[Flash] Advice Line with Guy Raz is Like Mentor Eavesdropping

The next best way? Eavesdropping on other people mentoring.

And thanks to Guy Raz’s wildly popular podcast for entrepreneurs, How I Built This, we can unabashedly eavesdrop by listening to the episodes entitled “Advice Line.”

During each “Advice Line” show, an early-stage founder (the Mentee) obtains advice from a seasoned business founder (Guy’s co-Mentor), like Tom Rinks, founder of Sun Bum, and Gary Erickson, founder of Clif Bar.

Each conversation follows the same formula:

Connect
Guy: “Welcome! Tell us your name, where you’re calling from, and the name of your business.”

(Smart! Take a moment to learn a bit about a Mentee.)

Identify the Issue
Guy: “And tell us the question you brought for us.”

The Mentee posits a question. If the Mentee begins to offer excessive details about their business, Guy kindly but directly interrupts, “Before we go there, what is your question?”

(Smart! Mentees often unload the whole story before revealing the issue.)

Seek Context and Backstory
Guy then asks his co-Mentor (the seasoned business founder): “What questions do you have for the early-stage founder before we offer advice?”

(Smart! We tend to solve problems when we hear them. But seeking context from a Mentee before offering help ensures our advice is relevant and valuable.)

So, Guy and his co-Mentor ask questions to understand the situation better.

• “Why did you start this business?”
• “How does your product work?”
• “What differentiates you from [a competitor]?”

Offer Guidance
With a greater understanding, the co-Mentors then share advice, provide examples from their own business-launching experience, and generate ideas.

Explore the Advice
From there, the three entrepreneurs dialogue their ideas, consider various options, and challenge roadblocks.

Express Gratitude and Conclude
Finally, the Mentee expresses appreciation for the advice and leaves with an action plan and a promise to follow up.

The Advice Line formula is deliberately focused, allowing the conversation to transpire organically but with intention. 

In just 15 minutes, the co-Mentors effectively observe, guide, advise, ideate, validate, and encourage a Mentee.

Every mentoring conversation, whether arising in a formal mentoring program or infused into a manager-employee meeting, is more productive when it has structured freedom.

Of course, take mentor training and use mentor guides. But to elevate your mentoring skills, listen for opportunities to witness mentors mentoring – they inevitably mentor the eavesdropper! 

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