10 Habits of the Mentor a Child Never Forgets

Calm the Chaos with Rich Christiansen · Sep 2, 2026 · 20m · transcript

Rich grew up a nerd in a small rural town, and by his own account, he spent more time hanging from coat racks and stuffed in garbage cans than walking the halls. Then a rough-and-tumble scoutmaster named Ray Allen Yardley took an interest in him, and one afternoon in the back of a tire shop, Rich overheard him tell a group of older boys something that redirected his entire life.

This episode is about what happened next, and about the ten habits Rich has since identified in the mentors who shaped him. He teaches the full list, from believing in someone before they believe in themselves…