Why I Created The Genuine Mentor
For more than thirty years, I thought I was building a career. Looking back, I realize I was really preparing for The Genuine Mentor.
Steve Feller
I built a career in leadership, operations, sales, and mentoring people. Like many professionals, I was focused on doing good work, supporting my family, and taking advantage of opportunities as they came along.
I never imagined I would one day create The Genuine Mentor.
The idea didn't begin with a business plan. It began with a simple question.
While traveling for work, a leader in my company asked me, “If you could do anything for the company, what would it be?
The answer came without hesitation.
I'd mentor new managers into great leaders.
Later that evening, back in my hotel room, I couldn't stop thinking about why that answer had come so naturally.
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I’ve always believed your first gut reaction is usually the most honest one.
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Mine certainly was.
I opened my laptop and started writing pages, asking myself what part of my career had brought me the greatest satisfaction.
It wasn't the promotions.
It wasn't the titles.
It wasn't the revenue or recognition.
It was watching people grow.
Over the years, I had the privilege of helping managers develop confidence, navigate difficult decisions, and discover leadership styles that were authentic to them.
Some of them probably don’t even realize the impact they had on me. Watching their confidence grow became just as rewarding as watching their careers grow.
Seeing someone step into a larger role because they believed in themselves a little more than they did before—that was the work I never wanted to end.
At some point I realized I had been asking the wrong question.
Instead of asking, “What do I want to do next?” I asked, “What part of my career have I never wanted to stop doing?
”That single shift changed everything.
“The Genuine Mentor wasn’t created because I wanted another job. It was created because I wasn’t ready to stop doing the part of my career that meant the most to me.”
That realization led to The Genuine Mentor.
My mission is simple: help leaders become more human, more intentional, and more effective by investing in the people around them. I believe leadership is personal. Every conversation matters. Every one-on-one matters. Every opportunity to encourage, coach, or challenge someone has the potential to change a career.
The truth is, I wouldn’t be writing this if others hadn’t invested in me first. They saw potential I couldn’t always see myself, challenged me when I needed it, and gave me opportunities that changed my career. This is my chance to pay that forward.
As I move into the next chapter of my own life, I don't want to keep those lessons to myself. I want to give them away.
That's why I write. That's why I create training. That's why I record videos. And that's why The Genuine Mentor exists.
Years after beginning this journey, I came across a quote that perfectly described what I had been trying to do all along:
“The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.” — Pablo Picasso.
If my experience can help one person become the leader they were meant to be, then every lesson, every challenge and every year of my career were worth it.
If you'd like to read the complete story—including the reflection exercise and the ten ideas that helped me validate my own purpose—I invite you to continue to the full article.
Thank you for being part of the journey.
— Steve Feller
Founder, The Genuine Mentor
Elevate the Human Experience
My Motto:
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With a CREATIVE mind, a DEPENDABLE persistence, and a RESPECTFUL personality, I can accomplish anything I set my mind to.
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These traits ground me to be the person I am and help me to remain GENUINE, while becoming a true leader. Being true to myself is important, which allows others to see "The Real Me".
Steve Feller
Steve Feller
The Owner of The Genuine Mentor