Welcome to The Big Idea of the Week!Today we're talking about How to Find Mentors to Help You Level Up and Grow-Think of someone you want to learn from, someone you respect, but don’t know.How do you show up on their radar? How do you get a bit of their time, council and mentorship so you can grow?Many years ago I started keeping a list. It was a list of people that I really respected and would love to meet one day.The list was long and included all sorts of people. Some were famous and some were not. Some names were people that I wanted to have as mentors and some just seemed like fascinating people to hang out with.Not too long ago this list came up in conversation with a friend. I was telling him about the list and the people on it that have become friends and shaped my life for the better.After talking about 10 or 20 people on my list that I’ve met, and what I learned from them, my friend stopped me mid-sentence and asked, “But how?”“But how did you meet them? What did you say to convince them to meet you? How did you get their time?” he wondered.Let's take your list. Chances are if someone’s name is on your list it means that the person is up to big things.The thing about people who are up to big things is that they tend to have a lot on their plate. That includes having a lot of people, sometimes hundreds or thousands, all wanting something from them. Everywhere they go someone’s asking for their help, time, or resources.You could be a great person, a mini-Gandhi in the making, but if you approach them the same way that everyone else does, your voice will get lost in the crowd – the crowd of people who all “want” something from them.So what’s the alternative?Every mentor that I’ve ever wanted to meet and learn from has something they care about that isn’t getting much attention or could use some extra support. It could be a little passion project they started or a non-profit they really care about for example. Whatever it is, it’s something that could use a little help, but chances are, most people don’t know about it – it’s under the radar.Find that thing that they care about and authentically support it. Not as a means to an ends, but because it deserves it. Support it because you respect them and believe in the project. Support it because the project could use your help and your unique skill set.I know a lot about tech, business, and wellness. I’ve met many people on my list simply by following their work closely and being open to an opportunity to serve authentically with my unique skill set.One time I sent my favorite author an 15-minute screen cast and design of how he could improve his new community website. It was simple, focused and based on my knowledge with the technology he was using. His new site was also something that I really cared about. He was so appreciative of my suggestions that he wrote me an email saying that he owed me favor, anything I needed.What did I ask for? Nothing. I simply told him that I respected his work and that he’s made a huge impact in my career. A few months later he checked out my blog and linked to a post he really liked. He also wrote me again and told me to keep in touch. Did I ask him to do this? Nope. Did he do it because he owed me? I highly doubt it. I have a feeling he did it because he dug what I wrote, *and* because I was also on his radar.As much as this post seems like a recipe it isn’t. It’s actually the anti-recipe. This isn’t a tactic or a game plan. You can’t fake caring. If your mindset is off sooner or later people will smell the fakeness on you and they’ll run in the opposite direction.I can think of 20 or 30 more stories that played out similarly to the one above. Not because I forced them, but because that’s what happens when you genuinely give a damn.Everyone wants, few are willing to give. But as my friend Sean Stephenson says, “The more you give, the more you live.”For more on Dhru Purohit, be sure to follow him on Instagram @dhrupurohit, on Facebook @dhrux