Meeting a local Billionaire, HELP

[Earl Hatmaker]

Hey BP family!

I decided to take action this year and have already made some waves in the pool. After a year of fear and second guessing myself I sent a letter stating my search for a mentor to the founder of a local REI firm.

This week his assistant reached out and set up a meeting for TOMORROW (1/19/19).

He and his company has over $2 billion in apartment holdings and I am wanting to make best use of our time together. I am sure not everyone gets a chance to meet with this individual but one of my other companies allowed me access to him and I didn't want to regret not taking a chance.

With that being said..... 

What would be some advice for a 1 hour meeting with someone who could completely change the way I am doing things?

How can I structure this meeting to not waste his time and also best show my knowledge? 

Has anyone found a mentor with billions in assets right from the start? 

What questions or main topics should be covered?

What would be the one thing to NOT discuss?

Am I in over my head?

I am very nervous about this as I do not want to miss an opportunity to find a mentor who is at the top of their game. This could completely change things and I want to be sure to crush this hour I have been allotted.

THANKS in advance BP

[Robert Leonard]

@Earl Hatmaker Don't be nervous - just be yourself. He is a normal person too, and he's likely meeting with you because he enjoys helping others in real estate.

As Zachary mentioned, let him do most of the talking, but make sure you ask questions too. Show you're engaged in the conversation and truly looking to learn from him. Provide him with value in some way. Find a way that you can help him/his business. Don't expect anything from him in return, or immediately. It may take months and/or multiple meetings before you gain any benefit from talking with him - that's OK! Remember you are building a real RELATIONSHIP - it takes time.

Have a strong set of questions prepared, but don't be afraid to deviate from the list if the conversation goes that way. Don't worry about following a script. 

Ask about his successes, his failures, what he's learned, what he wishes he knew at your age/when he was getting started, what would he tell new investors, etc.

Hope this helps, and good luck. I'd like to hear how it goes.

Robert Leonard