Fast-Track Your Journey to Success with a Mentor
Are you tired of feeling stuck? Unsure of where to turn or how to navigate the challenges of life? It’s time to ask for help and get a mentor.
We all get there, and in truth, the more we grow our projects, the more challenges we face, and that’s why many say that the road to success is a lonely one. – It’s also why so few people risk taking that route!
The antidote is simple: ASK FOR HELP!
The most effective way to do this is to get yourself a mentor.
By connecting with a mentor who has already travelled down the path you're on, you can fast-track your progress and achieve greater success than ever before.
So, let’s explore why mentorship is essential for Entrepreneurs & Changemakers and how you can find the perfect guide to help light your way forward.
Let's dive in!
Why Every Entrepreneur Needs a Mentor
I class my story as a journey through the University of Life – but I think I really entered the course properly when I started my first business in my kitchen at home.
No qualifications, no skills, no training, no money, no support ….
I put my hand up to tell you that I have failed and retaken many of the lessons life has given me, several times before getting to where I am today.
However, I am still shocked how many of those lessons I have had to retake before actually learning the real objective of what the teaching was for.
Hence, I remind you of the quote:
“Failure is the chance to have another go intelligently.” Henry Ford
I had no business experience, except watching my father in his textile business, and listening to the conversations at home around the dinner table.
I knew I was not alone as, in truth, millions of people in the developing world who are all running hand-to-mouth businesses, that keep them and their families alive, don’t have business experience either.
I understand these people, like me, are termed “Necessity Entrepreneurs “- basically, if they don’t work, they don’t eat. So, they work even if it means creating something out of nothing and selling it.
These millions of people were my proof of concept and my inspiration. I had my case studies and they were the role models.
If they could do it – I could do it! I t’s why I became an Entrepreneur!
But I knew I couldn’t do it alone if I wanted the success I deserved!
Why Mentors are Essential for Entrepreneurs & Changemakers
One solution to not having the full knowledge, or not wanting to feel isolated on your journey to success, is to get yourself a mentor.
Mentors are essential for anyone seeking to grow – no matter what your career or level.
Even the most successful people in the world have mentors!
The Power of Mentorship: Why Learning from Others is Key to Success
Many successful entrepreneurs credit their mentors with helping them to sharpen their business acumen and polish their presentation skills. A mentor can be a sounding board for new ideas and a source of constructive feedback.
Mentors provide valuable advice and guidance based on their own experiences - There is no substitute for experience. Which means they can help their mentees to develop and hone their skills.
They are especially great at offering support during difficult times by providing connections, new ideas and different perspectives. Mentors who have been through the entrepreneurial journey before, can offer invaluable insights into what works and what doesn’t.
A mentor most importantly, ensures you keep focussed on your goals
Maximizing Your Learning Potential: How a Mentor Can Help You Succeed
In short mentors:
1. Help you avoid making mistakes - They've been there and done it themselves, so they know what to look out for and what not to do. This can save you time, money, and stress in the long run.
2. Push you to reach your potential - A good mentor will also push you to reach your full potential. They'll challenge you to think outside the box, come up with new ideas, and take risks. This all leads to personal and professional growth, which is essential for any successful person.
3. Act as a sounding board for your ideas - It's always helpful to have someone to bounce ideas off of, and mentors are great for this. They'll listen to your ideas, give constructive feedback, and help you develop them further if there is a sense that they are viable. This is incredibly valuable when it comes to bringing new products or services to market successfully, or when seeking investment.
4. Provide invaluable advice - Having a mentor means that you have someone when you need them to turn to when you need advice. Good mentors can provide insights into your industry, help you make difficult decisions, and offer career or personal development guidance. This is invaluable, especially if you don't have anyone else who has been through the same experiences as you.
5. Mentors help you create a roadmap for success and stay on it! - Mentors are able to look at your goals objectively and provide advice on how best to reach them. This can be incredibly helpful in keeping you focused and motivated on the path to achieving your dreams.
WARNING: Beware the Vulture in Disguise -How to Find the Perfect Mentor for Your Entrepreneurial Goals
I am sure I will get lots of negative feedback from this, but I have to mention it because I lost my first business because someone walked into my business from a government organisation and offered me help to grow my business. 1 year later, I had lost everything!
Why did it happen? Because I put my trust in the organisation who sent him to me and I never checked his background! Big mistake! -Huge!
So, as your virtual mentor now, please learn from my mistakes and make sure you know, or have checked out, the person you choose to be your mentor.
So, the term most used these days for the people that help you or guide you is often a Mentor or Coach.
Simplified:
Mentoring: The Definition A mentor is someone who shares their knowledge, skills and/or experience, to help another to develop and grow. Coaching: The Definition A coach is someone who provides guidance to a client on their goals and helps them reach their full potential.
Then there are people like me who do both things rolled in to one – I think the term is Experienced Practitioners
The definition and purpose of all these people varies in multiple circumstances and I don’t wish to go into the ideal mentor or coach scenario –
BUT BE AWARE it’s a massive income generating industry where you can get a qualification online for $7 and go out the next day and charge hundreds or thousands for your services, WITHOUT any professional experience or knowledge! (If you don’t believe me just scroll through Instagram and see who many courses and qualifications are being offered).
I must insist that the person you chose to help you, is someone known to you, someone you want to work with to help grow your vision into a reality. Someone you know or who is recommended by someone you know, someone you can trust, who comes with a track record, with genuine experience and knowledge in something that relates to your vision.
I am sure the mentoring and coaching industry will hate me for saying this – but always ask for the person to work with you for free, or with a token payment for the first few sessions. If they are good, you will not mind paying them and will keep them; if they have not added any value, then it is easy to say bye-bye!
Please remember - YOU pick your mentors, not the other way around.
And when you do pick a mentor, ask yourself what are the reasons you have picked this particular individual to be your mentor?
The reason to have mentors is that they can provide you with valuable guidelines and so they must be able to ‘listen’ to you in order to understand your challenges.
Mentors will provide you with their insight and may suggest proposed solutions, but that does not mean that you have to follow them blindly.
You should always critically evaluate every suggestion you get- even if it comes from the most trusted person, because you are responsible for your own projects and ideas.
The Benefits of Having a Mentor at Every Stage of Your Life
I have five mentors. They each bring different perspectives and suggest different solutions.
Sometimes we pick a mentor but we choose to block their opinion, because we do not like what they have suggested.
If you are looking for mentors who will praise your every decision and tell you whatever you are doing is great, then I am sorry, you are not looking for a mentor, you are looking for a cheerleader.
I warn all my mentees, “It is not my job to praise you, you already know that you are doing or planning something great because that is why I am helping you. However, I will be very critical, a constructive critic, as I see my role in helping you identify the holes in your project planning so that you can succeed faster.”
I am very harsh, but time is short for both me and my mentees!
There will be many people who praise you, your friends will increase as your success increases; there will be several people who are envious of you and will try to stop you; and there will be a few who you may find challenging but who have your best interests at heart and want to see you succeed.
Discovering who is who and where they all fit is also about building the right foundations.
I have one more mentor, but possibly you would not even consider taking someone like him.
Tim is my ‘Mr Know It All’ (Sorry Tim) ‘been there, done that, got the T-shirt’. Whatever project I tell him I am working on; he will rip it to pieces and say it won’t work. I don’t think he has ever given me a compliment and still believes I haven’t achieved anything.
For that he is actually my best friend.
I purposely tell him what I am planning because then he gives me every reason as to why it won’t work. I don’t argue with him and say he is wrong. I listen intensively and then I go away and work on overcoming all the barriers he has highlighted. The fact that he never praises me, is an amazing leveller for someone like me because life is not always about how many ‘thank-yous’ you get, sometimes it’s about how much more we still have to do.
Life is not always about how many ‘thank-yous’ you get, sometimes it’s about how much more we still have to do.
The Role of a Mentor in Shaping Your Career Path and Personal Goals
As I have said, one of the best ways to learn and grow is to find a mentor who can help you navigate the challenges of starting and growing a business, offer advice and perspective on business decisions, and provide support and encouragement when things get tough. – And it doesn’t have to only be in business, you can have a mentor for any aspect of your life or career.
But how do you find a mentor? And once you've found one, how do you make the most of the relationship?
Here are some tips for finding and working with a mentor:
1. Determine what you want from the relationship.
· What do you hope to learn from your mentor?
· What kind of guidance and support are you looking for?
· Having a clear idea of what you want from the relationship will help you find the right mentor for you.
2. Ask around.
· Talk to others in your field or other professionals, or even people in your personal life who you admire and respect.
· Ask them if they know anyone who could be a good mentor for you.
Let me put this in here – I know lots of successful people and I don’t know any who would say “No” if they were asked to help someone as a mentor. In fact, it’s quite the opposite, people just don’t ask, for some reason they have already decided that the answer will be no!
3. Do your research.
· Once you've identified potential mentors, take some time to research their background and experience.
· Look for someone who has expertise in the areas where you need help or guidance.
4. Reach out and introduce yourself.
· Once you've found someone you think would be a good fit, reach out and introduce yourself. Explain why you're interested in working with them and what you hope to gain from the relationship.
· Be prepared to answer any questions they may have about your business or goals.
Tips for Making the Most of Your Mentoring Experience
1. Define your goals and objectives for the mentoring relationship early on. What do you hope to achieve? What specific areas would you like help with? By being clear about your goals from the outset, you can make sure that you and your mentor are 'on the same page' and working towards the same objectives.
2. Make the most of your time together. Mentoring sessions don't have to be long, but they should be regular. Try to schedule a regular meeting or catch-up, even if it's just for half an hour each week. This will help keep both of you focused and motivated.
3. Be prepared for each session. Before each meeting, take some time to think about what you want to discuss or ask. This will help make the most of your mentor's time and ensure that each session is productive.
4. Be open and honest with your mentor. They can't help you if they don't know what's going on! If something is bothering you or if you're struggling with something, tell them. It's also important to share your successes and achievements - this is what mentoring relationships are all about!
5. Keep in touch outside of sessions. If you have any questions or need any advice in between sessions, don't hesitate to reach out to your mentor via email or phone (or even social media). They'll be happy to help!
The transformative power of mentorship in the pursuit of your dreams and aspirations.
Personally, I love to motivate those around me and so I teach and mentor: I know if I dedicated my time locally, I could help make lots of changes. It is the reason I teach in schools and mentor young people and Entrepreneurs.
I know that even as an individual without qualifications, I will always have my knowledge, networks and experiences to share with others. I am not insisting they take it, but something I say may be of interest to them and by me listening to them, I acquire the knowledge too. – That’s how and why I started these blogs.
For years I have helped people from being speakers on stage to pitching their projects for investment. I support people in growing their business, overcoming their limiting beliefs and especially on personal development
Every human being wants to grow – It’s how we define progress!
Let me take investment ready mentoring as an example. When a company goes for investment to start or grow their business, they are so focussed on the amount they want they actually forget about the why they actually want it.
Unless you can focus exactly on what you want, you cannot relay that to someone else. I see so many people pitching for investment and they have no idea how stupid they sound, because they don’t even know exactly what they are asking for, other than a number!
I see people pluck a figure out of the air and say that’s the value of investment I need – it’s always a perfect round number with lots of zeros!
And when you ask them to justify that figure, they either cannot tell you, they are confused. Worst of all, when the investor asks what the return on investment is, basically what will the Entrepreneur give back to the investor for lending the funds, the person cannot answer that either!
Believe me, I have been shocked by how many people think the money is being given for free!! – Especially if the cause has a social dimension.
Similarly, I see all these “affirmations” on Social Media , and people believe that just by saying an affirmation you are going to get what you ask for – In part it is true, it’s what I say with the blank piece of paper – BUT – there’s a second part to it, you need to TAKE ACTION – create activities – repetitive actions – which are going to bring you the results you are seeking – And as a mentor, I am going to make you take the actions and measure the results with you until you achieve the success you deserve, however you have defined it.
At Madi Group, we have a specific company, AcadAmadi where we help individuals and organisations fast-track their journey to achieve their true potential. We support business owners, leaders and forward-thinking individuals with a variety of services including mentorship, business advice, growth and investment guidance and personal development.
As a team of experienced Entrepreneurs who have started and grown successful businesses, we understand the challenges and obstacles that Entrepreneurs face, and we know some, not all, of the solutions to keep you on track.
I am not a certified coach, but I am an experienced leader who has been working on personal development and communication for several decades. I don’t bite, and I don’t charge unless I know I can help. All initial conversations are free and confidential.
Gandhi said, “You must be the change YOU want to see”
Madi says, “You must be the change YOU want to see – NO EXCUSES!”
Founder Madi Group www.madisharma.org
Founder Women’s Eco-nomic & Social Think Tank www.westt.eu Author Madi No Excuses! www.madinoexcuses.com Entrepreneur, International Speaker, Freelance Journalist Listed as 1 of apolitical’s 100 Most Influential People in Gender Policy in 2018
@MadiSharma1
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