I figured that, so long as I didn’t eat up too much of his morning time, I could expand my queries beyond the sartorial. Money, local personalities, the proper way to gain respect (“competence is a great long-term attractor”), I would just pepper him with questions over early morning black coffees.
Yet, I never called him a mentor until years later. I never uttered the question, “would you be my mentor?” or anything like that.
In line with my thoughts on mentors.
Mentors don’t have to know they are your mentors. You don’t have to let them know, either. Just let them mentor.