A Champion of Change

Mentors inspire us     -     Mentors challenge us.

Mentors help us to become more than we are.

Who is it that inspires you? Was there someone along your path, within your circle of contacts who helped shape your choices for the better? Perhaps it was a family member, a teacher or someone who contributed to making your community a better place.  These are Champions of Change.

I recently had opportunity to connect with Nancy Strojny, Chapter Chair and Certified Mentor with SCORE in Portland, Maine (USA).  Nancy was recognized as a White House Champion of Change by President Obama.  

There is little doubt that she has added a lot to the growth and development of others, and in contacting her, Nancy provided a link to her blog as a White House Champion of Change.

Here are a few highlights that caught our attention:

• Early on, I cultivated my role as a mentor. Empowering others to achieve success was my intention. Building relationships meant seeing the world from another person’s perspective and figuring out how you can help that person thrive. 
• SCORE volunteers are a network of more than 13,000 trusted, knowledgeable mentors who help emerging and existing small businesses solve problems and improve competency as they create companies, jobs and revenue in their communities. 
• SCORE is the starting point for new entrepreneurs, as well as existing business clients, seeking guidance. 
• Most of our mentoring relationships are measured in years, not months. 
• SCORE certified mentors have owned and operated their own small businesses, or served in management positions for both large and small companies. The key ingredient SCORE mentors bring is real-world business experience you can count on.
• Being an entrepreneur is a demanding and exhausting journey. To push your business forward requires you to move beyond your comfort zone and take risks. That’s where SCORE can help. We listen and enable you to focus on your priorities, and sometimes to fail forward. We are the mentors you can trust with your fears and as well as your dreams. 
• My mentoring style is a combination of experience, active listening, tough love, and a can-do attitude. Winning the future for the next generation of entrepreneurs is my mission. The challenge of helping others succeed continues to fuel my own passion and helps build my legacy.

We encourage you to read more about Nancy and congratulate her as a Champion of Change!

Full article available at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2012/03/07/life-your-business

Doing it "My Way" ...

There’s a great line in the lyrics of the song, “My Way”, done by Frank Sinatra: “Regrets, I’ve had a few.  But then again, too few to mention ...”  

 Rather than provide you with an audio clip of my rendition of that classic, you may want to purchase it through iTunes or from your local music outlet!  (smile)  But as we perhaps take a brief moment to reflect on the portrait that emerges from that song – that being one of a rugged, iconic champion – someone who appears to have faced every challenge of life with heroic independence, I need to pause for a moment and take myself out of the 'magic of the moment' that the song evokes.  For it would seem that the writer really underplays the significance of those key interpersonal relationships we know to be so vital to true success.  

The saving grace for me is the subtle acknowledgement found within the third line of the song.  It reads: “My friend, I’ll say it clear ...” and in this brief moment we see that our hero must have at least one friend!  Having said that, perhaps our hero, while having the outward appearances of success, could have still benefited from the gentle guidance of a Mentor.  

... I wonder if that was one of their ‘few regrets’?  Don’t make it one of yours!

What are your thoughts on the importance of having a MENTORSHIP relationship with others?

PLEASE, add your comments, and let us know if you have a passion for MENTORSHIP.  We invite you to share your insights and those of other contributors who are helping other people on their journey to success.

Mentorship INSIGHTS from Peter Bradbury (Retired Mentor)

A Lifetime of Experience shared by Peter Bradbury (Retired Mentor)

Our Featured Mentorship Video interview for this month is with Peter Bradbury MBA, CA (retired), Calgary Volunteer Business Mentor.  Peter graciously shared some of his past experiences as a business mentor, however he is not actively seeking new mentoring relationships at this time. (Thank you.)

Peter has helped many business owners in the Calgary area and mentored them towards increased sales and profits, strengthened their financial position and raised their business game to a higher level. Blending his skills as a mentor, business coach, and consulting services, Peter has worked with more than eighty entrepreneurs in the past ten years. Business sectors have ranged over technology, manufacturing, wholesale, retail and service. 

 Peter generously shared his time with me and added some outstanding comments during our discussion! 

Please enjoy these perspectives and consider how they may help you, as Peter provides us with many valuable insights on Mentorship.  A direct link to the video clip can be found at: 

http://youtu.be/XWhvWTX0bEU