The Biggest Lie About Focus (Why You Shouldn’t Do Just One Thing)
Stop looking for mentors—let them find you. Build genuine relationships and demonstrate your unique value. The most powerful mentoring happens when someone sees potential in you before you see it in yourself. Meanwhile, become a connector: introduce people who can help each other. This simple act bu
1h 24mKey Takeaway
Stop looking for mentors—let them find you. Build genuine relationships and demonstrate your unique value. The most powerful mentoring happens when someone sees potential in you before you see it in yourself. Meanwhile, become a connector: introduce people who can help each other. This simple act builds your network faster than any business card ever could.
Episode Overview
Angela Ahrendts, founder of A-Series Investments and former manager of Priyanka Chopra Jonas, shares her unconventional journey from being bullied in England to becoming a cultural powerhouse in Silicon Valley. She discusses the power of networking through connection, why mentors pick you (not the other way around), and how listening more than speaking helped her identify game-changing investments like ClassPass.
Key Insights
The Power of Being a Connector
When Angela first moved to Silicon Valley knowing no one, she felt she had nothing to offer. Instead of pitching herself, she became a connector—introducing people who could help each other. This made her invaluable and built her entire network. The key wasn't having resources; it was creating value by facilitating relationships.
Mentors Pick You, Not Vice Versa
Angela learned from Indra Nooyi that effective mentorship happens when the mentor chooses you, not when you ask for it. Build relationships organically and demonstrate your value. Make potential mentors want you in their orbit by showing how powerful and useful you can be to them as well.
Listen with Two Ears, Speak with One Mouth
Jimmy Iovine taught Angela that she sees around corners because she listens more than she speaks. Her investment in ClassPass came from hearing Rohan Oza talk about SoulCycle, noticing friends abandoning gyms for boutique classes, and listening to cultural shifts. Deep listening reveals opportunities others miss.
Not Fitting In Became Her Superpower
Growing up mixed (half Hindu, half Sikh) in a white English environment, Angela never fit anywhere. This led her to create Daisy Hits, a mashup podcast blending cultures and music styles that represented her unique identity. Her differences became her distinctive value proposition and helped her raise $5 million in venture capital.
Living Mapless: Following Instinct Over Goals
Angela never had a map or traditional goals. She made decisions through instinct because she had no blueprint to follow. This approach forced her to trust her gut, stay flexible, and create her own path rather than following someone else's formula.
Notable Quotes
"This old rhetoric of you got to do one thing and you got to have one goal and you got to be focused on it. That's the biggest lie ever."
"Mentors pick you, and I agree with that."
"You use your ears in relation to your mouth. You have two ears and you have one mouth."
"You knew who I was before I knew who I was."
"I never had a map, I never had a destination anything I've done."
Action Items
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1
Become a Connector at Networking Events
At your next event or gathering, focus on introducing people who can help each other rather than promoting yourself. Listen to what people need, then connect them with others who can provide value. This positions you as invaluable in any room.
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2
Build Relationships Before Asking for Mentorship
Instead of asking successful people to mentor you, build genuine relationships first. Find ways to add value to their lives—make introductions, share relevant insights, or help with their projects. Let them choose to invest in you.
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3
Practice the Two Ears, One Mouth Rule
In every conversation this week, consciously listen twice as much as you speak. Pay attention to patterns, recurring themes, and what people are talking about. These listening insights reveal opportunities and trends before they become obvious.
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4
Embrace Your Unique Mashup
Identify what makes you different or what backgrounds/interests you combine that others don't. Instead of hiding these differences, use them to create something unique that represents your authentic self.