Canadian Small Business Women

Connection, Synergy, Community

  • Home
  • Shop
  • About
    • Advertise with Us
    • Inside Conversations
  • Affiliate Offers
  • Events
    • Virtual Valentine’s Paint Party
    • MarketPlace
  • Resources
    • Market Research
    • Community Hubs & Co-working Spaces
    • Tech Resources
    • Human Resources
    • Financial Resources
    • Small Business Toolkit
  • Innovation
    • Clean Technology
    • Green Technology
    • Medical Technology
  • Blog

Sep 13 2019

Mentorship: a Predictor of Success

During the summer, Diana Davies-Harju, the CMO of Magnifi asked me to talk about the benefits of working with a coach, and mentorship as part of strategic planning at SparkFest. Sparkfest was an evening of networking, learning and inspiration for young tech entrepreneurs.

I was happy to give the talk. Not only because talking to young entrepreneurs is a satisfying experience, but because I’m excited about the potential of Magnifi, too. Magnifi is an app for iPhone that connects people to expert mentors, on demand (the Android version is launching soon!). It’s like Skype or FaceTime, with a built-in meter, and it ties into what I wanted to say about mentorship.

Although these remarks were made to a young audience of high school and university students, the ideas apply to a broader audience so I’m putting it in writing and expanding upon it here.

Hard Knock (Business) Life

Anyone who has been following my blog over the past four or five years knows that I am an advocate for self-employment and entrepreneurship.

Recently, my brother reminded me of something our uncle used to say. “Whatever you do, make it your business,” he’d say, in his deep voice and a super-cool Jamaican accent. He was ahead of his time with his idea about doing what you’re good at and enjoy, knowing that the money will follow. He also appreciated the value of remaining in control of one’s destiny and livelihood.

In my opinion, it’s exciting and impressive to start or run your own business, at any age. But when you’re in high school or university, you don’t have as much education from the school of hard knocks as older entrepreneurs do. This means that you have your work cut out for you. Similarly, when you’re in the earlier stages of your career, there are lots of hidden obstacles that you only see in hindsight.

Thankfully, and especially currently, you really don’t have to learn everything the hard way. That’s a dangerous and expensive way to learn and grow a business or make progress in your career. It’s much smarter, safer, and cheaper, to learn as much as you can from others.

This is where I want to come back to Magnifi. One of the best qualities of the Magnifi app and community is it provides access to advisors and experts, across a range of domains. For instance, on the Magnifi platform, you can get career advice (from yours truly), dating and relationship advice (check out Susan Winter), or guidance on making the most of your media exposure (with support from Amber Nasrulla).

Magnifi gives you access to expertise and mentorship-by-the-minute when you need it. You can use it once, or you can use it once a day if you want to. Because you pay by the minute, it doesn’t have to be costly to bounce an idea off an expert. This also means that you don’t need to commit to a long-term arrangement or contract to get high-quality information or advice.

Mentorship is for Protégés

Some people are reluctant to ask for help because they think it’s a sign of weakness. In the world of entrepreneurship, weakness is a quality that most people avoid. I don’t consider participation in mentorship a weakness. Here’s why. In any mentorship relationship, there’s a mentor and a mentee or protégé. I prefer the term protégé because protégés are known for their talent and potential.

According to Walter Isaacson’s 2011 biography of Steve Jobs, Jobs had seven mentors. Yes, Steve Jobs was a protégé to no less than seven actual mentors. When I first learned this, I found it surprising, since Jobs had a reputation for being an independent thinking “tech cowboy.”

The folklore around Jobs was that he did what he thought was appropriate regardless of what others said or the trends of the day. The reality was different. He had several mentors for different stages and aspects of his life. One of his mentors was Robert Friedland whom he met while auditing university courses. Friedland taught Jobs about selling and persuasion, two skills that Jobs mastered and used throughout his life. Friedland also owned an apple orchard – that influence is obvious.

Bob Noyce was another of Jobs’ mentors. Noyce is credited with inventing the microchip and giving Jobs’ a tremendous insider’s perspective in the early days of the tech industry. A third mentor was a Zen Master named Kobun Chino Otagawa. Otagawa officiated at Jobs’ wedding. A more public and pervasive example of Otagawa’s impact is the minimalist design aesthetic that’s now one of the qualities for which Apple is known.

Clearly, the impact of these mentors is seen all over the business strategy that was so vital to the success of Apple. What’s also clear to me is that although much of the mythology around Jobs is his independent-tech-cowboy reputation for doing what he liked and not following others, he was influenced by his mentors.

Eventually, later in his career, Jobs evolved from being the protégé who received advice from several mentors to becoming a mentor to Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, and Sergey Brin and Larry Page, co-founders of Google.

One takeaway idea that comes from these examples of mentorship is that receiving mentorship shouldn’t be viewed as a sign of weakness, it should be seen as a predictor of greatness. So, whether you’re just starting your career or your business or you’ve been at it for a while, find ways to learn from mentors, formally and informally. We can all have multiple mentors and we can learn different things from different people.

 

Actions Speak Louder than Words

A second message that I shared with the young tech entrepreneurs is a lesson that I learned from an incidental mentor whom I met early on in my journey as a self-employed person. He said:

 “How you do something is how you do everything.”

In other words, how you do one thing is an indication of how you do everything. For example, a typo in an email, blog post, or a printed letter can easily be interpreted as a sign of carelessness. Failing to call or send an email that you promised to send is a signal that you’re unreliable.

On the surface, this is unusual advice to share with young tech entrepreneurs. Most people would focus on technology or business plans, and overlook this important detail. In my experience, this simple advice is very impactful. Not understanding and executing on this one notion can undermine the success of your product or service.

 

If you’re curious about mentorship and you’re not sure where to start, I invite you to contact me by email or book a free initial phone call. If you prefer messaging via social media, then send me a direct message on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn.

Of course, I’m also on Magnifi.

More than career coaching, it’s career psychology®.

I/O Advisory Services – Building Resilient Careers and Organizations.

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Email

Written by Dwania Peele · Categorized: Dr. Helen Ofosu · Tagged: benefits of coaching, benefits of mentorship, mentorship, strategic planning

Jan 11 2017

How mentorship can change the way you see your brand

Your business is your baby and your brand is its carefully developed personality. As a business owner you should be very careful about how you put your brand out there – what channels you use, the language you use, the causes you choose to support, etc. However, sometimes when you are so singularly focused on creating a successful business and brand you can become stuck in one way of thinking. Before you know it, you have tunnel vision and you aren’t able to see a variety of possibilities and opportunities you are missing out on.

One way to avoid tunnel vision is to work regularly with a business mentor. A business coach is great, but a mentor is a relationship that you foster that is mutually beneficial – not financially based as a professional service offered. Globally, 93% of small and medium sized business owners agree that having a mentor can help drive business success. The sad part is that only 28% of business owners actually work with a mentor.

Working with a mentor will help you to change your mindset and approach to both your business and your brand, which can give you a fresh perspective on the opportunities you may be missing for your brand. A mentor is someone who has already paved their own path, someone you can learn from their mistakes.

In terms of branding, a fresh perspective will help you critically question the decisions you are making with your brand so you can have more control over how your audience perceives you. Discover what is working and what isn’t working based on your mentor’s knowledge of the industry and your target audience.

If you have a mentor that has turned on a lightbulb for you in terms of your brand, I would love to hear about it. If you are looking for a mentor that will be able to help you in your specific industry, Canadian Small Business Women is a great place to start! Find someone who is in your industry or a related industry and ask if you can ask them a few questions about how they got to where they are now. Every relationship starts with a  conversation!

Candace Huntly is the Founder and Principal at SongBird Marketing Communications, an award-winning agency working to take organizational and individual brands to the next level. With a passion for all things related to creativity and strategy, she specializes in business intelligence, marketing & branding, content strategy & development, media & influencer relations, and social media. Basically, if you need to put your brand, product, or cause in the public eye, she will find a way to do it, while making the approach unique to you.

Connect with Candace

Facebook/Twitter/LinkedIn/email/Website

 

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Email

Written by Dwania Peele · Categorized: Candace Huntly · Tagged: brand, business, business coach, business owner, Candace Huntly, mentorship, mindset, Personality

May 29 2015

Is Leadership Relevant for Everyone?

yvonne

When many hear the word ‘Leadership’, it is easy to associate it to someone who leads others, is in a position of power or management. However, this is easily one of the biggest leadership myths and misconceptions that is slowly changing.

Very early in life and my career, I felt that in order to effectively lead others or have others do something, you needed to be in a position of power. However, over time I have seen and learnt otherwise. I have observed the most influential and effective leaders are those who are able to lead and influence others without relying on the ‘stick and carrot’ approach e.g. leaders of volunteer organisations.

John C. Maxwell, regarded as one of the top global leadership experts, defines the true measure of leadership as Influence – nothing more, nothing less. Leadership is not directing, commanding or managing, leadership is influencing others to take action or follow; be it family, friends, colleagues, your boss or team.

Position provides a platform for anyone, but Influence is what keeps you in that position and takes you to the next level.

John also shares in his book “The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership” that our Leadership ability is the LID that determines our level of effectiveness, known as the ‘Law of the Lid’. Where our LID is the maximum level at which we can be effective.  Therefore, if our leadership ability were to rate at a 6, our level of effectiveness, and ability to lead others or impact our organisation could never be greater than a 5.

“The higher you want to climb, the more you need leadership. The greater the impact you want to make, the greater your influence should be” – John C. Maxwell.

Why leadership is important

  • It determines our level of effectiveness in all areas of our lives; helping us to be more effective in taking a lead in our personal and professional lives
  • It increases our sphere of influence with others (team, colleagues, boss, family), as well as in leading others, and getting things done
  • It enables us manage and deal with change more effectively; helping us build character traits and skills to respond to change more quickly, and deal with the ambiguity that often comes with change
  • It differentiates us in a crowd to be singled out and recognised, and to rise higher and higher

To help raise your lid and develop your leadership skills, consider some of the following:

  • Identify your leadership gaps, have a leadership mindset and be intentional about developing yourself as a leader
  • Find a mentor(s) for 1-2-1 mentoring, or consider mentorship from a distance by studying, observing and learning from leaders you respect
  • Read books on leadership and self development
  • Attend leadership training, events and conferences
  • Surround yourself with other leaders – iron sharpens iron

Leadership is NOT always about title, position or power. It provides required traits and skills for everyone that when applied to both our personal and professional lives it helps us excel… “Everything rises and falls on leadership”.

What are your thoughts on the value of leadership?

To learn about Yvonne’s latest book on Changing your Mindset for greater results, visit http://www.oliveblue.com/changeyourmindset/

Yvonne is an Author, Speaker, Change Consultant & John Maxwell Leadership Coach who is passionate about working with Individuals, Entrepreneurs and Organisations to help implement change they want and achieve their goals.   

She can be reached at: www.oliveblue.com . www.facebook.com/oliveblueinc . www.twitter.com/oliveblueinc.www.youtube.com/ChangeYouWantTV

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Email

Written by Dwania Peele · Categorized: Yvonne Ruke Akpoveta · Tagged: business, business wome, Canadian Small Business Women, career coach, change, coach, effective, influence, John C. Maxwell, Law if the Lid, leadership, management, mentorship, observe, OliveBlue Inc, power, skill, small business, sphere of influence, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, Yvonne Ruke Akpoveta

May 23 2014

Networks, Peers, and Mentorship

Martina New

As small business owners and solopreneurs, most of us seek out some form of business network. Whether for the purpose of marketing our business or to practice our elevator pitch, it is important to be part of a group that is external to our business.

Such connection may be downright essential for some. Being the one in charge of our business and handling all aspects of it can, at times, be overwhelming and isolating. Where is that sounding-board when you need one? Who provides the voice of reason when you are stuck in some way?

I recently learned more about some of the differences between a network and a peer group and their distinct advantages.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary says:

  • A Network is a usually informally interconnected group or association of persons
  • A Peer is one that is of equal standing with another: especially one belonging to the same societal group
  • A Mentor (or business coach) is someone who teaches or gives help and advice to a less experienced [and often younger] person

Here in Toronto, business networking groups abound and can be found, often bleary eyed, over early morning breakfasts or occasionally later in the day in cafés and restaurants. Typically meeting weekly or biweekly, their main goal is to provide one another with referrals for potential or actual business. Casual conversation before or after the formal meeting part allows little time to get to know each other’s businesses in much depth.

A peer group, on the other hand, usually meets less often, maybe only monthly. Here, business referrals take place more incidentally with the main focus being discussing business challenges. The group will brainstorm ideas on how to solve someone’s particular business issue. Peer groups can hence provide that missing sounding-board for solo business owners, where challenges can be reviewed, dissected, and step-by-step solutions be offered without having to hire a personal business coach. Like the latter though, it provides a platform for accountability.

A specific structure for peer groups is described in a book and method by Elizabeth Verwey, called The Mentors Circle. In a recent Lunch & Learn seminar, she shared how her background as business coach and desire to enable others to coach and mentor one another lead to her formulating this method and book.

A Mentors Circle is a peer group who meets once a month for two to three hours. A facilitator or leader guides the group through the steps and exercises laid out in the book. The group may review one or more case studies from attending business owners, and brainstorm together.

The difference to a networking or other peer group is that the group’s existence is, or at least can be finite, meaning they commit to just six months’ of meetings. This provides a start, middle, and end so that after completion of this time period members can choose either to stop or restart a new circle of meetings.

Finding an accountability buddy is also important. As Elizabeth says, the probability of completing a goal you set yourself is only 50% if you only plan how you are going to do it, and 95% if you commit to reporting back and make an appointment (or set a deadline by when you will do it). Fittingly, the “M” in Mentors Circle stands for motivation, “T” for testing new ideas, and “S” for support and success.

Your peers then, as well as the book and accompanying workbook, provide the mentorship aspects. While I enjoy and benefit from networking groups – bleary-eyed early mornings or not – I really like the sound of a guided and structured peer group. Now who will be my accountability buddy?

 

Sources:

Merriam-Webster online dictionary, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary

The Mentors Circle, www.officementors.com

 

Martina Rowley is the founder and operator of Beach Business Hub – THE co-working space east of the Don Valley. She combined her passion and experience in the environmental sector with her community engagement side to create a local work environment where space and resources are shared. She fosters and facilitates collaboration, networking, and learning for and with small business owners and new start-ups.  Contact her at:http://www.beachbusinesshub.ca, on Facebook and on Twitter

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Email

Written by Dwania Peele · Categorized: Martina Rowley · Tagged: accountability buddy, Beach Business Hub, business coach, business development, business network, Business Woman, Canadian Small Business Women, case study, connection, Dictionary, Elizabeth Verwey, entrepreneur, facilitator, interconnected, Lunch & Learn, marketing, Martina Rowley, mentor, Mentors Circle, mentorship, Merriam Webster, motivation, Networks, peer group, Peer groups, Peers, referrals, small business, small business development, small business owner, success, testing, The Mentors Circle

Nov 22 2013

The Mentor

Kerry George (1)

Several years ago I needed a mentor to continue in my educational path, so I approached a woman that I knew to be very skilled with many years of experience in my chosen career. She looked me over very shrewdly as she drank a cup of tea and then asked a piercing question, “Do you know what you are asking for dear?” She asked me to describe to her what I thought mentoring was and then she told me what mentoring meant for her. She laid out the ground rules and they were a standard that I have since come to live by. I knew from her instruction what a mentor was and how to follow a chosen mentor. I also learned how to become a mentor that would make a difference in the life of many.

What Is A Mentor?

A mentor is someone who has gone before you and who is willing to share insights on how to overcome during your own personal journey. A mentor is a friend that you trust and one whose advice you value. They are someone who you would follow. They are in life where you want to be and you can see that a relationship with them would help you get closer to your goals and save you from many pitfalls that you would certainly fall into on your own.

Selecting A Mentor

When you select a mentor you should be careful to pick someone who has similar values, so when they ask you to do something you are not continually questioning them. Often the mentor does not have a lot of spare time, and the act of mentoring implies that the one being mentored is there of their own free will having already made the decision to follow. A good mentor realizes that you have free will but as busy, successful people they may not be able to continually over-explain and sometimes one just needs to trust that the mentor has a deeper understanding of the situation and take their advisement.

The mentor that you select should be someone that you respect and admire. It should be someone that you want to listen to and that you aspire to be like. They are not going to be perfect people. Nobody is perfect. In time, you may discover weaknesses in their humanity and you will need to ask yourself if those weaknesses matter to your end goal. Are they things that you can live with? Are they irrelevant to their area of expertise? Or are they something that your own morals won’t allow you to overlook? If a mentoring relationship needs to be severed or adjusted it should be done so with the upmost of care. This is someone who took the time to sow into your life so you want to be honoring to them even if one must eventually take a different road.

How To Receive Mentorship

Successful people may be willing to sow into your life but not if they have to chase you. They are successful because they already know how to value their time. So they will usually require you to go where they go, and to do what they do so you can get a few minutes at a time with them before and after events. Volunteering to be part of their team can gain you the entrance that you need to get their time. Don’t take advantage of your mentor’s time. Respect that they are a professional in their field and that they are therefore in high demand. Others may pay them a lot of money for their counsel so if you are getting any of their time for free or for a small fee realize that this is a privilege.  Be on time when you meet them and try to fit your need for their time into their existing schedule as much as possible.

Don’t ask to borrow money or do anything that would affect the mutual trust that you have for each other. This is the last person you should ask to assist you in your drama. Your relationship should not be putting them into a position where they need to rescue you from your own bad management. A mentor is an advisor.

Value their advice and do what they tell you to do. In our democratic society many will take exception to this tidbit but here is the kicker, “Why do you want a mentor if you have no intention of listening to them?” Don’t waste their time with rebellion. If they are not worthy of being followed, then don’t ask them to mentor you in the first place. The whole idea is to accept the guidance of someone who can lead you to success faster than finding the way on your own. A mentor will save you time and money is mistakes that you will make. Learn from them and as you learn to follow you will also become a leader who is worthy of being followed. Someday you will be the mentor and you will be glad for the mentoring that you enjoyed along the way.

Kerry George is the owner of the Canadian Imperial Business Network which is currently the largest business network in Alberta and rapidly expanding across the country. She is a serial entrepreneur/author and speaker with a zest for life and a passion to help others succeed in increasing their potential and their bottom line. Kerry has several publications and blogs that you can follow and welcomes most interaction online.

Twitter

@createloyalty2U

@CIBNtweets

@yycbiznetwork

Blogs

http://loyal2u.blogspot.ca/

http://calgarybiz.net/blog-3/

http://kidsincowtown.wordpress.com/

http://loyal2u.ca/category/social-media-2/linkedin/

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Email

Written by Dwania Peele · Categorized: Kerry George · Tagged: business development, Canadian Imperial Business Network, Canadian Small Business Women, entrepreneur, insight, Kerry George, mentor, mentorship, personal journey, selecting a mentor, trust, volunteer, what is a mentor

Stay Social with Canadian Small Business Women:

  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Login

© Copyright 2012 Canadian Small Business Women · All Rights Reserved

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.