Updated 2026: In 2009, I wrote a short post about getting to know Lynn Terry and included a fun video of her opening a gag gift I sent. The underlying message was more important than the video: if you want to succeed in internet marketing, find successful people who share your values and learn from them. That advice has only become more relevant as the online business world has gotten noisier.

Why Mentors Matter in Internet Marketing

Finding the right mentor is the single most valuable thing you can do when building an online business. A good mentor shortens your learning curve by years, not because they hand you a blueprint, but because they help you avoid the mistakes that waste your most precious resource: time. When you only have a few hours per week to work on your business, every hour spent going down the wrong path is an hour you cannot get back.

In 2009, I was spending time in Lynn Terry's Elite Member Forum, learning from both Lynn and Josh Spaulding. What made both of them exceptional mentors was not just their knowledge but their integrity. They helped people. They were honest about what worked and what did not. They did not oversell or overpromise.

What to Look for in an Internet Marketing Mentor

The principles I valued in 2009 still hold as the criteria you should use when choosing who to learn from:

• Shared values. Your mentor's business ethics should align with yours. If their approach to selling makes you uncomfortable, their tactical advice will not serve you well either.
• Real results. Look for people who have built actual businesses, not just businesses that teach other people how to make money online. The best mentors have done the thing, not just talked about it.
• Generosity with knowledge. Great mentors share freely through blogs, podcasts, forums, or social media. You can evaluate their thinking and communication style before committing money.
• Accessibility. A mentor you cannot reach is not a mentor. Whether through a forum, community, or direct communication, there should be a realistic path to interaction.

What Has Changed in Finding Mentors Since 2009

The forum-based learning model that Lynn Terry ran has largely been replaced by other formats. In 2026, mentorship and community happen through:

• Paid communities on platforms like Circle, Mighty Networks, and Skool
• Cohort-based courses that combine instruction with peer learning
• Mastermind groups that meet regularly via Zoom
• Podcasts and YouTube channels where you can evaluate a mentor's thinking before investing

Lynn Terry herself has continued to evolve her business and remains active in the internet marketing community. She is still a fantastic example of someone who leads with integrity and genuine helpfulness, the exact qualities you want in a mentor.

The video from 2009 is no longer available, but the lesson stands. Find people you respect, watch what they do, ask them questions, and learn from their experience. That is how you accelerate your path from where you are to where you want to be.

For more on building an online business part-time with guidance from experienced marketers, subscribe to the Late Night Internet Marketing podcast on Apple Podcasts.