Who’s Carrying Your Bag? The Hidden Value of Mentorship

When my friend—a pro golfer—missed the cut at a tournament, he didn’t wallow in frustration. Instead, he found a new role: caddying for a competitor. Yep, he picked up the bag for someone still in the game, just to learn.

That’s not just humility. That’s strategy.

While caddying, he noticed something simple but profound: the player’s putting routine focused almost entirely on short putts—those easy-looking, high-pressure shots everyone takes for granted. And it hit me—this isn’t just golf. This is **entrepreneurship, construction, business—**everything.

In your business, are you obsessed with the long putts—the big projects, the major deals—while neglecting the basics?

• Are your estimates detailed?

• Are your client follow-ups consistent?

• Is your job site as organized as it should be?

Success isn’t built on the big shots; it’s built on the basics.

But here’s the twist: we all need someone to caddy for us, too. Someone who sees what we don’t, who points out the blind spots.

• In construction, maybe that’s a subcontractor who notices a framing issue before it becomes a costly problem.

• In business, it might be a mentor who challenges your process, asking, “Why do you do it that way?”

The lesson?

• Be humble enough to carry the bag for someone better than you.

• Be wise enough to let someone carry the bag for you.

You’d be surprised how much you can learn when you’re not the one swinging the club.