I’ve used Clarity.fm before and think it’s a great platform.

It really revolutionized knowledge sharing in a way nobody had ever done before.

But paying $5 and $8 per minute rates for calls is beyond the budget of most early-stage startups that need some informal mentorship or quick advice.

A few years ago when I was running growth at EuroVPS, there was a point when I was incredibly stressed out.

After one of Google’s infamous algorithm updates, our organic took a beating, and driving growth through PPC was something completely new to me as I had been firmly in camp “SEO” since 2008.

I needed to find a new profitable channel for growth and after some bad experiences with PPC agencies, I decided that it was time to seriously learn Facebook Ads and Google Ads and take matters into my own hands.

I read tons of blog posts and watched countless hours of courses. But ultimately big money’s at stake with PPC, and I didn’t want to risk it without the oversight of an advisor. Passively learning via consuming content wasn’t enough. I needed validation from experts that I was “doing things right.”

Since I couldn’t really afford to use Clarity on a regular basis, I hacked the process using Upwork.

To do this I’d create job postings on Upwork such as: “60 minutes Skype call with Facebook Ads expert,” and do screen share calls with them.

I was shocked at how much faster I learned this way.

If anything seemed difficult or out of reach to learn I’d simply create a job posting on Upwork and get on a call with an expert.

I’d even record my screen so I could play it back later. This way I could focus 100% without having to take notes.

That’s when I had an “aha moment.”

I figured:

“I’m just a typical person who has typical problems, so if this works for me, it’ll probably work for other people too!”

Talking to other smart people can be life-changing, it definitely was for me.

But if you’re not in Silicon Valley or some other major startup hub like Berlin or London, it can be super tough to meet the type of people that you really need to be talking to in order to jumpstart your growth, confidence, or both!

This was how the idea was born to create GrowthMentor.

How GrowthMentor is different than Clarity

1. Vetted Mentors

All growth mentors pass through a 4 stage vetting process with only 5% accepted onto the platform. During the interview process, we share the platform values and make it very clear that anyone who is here strictly for the money is not a good fit. During those conversations, there have been quite a few mentors who align with our vision and say, “I’m happy to do it at no cost.” Approximately a third of the mentors on the platform are offering to do calls at no charge.

2. Platform agnostic

On Clarity.fm you have to connect with experts via a call bridge using the telephone. We thought that was kind of annoying. That’s why on GrowthMentor we made sure that you can talk to mentors using the tools that you’re used to like Skype, Zoom, and Google Hangouts. Use webcams, share your screens, and exchange files.

3. No Overage Charges

No anxiety about paying overage charges if you talk a couple of minutes longer than what you booked if the conversation’s going well. Since calls happen on third-party tools like Skype and Zoom, there’s no way for us to bill you for overage anyway.

4. Members get unlimited free mentorship from mentors listed as “free”

Every member gets unlimited free mentorship from mentors listed as free. Even if you want to book a call with a paid mentor, the average rate on the platform for paid calls is around $50–70 per hour. All mentors have to do their first 3 x sessions for free guaranteeing a very decent sized pool of free mentors. Many of the mentors stick with the free rate well after those first 3 sessions anyway.

5. Account-level support from the founders

There’s a distinctly personal vibe and we take customer success to the next level. Every sign up gets a free 1:1 matchmaking call with the founder (me) where I really try and understand their growth challenges and recommend a couple of different mentors they can talk to. We also check-in quarterly with each member to check on their progress.

6. Members-only communities

There’s a private Facebook group and Slack channel for members-only where entrepreneurs and marketers from around the world can mingle and network. We’re working on building an internal community within the application itself.

7. Filters by things that matter

There are numerous filters that come in pretty handy if you’re in growth. You can filter mentors based on what tools they’re good at. For example, you might need to speak to someone who has hands-on experience using your specific CRM. you can also filter based on language, industry, and specific skill sets.

8. Post your challenges and mentors will apply to help

Not sure who to choose? Post a mentor request where you explain what your situation is, and mentors can apply to it. Kind of like Upwork job postings, but for growth mentorship.

9. No jerks allowed

GrowthMentors are all super friendly by default. We’re cognizant that some mentees are in vulnerable situations with delicate ideas and natures, so we’ve implemented a strict “No Jerks Allowed” policy and we’re pretty serious about that too.

Again, Clarity’s great, we’re just a bit different!