The $100 MBA Show – Episode MBA2711 Q&A Wednesday: How Do I Find A Mentor?

Host: Omar Zenhom
Date: December 3, 2025

Overview

In this laser-focused Q&A Wednesday episode, Omar Zenhom tackles a perennial entrepreneurship question: “How do I find a mentor?” Instead of serving predictable advice, Omar turns the question on its head, arguing that searching for a single, savior-like mentor is both unhelpful and unproductive. Drawing from his decades-long entrepreneurial journey, Omar explores the realities of mentorship, the myth of perfect guidance, and offers practical strategies for learning, building wisdom, and making hard decisions independently.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Mentor Myth – Why a Mentor Won’t Save You

• Omar’s core message: There is no perfect mentor who can give you all the answers. Waiting for someone else to tell you what to do will only stall your progress.
  • Quote:

    “A mentor is not going to save you. They can't. And if you're willing to accept that, you can start on the path to where you want to go.” — Omar (01:12)

• Mentors can teach you skills and expand your toolkit, but personal decisions must always be your own. Their advice is filtered through their own context, which differs from yours.
• Biographies are useful: Learning from others’ stories is valuable as reference, but never as a blueprint.
  • Quote:

    “A mentor can show you how they build their life, only you can build yours.” — Omar (04:24)

2. The Myth of the Perfect Match

• The idea that “if I just find the right mentor, everything will fall into place” is a fantasy.
• Entrepreneurship is full of uncertainty, requiring decisions with incomplete information — no one can provide certainty for you.
  • Quote:

    “You still have to do the hard part, which is making tough decisions with incomplete information. That is life.” — Omar (07:11)

• Not even the greatest entrepreneurs assign their success to a single mentor; instead, they are influenced by many and ultimately rely on their own judgment.

3. Learning vs. Imitating — Finding Your Unique Path

• Omar encourages using insights from others as “data points” to refine your decision-making, not to simply copy their choices.
  • Example: Omar discusses reading Elon Musk’s biographies and seeing them as both cautionary tales and sources of specific lessons.
  • Quote:

    “If I followed that blueprint to the T... I would be unhappy. And that is not the result I want.” — Omar (06:30)

4. Building Your Own Board of Directors

• Instead of looking for a single mentor, build a ‘personal board of directors’ — a council of people you can turn to for different kinds of insights.
• This council can include peers, friends who challenge you, people ahead of you, and others with perspectives different from your own.
  • Quote:

    “Not a single savior, not some magic guru ... A circle of people at different stages that you can learn from.” — Omar (13:30)

5. Ask for Insight, Not Direction

• Omar stresses the importance of asking people how they made decisions at your stage, rather than what you should do.
  • Quote:

    “Instead of asking ‘What should I do?’ that’s a horrible question. A much better question is, ‘How did you think this through when you were at my stage?’” — Omar (14:45)

• This develops your own decision-making muscle. Outsourcing direction outsources your growth and responsibility.

6. Clarity Comes from Action, Not Permission

• Most people seek mentors hoping someone will grant them clarity, but clarity is earned by doing.
  • Quote:

    “That clarity doesn’t come from someone else. ... It comes from doing different things. Trying, having experiences. Failing.” — Omar (15:58)

• Omar advises to “greenlight yourself”—stop waiting for permission.

7. The Role of Intuition

• Intuition is a muscle, not a shortcut for the unintelligent — and it needs to be trained and trusted.
  • Quote:

    “You need to greenlight yourself, okay? ... Clarity doesn’t come with inaction. It comes with action.” — Omar (18:17)

• Strong decisions that shaped his life came from listening to himself, even after considering outside perspectives.

8. Actionable Exercise (How to Apply This) [18:30]

• Write down your personal council of five people:
  • 1–2 who can teach specific skills.
  • 2 who will challenge and hold you accountable.
  • 1 who grounds and supports you.
• Identify one decision you need to make. Ask this group for perspective on how they approach such decisions; don’t ask for direct instructions.
• After gathering insights, make your own decision. This leads to clarity that feels truly yours.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the real value of biographies:

  “I gathered a lot of information. Now, there is a lot that Elon has done that I would not do ... because that’s not the life I want to live. I actually felt really sad for Elon.” — Omar (05:44)

• On mentors versus teachers and influences:

  “This is why the greatest entrepreneurs that I've learned from... rarely talk about mentors. They talk about teachers, they talk about examples, influences, people that have impacted them in some ways, but the decisions, they're made by them alone.” — Omar (10:35)

• On trusting intuition:

  “Intuition, gut feeling is something else. ... The more you pay attention to it, the more it will serve you.” — Omar (17:45)

• Final call to action:

  “Mentorship is guidance. But really, wisdom is built alone — within yourself.” — Omar (19:54)

Important Timestamps

• [01:12] — The big reveal: “How do I find a mentor? — You don’t.”
• [04:24] — Why no one can give you personalized answers.
• [05:44] — Elon Musk biographies as lessons and cautionary tales.
• [07:11] — Uncertainty is at the core of entrepreneurship.
• [10:35] — Artists and entrepreneurs succeed by filtering influences, not copying mentors.
• [13:30] — Building a ‘personal board of directors’ instead of finding a mentor.
• [14:45] — Ask “how did you figure this out?” not “what should I do?”
• [15:58] — Clarity comes from action, not guidance.
• [17:45] — Developing and trusting your own intuition.
• [18:30] — Step-by-step: Build your council and ask for perspective.

Conclusion

Omar shatters the myth of the all-knowing mentor and gives listeners the tools to become their own guides. By collecting insights, taking action, nurturing intuition, and curating a diverse support council, aspiring entrepreneurs can build a business (and life) that’s uniquely theirs. The episode is direct, actionable, and infused with Omar’s signature tough-love encouragement—a motivational listen for anyone stuck in the mentorship waiting room.