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| Frances McGuckin |
Our first meeting was several years ago and it happened in a rather unique way! Frances was in Edmonton as a featured guest on a television show where I also happened to be providing some business information to viewers. As I recall, the host brought the two of us together to do an on-air segment related to business start-up. It was an amazing introduction and since then, I've been very pleased to have been able to call upon her as both a 'Mentor' and as a friend.
On one of our recent trips to the west coast, we had a wonderful opportunity to meet again and video record our interview with Frances on the topic of "Mentorship", as well as "Business Success".
We'll provide links at the end of this post to the video clips for both of these interviews which are now available on our YouTube Channel.
Frances McGuckin is internationally recognized as the SmallBizPro. An award-winning motivational small business speaker, consultant, columnist, and best-selling small business author, her books are published globally.
Books by Frances McGuckin include:
* Business for Beginners
* BIG IDEAS for Growing Your Small Business
* Taking Your Business to the Next Level
More information regarding Frances McGuckin can be found on her website at: http://www.smallbizpro.com/
FYI - Related to our interview, here are some of the comments that Frances has provided, similar to those captured in our video interview. As mentioned earlier, a link to this video interview on Mentorship can be found further below.
Jim: (Question 1) What's been your experience with Mentorship?
Frances: I have been mentored in writing, which turned my whole writing style around and was the reason for the success of Business for Beginners. In turn, I’ve mentored others, mostly in small business and in a formal Business Development Bank program, and also informally. The key to a successful mentorship relationship, no matter which field you are being mentored in, is for the mentee to take it seriously and realize that you are accountable, and often, that your mentor is volunteering their time and they want you to succeed.
Jim: (Question 2) What kind of help can a Mentor provide?
Frances: A mentor provides both physical and emotional support to you. When you are in business or starting a business, you are often alone. A mentor takes away the sense of aloneness. They are a support system for you, someone to bounce ideas off, to brainstorm with. They provide not only an analytical eye and mind, a good mentor will provide objective critiquing along with suggestions for improvement or direction.
Jim: (Question 3) How do you see Mentoring relationships develop?
Frances: Firstly and foremost in a mentoring relationship is to ensure that you are both compatible. A mentor needs to understand your business and thought processes, so you need to spend time explaining your business idea in great detail. Also to explore your mentor’s experience and whether it will relate well to what you are doing. You need a mentor who can provide you with information and help that is relevant to what you are doing.
Jim: (Question 4) Could you share your thoughts on how Mentorship can help both the Protege, as well as the Mentor?
Frances: Mentors - A person who mentors others is usually someone who wants to give back to society in one form or another. If you develop a successful relationship, it is inwardly rewarding for the mentor. They in turn gather new experiences from your business and from working with you, which they in turn can share as stories and future mentoring experiences.
Frances: Mentees/Proteges - A person being mentored should learn the value of formal learning, being accountable to them self and others, and also how to grow their business with new ideas and knowledge.
Jim: (Question 5) What would you suggest or provide as advice to a potential Protégé/Mentor to improve the relationship?
Frances: Both need to agree on a time frame, the length of each session, and set out a plan together with goals and dates for these goals to be achieved. If there is no real focus and time limit, it is easy to get off track or find excuses not to complete a project. It adds formal structure to the relationship and also a respect for each other’s time.
Jim: (Question 6) What would you say to encourage those who are considering being involved in a Mentorship relationship?
Frances: A mentor can in many cases turn your whole business around in a positive direction. They can help you to avoid common pitfalls, help you explore possible solutions with problem areas, and often have great ideas that you might not otherwise think of. When you are alone and so emotionally tied to your business and business idea, it’s often difficult to let go of your own ideas, even if they are impractical. An unbiased, experienced mind can be the difference between success or mediocrity.
Jim: (Question 7) Is there a personal story or example of how you've found Mentorship to be beneficial?
Frances: I have written a good portion of my life with little formal training. I now live in a complex where there is a small writing group, which I have joined. We meet every two weeks for two hours. The group has made me accountable, so no matter what, I always find something to produce. I have learned so much, particularly from the leader who has a great deal of formal training in the semantics of writing. My writing has been 'shredded' on many occasions! I have recently submitted a 1,200 word story to "Chicken Soup for the Canadian Soul", the first Canadian book I believe, and the story was accepted by the Canadian editor. Without my mentor’s help, I would not have reached this stage with my story.
Thank you Frances for sharing your insights on the topic of "Mentorship" in this BLOG Post as well as on the topic of "Business Success" on our other platforms. Your personal entrepreneurial journey is an inspiration to others, and your expertise has been of great help to many in their quest towards having a business of their own.
AS MENTIONED ABOVE - Here are the URL links that will take you to the two specific videos interviews we had with Frances McGuckin.
For a direct link to the video regarding "Mentorship" CLICK HERE
For a direct link to the video regarding "Business Success" CLICK HERE
NOTE: If you're looking for support for your business through either a Business COACH and MENTOR, Take a look at our "NEXT Steps Program!"
If you're looking for flexible and cost-effective Business Coaching & Mentoring, you'll like our “NEXT Steps - Program”. It's been created with you in mind, and provides 12 months of valuable assistance that designed to fit your busy schedule!
For more information see:
"Option 3 – “PVS – NEXT Steps - Business Coaching & Mentoring Program”
You'll find it listed on our Website Registration page:
