The day my biggest leadership mentor attended BWC was that day.
There are moments in a teacher’s life that quietly confirm you are on the right path.
For me, that moment came the day my biggest leadership mentor walked into Book Writing Clinic (BWC).
Unannounced.
Early.
Ready to learn.
It was the same emotion Brendon Burchard once described when Tony Robbins, his own mentor and greatest influence, enrolled in his coaching program. Brendon said it was humbling. Affirming. Transformational.
That was exactly how I felt.
My journey with Richmond Dayo Johnson began around 2011, shortly after I exited my 9–5. I was uncertain, searching, and still finding my footing. One day, I stumbled on RDJ’s website. He exuded confidence, clarity, and leadership. Dressed in exercise gear, shin and knee guards on, he spoke with effortless eloquence.
I remember thinking, being online is for special people like this.
So I scrolled away.
Not long after, fate intervened again. I came across an article RDJ had written in Ovation Magazine. At the end of the piece, he made a bold declaration:
“If you want to speak as well as I do, join Toastmasters.”
That single line changed my trajectory.
I joined Toastmasters International, reconnected with RDJ, and he became my mentor. When he partially relocated to Nigeria to lead a major TV and radio project in Lagos, our relationship deepened. We shared meals, conversations, and countless Toastmasters meetings. That was when he introduced me to the concept of personal branding—long before it became fashionable.
I was a terrible speaker. Truly awful.
Yet after every speech, RDJ would smile and say, “Well done.”
I was often embarrassed.
But he saw what I couldn’t yet see.
When I published Bridges to the Customer’s Heart, RDJ wrote words that still humble me today. He described my work as authentic, experiential, and solution-focused, recommending it “unreservedly.” That endorsement strengthened my confidence and my resolve.
After that book, I became relentless.
“RDJ, you need to write your own book.”
Then one day, without notice, RDJ showed up at Book Writing Clinic.
He arrived before I did.
A stickler for time, as always.
In that moment, the roles shifted.
My mentor had become my mentee.
It remains one of the happiest days of my life.
RDJ began work on his book, Releasing the Imprisoned Splendour. And in that quiet, powerful reversal, I learned a lesson I now teach openly: mentoring and coaching, when done well, are never one-way streets.
When the mentee grows enough, adds enough value, and steps fully into purpose, the relationship evolves. You may one day coach your coach. Mentor your mentor. And deepen the bond in ways you never imagined.
So I’ll leave you with a question worth reflecting on:
Do you see yourself becoming a coach to your ex-coach – or a mentor to your ex-mentor?
And if you’re curious how far Releasing the Imprisoned Splendour has gone…
