The Founders Catalyst
Hosts Lee Povey and Steve Mellor are two high-performance coaches with a passion to position founders and business leaders to pursue the best version of themselves.
This podcast provides a support system for those operating in the high-stakes world of business ownership and leadership through honest and vulnerable conversations about the areas you deal with most.
The Founders Catalyst
Episode 015: Consultant, Mentor, or Coach? Knowing What You Need
In this episode, Steve and Lee dive deep into the key differences between consultants, mentors, and coaches—three very distinct roles that often get confused.
They explore when and why you might need each, how they can complement one another, and the importance of understanding what kind of support best serves your business, leadership, and personal growth journey.
Key Takeaways:
✅ Consultants: The Problem Solvers
- Hired to identify and fix specific business issues.
- Typically offer a short-term engagement with a clear deliverable (e.g., a report or training).
- Their biggest challenge? Organizations often know the problem but struggle to implement the solution.
✅ Mentors: The Guides & Advisors
- Mentors share their own experiences to help you navigate your journey.
- Often a long-term, relationship-based dynamic that evolves over time.
- Mentorship can be reciprocal, where both people learn from the relationship.
- Not always a formal or paid engagement - many successful professionals mentor to give back.
✅ Coaches: The True Growth Partners
- Coaches don’t tell you what to do - they help you uncover your own answers.
- Focused on personal development, mindset, and leadership.
- Coaching is the most vulnerable and introspective process - it requires honesty and self-reflection.
- A coach doesn’t need to be an industry expert - their expertise is in human behavior and performance.
Most successful people combine all three - they bring in a consultant for expertise, seek out mentors for wisdom, and work with a coach for ongoing personal and professional growth.
The key is knowing when and where each is needed.
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Next Episode Preview: Steve & Lee will break down how to find the right consultant, mentor, or coach—including what to look for, red flags to avoid, and how to maximize the value of these relationships.
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