Denzel Washington once said, "Show me a successful individual, and I'll show you someone who had real positive influences in his or her life. I don't care what you do for a living - if you do it well, I'm sure there was someone cheering you on or showing the way. A mentor."

Jeffrey Santulan is an individual who appreciates more than most; the influence and power a positive mentor can have on a person's life. The 39-year-old entrepreneur from Los Angeles may be the living embodiment of a successful life, but it could have been so different if it wasn't for the guiding hand and belief that Grant Gardone showed him as a young man.

"I was a troubled teenager who came from the wrong side of the tracks," admits Santulan. "I had more than a few brushes with authority, and I was pretty much out of control and had no purpose in life, and then along came Grant, who pretty much saw a side of me, that up until that point, I had no idea existed."

You may have heard of Grant Cardone. He's a well-known author, founder of a vast real estate empire, sales coach, and motivational speaker. He also has an estimated net worth of USD 300 million. Yet he came from a background similar to Santulan's and saw something of himself in the youngster.

"Grant pretty much confessed to me that when he was 20, he had no direction or purpose, and was at something of a dead-end in life. He had reached a make or break point," explained Santulan. "Yet as we all know, through willpower and talent, he eventually turned things around and went on to hit the big leagues. And I think he saw something of himself in me and decided to mentor me, show me the ropes, and teach me the mindset to build a successful business and create a better self."

It's safe to say the Cardone did a stellar job. From humble beginnings, Santulan learned to exploit his intuitive talent for numbers into making wise investment decisions and scaling business until their revenue was in seven figures. He is now a large stakeholder in SpaceX, Tesla, and Square. He is the co-founder of investment firm SGM Intl, and most recently, he co-founded film company Argonaut MG which is rumored to have recently closed a USD 100 million-plus picture deal with Netflix to produce 12 movies in the next three years.

Santulan explained, "In retrospect, I think I always had an entrepreneurial mindset with a passion for tech, finance, and entertainment, but it took the help of a mentor such as Grant to enable that to flourish.

"Mentors are so important in all walks of life because they are a torch in the dark. They're not trying to create you in their own image; they merely illuminate the potential within. To quote Isaac Newton, 'If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.'"