The Mentor Audit: 4 Questions to Ask Before You Swipe Your Card

Welcome to January.

The holiday fog has lifted. The cookies are gone. The decorations are packed away. And if you are like most high-achievers, you are currently vibrating with "New Year Energy."

You have big goals for 2026. You want to lose the weight, launch the business, or fix your finances. And you know that the fastest way to get there is to hire a guide.

I am a huge believer in mentorship. I believe we go further, faster, when we stand on the shoulders of giants.

But there is a dangerous trap waiting for us every January.

We tend to hire mentors the way we buy lottery tickets: hoping for a miracle. We get seduced by a flashy Instagram ad, we see a promise of "easy results," and we hand over our credit card without doing a single background check. You MUST be the CEO of your life!

Let me put on my real estate hat for a second.

You would never let a contractor tear out your kitchen or knock down walls just because they had a shiny truck parked in your driveway. You would ask for references. You would check their previous work. You would make sure they actually know how to install plumbing before they rip out your pipes.

You are the General Contractor of your life.

So, before you hire a "sub-contractor" (a mentor or coach) to help you build your future, you need to vet them.

Here is The Mentor Audit—four questions you must ask to spot the difference between a real expert and a polished marketer.

1. The "Receipts" Check: Did they do it, or did they just learn to teach it?

We are seeing a massive rise in "Circle Coaching." This is where someone takes a course on how to be a coach, and then immediately starts coaching others on… how to be a coach.

It’s an echo chamber.

The Question to Ask: "What did you build before you started teaching others how to build this?"

• If you are hiring a business coach, did they run a successful business outside of the coaching industry?

• If you are hiring a wealth mentor, is their wealth from investments/real estate, or is it just from selling courses?

You are looking for Battle Scars, not just Book Smarts. You want a mentor who has been in the trenches, not just someone who read the manual.

2. The "Time Travel" Scroll

In the age of social media, it is easy to reinvent yourself overnight.

The Audit: Don’t just look at their pinned posts from last week. Scroll back. Go back to 2023. Go back to 2021.

• Red Flag: The "Trend Hopper." Two years ago they were a Crypto expert. Last year they were an AI expert. Now they are a "Somatic Healer." This usually indicates they are chasing money, not mastery.

• Green Flag: Consistency. They have been talking about the same core values and topics for years, even before it was trendy.

3. The "Failure" Audit (Crucial in the Age of AI)

Here is the thing about Artificial Intelligence: It can write a perfect sales page. It can create a perfect curriculum. It can create a perfect success story.

But AI cannot create genuine failure.

A polished, perfect persona is suspicious. Real business, real health journeys, and real life are messy.

The Question to Ask: "Tell me about a time this strategy didn't work for you. Tell me about a time you failed."

If they give you a humble-brag answer ("Oh, I just care too much!"), run. You want the mentor who says, "I tried this in 2018 and lost $10k, and here is what I learned so you don't have to."

Vulnerability is the ultimate proof of humanity.

4. The "Pressure" Gauge

This is the final and most important test.

You’ve likely been on a "Discovery Call" that felt more like a hostage negotiation. They tell you that "spaces are limited" or "the price doubles when we hang up."

They try to make you feel like hesitation is weakness.

Let me be clear: Hesitation is data. It is your intuition telling you to slow down.

A mentor who pressures you to make a life-altering financial decision in 20 minutes is not interested in your growth; they are interested in their revenue goals.

The "Script" to Protect Your Wallet

If you are on a call with a potential mentor and you feel the pressure rising, use this script. It works every time.

"I love what I’m hearing, and I’m very interested. However, I have a personal policy that I never make investments over $[Amount] without a 48-hour 'cooling off' period to sleep on it. If this is the right fit, I’ll be ready to sign up on [Date]. Is the offer still valid then?"

Watch their reaction.

If they get angry or pushy? Red Flag.

If they say, "Absolutely, I want this to be a hell yes for you"? Green Flag.

You Are The CEO

This year, by all means, get help. Find a guide. Join a community.

But remember: You are the CEO.

Don't look for a "Guru" to worship. Look for a "Guide" with a tattered map with past successes and failures. Do your due diligence. Ask the hard questions.

And if your gut says "wait"—listen to it.