Growing up, I had a couple of great mentors that I learnt a great deal from, from family to teachers throughout junior high school all the way to university.
If you have or had these people in your corner at any point in your life, then you know there are just some things you couldn't learn from them. Maybe they weren't familiar with that particular topic or it wasn't an interest of theirs so you had to look elsewhere for this guidance.
That was my case in certain areas growing up and that's how I discovered virtual mentorship. I didn't even know it had a name back then, I just knew these were people whose insights and goals aligned with mine at that moment and so I would follow their advice on the topic until I achieved said goal.
I still do this and virtual mentorship is perhaps one of the best gifts the internet has given our generation so if this is something you're curious about, read on.
What is Virtual Mentorship
First of all, if I say virtual mentorship, this is what I mean: a form of relationship where a person with less experience in a given topic learns from someone experienced or an expert in that topic and feels guided by this person.
Virtual mentorship, as the name suggests, is done through the use of digital platforms and tools instead of face-to-face meetings.
And in most cases, the relationship is one-directional and the mentor providing guidance is someone the mentee has never met before.
Now that we understand what virtual mentorship means here, let me introduce you to some of the amazing virtual mentors I have been learning from over the years.
Their topic areas have been grouped into personal growth, health and wellness, financial literacy, and personal branding & startup for ease of navigation.
Personal Growth
Dr. Izzy Sealey: Izzy is my go-to person when it comes to most personal growth advice because of her educational background and her ability to make the most confusing concepts and topics sound less like a fairytale or delulu and more like an actual plan you can implement.
She is one of the few creators whose take on personal growth makes you not want to roll your eyes if you know what I mean. She talks about various proven ways to create your dream life, whatever that may look like for you.
Adama Lorna: For all my multi-passionate and ambitious ladies, this is the channel for you. Adama talks a lot about personal and professional development.
She shares insight on how to manage your multiple passions, build skills that advance your career whether you're in corporate, in the gig economy or starting your own business by leveraging the power of personal branding.
Aileen Xu: Like most of the creators on this list, I have been following Aileen since I graduated high school, one of my hardest years. I was a skeptic, still am to some degree when it comes to new-age mindfulness practices. But Aileen is one of the very few creators who introduced and helped me understand the concept of intentional lifestyle design.
Desi Rich: Personal growth is a mental and physical journey. For those of us looking to polish up our physical appearance through style and how we present ourselves, you will enjoy Desi's videos on how to look and feel elevated, classy, and put together. Especially if you're looking for these upgrades without putting a dent in your wallet.
Mel Robbins: I know what they say about motivation. It's a fickle little thug and that's what most people think when it comes to personal growth podcasters or creators. Just fancy inspirational words being thrown around.
But Mel talks a lot about how to take action, overcome procrastination and face your fear of being seen and judged, which is something that most of us struggle with, especially when we're just starting out.
Health & Wellness
Dr. Simi Adedeji: Dr. Simi is like that one aunt who is not shy to call an anatomical spade a spade. She shares a great deal on topics that most of us ladies grew up being too embarrassed or shy to ask about or even Google without fear of judgement.
Her content cuts across sexual and reproductive health, women's health and a personal favourite, skin health. As someone with overly dry and sensitive skin, her advice in this regard has been life-saving.
Dr. Julie Smith: If you've never been to therapy, Dr. Julie's content is the closest thing to a crash course in how your mind actually works. Of course it's always advisable to see a personal therapist who can provide more tailored guidance that fits your unique situation.
Regardless, she shares great insights from therapy and psychological research that you can use in everyday situations to better understand the inner workings of your mind and to optimise your mental health.
Financial Literacy
Nischa Shah: Most financial videos on YouTube either go over my head or make me raise a brow, until I stumbled onto Nischa's channel and I could boldly say she's one of the very few people who makes you enjoy the concept of financial literacy by making even the most complicated financial topics and concepts easy to understand.
Nischa is an ex-investment banker who quit her cushy job to teach personal finance but financial literacy is not the only thing she educates you on. She also talks about self-development and how to start your own business and grow it.
Personal Branding & Startup
For building an online presence or starting a business online, these are my go-to creators.
Vanessa Lau: I've been watching Vanessa's videos since high school when I started my first dropshipping business. Vanessa shares transformative lessons on how to build a brand from scratch on various social media platforms by creating unique content and talks about how to navigate the emotional and mental aspects of starting and growing your own business.
Jade Beason: Jade leverages years of marketing experience to help creators and entrepreneurs earn a living from the content and services they provide using social media. If marketing is not your strongest suit like most of us, then her advice would serve you well in growing your brand and business online.
Lara Acosta: If you're looking to leverage LinkedIn to grow your online presence and professional network, both of which I highly recommend, then Lara is that LinkedIn mentor for you. Like she says, 'no fluff, just stuff.'
I got on LinkedIn in April this year and it was a sea of information, how-to frameworks and systems that flew right over my head. I was a consumer on the platform for the first few weeks until I came across her posts on LinkedIn, which led me to her videos on YouTube.
And with her guidance, I have been able to get my account up and running and have really seen improvement in how I'm using the platform to build a community.
Okay that wraps up the first virtual mentorship list. I have more creators on the list that I'll be sharing with you in a future post so stay tuned.
Like I said, these are virtual mentors. I have never met any of these creators in person. Never even bought a course from them. Yet. I'm not affiliated with them in any monetary way other than the fact that I really enjoy the insight and guidance they provide their community, which I've benefitted greatly from.
So check them out and remember, don't visit their pages with a consumer mindset. Go there to learn and apply the knowledge they share with you. That's the only way I've ever seen improvement in my personal growth journey.
If you're a beginner and you're ready to start building the dream life, I created The Young Adult's Guide to Building Yourself on Purpose specifically for you.
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