If you ever invite me to be a guest on your podcast, there is one thing we are almost guaranteed to talk about: the spiritual journey.

The process of how people grow has fascinated me for as long as I can remember. What was never clear was how it is supposed to happen, exactly. My Evangelical tradition offered two main practices: reading the Bible and prayer. 

I went to college to learn to study the Bible. Then I went to seminary to learn how to pray.

Imagine my interest as I studied how Scripture explains growth in Christlikeness. A pattern emerges where older, more mature people are instructed to be an example to the younger ones (Titus 2:3-4, for instance).

And we’ve all heard the adage that everyone should have a Paul, a Barnabas, and a Timothy. The idea says it’s helpful to have a teacher, a friend to encourage you, and someone to teach. 

It’s a little cliché but clichés exist for a reason.

How do you find the right mentors when it comes to podcasting? What should you look for?

Here are three somewhat obvious but helpful to keep in mind ideas:

Look for someone who has already accomplished what you want to.

Back in 2014-2015 when I was preparing my podcast for launch (yes, it took two, long years), I spent so many hours listening to the podcasting gurus. My favorites were Cliff Ravenscraft, Pat Flynn, Michael Hyatt, Amy Porterfield, and John Lee Dumas. That’s a rockstar set of mentors.

They each had built businesses online and made extensive use of podcasting to further their reach. I modeled my style after them while finding what felt comfortable for me.

These mentors had published hundreds of episode with hundreds of thousands of downloads. They had more than a pretty website and an Instagram page.

The best mentors have already built what you want and have the experience to back it up.

Look for a community of people whose values match yours.

Have you ever received one of those emails with the ticking down clock ? 

Did you feel like you needed to diffuse the bomb or the whole world blows up? Just me? Ok…

Whether you were susceptible to the FOMO or not, you probably learned about the values the sender has. You might have wondered if they aligned with yours if you felt manipulated.

In the online business world, there are basically two kinds of creators. The first plays on scarcity and fear of missing out. The second plans to be available when they are needed. I’ve tried both and discovered that I am the second kind of creator.

You’re probably inclined to being one or the other as well. That’s a great example of what I mean. What do you value? Does the mentor you’re looking at align with your values? 

Will they help you become more of who you want to be?

Look for others you can encourage along the way.

When I was in seminary, we had two mentors: one was a pastor and one was a more mature Christian. I met with these guys almost every week for two and a half years.

While they were my mentors officially, they would also take the time to share their lives with me as well. There were times I offered wisdom back to them about a situation they were dealing with. The relationship went both ways.

Years after I graduated, I interviewed one of my mentors, Laura Flanders. She is a mentoring expert and reminded me that mentoring goes both ways. “Mentoring is a relational practice in which there is intentional pursuit towards growth and transformation,” she said. 

Find a community that you can contribute to as much as you can learn from.

These are my thoughts and maybe I left something out.

What are you looking for in a podcasting mentor?