Edward Druce - This Is Where to Start: Find Superstar Mentors, Master All They Know, and Get Ahead in Your Career

Accountability for Action

Im incredibly fortunate to have had the experiences and opportunities that have allowed me to write this book.

To help you succeed in putting the steps I lay out into practice, Ive compiled three additions to the book to hold you accountable for getting the result youre going for.

I want to give you:

a free audiobook version of the book (to serve as a refresher whenever you need it);

a 14-page guide, The 9 Steps to Get the Most Out of a Mentorship , that gives you the tools you need once you land a position with a mentor, and;

success stories from those who have made great things happen for themselves (to help inspire you along the way).

In life we need accountability, in addition to strategy, to follow through and take action.

At the end of the book youll get details for gaining instant access to these bonuses, absolutely free.

Contents

How I Found My First Mentor

One January morning, unbeknown to my parents or friends, I woke up at home at 5am to catch a train to London, two hundred miles away.

At fifteen years old, I was on my way to an event called Make It Happen , led by a then up-and-coming speaker by the name of Matthew Hussey. Matthew would be leading a room of one hundred people with an event designed to start the New Year with a BANG.

Watching videos of Matthew online, I became enamored with the way he was able to deliver a talk, arouse energy in a crowd, and leave an audience positively charged.

Arriving in London at 09:31, not understanding how to navigate the London Underground, I walked several miles from Brunels Paddington Station to Bloomsbury Square guided by print-outs of Google Maps (this at an age when I think Id just been given my first Nokia 3310).

Matthew spoke about confidence, setting goals, and keeping yourself in a peak state at all times. He shared strategies for becoming a more influential person, negotiating things in your favour, and becoming a social hub. These were things Id never heard people talk about, and I was captivated by the material.

While Matthew himself was just starting out, I could sense that this was a guy who was going to be big.

Following that event, I made the same journey to London at every available opportunity, spending all the money I had to my name on train fares and ticket fees.

Back in my English class at school, I was asked to put together a short five-minute presentation on any topic I wanted. I had dreaded every talk and presentation Id ever had to do until that point in my life, but, with a shift in confidence, and armed with what was effectively a transcription of Matts talks in notes, this would be one to relish.

Matt describes his events as half educational seminar, half rave. He gets crowds jumping up and down to music. His way of bringing back attention after a group exercise is to say, 3..2..1 SPARTANS! to which his audience will cry AHWOO! (as in the film ). He swears, he pulls no punches, and I decided I would model this in all of its glory. Rehearsing every night for a fortnight, I memorized the talk and acted out his gestures and way of delivery.

When it came the day to do it, I delivered the talk with exacting precision and wrapped up by blasting out The White Stripes Seven Nation Army with the entire class teacher Mr Thomas included standing up and ROCKING OUT. My justification? This is the last talk Im ever going to give in school, so f*** it (in those very words).

There I stood, a formerly quiet and reserved kid, unleashed and brought to life.

The room was speechless, and the talk received a standing ovation (mind you, they were already on their feet). Looking back, I can count on one hand the number of times in my life thus far where Ive experienced that kind of a high.

I continued attending Matthews events and became something of a familiar face. Id try to get a word in with him wherever I could before he went on stage, during breaks, even staying around until every other attendee had gone home.

I knew I wanted to be around this guy and learn from him in every way that I could, but the problem was, I didnt know what I could bring to the table.

Having got to know a key member of his team, I was eventually able to get Matthews phone number and book in a time to speak. I got ten minutes on his calendar at 6 oclock in the morning a time Id chosen subtly to convey the message, Im a morning person too you know.

Rolling out of bed at 5.45am (I stress the time here as the truth is, Im not a morning person, and never have been), I wearily walked outside to the family garage to make the call (so as not to wake my parents and have them wonder what the hell it was I was doing). Nervous as hell, I dialed the number, and was met with the kind of enthusiasm and energy that suggested Matt had been up since 3!

We talked, I told him how much I loved his work and how many events Id been to, and he invited me to come along to one of his more intensive programs a three-day seminar called Make The Leap .

Requiring a hotel room in the heart of London that long would exhaust my bank account completely (something I already knew having looked previously), but without hesitation, I replied Ill be there.

Little did I know this would be the first of many 6am meetings

After attending the three-day event, it was through the same member of Matthews team that I was able to get my foot in the door at his offices. Invited in to carry out four days worth of data-entry a task so mind-numbingly repetitive no one else had been able to do it I had my shot to demonstrate how serious I was. I forwent lunch and breaks and got the job finished in two.

From there I was asked to carry out more and more grunt work; work which snowballed to the point that by the end of my summer break I had become such an integral part of the team that I was asked to stay on full-time. This was an enormous decision for me to make at just seventeen, but I decided to drop out of school, figuring this was too good an opportunity to miss, and that I could always pick up my studies the following year if things didnt pan out.

I never went back.

What this means for you

While thats a fun story of what can happen when you show initiative, persistence and blind enthusiasm, if it were the thing I were hanging my hat on to write this guide, it would be a bit like a lottery winner telling you how to make a million.

Looking back, Id be hesitant to recommend a path of such risk to anyone. Instead, in the guide that follows, I provide a plan of action to land a similar position in a much more strategic manner.

Having worked as Matthews right-hand man for five years now, Ive learned a great deal about human dynamics, copywriting, persuasion, small-business culture and the hiring process (to name just a few things). Ive helped launch a New York Times best-selling book, managed events for tens of thousands of people, and produced videos that have been seen by millions.

In addition to my own story, when first brought on I was in quick time given the reins of Matthews recruitment inbox. Having read thousands upon thousands of emails from people looking to join the company over the years, I feel uniquely positioned to write this guide.

Im not writing as someone who has made their millions, but as someone just a little further down the road who is learning at a rapid rate.

Ive been a first-hand observer of the mistakes people make and the odd stand-out application that gets our attention. Ive come to learn the importance of developing relationships with people ahead of you, and now look to share a distillation of everything Ive picked up.