Success rarely follows a straight line—and mentors aren't always easy to find when you need them.
Getting There: A Book of Mentors brings together firsthand accounts from thirty accomplished people across business, media, the arts, science, and public life, each describing the turns, setbacks, and decisions that shaped their path.
Rather than a single prescriptive framework, the book offers short, direct essays that focus on what actually happened: early missteps, hard calls, unexpected opportunities, and the habits and principles that held up over time.
The throughline is practical—how people navigated uncertainty, handled failure, and learned to keep moving when the outcome wasn't clear.
The mentors span a wide range of fields, including figures such as Warren Buffett, Anderson Cooper, Frank Gehry, Marina Abramović, Sara Blakely, and Michael Bloomberg. The variety is part of the point: readers can compare different routes to achievement and see how common themes show up in very different careers.
Written and compiled by Gillian Zoe Segal—who is also a photographer—the book pairs these narratives with portraits, making it both a collection of voices and a visual record of the people behind them. It's designed for readers at multiple stages, from students weighing next steps to professionals looking for perspective on a pivot, a setback, or a new goal.
"Life-changing, real-world advice." —Vanity Fair
Praise
"Successful people make it look so easy—but they never said it was. In Getting There, the highest achievers share some of their lowest moments, and there is much wisdom to be gained from those struggles. Captivating, thought-provoking, humorous, and uplifting, this book delivers straight-from-the-source accounts of what it is really like to achieve something meaningful."David Faber, CNBC
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"Kudos to Gillian Zoe Segal for assembling this remarkable group of visionaries and helping them all tell their stories without filters or false bravado. Getting There is both empowering and illuminating."Piper Kerman, New York Times bestselling author of Orange Is the New Black
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"Reading Getting There is like having an intimate, one-on-one talk with some of the world's most fascinating and accomplished people. You will be taken aback by their honesty, entertained by their anecdotes, and, most of all, learn invaluable lessons about both business and life. This book is fantastic—you will not be able to put it down!"JJ Ramberg, MSNBC
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"Getting There is a great book whether you're just starting out or well into your career. Somehow, Gillian Zoe Segal has gotten these leaders to share their stories in a unique, authentic, and revealing way. Their insights will inspire you and help clarify many of the key challenges you must face in building a successful professional life."Robert Steven Kaplan, senior associate dean and professor, Harvard Business School
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“Thought-provoking advice from some of the world’s best-known success stories.”Publishers Weekly
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“Unlike most such books, the tales in Getting There ring authentic—so they’re actually useful.”Fast Company
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“For life-changing, real-world advice.”Vanity Fair
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