Mentoring – Why It’s So Important to Me

Ever since I was in high school, I’ve been looked at as someone friends felt comfortable confiding in when they didn’t know where else to turn. It’s probably one of the main reasons why I chose to study Psychology in college and become a Social Worker, albeit only for a few short months, right after graduation. There’s something so refreshing about seeing those you’ve mentored and counseled excel, well beyond any paycheck could provide. Inherently, I think we’re all born with that feel good gene and anytime we help someone besides ourselves. Even though there’s a tremendous satisfaction helping my clients, I feel a different exuberance when I’m able to have a positive impact on ambitious, up and coming entrepreneurs and business professionals.

Jenna Frye

Over a year ago I met Jenna Frye online, Twitter to be more exact. Late one evening I tweeted that if you wanted to link your favorite blog (that you wrote), I would compile them and send out to my network. Within minutes Jenna and a handful of others tweeted back with what they thought was their best work. I read them all, but something about Jenna’s stood out. It was a blog about her desire to find a job in the PR industry. I reached out and scheduled a phone call. A few months later Jenna submitted a video resume after we discussed the benefit of creating one, here it is in case you want to check it out:

After further conversation, we discussed the possibility of an intern opportunity for The Hungry Dudes. The plan would allow Jenna to demonstrate her skills during our internship with the hopes of landing a full time position with a PR firm. My goal in working with Jenna was to take on a mentor role and help her in any way that I could because there’s something special about her. She’s extremely gifted and someone who is going to succeed; she just needed a little guidance. Today, Jenna is very happy working at Weber Shandwick with the hopes of getting hired on at the end of her internship.

Mallory Brown

I’ll never forget the first time I met Mallory in person. It was at a Tweetea at Farmhouse Coffee and Ice Cream in Franklin. At the end of the meeting before people departed Mallory stood up and talked about her company World Clothes Line and an authentic Peruvian Hat she was considering adding to her product line. As everyone was leaving I asked Mallory a few more questions about her company because I was so impressed that she actually created a business, a philanthropic one no less, at such a young age. Wanting to share her story, we decided she would write a guest blog for me, and scheduled a coffee meeting a few days later.

Having a chance to learn more about Mallory and her mission of clothing the world, I was so impressed that I asked how I could help beyond posting her blog. Mallory mentioned that she was thinking about finding sponsors for an upcoming trip to Peru where she would deliver clothes to underprivileged families. After much convincing (on my part) we decided to hold a fundraiser which raised thousands of dollars. Since Mallory’s return we’ve met a handful of times as I wanted to continue helping her succeed any way I could. Much like Jenna, Mallory possesses that special intangible not always found in young professionals.

Plan for 2012

As 2011 comes to an end, it gives us a chance to reflect on the past year and look ahead to what next year has in store. No doubt increasing revenues is a goal, but who isn’t looking to make more money than the year before? Money buys freedom and a certain level of security; however, one goal that I’m putting in my planner is to find the next young aspiring business professional that could benefit from professional guidance. The satisfaction I get from helping others reach their goals is extremely important to me and something I find necessary in my life. Some people need to stick to a workout regime; others need to clean and organize regularly to feel complete. Finding that “thing” that motivates you beyond the almighty dollar could very well be your goal for the upcoming year as well. Who knows, maybe you’ll join me in finding someone to mentor. It’s the giving season after all.

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