There's an age you reach where people start to drop titles on you.

Mentor.

Expert.

Industry Veteran.

Ugh.

I've been called a few titles lately and if I'm being honest, I’ve been cringing at all of them.

Not because I’m afraid of getting older. I mean, sure, the knees aren’t as cooperative as they used to be, and I now grunt when I get out of chairs, but I’m fine with all that. It’s the labels that get me.

To me, a mentor always seemed like one of those older men who gives advice that no one asked for at the most inappropriate time. The guy who starts every sentence with, "Back in my day…" and somehow turns every conversation into a lecture about hard work and discipline.

An expert, in my mind, was someone who clung to old ideas like they were gospel, refusing to budge even when reality screamed at them to evolve.

And a veteran? That was the most terrifying of all. Veterans had their best years behind them. They were the dreamers who told war stories about "the good old days" while the rest of the world moved on without them.

Then, this week, I was on a webinar with two women who fit all those labels—mentors, experts, and veterans of their industries. And they were nothing like I expected.

They weren’t annoying, stuck in time, or clinging to outdated ideas.

They were sharp, engaged, and leading the conversation in their fields.

I had clearly got it all wrong.

The Meaning of Expertise Changes Over Time

For the longest time, I thought expertise was about knowing everything. That being a mentor meant preaching to others. That being a veteran meant being obsolete.

But as I listened to these two women, I saw something completely different.

They weren’t hoarding knowledge like dragons sitting on a pile of gold. They were curious. They were still learning. And they were sharing—not because they thought they were superior, but because they knew the value of lifting others up through sharing things that help - and I mean, really help. Not in 1949, but in 2025.

That was a massive perspective shift for me.

Maybe a mentor isn’t someone who has all the answers, but someone who knows how to ask the right questions.

Maybe an expert isn’t someone who’s stopped learning, but someone who knows how to cut through the noise and find what really matters.

And maybe a veteran isn’t someone stuck in the past, but someone who has the wisdom to help others navigate the future.

The Moment I Knew I Had It Wrong

At one point in the webinar, I shared how uncomfortable I was with these labels. One of the women laughed and said, "You know what a veteran really is? Someone who’s seen enough to know the difference between hype and substance."

That hit me like a tonne of bricks.

Because if there’s one thing I’ve got good at over the years, it’s cutting through hype. I’ve seen trends come and go. I’ve seen businesses chase the latest shiny object only to crash and burn (I'm looking at you, NFTs and VR!) And I’ve seen enough of the cycle to know what’s worth paying attention to and what’s just noise.

So maybe that’s what being a veteran really means. Not being stuck in the past, but having the clarity to see what actually matters.

Ask Yourself Why You Don't Like These Titles.

How many of us resist stepping into leadership, mentorship, or even just acknowledging our own expertise because we’re holding onto outdated definitions of what those things mean?

We tell ourselves, "I’m not experienced enough to be a mentor." But the truth is, someone out there could really use the knowledge you already have.

We think, "I’m not an expert because I don’t know everything." But the best experts are the ones who admit they’re still learning.

We assume, "I’m not old enough to be a veteran." But you don’t have to be ancient to have experience worth sharing.

What if we stopped running from these labels and instead redefined what they mean?

Because the people who truly make an impact aren’t the ones who wait until they feel ready. They’re the ones who show up, share what they know, and keep learning along the way.

That’s it for this week. If this hit home for you, share it with someone who might need to hear it.

And if you’re still running from those labels, just know… the world probably already sees you that way anyway.

Might as well own it.