next step is to smoothly include your affiliate marketing in your content plan. This includes:

  • Creating valuable content that naturally incorporates affiliate links.
  • Disclosing your affiliate affairs transparently to maintain trust with your audience.
  • Tracking your results to understand what works best for your audience and adjusting your strategy accordingly.

Picking the best affiliate programs for your blog involves careful planning, research, and making sure they match what your audience likes and needs. 

If you follow these steps, you can create an affiliate marketing plan that makes money, fits well with your content, and connects with your readers. 

The real key to doing well with affiliate marketing isn’t just about the products you talk about, but also how much your audience trusts and values your advice. 

With enough time, patience, and hard work, your blog can grow into a successful space that earns a good amount of affiliate money and helps your readers choose the right products.

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The Power of Ethical Leadership: How Integrity Drives Success

By leading with integrity and ethics, leaders create an environment where employees feel excited to come to work

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Ethical leadership

What differentiates a positive organizational culture that enjoys a clean reputation and long-term success from a toxic culture drowning in scandals, mistrust, and legal fines?  (more…)

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10 Landing Page Hacks Experts Are Using to Generate Leads

Crafting a landing page that converts is both an art and a science

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landing page hacks that generate leads

If you are in the online marketing world, you know the importance of a high-quality landing page. It’s like a secret sauce that can turn a casual user into a solid lead. I will walk you through ten great tips that have worked wonders for me and could do the same for you in creating landing pages that generate leads. (more…)

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