Those who know me are likely surprised to hear that Seth Godin is one of my professional heroes. And you may find that surprising too when you learn that I have yet to read any of his books, cover to cover, and that I don't even read his daily blog posts (though I've read a smattering of them through his altMBA program and via shares from alumni of his Akimbo workshops).
So why do I look up to Seth Godin, especially since I don't work in marketing and usually get this icky feeling when I hear the word marketing?
It's because I know he's someone who cares and is passionate about helping others. From what I can tell, it's not about him but it's about the contributions he's seeking to make to others and to causes that are important to him - like education.
I first heard about Seth Godin in 2011 through someone at a professional development workshop in NYC. Then, a few years later I met a woman at the Fast Company Innovation Festival and she couldn't stop raving about how wonderful Seth was and how he takes an interest in mentoring and supporting entrepreneurs.
Then, I saw a brochure for altMBA when I was working at Google and thought oh, this is something I should think about doing as I prepare to leave corporate life and explore entrepreneurship.
But it wasn't until the end of 2018, two and a half years into my entrepreneurial journey that I was ready to listen to what Seth had to say. I had hit a point in my business where I either had to figure out how to make real money while sticking to my values or I had to return back to corporate life. As luck would have it, I met someone who worked directly with Seth and when she shared with me that he was indeed whom I imagined him to be I got excited about learning from him.
There's a difference between knowing you need to learn from someone and knowing you want to learn from someone. In a matter of weeks, resources came together and I was supported in enrolling in the January 2019 altMBA cohort which meant there was literally no time for all the pre-reading others had months to complete. There was major imposter syndrome going on as I entered the program and went through it but I gave it my all and shipped every assignment. You know I respected the man and his process because I even paused going to networking events and social outings - everyone knew I was in altMBA lockdown mode!
It was through the 4-week online journey of learning from "die-hard" Seth fans and seeing more of his passion and authenticity that Seth became a role model of mine. I learned that we shared more values than I would have thought and even though I struggle with some of his processes and the concept of marketing (in general), he's someone I look up to, value, and respect.
I've been disappointed before by whom I previously selected and looked up to as professional role models - both famous ones (like Tony Robbins or Oprah Winfrey - yes, I've dreamt of being on TV interviewing people, being an inspirational speaker, etc.) and not so famous ones that I met through corporate life.
The one thing I've learned to be true about finding professional role models who can have a lasting effect is to uncover what your shared values are.
Also, ask yourself what have they accomplished, what do they stand for, and how closely does that match your goals? How did they go about accomplishing these goals and is that something you'd like to see for yourself? How do they make you feel and how do they make others feel?
And if you're trying to be a role model to others and you want to lead and influence others to be the best version of themselves, ask yourself how you're showing up and how you make others feel.
The highlight of my week was meeting Seth Godin in person, seeing his office and getting to meet others who also look up to Seth. Most importantly, I feel better about how I'm going about choosing my professional role models and hopefully, this post has you thinking more carefully about whom you look up to and how others may be perceiving you.