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I've had a lot of mentors in my career. Many of them were paid, a few of them were free. The point of a good teacher is that the student does pass the teacher. I see this thing that happens all the time. When you are a kid and you learn arithmetic. First you learn your numbers and then you learn how to add. You level up and you learn how to multiply and then you level up from there and you learn algebra. When you get to algebra, you don't think, man, my arithmetic teacher is a f ing idiot. I can't believe they didn't teach me this stuff. It's like, dude, you weren't ready and you had to have the arithmetic in order to get to the multiplication. It's not that that teacher was an idiot, it's that that was the sequence. And so when you have a first teacher that teaches you the basics and you have a more advanced teacher later, it doesn't mean you should shit on your first teacher. It's like that person got you ready to receive the next thing. Earlier on in my career, I definitely did the other way. This guy didn't know anything. This guy is the guy. Rather than seeing it like you would see any other thing that you'd have in school, I've had the opportunity and, you know, the gift of being able to mentor whatever you want to say, you know, provide advice, counsel, share my experiences. A lot of people hold me in a regard and most people who are winners are competitive. It's just like who you are, right? You want to win, you want beat everybody because that's, that's part of the competitive drive. But I think there's like a. There's a comma there that needs to get put in, which is that you have to accept two things. One is that you are going to die and no one is going to remember like real, real 10,000 years from now. No one's going to remember at all. Number two is that when you're at the end of your life, the people who are going to be your by or bedside are not the people who you vanquished, but the people that you helped. I know that I have passed a lot of the mentors that I've had in my career in terms of financials, et cetera. Earlier on, used to think that made me better than them. As I've had a couple more years and some more scars, I've realized something different, which is that I was only able to get better than them because they gave me the head start, step on my shoulder. You can reach that next branch. I think I experience a lot of joy knowing that other people don't have to suffer as much. Yeah, we're walking around outside yesterday, and someone's like, dude, I did everything you have, and we're doing $4 million a year now. Like, he was, like, emotional. Just knowing that it's happening, it makes stomaching the hard times easier. It feels like it's not just me trying to do this for myself. It's me trying to do this for a lot of people. If I'm failing over and over again at this thing, I know that once I figure it out, I'll be able to help 100 people cheat code their way through it and spend five months figuring something out or two years figuring something out. Like, I was stuck at mid 30 million for three years. To everyone watching, they're like, boohoo. That's not. The point is that there's another guy who's going to get to that point, and he's going to move right past it, like, in a blink of an eye. Because I've had the right advice that I didn't have. And I think that if the mentees and the mentors both see it that way, then the mentees will stop shitting on the mentors that help them, and the mentors will stop trying to hold back secrets that have propelled them further. Because the point is not that you're going to beat everyone. You're going to get really old, and then you're going to die as you're getting older. They're going to be people who are younger who had a head start. And as long as the next guy honors the fact that that guy died on the battlefield, to give him these lessons and come back. And they have to recognize that they're going to die on the battlefield, too, for the next generation to pass them. They have it easier than us. That's the point of progress. And so rather than lamenting that the next generation has it easier, I thought that what we all say, I want to make the world a better place. Well, that's what making the world a better place looks like. We say that this is our mission with our business. We want to make the world a better place. We want to make an impact. And then when it actually happens, we resent the kids for the fact that they didn't have it as hard as us. That was the point. My point is not to beat the progeny. My point is to forge, as far as I can look back and be like, hey, watch out for that hole Watch out for that rock. Keep going, keep going. They move through the path that we tread three times faster than we did because we already cleared all the trees. They get to the next non clearing and they have to start hacking away and hacking away and hacking away to forge the next path. And then they become the mentor. Turn around and the next generation moves six times as fast to cover my distance and their distance. If you look at some of the greatest success stories, a lot of them talk about their mentors. Warren Buffett had his mentor early on. The quick story on that was that he said, I'll work for you for free. And Paul Graham told him, you're overpriced. He was the one who's going to be giving far more to this relationship. Even if Warren gave him his time, he still was going to be on the losing side. But he still did it anyways because he recognized that Warren had a gift. Warren passed him in his career. You'll notice that Warren isn't like, man, I'm so much better than Paul Graham. I passed that dude in my like 40s. He doesn't talk like that. We really do stand the shoulders of the giants. When I think about, like the gratitude that I have for the Gary Vees who's 12 years older than I am, he's forged so much of this path that like, I didn't have to think about how am I going to create this whole thing. It's like he already had a blueprint and I can just start laying that out immediately. Execute. There are guys who we have in our portfolio right now who are in their 20s, who are making twice what I was making at 30, but if they came to me below and then now they're above, that was the point. Gary Vee didn't have Gary Vee to mentor him on his career. I do right now. We all do. Many of us will pass Gary. And I don't think Gary might. There's a 20 year old, it might be you who's watching this. And you've got me. That's the point. I'm still going to be hustling, trying to beat you. Don't get me wrong. When I see guys who are in their 60s, I'm like, man, by the time I'm 60, I'm going to be 10 times as wealthy as that. 10 times the real estate. 10 times. Yeah, but if they had had themselves as mentors, they would too. If your mentees and the students that you have and the people that you help and the two people that you teach don't move above you, it means that you're a bad teacher, not a good one. The new definition of success of a teacher is that the students surpass the teacher and then get to the point where they're both looking together with his experience and his raw talent, looking at the new landscape, saying, all right, what do you think we should do if this video changed your mind about some of the shit talking that you've done to a teacher or to a mentor who was earlier on in your career, Shoot that guy text and be like, hey, like, respect. I appreciate you. I can't tell you one how much it means to the mentor when they get that text.
Date: May 12, 2023
Host: Alex Hormozi
In this episode, Alex Hormozi reflects on his evolving perspective on mentorship. He discusses how his views have shifted from being dismissive of earlier mentors after surpassing them, to feeling deep respect and gratitude for the foundational roles they played. The episode touches on the true purpose of mentorship, the healthy relationship between mentors and mentees, and the importance of honoring those who paved the way for future success.
Learning as Sequential Progression:
Alex compares mentorship and learning to progressive stages in education—arithmetic, multiplication, algebra—emphasizing that each stage builds on the previous one.
"When you get to algebra, you don't think, man, my arithmetic teacher is an idiot. I can't believe they didn't teach me this stuff. It’s like, dude, you weren't ready and you had to have the arithmetic in order to get to the multiplication."
— Alex Hormozi [00:40]
On Outgrowing Mentors:
Earlier in his career, Alex admits to looking down on former mentors once he surpassed them.
"Earlier on in my career, I definitely did the other way. This guy didn't know anything… Rather than seeing it like you would see any other thing that you'd have in school."
— Alex Hormozi [01:30]
Reframing Respect for Past Teachers:
He stresses that surpassing a mentor is natural and doesn’t diminish their contribution.
"That person got you ready to receive the next thing."
— Alex Hormozi [02:05]
Beyond Competition:
As a self-confessed "competitive" person, Alex highlights that real fulfillment comes from helping others, not just outpacing peers.
"The people who are going to be at your bedside are not the people who you vanquished, but the people that you helped."
— Alex Hormozi [03:55]
Success Built on Support:
He acknowledges having exceeded some mentors financially, but attributes this success to the groundwork they laid.
"I was only able to get better than them because they gave me the head start, step on my shoulders, you can reach that next branch."
— Alex Hormozi [04:25]
The Joy in Others' Achievements:
Alex finds satisfaction in seeing others benefit from his journey and advice, making "hard times easier to stomach".
"It feels like it's not just me trying to do this for myself. It's me trying to do this for a lot of people."
— Alex Hormozi [06:05]
Passing the Torch:
He explains that real progress involves clearing the path so the next generation can move faster and face new challenges—it's the core of making an impact.
"Rather than lamenting that the next generation has it easier... That was the point."
— Alex Hormozi [09:50]
Cultural Reflection:
Alex points out the contradiction in business rhetoric: wanting to "make the world a better place," but resenting when the new generation achieves more, easier.
Warren Buffett and Paul Graham:
Shares Buffett's story of trying to work for free and Paul Graham’s recognition that as a mentor, he would give more than he’d get—yet he still mentored Buffett because he "had a gift."
Notably, Buffett later surpassed Graham, but always with respect and gratitude.
Personal Examples:
Praises mentors like Gary Vee, highlighting how having access to blueprints and frameworks from predecessors is an immense advantage.
"When I think about the gratitude that I have for the Gary Vees... he’s forged so much of this path... he already had a blueprint and I can just start laying that out."
— Alex Hormozi [13:35]
Mentoring Young Entrepreneurs:
Points out that some people in his portfolio are earning much more at a younger age than he did, and that's the ultimate validation of effective mentorship.
"If your mentees… don't move above you, it means that you're a bad teacher, not a good one."
— Alex Hormozi [15:30]
The Goal of Mentorship:
The greatest teachers are those whose students surpass them, and who can then join as peers tackling new challenges together.
"The new definition of success of a teacher is that the students surpass the teacher, and then get to the point where they're both looking together... What do you think we should do?"
— Alex Hormozi [16:45]
Final Call to Action:
Hormozi encourages listeners to reach out and thank mentors from their past, acknowledging the importance and impact of such gestures.
"If this video changed your mind about some of the shit talking that you've done to a teacher or to a mentor... shoot that guy a text and be like, hey, like, respect. I appreciate you. I can't tell you how much it means to the mentor when they get that text."
— Alex Hormozi [17:20]
Alex Hormozi delivers a candid reflection on mentorship: its purpose isn’t about outpacing or diminishing those who came before, but about speeding progress for those who come after. True mentors clear paths, offer head starts, and take pride when mentees break new ground. The episode invites listeners to honor foundational teachers, foster gratitude, and accept that enabling the next generation to maximize their potential is the real measure of success in both business and life.