Mentorship Is the Ultimate Shortcut—If You Know What to Look For

Most people think they need to hustle harder, close more deals, and stay glued to Zoom calls just to survive.

But every major leap I’ve made in life or business came from one thing: mentorship.

I sat down with Zac Regan on his podcast, Real House Stories, for a real, no-fluff conversation about what actually moves the needle in life and business.

What separates the grinders from the greats isn’t how hard they work—it’s who they’re learning from.

Zac’s sharp. He’s a hard worker, not afraid to ask tough questions, and he’s the kind of guy I’d bet on. And in this article, you’ll learn why mentorship isn’t just helpful—it’s the new career path.

When I was younger, I believed I had to make my first million before giving back. I thought success meant stacking money.

That changed when I got around real leaders—people running Fortune 500 companies.

The CEO of American Airlines was one of my first mentors. He brought me to dinners with Goldman Sachs executives—even U.S. Presidents like George H. W. Bush. I had no business being in those rooms. But I was there because he believed in me.

Then there was  Dick Haayen, chairman of Allstate Insurance. Not fake polite—genuinely generous. One time, I got into a car accident during finals week. I didn’t even have Allstate. I had some discount provider. Dick called the CEO of that company and said, “My friend Dennis got in a wreck. Can you process the claim faster?”

The next day, it was done.

That’s real power. And it only comes from trust—built through mentorship.

I asked Dick how he became the top guy at a company with hundreds of thousands of employees. Was it because he was ruthless? Smarter? Worked harder?

No. He said, “The nice guys win.”

Because if you want great people to follow you—to quit their jobs and join your mission—they need to trust you. They need to know you’ve got their back.

I’ve seen this over and over. The most successful people I know have the most time—and they’re the most generous with it.

Take my friend Munawar Abadullah. He sold his company for $300 million. A few months ago, I met up with him in Dubai. I was speaking at a conference and had a flight that evening. We booked a quick dinner at 6 p.m.—I figured I’d be out by 7:30.

That dinner was so real, I missed my flight.

We hung out until 2 a.m. He showed me his properties, and we talked about life and business. He told me, “I only take one or two meetings a day. That’s it. I decide who I spend time with. Business happens as a byproduct.”

And he’s made more money in the last few years than ever before.

People say, “Easy for him—he’s already rich.” But I’ve had the same experience.

Thirty minutes before a call with Zac Regan, I got a message from a friend. He knew someone who owned a chain of 200 rehab clinics. The guy had been burned by agencies and needed help with SEO and marketing.

Never heard of him before. But that text came right after I spent two days in Miami with my friend Elliot Drake, helping him map out an agency that serves rehab centers.

We hadn’t told anyone. No social posts. Yet the opportunity landed right in our lap.

Alignment Isn’t Luck—It’s the Byproduct of Integrity

Spend time with good people. In person, ideally. Help without expecting anything. Let business be the byproduct. Elliot Drake‘s story matters. His dad committed suicide. The next day, Elliot moved in with me. He learned marketing, rebuilt his life, and eventually exited a SaaS company. Now he’s using his skills to help people facing the same battles. This isn’t a niche. It’s legacy work.

That text was no coincidence. If something like that happens once or twice, maybe it’s luck. But if it keeps happening? That’s alignment. That’s from God.

Now we’re flying out to meet the clinic owner. They’re expanding fast.

People ask me how to get more clients. I don’t beg. I don’t chase. I don’t negotiate. Every client I’ve ever had—Nike, Red Bull, Adidas, Starbucks, the Warriors—they all came to me.

Haters say it’s because I had mentors or connections. Sure, that helped. But I followed the same playbook for over 30 years.

Zac’s starting to see that. He told me about a meetup he attended—expected to leave by 8 p.m., but stayed until 11 because of a deep conversation. That’s how the best relationships begin.

Too many people think “delivering value” means offering a discount or a free audit. That’s transactional. Real value comes from understanding the person across the table. Knowing what they’re going through. Helping even when it’s not part of the job.

Zac Regan is an up-and-coming marketer who’s beginning to understand the importance of relationships over transactions. As someone who initially focused on just selling, he’s learning to cultivate genuine connections and trust with his clients, transforming his approach from mere hustling to mentorship-driven growth.

Zac told me he’s no longer selling for a paycheck. He’s building real relationships. That’s the unlock.

More young adults need to figure this out. Stop chasing fake success. Learn how real mentorship works.

I’m flying to Orange County to see my friend Matthew Januszek, CEO of Escape Fitness. He’s one of the most respected guys in the fitness world. We’ve worked together for years. But we don’t talk ad budgets. We spend holidays together. I help his kids with math. There’s no agenda.

That’s how business should work—built on trust and results, not desperation.

People say, “Easy for you, Dennis. You’ve got big clients and a team.” But I started with nothing. No connections. No money. What I had were mentors—and I didn’t waste that gift.

Now I hear people say, “I need to hustle. I’ve got rent to pay.” That’s a weak excuse.

If you have even one client you like—someone you’d love to clone—ask yourself: have you interviewed them? Created content that makes them the hero?

Zac hadn’t. He told me, “I haven’t had the time.”

That’s not true. Everyone has time for what matters. You’re just choosing to spend it elsewhere.

If your client is respected in their industry and you’ve delivered results, they’re a Lighthouse. You don’t need to cold pitch strangers. You need to show the results you’ve already created.

Use your best clients to attract more like them.

It’s not complicated—but it takes consistency and discipline. Too many people act like freelancers chasing checks. Start acting like a trusted advisor.

Zac said he had a real estate client he loved working with. So I asked, “Have you interviewed them?” No.

I showed him what I did with Tom Ferry. He’s the biggest name in real estate coaching. We recorded a masterclass on digital marketing—step-by-step content with no fluff. It’s now on YouTube, blogs, Twitter—everywhere. The comments are real. The feedback’s consistent.

That one piece of content keeps bringing in real estate leads. And I don’t pitch a single thing in it.

Same with Jason Pantana, They all came to me, saying “Dennis, can we collaborate on XYZ?” That’s LIGHTHOUSE Strategy.

You make your best clients the hero. You boost that content to their peers. And you earn trust before you ever say a word about price.

I Googled Zac’s name. Found multiple versions of him. No clear niche. No content showing who he helps. That’s a positioning problem.

He doesn’t need to wait for me to send leads. He can do this right now.

And here’s the key: the results don’t need to be massive. Don’t show only the unicorn wins. That attracts unrealistic clients. Show typical success. Show what’s normal. Set the right expectations.

The best clients pay more and demand less. The worst ones pay less and expect everything.

I’ve worked with both. I’ve taken the $1K-a-month clients to help people—but they call three times a day, micromanage everything, and churn in 90 days. Not worth it.

Zac asked if I focus on search. I told him it’s not about the channel. Google, TikTok, Facebook, email—they’re just tools. I use whatever solves the problem.

I’m not the “Facebook ads guy.” I’m a data guy. I solve problems.

You treat every client like an emergency room case. One has a broken arm. One’s got a fever. One’s bleeding out. Different treatment for each.

As for building a business—I suck at operations. I’ve handed that off. But I’ve always been in business. It never stops.

Early on, I did everything myself. That gave me a radar for spotting incompetence. Most people have no idea what they’re doing. That’s why we built checklists—to eliminate guesswork.

When I started, I winged it. But my first job was at American Airlines, and in aviation, you can’t wing it. You follow the checklist. Every time.

Now I’m the old guy saying the same thing to young marketers. They chase hacks, skip the basics, ignore the pixel—and wonder why nothing works.

It’s not about hacks. It’s about systems.

From Freelancer to Trusted Advisor: Focus, Systems, and Scale

Too many agencies offer everything to everyone. That doesn’t scale. Pick one service. Pick one audience. Build one offer. Turn it into a machine.

Here’s my advice if you’re in year one, two, or even five.

Do one thing really well.

You try to customize everything? You’re the bottleneck. Clients demand you. You can’t grow. You’ve built a cage.

Eventually, you have to step back. When I did, clients still wanted me on every call. So I showed up at the start, set the tone, then dropped off. Eventually, they didn’t need me at all—because we had systems.

It’s like eating at Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant. I don’t expect him to be back there cooking—but I’m still paying premium because it’s his process, his brand, his standard.

Same with us. People trust our systems, not just me.

Even Jake Paul said the same thing. When we filmed our course, he told me he did everything himself in the beginning—filming, editing, uploading. Now he has a team. But he made it clear:

“You don’t need all this to start. Just shoot the first video.”

So, teach. From experience.

If you’re selling something, use it yourself. Show people it works. Be the example.

I built a personal branding tool to help you rank on Google. I use it myself. Why wouldn’t I?

Zac should too. He’s a marketing guy, but he doesn’t even rank on his name. That’s a red flag.

Stop making excuses. Start doing the work. Build systems. Focus. Simplify. Be a practitioner.

That’s how you win.