People ask me how I got so many mentors. The honest answer is that I've never officially asked anyone to be one. Early in my career I'd meet someone who moved me, whose ideas resonated or who I had something real in common with, and after our first conversation I'd ask if we could do it again. That was the whole ask.

Then I let them set the cadence. Monthly, quarterly, whatever worked for them. That was a signal I paid attention to. The cadence someone chooses tells you how close they want to stay, and I respected it instead of pushing for more.

For every repeated meeting, I set up a simple shared 1:1 document and linked it in the calendar invite. That doc became our space. Topics we discussed, ideas, books and podcasts they recommended, resources, follow-ups, and the details about them: their kids, their interests, their goals. Before each meeting I'd review it. After each meeting I'd update it.

I did it so I'd have infrastructure, and so I could be intentional about following up. I wanted to remember what we talked about, and I wanted a place that showed momentum in the relationship between touchpoints. People didn't feel like they were being asked to mentor me. They felt like we were building something together. Over time, they became exactly what mentors are: people who invest in your growth because they've watched you invest in the relationship. I started this early. I still use it now.