Tribe of Mentors summary

Most of us, at some point in the past, have experienced at least one epic fail. Though such setbacks can feel insurmountable, it’s crucial to pick oneself up and carry on. But it’s even more important to try to learn from failure.

For instance, Rick Rubin, who’s produced countless Grammy Award-winning records, is familiar with the fickle finger of success. Masterful albums sometimes flop completely, and mediocre ones sometimes go platinum. The lesson he learned from failure is this: you can’t control how your work will be received. All you can do is stay true to your standards and make it the best you can.

When you hear the word “investments,” you might think about the stock market, but an investment can mean much more than what happens on Wall Street.

For mentors, the best investment you can make is one that takes your career to the next level.

No matter who you are, there’s always room for improvement, right?

Well, the author was particularly curious about the methods mentors use to improve themselves.

As the Notorious B.I.G. track “Mo Money Mo Problems” affirmed back in the ’90s, “The more money we come across, the more problems we see." So the author asked the mentors about their techniques for dealing with the difficulties that come with success.

What many agreed on is the need to reset and re-center yourself from time to time.

If there’s one common question that mentors get, it’s something like, “What piece of advice would you give someone who’s just starting out in their career?”

When the author brought up this question, many of the mentors said that it’s crucial not to get distracted by fears about the future and instead focus on the now.

We’ve heard a lot of good advice, but maybe you’re curious about the worst advice the mentors have received?

Ed Coan, who’s set 71 different weightlifting-related world records, warns people against adopting techniques just because they’re new and trendy. Remember, there’s a good reason to trust the tried and true fundamentals that have stood the test of time.

At one point, the author asked all the mentors to consider what piece of advice they would give to everyone in the world if given the opportunity.

Many of them focused on asking people to be good to one another.