The Four People Entrepreneurs Need To Succeed (And How You Can Find Them, Too!)

The path of entrepreneurship can be lonely and stressful but rewarding, if you know the secrets to success. If you’re an entrepreneur – or considering becoming one – you need to know the secrets of how entrepreneurs handle the stress, the solitary days, and how they can work to ensure that their sacrifices will be worth it.

One major entrepreneur secret is that no man is an island. There are, in fact, four types of people entrepreneurs use to bolster their success. Before you go out and track down all four for yourself, though, it can be important to know that studies show people are several times more likely to be able to predict the causes of their failures than they are the causes of their successes. When you seek advice from others, remember that they cannot guarantee you the same success that they have enjoyed, just by telling you their methods.

So who are the four people you need to find to reach success?

The Role Model

Your role model is at the top of his or her game. You may never even meet them, but you admire what they have achieved. To learn from them, try to deconstruct their career trajectory. Don’t just look at where they are now with envy in your eyes; start doing the things they did when they were at the very bottom.

The Mentor

Your mentor is several stages ahead of you on the success ladder. He or she is someone who should be accessible to you, unlike a role model, who doesn’t necessarily need to be someone with whom you have a relationship. The mentor, while successful, is likely to remember what it was like to be in your shoes, because they weren’t there so long ago themselves. Your mentor may make important introductions for you, coach you, and guide you through difficult moments.

The Peer

Many people striving for success spend their time and energy on the people above them on the ladder of success, not next to them. But ignoring your peers leaves you without a support system of people who know what you are facing. Entrepreneurial success often comes from collaboration and conversation among those doing similar work. So don’t just try to hobnob with the top level. Make sure you cultivate a network of people in a similar position, because they’ll provide you with support on your worst days, and get your creative juices flowing on your best days.

The Protégé

There’s a common saying that you don’t truly understand something until you teach it. For that reason, having a protégé can be critical to an entrepreneur’s success. For an idea to take off, you have to be able to explain it to the masses, so start with your student! Having a protégé can also help secure your startup’s sustainability and future growth, which is often a problem for new organizations.

Entrepreneurs who find great success don’t do it by themselves. Surround yourself with these four people, and you’re more likely to have what it takes to reach the finish line.

-Courtney