Latest / The Career Mentor Podcast with Fexingo: Finding Mentors, Sponsors, and Career Advisors / How to Build a Mentor Network Across Multiple Industries
Transcript
- Lucas: So I was talking to a marketing director last week — really sharp, seven years in consumer goods, and she said something that stopped me. She said, 'I've got mentors, but they're all in CPG. They all think the same way. I need someone who can tell me what the fintech world actually values.' Luna: That hits hard. It's the echo chamber problem, but with mentors. Lucas: Exactly. And it's the exact reason I think the most underrated career move right now is building a mentor network that spans multiple industries — not just your current vertical. Luna: I love this because it's not just about getting more mentors. It's about getting different lenses. Lucas: Right. And before we dive into the how, quick honest thing — a handful of listeners chip in monthly through buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo, and that's literally what funds making episodes like this one. We keep it ad-free and independent because of that. Luna: Yeah, and we don't say it enough — that support is what lets us spend time on these deeper angles instead of chasing sponsors. Lucas: So if that's you, thank you. And if it's not, no pressure — we're glad you're here. Now, back to that marketing director. She wanted to move into fintech, but she didn't know the players, the culture, the unwritten rules. Luna: And she probably didn't want to cold-message someone on LinkedIn and sound like she was reading a script. Lucas: Right. So we mapped out a framework. I call it the 'proximity and perspective' matrix. On one axis, how close is this person to your current industry? On the other, how different is their point of view? Luna: So you get four quadrants. Close-proximity same perspective — that's your current echo chamber. Lucas: Exactly. That's the mentor who reinforces what you already suspect. Then there's close-proximity different perspective — like someone in your industry who's in a different function or a competitor. That's useful but still insular. Luna: Then the two far-proximity quadrants are where the magic happens. Lucas: Yeah. Far-proximity, similar perspective — that's someone from a different industry who sees the world in a familiar way. Like a marketer from consumer goods talking to a marketer at a fintech. They share the functional lens but the context is totally different. Luna: And the fourth quadrant — far-proximity, different perspective — that's the wild card. Someone from a completely unrelated field with a fundamentally different worldview. Lucas: Right. And that fourth quadrant is where you find what I call the 'industry translator' — the person who can explain the cultural cues of a new sector. For the marketing director, that translator was a product manager at a fintech startup who used to be in CPG. Luna: So someone who's made the pivot themselves. That's smart. Lucas: Exactly. She found him through a professional group for CPG alumni who moved into tech. They met for coffee — virtual coffee — and he walked her through the specific language fintech uses in job descriptions. Like 'unit economics' versus 'margin structure.' Luna: That's the kind of nuance you can't get from a job board. Lucas: No. And he also flagged a cultural thing — in CPG, you're used to long product cycles. In fintech, it's ship fast and iterate. That difference alone changes how you frame your experience in an interview. Luna: So the translator mentor is valuable. But you also mentioned the 'outside validator' — where does that fit? Lucas: That's the mentor from a completely different sector who has no stake in your industry. They can give you honest feedback about whether your plan makes sense from a general career perspective. For the marketing director, that was a former professor who now runs a nonprofit. Luna: Someone who doesn't care about fintech or CPG specifically, but cares about her growth. Lucas: Right. And he asked her the hard question: 'Are you running toward fintech, or are you running away from CPG?' That's a question someone inside your industry might not ask because they assume the answer. Luna: That's powerful. And then there's the 'career cartographer' — someone who helps you map the long-term path across industries. Lucas: Yeah, I love that term. The cartographer is someone who has navigated multiple pivots themselves. Maybe they started in consulting, moved to tech, then to healthcare. They see the connections. They can say, 'If you go into fintech now, in three years you'll have a bridge to climate tech because of the regulatory overlap.' Luna: So you're building a small board of advisors, not just collecting LinkedIn connections. Lucas: Exactly. And I think the practical takeaway is: don't look for one mentor. Look for three. One from your industry but a different function, one from your target industry, and one from a completely unrelated field. That's the minimum viable network. Luna: And how do you actually approach someone from a different industry? Because that's the part people freeze on. Lucas: The worst approach is 'I want to pick your brain.' It's vague and it puts the burden on them. Instead, lead with a specific question that shows you've done your homework. Like, 'I'm a marketer considering fintech, and I noticed your company's growth strategy emphasizes regulatory trust over brand loyalty. How did you decide that trade-off?' Luna: That's a conversation they'd actually want to have. Lucas: Right. And keep it low stakes. Ask for fifteen minutes. Most people will say yes to fifteen minutes if the question is interesting. And if it goes well, you can ask for a follow-up. Luna: I also think it helps to offer something in return. Like, 'I can share what I'm seeing from my side.' A cross-industry mentor might actually value your fresh perspective. Lucas: Absolutely. That's the reverse-mentor dynamic we've talked about before. When you're the junior person from a different industry, you bring insight they don't have. That's a real value exchange. Luna: So let's bring this back to the marketing director. Did she make the pivot? Lucas: She did. She landed a senior marketing role at a fintech lender — not a huge name, but a growing player. And she told me the industry translator mentor was the key. He reviewed her resume and told her to lead with her experience in data-driven campaigns, not her brand management. Luna: Because fintech values quantifiable impact over brand storytelling. Lucas: Exactly. And that's the whole point. A mentor from your own industry would have said, 'Lead with your brand story.' But the translator knew what that new industry actually cares about. Luna: So the action step for listeners: look at your current mentor list. Are they all in one industry? If yes, it's time to recruit from outside your bubble. Lucas: And start with one. Pick a target industry, find someone who's made the jump, and send them a specific, thoughtful question. You might be surprised how open people are. Luna: I think that's a good place to pause. Next episode, I want to talk about how to maintain those cross-industry relationships once you have them. Lucas: That's a great angle. Because building the network is one thing. Keeping it alive is another.