In an age of disruption, noise, and constant change, there is something quietly revolutionary happening beneath the surface: people are rediscovering the timeless, human power of mentorship.
I recently joined Jackson Callum on the Vision Pros Live podcast to dive into the work I’m doing with The Mentor Project, and the book I wrote about mentorship The Mentorship Edge, and the conversation was a reminder of just how transformational mentoring can be—not just for those being mentored, but for those giving back.
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As someone who has spent decades researching Aging, purpose, and emotional development, I can say this with conviction: mentorship is not just helpful—it’s essential.
How The Mentor Project StartedIt didn’t begin with a grand business plan. It began with a question.
I’ve been a specialist in Aging since the 1990s, studying everything people typically want to avoid—Depression, frailty, dementia. Important work, yes—but not exactly uplifting. One day someone asked me: “Why are you studying this? Isn’t this just putting a band-aid on our future?”
That stopped me. And it shifted everything.
I began to wonder—what do we have to look forward to as we age? I knew we gained emotional insight, stability, and maturity, but was there something more—some innate drive that pushes us toward meaning?
And that’s when I reconnected with Erik Erikson’s concept of generativity—the emotional developmental milestone that typically arises in midlife, compelling us to give back, leave a Legacy, and ensure that a piece of us continues to exist in the world after we’re gone.
That’s the heartbeat behind The Mentor Project. Generativity in action.
Mentorship: The Most Powerful, Underused Force for GoodMentorship is often misunderstood. We tell young people to “go find a mentor” as if there’s a hidden warehouse full of wise sages just waiting to be discovered. And we forget that mentors need mentees too.
In fact, that’s what started The Mentor Project. I was speaking with brilliant, high-achieving professionals—scientists, inventors, astronauts, entrepreneurs—and they were all saying the same thing: “I want to give back, but I don’t know how. I don’t have access to young people anymore.”
They weren’t in classrooms. Their own kids were grown. And they didn’t exactly feel comfortable walking up to a stranger and offering to teach them quantum mechanics.
So we fixed the system.
We built a global nonprofit that matches the top 1% in their fields with students and lifelong learners—completely free of charge. Mentorship isn’t a luxury; it’s a necessity. And when it works, it changes lives on both sides.
The Human Side of Mentorship: What the Research—and the Heart—SaysMost people know that having a mentor can help you reach your goals. What they don’t always realize is that mentors are transformed too.
When a mentor sees their knowledge take root in someone else—when they watch a young person succeed, grow, and innovate because of something they taught—it changes everything.
I’ve had mentors cry on Zoom calls because mentoring reminded them they mattered. That they still had purpose. That their Legacy was living on in someone else.
And for the mentees, the experience is no less profound. Imagine being a high school student who’s told they’re smart—but suddenly, you’re being mentored by a Nobel Prize nominee, or someone who patented how we use credit cards on the internet, or someone who helped fix the Columbia shuttle disaster from outer space. That’s not just affirming—it’s life-altering.
Stories That Stick: Mentorship in ActionLet me tell you about Justin Thompson. He’s an artist who works with the Schulz Creative Studio (yes, the Peanuts team). Justin flew from California to a rural town in Tanzania to teach 500 kids how to express themselves through art. They’d never seen cartooning like this before.
He painted a mural. He brought joy. He stayed in touch. He went back again. Then he brought the same experience to kids in Brooklyn.
One man. Two continents. Hundreds of lives touched. And the ripple continues.
Or consider our mentees who learned how to do a systematic research review—something most people don’t master until graduate school—and published peer-reviewed journal articles before they turned 17. These are the kinds of transformations that start with access. Mentorship makes that access possible.
Mentorship Is a Movement, Not a ProgramThe Mentor Project has now given away more than $3 million in mentorship value—based on the most conservative estimate of the hourly rates of our mentors. Many of our Experts charge thousands per hour. We calculated their contribution at $500/hour—less than they would ever ask—because we wanted the number to reflect just how accessible this brilliance can be when purpose is the currency.
This is a movement fueled by intrinsic motivation. Mentors aren’t paid. They’re not doing it for recognition. They’re doing it because they want to. That’s the secret to lasting impact.
The Five Ingredients of True MentorshipDuring the podcast, I broke mentorship down into five essential ingredients. Like baking, if you leave one out, the result just won’t be the same. Here’s what makes a true mentoring relationship:
Generativity – The mentor must want to give without expecting anything in return.
Intrinsic Motivation – If you’re being paid or rewarded for mentoring, it’s not mentorship—it’s a job.
Meaningful Connection – You must genuinely like the person you’re mentoring (and vice versa).
Trust – Vulnerability is essential. Mentorship is built on safety.
A Shared Goal – Mentorship without a purpose is just a conversation. Purpose gives it direction.
And yes—Coaching, advising, and sponsorship are valuable too. But mentorship is something deeper, quieter, more enduring. It’s Legacy in motion.
Legacy, Generativity, and the Right Side of 40I often talk about the “Right Side of 40”—not as a reference to Aging, but as a call to embrace what’s possible when we realize that our next chapter can be our most meaningful.
Legacy isn’t just about what you build—it’s about who you build into. It’s in the traditions you pass on, the values you embed in your Family, the insights you share with someone who’s still figuring things out. Legacy lives in people, not just accomplishments.
Where to Go From HereIf you’ve ever felt like you wanted to give back, to find more meaning, or to make sure your life’s work doesn’t vanish when you step back, mentorship is your answer.
You don’t need a spotlight. You don’t need a title. You just need to look to your left and your right. Someone needs what you’ve already lived through.
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🌐 Visit DeborahHeiser.com
Let’s build something lasting together. Let’s make mentorship a way of life, not a buzzword. Because when we lift others, we rise ourselves.
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Originally Published on https://deborahheiserphd.substack.com/
