{"id":8036,"date":"2014-07-29T14:00:00","date_gmt":"2014-07-29T18:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/creator\/?p=8036"},"modified":"2020-03-30T19:00:25","modified_gmt":"2020-03-30T23:00:25","slug":"finding-perfect-mentor-startup-venture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/professional-development\/finding-perfect-mentor-startup-venture","title":{"rendered":"Finding the perfect mentor for your startup"},"content":{"rendered":"

At some point in your entrepreneurial journey, everything was new.<\/p>\n

Whether you\u2019re a seasoned entrepreneur who just sold a startup, or you\u2019re considering leaving the corporate world to work for yourself for the first time, at some point, there was a beginning. It\u2019s possible you didn\u2019t know what you were doing, even if you managed to master the art of faking it til you make it.<\/p>\n

Figuring out how to grow a business from the birth of an idea to success is a challenge, regardless of how much funding or education you have. One of the best ways to learn is from experience. But if you don\u2019t yet have personal experience as an entrepreneur, there is always an opportunity to learn from someone who does.<\/p>\n

The word mentor gets thrown around often, but what exactly is a mentor?<\/p>\n

A mentor might be someone who pledges to coach you through a specific journey in life. They might be a one-or-two time encounter whose advice left a lasting impression on you. They might even be a close friend or family member.<\/p>\n

\u201cMost entrepreneurs, if they are anything like me, have a lot to learn,\u201d says Casey Gibbons, co-founder of Maki Fund<\/a>. \u201cMentors help entrepreneurs navigate the rollercoaster ride that is a startup.\u201d<\/p>\n

Casey was lucky enough to find a mentor during his senior year of college. He said what helped him was finding a shared passion to find the common ground to build a relationship. But finding a mentor can be more difficult than it sounds, especially if you\u2019re starting your company all alone in the garage of your house at two in the morning.<\/p>\n

Andrew Young, co-founder and CTO of Swill<\/a>, says that most mentor-mentee relationships start off as friendships.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe more you hang out, the more you will start to understand the type of person they are,\u201d he says. \u201cOver time, you will start to figure out who they really are. It\u2019s important to be yourself because you want them to do the same around you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Introducing work or business into a personal relationship is often feared by many. But those who are already close to you can also make excellent mentors because they know who you are as a person.<\/p>\n

Brooke Stone, founder and CEO of Brooke Stone Lifestyle Management<\/a>, resisted looking to her dad, a businessman himself, for advice through her entrepreneurial journey. She didn\u2019t want to jeopardize their already great relationship by mixing it with business. But in a moment of need, he was the one she called.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe talked me off the ledge and gave me excellent solutions to challenges I was facing,\u201d Brooke says. \u201cFrom there, we began to explore this new layer of relationship, and he has been a tremendous mentor ever since.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sometimes your mentor might be standing right in front of you. \u201cDon\u2019t be afraid to complicated your great, existing relationships,\u201d Brooke says. \u201cThey are great for a reason.<\/p>\n

Mentors are everywhere, even in non-traditional places. If you are on the solopreneur journey and can\u2019t seem to find a mentor, you might want to take a new approach.<\/p>\n

Casey suggests finding experienced people that share the excitement and enthusiasm for what you are building. The best way to do this is to meet as many people as you can. Find out where the people in your line of business hang out after work. The more people you meet, the more chances you\u2019ll have to find a mentor.<\/p>\n

The journey of an entrepreneur in the startup world is not an easy one. Finding a mentor to guide you through it will not only make it more enjoyable, but will also increase your chances for success.<\/p>\n

Depending on who you are and what you\u2019re looking for, there isn\u2019t one type of mentor out there that is right for everyone. Explore your options because your next mentor might be standing right in front of you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

At some point in your entrepreneurial journey, everything was new. Whether you\u2019re a seasoned entrepreneur who just sold a startup, or you\u2019re considering leaving the corporate world to work for yourself for the first time, at some point, there was a beginning. It\u2019s possible you didn\u2019t know what you were doing, even if you managed […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1208,"featured_media":8282,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[43902],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8036","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-professional-development"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nFinding the perfect mentor for your startup<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"At some point in your entrepreneurial journey, everything was new. 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