Why I Have Never Mentored Anyone and Why Passion Over Profits Is Not a Cliché

I have never mentored anyone. Not voluntarily.

I have had thousands of conversations with people far less experienced than me. Clients seeking expert advice. Trades I felt could benefit from some honest feedback on their skills. Neighbors of clients. Inspectors. The kids of homeowners I was working for who wandered over and started asking questions. I never turned any of them away and I genuinely enjoy those conversations. But none of that is mentoring. That is just being a decent person who shares what they know.

My reluctance probably has something to do with my first employee.

I was 19 years old. He was younger than me, had already bought his way through school with a diploma that meant nothing, and had a pregnant girlfriend six months younger than him. He needed money badly and I could see it. So I hired him and spent over a year showing up at his house and literally dragging him out of bed. I bought his tools. I gave him constant direction. I showed up every single day trying to turn someone into a person who cared about getting better at something.

He just wanted a check. A small one was fine by him.

That year wore me out in a specific way that took a long time to shake. I did not want to teach anyone anything. I just wanted someone to work alongside who enjoyed it the way I did and wanted to get better because getting better mattered to them. That combination turns out to be rarer than it sounds.

I have tried to help everyone I have come across since then. I have never once refused to answer a question from anyone who asked one honestly. I share freely with people I trust and I genuinely enjoy learning from others in return. Things change constantly in this business and knowing who to ask is far more valuable than trying to research everything yourself.

But I am not their mentor. There is a difference between being useful to someone and taking responsibility for their development. One I am happy to do. The other requires something from the other person that most people simply do not bring.

No amount of money could pay me to invest serious time into someone who is only in this for the money. I learned that lesson once and it has never failed me since. Passion over profits sounds like something on a motivational poster but it is the most practically accurate thing I have ever observed about who lasts in this business and who does not.

Maybe someday I will change my mind and launch a giant REI program with all the secrets. I cannot imagine it. But stranger things have happened.

If you have questions about construction, real estate, or anything in between reach out. I am always happy to talk.

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