How to Be The Real Thing: Part 6 of How to Master Mentoring

You are listening to podcast episode # 54 by “The Rabbi Who Got Rich on Sunday” and the sixth episode in the “How to Master Mentoring” mini-series, which focuses on “How to Be The Real Thing.”

As with the previous episodes in the How to Master Mentoring mini-series, this episode also starts with a story of how an advisor mentored me and continues with one of the individuals I mentored and another in my side hustle business, all showing how to be the real thing.

I hope that sharing my experiences in this podcast episode of the How to master mentoring mini-series about being real with others shows the importance of respect in relationships. Respect for others is one key element of success in life and any business, including a side hustle.

I’m Rabbi Dave, and most weeks, we explore the challenges and triumphs of achieving business success while living a #dreamlife. I hope you enjoy, “How to Be the Real Thing”

How to Master Mentoring Story #13: How to Be The Real Thing

In 10th grade, I decided to spend the Sabbath with observant families to see their values and how they passed those on to their children.  Among those families were the Lowenbrauns and the Tarrigans, but my focus today is on Bonnie and Joey Pollak.

Bonnie was the administrative assistant for the youth group I began to become a leader in (she later became the Regional Director). I learned a lot from her about being organized and focused in the middle of a whirlwind and what to look for in a wife (she was my advisor throughout my dating process and, together with her sister Eidy, introduced me to my wife).

However, the story I am sharing focuses on her husband, Joey, because, in many ways, I decided to be like him in my life. Joey had his own very successful accounting firm, was very intelligent, had superhuman strength (he once flipped both myself and my friend Yitzy over his back from behind when we tried to sneak up on him), and had a lovely and powerful singing voice. 

His primary focus was Judaism, Bible study, sports, and Pepsi. If your first thought was, “Wait, Coke’s slogan was ‘The Real Thing,’” let me clarify that I am not saying that Joey was the expert on drinking the real thing. He was the man when it came to being it.

Also, I should paint you a picture: Joey would not be considered tall, skinny (lol), and a very fashionable dresser, but he was so real with what was important and not important in life that my friends and I loved hanging around with him! 

In softball, he hit home runs that disappeared way into the distance (if he didn’t knock it out of the park, he didn’t usually make it to first base because speed was not his thing).  In football, he was the quarterback who never scrambled (he didn’t have to because trying to tackle him was nearly impossible) and he had an arm that put pro quarterbacks to shame. 

In learning Torah, he was top-notch and would have made a great teacher (like he wasn’t a great teacher without the title). Basically, in everything he did, he was a perfectionist and clearly expected you to excel, too.  

Most of all, he was genuine with who he was and who you were.  He focused on your strengths and helped you get stronger, especially in the way he let you know clearly what your strengths were not so you could not fool yourself!

He was the one who set me up to study Torah with the most incredible guys in Yeshiva (Rabbinical School), which made me want to be like them—meaning be a Rabbi.  He was the one who always commented if I was not performing to the best of my ability.  Yet, he also loved to brag about me to everyone around when I did!

I still love being around him whenever I get the chance, and he is still the model of how to be the real thing.

How to master mentoring Story #14: How to be the real thing as a mentee

I used to run missions to Israel called College Scholars Missions centered around Jewish study during Winter and Spring breaks from college.  I would recruit 120 students, and we’d spend a little time touring and learning.

One of the first participants was Abe K. 

Abe soaked in all the Torah and observed how the missions program was run by following me everywhere to learn the ins and outs.  He proactively thought of ways to make the program better, and when he presented me with a well-thought-through and creative idea.

When it was time for the next session, he offered to be a student advisor. He was awesome!  

He soon started working with me as an advisor for the youth group I ran in New Jersey and developed a well-created CD (that used to be how we listened to music) of the Jewish songs our students needed to know.  He accomplished this by recruiting the best musicians and producing a top-quality product. Why? Because he knew that was how we approached everything.

He eventually became a staff on my other Israel trips and eventually led those trips himself.

He didn’t become a Rabbi. He was effective as a youth leader because he knew how to be the real thing and never pretend he was something else.  His real thing was awesome, and he helped many others find their calling. He is still helping others, as he has become a successful Doctor of Physical Therapy with a thriving practice and a great family.

How to master mentoring Story #15: How to be the real thing in business

In one of my classes, I taught to every group in the Scholars Mission, and in almost every program I’ve run, there is an in-depth discussion on how to identify your core character traits and use that to figure out your G-d given life’s mission.  

It is a very powerful experience and profoundly affects most of those who experience it.  On the College Scholars Mission, Aaron S became so moved by this experience that he continuously listened to me use this tool and asked many questions about my reasons behind each question and technique.  He was very business-minded and also constantly ran business ideas by me.  He became a business partner of mine so that he could learn from me in that as well.  

Aaron is an excellent example of learning from those who know the skills you want to master so you can apply those skills anywhere throughout your life. Aaron had unique skills and was driven. He realized how to be the real thing, taking what he learned into corporate finance, and became a huge success there.

I suggest to my children that they take entry-level jobs in the fields they want to become good at and learn the hard way from the ground up.  In the same fashion, I’ve helped many of my mentees learn basic business skills by working with me, doing the hard work of building something from nothing and then applying those hard-earned skills in ways I could never have imagined.  That’s how to be the real thing.

How to Master Mentoring Recap and Weekly Podcast Challenge

I hope you enjoyed the sixth episode in the miniseries “The Rabbi Who Got Rich on Sunday Shares Mentorship Mastery.” This week’s challenge is to identify a skill that is part of the real you and find a mentor to learn how to develop mastery of that skill through hard work, which is how you can be your real thing.  Please share your efforts and results, even if small, with me. It is the small efforts that mean a lot!

If you’re looking for a mentor and ready to take your personal growth seriously to see how it can transform your business, I’d love to help you. Visit my website and use the Work With Dave link to set up a free consultation. Let’s unlock your full potential together.

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