Identify people in your life who have can serve as mentors. We all have a lot to learn. This post is about sharing some of life's lessons learned from my mentors, sage advisors and gurus.
The first mentionable mentor is Pop! He started his own executive recruitment firm and provided placement for companies based in NYC (the NYSE, Citi Bank, just to name a couple). I would hear him on the phone providing advice to the candidates he was working with. While I can't recall the exact words of advice he provided, I learned at a very early age that life was about relationships (networking, as we like to call it). I refer to him regularly when I conduct workshops. I love telling the story about checking his mailbox when he went out of town. In his mailbox, were literally, hundreds of resumes on really expensive paper. When I asked Pop what he wanted me to do with them, he said "toss them. I am already working with the people I should be. If I don't know them, then I don't need to". So I used those resumes to start fires.
Pat Piles is another sage adviser from whom I regularly seek advice and feedback. Pat has done it all- well, not everything, but a lot. His life's experiences and analytical-big picture thinking are so unlike mine, I can't help but learn from him. He's helped me many times assess my motives and actions. I love watching Pat facilitate workshops too. His style in the classroom is the same analytical-big picture. He questions the participants and takes them on an incredible journey of self-exploration.
Mike Lally oozes self-confidence. His strategic thinking and understanding of technology is superior. Mike is the one who encouraged me to start blogging. I value and learn from Mike's cutting edge technical knowledge.
Phil Minarik is all about building relationships. He has the most wonderful way of sincerely complementing, making you feel so good, that when he asks for a favor, you can't say no. He has been successful in his career because of his keen appreciation for relationships.
Deidre Dutcher and Anne Osovski are the queens of networking. Between them, they know everyone in the Rochester area. Anne has a track record of entrepreneurial successes. I admire her for her ability to make her dreams happen. She is undaunted by the unknown. Deidre falls into the same category of "fearless". She, too, has entrepreneurial blood running through her veins.
Rosa Smith-Montanaro serves as a sort of "spiritual advisor" but also as a subject matter expert in a couple of areas, business start up and NLP. Rosa has passion- passion for helping and connecting. How can you go wrong with a combo like that.
These are some of my favorite's, but as I write, I think of others…Dr. Rita Carey, who I learn from every time we talk.
Thanks for reading. Share who your mentor is and what you have learned from them.
Hannah Morgan speaks and writes about job search and career strategies. She founded CareerSherpa.net to educate professionals on how to maneuver through today’s job search process. Hannah was nominated as a LinkedIn Top Voice in Job Search and Careers and is a regular contributor to US News & World Report. She has been quoted by media outlets, including Forbes, USA Today, Money Magazine, Huffington Post, as well as many other publications. She is also author of The Infographic Resume and co-author of Social Networking for Business Success.
