It takes a village to do anything worth doing. Even though you may do a lot of tasks alone as a business owner, the journey is never complete without help. Sometimes, specific help is needed. Mentorship has been crucial in my journey. Here’s how I found help.
𝐋𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝. There are likely people around you that are running successful businesses. Reach out and ask questions! Even folks you don’t know directly like the owner of your favorite local clothing shop, food store, restaurant, etc. It doesn’t hurt to reach out to people you admire for a 30 minute coffee. I got my first food role in part from talking to someone at a coffee shop after overhearing them talk about vegan cookie dough. You never know what will happen when you put yourself out there!
𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐲. Personally, I like to look at networking as making friends. I do my best to find the folks I get along with genuinely first when I’m in a new environment. Not everyone meshes though, and that’s fine too. For other folks, I keep it pleasant. If I know I specifically want to chat with someone, I make time to introduce myself and treat it similarly. It’s always better to try and connect in a real way. We’re all just people after all.
𝐁𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐭 & 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐲. Especially when you’re reaching out to someone for the first time, remember to be polite! That means make sure your ask is concise and any meeting you request is no longer than 30 minutes. If you’re meeting them in person, go to them. Or offer to do a phone / video chat. Some people may even prefer to answer questions over email. Since they’re doing you a favor by giving you their time, make sure to make it as easy as possible for them!
𝐏𝐚𝐲 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞. This year is the first time I’ve paid for coaching. Specifically leadership coaching. Paying means the advice is very targeted and you can go way more in depth. Especially with learning the nuances of leadership, finding and paying the right coach seems so worthwhile.
What are you looking for support for these days?