Latest / The Career Mentor Podcast with Fexingo: Finding Mentors, Sponsors, and Career Advisors / How to Find a Mentor When You Are a Public Speaker
Transcript
- Lucas: So we get a lot of questions about where to find mentors who actually have the bandwidth to help. And one of the most underrated strategies I keep hearing from listeners is public speaking. Luna: Like getting on stage? That seems almost counterintuitive if you're trying to find guidance, not give it. Lucas: Right, but that's exactly the twist. When you speak, you're signaling authority and ambition. People who might never have considered mentoring you suddenly see you as someone worth investing in. Luna: So it flips the script from 'I need a mentor' to 'I have something to offer.' Lucas: Exactly. And I've got a concrete example. A marketing manager named Priya — she was in a mid-level role at a B2B tech company, good at her job but invisible to senior leadership. She decided to do a TEDx talk about ethical AI in marketing. Luna: That's a big step. How did she even get the slot? Lucas: She applied through the open call, spent months refining her pitch. The talk went well — not viral, but solid. And afterward, a VP from a different division she'd never met reached out. He said, 'I saw your talk. I've been thinking about this exact issue. Let's grab coffee.' Luna: And that became a mentorship? Lucas: Became a sponsorship, actually. Within six months he recommended her for a cross-functional project that changed her career trajectory. She never had to ask for a mentor. The talk did the asking for her. Luna: That's powerful. And it's not just TEDx. I have a friend who gave a fifteen-minute lightning talk at a local meetup about product analytics. A director from another company was in the audience and offered to review her portfolio. That led to a job offer. Lucas: See, that's the pattern. Speaking creates a natural reason for senior people to approach you. They already know you're competent, they've seen you communicate under pressure. The risk is low for them. Luna: But what if you're terrified of public speaking? Or you don't have a conference budget? Lucas: You don't need a big stage. Internal presentations at your company, panel discussions at local industry events, even a LinkedIn Live or a webinar can work. The principle is the same: demonstrate value publicly. Luna: So it's not about being a polished speaker. It's about putting a stake in the ground. Lucas: Exactly. And once you've spoken, you have a concrete artifact. A recording, a slide deck, an audience Q&A. You can share that with potential mentors as a conversation starter. It's way more effective than a cold email saying 'I'd love to pick your brain.' Luna: But after the talk, how do you actually convert that into a mentoring relationship? You can't just wait for VPs to email you. Lucas: No, but you can make it easy for them. Priya followed up with everyone who connected with her on LinkedIn after the talk. She sent a message like, 'Thanks for watching — I'd love to learn more about your work on ethical AI. If you're open to a fifteen-minute chat, let me know.' No ask for mentorship. Just curiosity. Luna: That's smart. Low pressure, high signal. Lucas: And when you get that chat, you don't pitch for a mentor. You ask good questions. Listen. Let them offer advice voluntarily. That's how relationships start. Luna: One thing I'd add: when you're at a conference and you see a speaker you admire, don't just lurk. Go up after the session, say something specific about their talk. 'I loved how you framed the retention problem. I'm working on something similar.' That opens a door. Lucas: And you can do that even if you're not a speaker yet. But if you do become a speaker, you're suddenly on the same level as the people you admire. You're peers at the conference. Luna: The speaker room is a real thing. I've seen introverts walk out with three new mentors after a weekend. Lucas: Look, if we've helped you think through a career move or decision, and you'd like to support the show so it stays ad-free, you can buy us a coffee at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. That's buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Just a simple way to say 'this helped'. Luna: Yeah, it really does make a difference. Keeps us independent and focused on practical advice like this. Lucas: So back to speaking — there's also the reverse dynamic. Have you ever seen a senior person approach a junior speaker and offer to mentor them? It happens more than you'd think. Luna: Totally. I was at a cybersecurity panel where a junior analyst gave a talk on phishing trends. A CISO from a Fortune 500 company came up to her and said, 'I've been trying to get my team to think this way for years. Can I buy you coffee?' That's basically a mentorship offer. Lucas: And the junior analyst didn't have to beg. She just had to do the work and put it out there. The mentor found her. Luna: So what's the one takeaway for someone listening right now who's never spoken publicly but wants to try this approach? Lucas: Start small. Find a local meetup or an internal lunch and learn. Pick a topic you know well — it doesn't have to be groundbreaking. Just share something useful. Record it. Share it on LinkedIn. And see who reaches out. Luna: And if no one reaches out? Lucas: Then you follow up. Connect with people who attended or watched the recording. Send that low-pressure message. You'd be surprised how many senior people are willing to give fifteen minutes to someone who showed initiative. Luna: I think the key is that speaking signals you're serious about growth. That's attractive to mentors. Lucas: Exactly. It's not the only way to find a mentor, but it's one of the most effective because it's proactive. You're not waiting for someone to rescue you. You're stepping into the light and letting them see you. Luna: I like that. Step into the light. Lucas: And if you do speak and land a mentor, come back and tell us. We love hearing those stories. Luna: We do. And in the next episode, we'll talk about something a little different: how to find a mentor when you're the most senior person in your organization. Lucas: That's a good one. See you then.