Mentoring

Starting your career can be overwhelming, especially when you’re stepping into the professional world from school, college, or university. However, even overwhelming experiences can be broken down and understood.

When I began my journey as an apprentice, I was overwhelmed. My uncle was the CEO of the company, and I felt the pressure to prove myself. This attitude led to the creation of false and assumed expectations. I believed I needed to be the best: the top performer, the best talker, the one who arrived early and stayed late, and the one who pulled out all the stops to make things happen. To achieve this, I had to grow, form new habits, follow a reading plan, and just do more of everything.

On the surface, you see a list of 'to-dos' and tasks. But behind these actions were hundreds of questions and conversations with nearly everyone at the company. While I was busy doing 'things' and 'working,' I was incredibly curious about how everything worked. The best part was that people answered my questions. I loved these early years of my career, not because of the tasks, but because of the people and their willingness to share their knowledge.

You could say my actions were fueled by eagerness, drive, and curiosity—great traits to have. But largely, my actions were driven by the influence and high standards set by the team and the company. The environment of high standards allowed everyone to reap the rewards.

I was surrounded by people eager to learn, teach, and become their best selves. This environment fostered my personal growth, accelerated my learning, and fueled a relentless drive to excel. The support from my peers and the company culture made me believe that anything was possible.

The people around you and the energies you’re exposed to are crucial. This leads me to mentoring…

Not everyone is fortunate enough to have someone to discuss workplace or career challenges with, or to have regular sessions to ensure accountability. Whether you don’t get along with your manager, your close friends aren’t aligned with your career goals, or you simply want a different perspective, having a mentor can help you grow and better yourself in many ways.

While mindset is a huge part of development, having conversations with a mentor and creating a plan is essential when life throws curveballs. What you need is the skill set and knowledge to navigate these changes. If you don’t have a network to discuss these topics with, this is where I want to help you.

Over the last 10 years, I’ve faced many challenges, mostly in the workplace. Each challenge brought valuable lessons. What has kept me on the right path, and more importantly, the right mindset, are the people closest to me. Looking back, I realise that the right people came into my life at the right time, each with a lesson to teach. Sometimes, we just need a guide who appears when we need them most.

I’m extending my hand to the readers of this newsletter: the aspiring young leaders who are eager to learn and become their best selves.

While this is my first time formally mentoring, I’ve mentored many friends and colleagues over the years. Reflecting on these conversations brings me the most happiness and fulfillment. So, I thought, let’s do more of that.

If you’ve thought about mentoring or have any questions about it, DM me, and let's start the conversation.

Thanks, as always, for reading.

Due to my current commitments, I have space to mentor only three Aspiring Young Leaders.