How to Find A Mentor and the Importance of Having One

In this episode, I feature Wayne Benson, one of the owners/operators at Amico. Wayne and I get into the value of mentors, most importantly discussing how to find a mentor to help get you where you want to go in life.

Wayne has considered himself an entrepreneur ever since he was young. The first company he was involved with was a computer company, based out of the USA that went on to be wildly successful. He then went on to own a spa business, before settling down at Amico which manufactures equipment for hospitals all around the world. Amico crossed the $100 million dollar market cap this year, which speaks to the size and intensity of this business. 

Wayne first realized he wanted to be an entrepreneur when he took a job working at sporting goods store and found that he could get paid for selling things he loved. At this point he began to understand that if he built something he was passionate about that he could sell it - and his path as an entrepreneur began. 

Early on Wayne didn’t have a clue how to build a business, but he quickly realized that where he worked didn’t matter, rather it was who he worked with that would make the difference. He set out with the intention to learn the attributes needed to succeed in business.  

This is one of the most important things to take away from this podcast. Wayne recognized he needed to latch on to someone who was living the life he wanted. He needed a mentor. Tony Robbins talks about this all the time, he calls it learning to model success. 

In the podcast we discuss the ups and down of the entrepreneur lifestyle. Wayne talks about how entrepreneurship can be challenging and that some days will be really tough; those are the days that will show your true colours. The way Wayne learned to overcome problems was to isolate problems into their individual parts and resolve them one by one.

Elon Musk frequently talks about how he's been able to succeed by distilling problems down to the fundamental physics principals. Distilling things down to their simplest forms has been Wayne's recipe for success as he’s able to resolve problems one by one at this stage. He talks more about this in the podcast, you can find it around the 26 minute mark.

Amico has been able to create 12 companies and 12 product lines over the last 12 years. They have something called the "Jockey System". The Jockey System, is a program that identifies entrepreneurs within the company and gives them an opportunity to start their own company/product line under the Amico umbrella. You can find out more about the qualities they look for in jockeys at the 45 minute mark.

Wayne talks about how they've been able to design incredible products using a concept they call "Overwhelming Force" You can learn more about this concept around the 34 minute mark of the podcast. He also talks about the importance of reverse engineering sales calls and how critical that has been to Amico’s design wins.

In the podcast we also discuss karma and how this is a value that flows within Amico. Amico was actually instrumental in saving the lives of 33 Chilean miners back in 2010 by sending source equipment to the miners who were trapped underground. Their equipment was able to provide clean air to the miners while the rescue mission to reach them was conducted. 

Wayne ends the podcast by talking about self made people and by saying no one is self made. Everyone has help along the way, they all learn from someone and this why you need a mentor. 

If you wish to contact Wayne, you can reach him through LinkedIn. Wayne is all about helping people, so if you wish, feel free to reach out and ask him a question.

If you enjoyed this, share this with someone who may be looking for a mentor. Remember to go to the Apple store and subscribe to the podcast to get episodes as soon as they are released.  

Thanks for tuning in, love you guys, and I hope this helps you grow and develop... and most importantly that it helps make you a better human being. I'm always happy to hear any comments or feedback so hit me up at fil@filipsierpinski.com.

Thank you.