Fuck Mentors – Get Yourself a SHERPA

Business owners, listen up. The world is crawling with self-proclaimed “mentors” who love to dish out advice like they’re handing you the Holy Grail, yet they’ve never actually walked the path you’re on.

They’ll have you chasing vague goals, following frameworks they copied from some bestselling book, and leave you wondering why their big promises end in your mediocrity.

The truth? Advice without experience is just theory dressed as wisdom.

Imagine trusting someone to guide you up the most dangerous mountain of your life, only to realise they’re shouting instructions with a megaphone from a comfy chair at the base camp. These so-called mentors will tell you how to “overcome challenges” while sipping lattes, far removed from the trenches you’re bleeding in.

But what if you had a Sherpa instead? Someone who’s been there, done that, and is willing to climb the damn mountain with you.

A Sherpa takes the same risks, faces the same storms, and guides you step by step—because their success is tied to yours. That’s what you need in business: a real partner in the struggle, not a self-help guru armed with a megaphone.

This blog is a rallying cry against the mediocrity of mentorship-as-usual. It’s time to say f**k mentors and get yourself a Sherpa—a real guide who doesn’t just talk the talk but *walks the walk*. Your success depends on it.

SHERPA vs Mentor Quotes

Here are 10 quotes, reflecting the issues with ineffective mentorship and the importance of real-world experience:

1. “Those who climb lead the way; those who stay at the base only talk about the journey.”
2. “The best mentors don’t point the path—they walk it with you.”
3. “Advice without experience is just theory dressed as wisdom.”
4. “You can’t guide someone to the summit if you’ve never left the valley.”
5. “The loudest teachers often echo what they’ve never truly learned.”
6. “True leaders share the load; pretenders simply tell you where to carry it.”
7. “A mentor who hasn’t faced the storm can’t teach you how to weather it.”
8. “Coaching from the sidelines doesn’t prepare you for playing the game.”
9. “Experience builds bridges; empty advice builds walls.”
10. “A real guide carries the weight with you; a fake one watches you struggle.”

Which is your favourite quote about the SHERPA analogy that reinforce the value of lived experience over detached expertise.

Business Owners Need To Smell The Coffee

Business owners, stop wasting your time with so-called “mentors” who promise the world but have never dared to step foot into yours.

Choosing the right SHERPA is one of the most important decisions of your career.

So-called mentors excel at one thing: sounding impressive while delivering advice that collapses under pressure. They’re great at telling you what to do but have zero understanding of how to actually do it.

There is no chance you should be climbing that treacherous career mountain and having a halfwit barking instructions while you battle the altitude alone. That’s a mentor for you who is out of touch, out of reach, and out of their depth.

“Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach”

Now picture a SHERPA. This is someone who climbs beside you, carrying the load, navigating the same dangers, and staking their success on your survival. They don’t just talk the talk—they’ve walked this path and helped others reach the summit. A Sherpa doesn’t spout theories; they deliver results because they’ve lived them.

In business, you don’t need someone who’s good at giving advice from the sidelines. You need someone who’s been through the trenches, knows the stakes, and is committed to leading you to victory. That’s why it’s time to say fuck mentors and get yourself a SHERPA. Because your goals deserve more than empty words – they deserve a real guide.

Why The Shift From Mentorship?

I used to love mentorship.

But now I realise every man and his dog can become a mentor.

I still love quality mentorship. I will repeat “I still love Q-U-A-L-I-T-Y mentorship”.

But 99% of people (in my opinion) hire the wrong mentors to help them. Choosing the best person to truly get them bypassing their goals is one of the most important decisions of your life.

More often than not mentors and coaches will fall short of the mentee expectations and potentially damage their efforts to improve.

Imagine hiring an Executive Coach, Leadership Coach, or Business Mentor who has never achieved what you are setting out to complete.

A bad mentor will ask the mentee to define the goals / focus and here lies problems with choosing the wrong mentorship.

You don’t know what you don’t know, and putting the responsibility of defining the learning on the student is often a recipe of failure.

Sometimes the most successful people are not the mentors available. Self proclaimed “experts” aren’t the best teachers.

Rant Over

I have said my piece on every person being a self proclaimed “guru” or “expert”.

• The most successful people I know have turned failure into their greatest teacher.
• The most successful people I know constantly adapt, seeing challenges as opportunities to grow.
• The most successful people I know embrace curiosity and seek to understand what they don’t know.
• The most successful people I know value resilience over perfection in their journey to success.
• The most successful people I know focus on consistency, not just intensity, to achieve their goals.
• The most successful people I know listen more than they speak and learn from everyone around them.
• The most successful people I know surround themselves with people who challenge and inspire them.
• The most successful people I know share their success by helping others achieve their own.
• The most successful people I know take full responsibility for their wins and their losses.
• The most successful people I know remain grounded, no matter how high they climb.

I now know after this post gets shared everyones bio is going to change from “SEO Mentor” to “SEO SHERPA” hahaha.

Do not be a sheep, but try to carve your own path up the mountain of your dreams.

We have one life – just one chance to carve out a journey that defines our purpose and success. Whether you’re chasing the view from the summit, embracing the tough realities of the climb, or dedicating yourself to lifting others as they ascend, it’s your journey to own.

Success isn’t one-size-fits-all. It’s not just about standing at the peak; it’s about finding meaning in the struggle, the persistence, and the moments of connection along the way. So, embrace the climb, push past the limits, and decide what your version of success looks like.

Because life isn’t about standing still – it’s about moving forward, rising higher, and leaving a legacy for those who follow. Find your purpose, embrace your path, and make every step count. This is your climb. Make it extraordinary.

James Dooley

Entrepreneur

James Dooley is an entrepreneur with a strong track record in digital marketing and AI technology. Leveraging his SEO skills, James Dooley has invested in and built a large digital real estate empire.