I still remember the day that I thought about quitting my business. I was sitting at my desk looking at Pinterest trying to figure out how to raise my sales as a TPT Seller.
I got so frustrated and overwhelmed by all of the information that I thought about giving up.
We’ve all been there. As a new blogger or Teachers Pay Teachers Seller, there is so much information out there.
You scroll through Pinterest trying to figure out how to do something.
And instead of getting a clear answer, there are sometimes several different ways to do something and you get frustrated.
This happened to me. And I mean a lot!
I would be so obsessed with researching before I started, that I would often get conflicting information that would frustrate me!
It wasn’t until that moment that I realized: I am doing this to myself.
As a new TPT Seller, I was so worried about finding the right “Niche” and “Niching-down” that I didn’t realize I also needed to “Mentor-Down.”
Okay, hold on! What do you mean by “Mentor Down?”
Well, I’m glad you asked!
(This post may contain affiliate or external links. Meaning I get a commision if you purchase anything through my links at no cost to you. Read full disclosure here.)
In this blog post we will be talking about the following:
What does “Mentor-Down” even mean?
First things first, let’s talk about what “Mentor-Down” means.
When I say “Mentor-Down,” what I mean is to narrow down the amount of information you are getting.
Instead of looking on Google or Pinterest for strategies that work because it’s free and accessible (guilty), pick one or two mentors to follow and stick with them.
But why would anyone want to “Mentor Down”?
Well, in a world with unlimited access, it’s become so easy to just Google something and find your answer.
However, when you are googling for great tactics to grow your blog or TPT store, it’s no wonder we get overwhelmed and frustrated.
As a new seller, I would spend hours surfing the web (or Pinterest) looking for answers to my endless questions.
But what I found was that I would get inconsistent information and I would kind of piece together some of the tactics I found.
Well, I’m here to tell you, don’t do that.
Instead of getting my concoction of an awesome strategy, I would get inconsistent results.
When you do a variety of tactics into one, you won’t get consistent results.
Or you might eventually, it will just take a while to see the results you want.
That’s why I recommended picking one or two mentors, learn from them, and then tweak what works for you.
This allows you to get a jump start on strategies that are proven to work, without the headache.
So as a recap, why you should “Mentor-Down:”
- Avoid getting overwhelmed and frustrated
- Prevent inconsistent results
- Use proven tactics that have been proven to work
-Herbie Hancock
“I’ve learned a lot from mentors who were instrumental in shaping me, and I want to share what I’ve learned.”
Let me Prove it to you
I was in my second month as an Edrupenuer when I finally decided to “Mentor-Down.”
And let me tell you, the results were ASTOUNDING!
In my first month, I made zero sales.
That’s right, nada.
But during my second month, I made a whole $31.72!
That’s $31 more than when I started!
Now that may not seem like a lot. I know some of you might be like, “that’s it?”
But I was so stoked to have anyone buy my products!
And spoiler alert: I already passed that this month. More info on this later.
So what changed?
Well, you see, in August I decided to take my “Side Hustle” seriously. I decided to “Mentor Down.”
Who I decided to Follow or “Mentor Down”
In August there were mainly two people I decided to follow and learn from:
Becca Davis
I ran into Becca Davis before I even started as a TPT Seller. She’s the reason I’m even writing this Blog Post right now.
If you didn’t know, Becca is the author and creator of “Becca’s Music Room.”
I immediately loved her Youtube videos because she was blunt and informative.
At the time, she was the only person doing income reports, which were helpful as a new TPT Seller.
Even though she teaches music and I focus on Primary, I love following her because she is so goal-driven and beginner-friendly.
I love how she holds nothing back and how real she is with her followers.
She is my go-to resource when it comes to TPT.
Catherine Manning
Catherine Manning AKA the creator of “The Content Bug” is my go-to for Blogging and Pinterest Advice.
I’m not going to lie, when I first ran into Catherine’s Youtube videos, I was overwhelmed.
She talked so fast and had so much information that I had to take a break from her videos.
It wasn’t until a couple of weeks later that I realized she was exactly what I needed. I needed a pro who knew exactly what they were talking about.
I had spent so much time listening to a couple of different people at the same time. And I was barely seeing any results.
When I started listening to her videos again, I immediately saw results.
That’s why I invested in her resource “The Blog Hustler.”
And let me tell you, as a new blogger that book is exactly what I needed.
In “The Blog Hustler” Catherine not only talks about creating a 90 Day Plan, but also the basics that every beginner blogger should know. Thanks, Catherine!
This book has dramatically changed my business in the last couple of months.
In Pinterest alone, I have more than doubled my Monthly Viewers in 2 Weeks!
The “Blog Hustler” helped me get from 4K monthly viewers to almost 50K. That’s insane!
It is such a powerful resource that has complete transformed the success of my business. I HIGHLY recommend checking it out and seeing if it is the missing link that your Business needs.
Good Mentors
Okay, that’s great and all, but what does that mean for me?
Well, what I’m saying is if you surround yourself with good mentors: success is just around the corner.
Both Mentors that I follow have some common qualities that make them a good Mentor.
I don’t want my readers making the same mistakes that I did when I was looking for a Mentor. That’s why I compiled the following list of “What Qualities Are In A Good Mentor?”
Good Mentors are Blunt
Not surprisingly, both of the influencers mentioned above are both extremely blunt. They do not sugar-coat things and they are REAL with their audience.
And I honestly believe that’s one of the reasons their audience respects them so much. Their followers know that whatever they say is relevant and that they aren’t holding anything back.
When you have mentors that are not afraid to be honest, you know that they have your best interests in mind. And that they won’t lead you astray.
That’s why I recommend looking for an ‘Honest’ or ‘Blunt’ mentor.
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Good Mentors are Not Chasing Money
Have you ever been to someone’s Website and they are constantly trying to get you to buy something?
It’s like they care more about money than helping their audience.
What I loved about Catherine and Becca, is that they weren’t money hungry!
That’s not their Mission. Their mission is to serve others. Emphasis on serve!
They have more free helpful content than they do products. This allows them to build trust with their audience. You can try out their free content and if it works, then you can invest into their products.
And since they put out quality free content, a lot of people are more interested in what they have to say in their paid resources.
I highly recommend looking for Mentors that are not holding stuff back in their free content. And their mission is to serve you!
“A mentor is someone who allows you to see the hope inside yourself.”
-Oprah Winfrey
Good Mentors are GOOD at a couple of things
If Catherine or Becca tried to do a little of everything, they would not be as credible, nor would they have time to emphasize their knowledge on a couple of things.
Becca is amazing when it comes to navigating Teachers Pay Teachers. Whenever I have a question about TPT I go to her resources.
But I don’t go to her about Blogging advice because that’s not her emphasis. Not that her blog isn’t great because it is!
My point is, I would rather follow someone who knows their stuff in one area than a couple of different things.
Now I’m not saying expanding your niche is bad. But it’s helpful to follow someone who has an emphasis that way they are your go to for that problem.
For instance, if I am having trouble growing my reach on Pinterest, I want to find someone who really knows about Pinterest in order to help me.
That’s why it is so important to surround yourself with mentors who are really good at a couple of things. When you have a group of mentors that are pro’s at specific things, you have a well rounded team of support to help you.
How to Find a Good Mentor
All in all, there are a couple of key qualities you should look for when looking for a Reliable Mentor.
Now I’m not saying you HAVE to follow the people I do. But, there are a couple of things to keep in mind while searching for your ideal mentor. When you are looking for a Mentor Make sure that they are:
- Honest
- Not Holding Anything Back
- Not Money Driven
- Have a Mission to Serve Others
- Emphasize on a Couple of Things
Finding someone who has all of these qualities or most of these qualities might really narrow down your mentors. But a good way for Success in your Business is to start off with the right information. I would rather narrow down my mentors with guaranteed success, than follow a mixture of tactics and get inconsistent results.
Putting It Together
Overall, if you are chasing success, then you need to surround yourself with success.
When you decide to follow a couple of strategies CONSISTENTLY and adapt them over time, that’s when you see true results.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read through this blog. I hope it was helpful!
Who do you follow? Comment down below so that we can create a list of amazing mentors for other TPT Sellers or Bloggers!
Happy Teaching!
The Present Teacher
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