#9 Stop Collecting Mentors. Start Earning Advocates.

Most career advice says: find mentors.

But if your growth feels stalled, mentors aren’t the answer. What you really need are advocates—people with political capital who are willing to spend it on you.

Why it matters: Being good at your job isn’t enough. Your personal brand matters. It’s what people say about you when you’re not in the room—and that’s exactly where your next opportunity gets decided.

Advice doesn’t change access. Advocacy does: someone with political capital using their reputation to open a door for you (usually an exec/senior leader in those meetings; peers rarely meet that bar).

Brand → Advocacy in Action

For someone to speak up for you, they need three things:

1. Destination — where you’re going. Be specific about problems and altitude.

   ​“Over the next 6–12 months, I want to lead more experiments—testing new messaging approaches and finding ways to improve conversion.”

   
   

2. Proof — why you. Share small, visible wins they can repeat in one sentence.

   ​“Last month we improved conversion by +7 points with simplified messaging and directing people into [Feature X].”

   
   

3. Cues — what to flag. Triggers that tell them when to name-drop you.

   ​“If you hear about customer insights or research projects, messaging tests, or other experimentation—I’d love to help.”

   
   

That’s it: Destination → Proof → Cues. Your brand packaged into a story others can carry into rooms you’re not in.

From Mentors → Advocates

Start by taking stock: who are the people you regularly go to for advice?

Now, filter: which of them actually has the political capital to open doors for you?

That overlap is your upgrade path—mentors who could become advocates.

The move isn’t to ask for a giant favor. It’s to make a small, specific ask:​“Can I send you a quick update now and then, so you know where I’m headed and when I might be useful?”

Once you have permission, here are two messages to run:

1. First ask (small nudge)​

Subject: Quick update + where I can help

“Hey [Name]—quick update: I’m focusing on leading experiments to test new messaging and improve conversion. Recent proof: conversion up +7 points after simplifying messaging and directing into [Feature X].

If you hear about customer insights, messaging tests, or other experimentation, I’d love to be looped in. Forwardable lines if helpful:

• Runs quick messaging experiments to lift conversion.

• Recent: conversion +7 points via simplified messaging → [Feature X].”

2. Ongoing update (forwardable, monthly)​

Subject: 30 day update → conversion moved

“Last 30 days: simplified messaging and routed users into [Feature X] → conversion +7 points.

Next: test value-prop variants on the pricing page to reduce drop-off.

Where this helps: teams running customer research, messaging tests, or conversion experiments. If a convo pops where this fits, happy to jump in.”

Who qualifies (and how to enlist)

Don’t try to upgrade everyone. Focus on a small circle—3 to 5 people max—who:

• Already give you advice (mentors or informal sounding boards).

• Have political capital (execs/senior leaders in the decision rooms).

• Have seen enough of your work to trust your readiness.

With those people:

• Ask permission to share a brief monthly update (90 seconds to read).

• Tailor the story to what they care about.

• Ladder the asks over time: insight → visibility → access.

​Mentorship helps you grow. But growth without access stalls.​

Don’t just collect mentors—upgrade them into advocates who can carry your story into the rooms you’re not in.

-Mel

P.S. If you’re working on your next move, two things on the calendar:

• Recruiter Magnet: a live LinkedIn profile workshop to make you a recruiter magnet. Book your seat.​

• Ready to Land: my next small-group coaching sprint starts soon. Get the skinny.​