I received advice when I was 19 years old from an employer that I need to think of myself as the owner of the company I work for. So while I work for them I keep the best interests of that company in mind. This was one of the best pieces of advice I've ever received and have used this throughout my career to succeed. 

With that in mind I have also come to learn that you should also think of yourself as your own company. You need to raise money, market yourself, and deliver a great product which is yourself to be successful and profitable. 

When you think of yourself as a company your mentality changes about how you dress, conduct yourself in public, and perform at work. 

One thing that many successful companies such as Google, Amazon, and Apple have in common is a board of directors. The board of directors provides the company with guidance intended to steer the direction of the company to success. I like to think of mentorship in a similar way. As a company you should have your own board of directors built of mentors to help provide you with guidance and advice to help you be successful.

Similarly directors for these large companies are experts in certain areas such as Finance, a certain industry etc. and my advice is to have mentors in the following 4 areas:

I also suggest you have at least 6 mentors and a minimum number of mentors in each category and they should be as follows:

Career - 2 mentors

• One that is in a position you want to be in within the next 5 years based on your career goals

  • Example: Experienced software developer that has earned a promotion 

• One that is in a position you want to be in within the next 10 years

  • Example: Experienced Manager of Software developers

Finance - 1 mentor

• Someone experienced in managing their finances; doesn’t have to be a financial analyst or financial advisor just someone good at managing their money

Education - 1 mentor

• Someone who can provide guidance on what type of school or education you should obtain to meet your career goals.

Family - 2 mentors

• One that is in your ideal family situation

  • Example: married with children or single and loves to travel

• One that has been through a similar family hardship as you

  • Example: loss of a loved one or divorce 

You may have mentors today that fill your board seats but also you may have some gaps. So my advice to building your board is to meet potential mentors through one of these methods:

• Online using Upnotch

• Networking Events such as conferences or clubs

• Work

• School

• Through another mentor

Once you meet a potential board member, you need to determine if they are the right fit.

1. Conduct a silent interview 

   1. Ask them questions to see if they are successful and experienced in that area

2. If yes, explain to them what you are trying to accomplish with your life and career goals

3. Ask for help on a regular cadence

   1. Ad hoc

   2. Monthly 

   3. Quarterly 

If you are nervous about asking for help, I encourage you to try it at least once. You will be surprised at how many people who are successful want to help you. Remember they were in your shoes at one point in their lives, they know how hard it can be. Trust me they don’t want you to make the same mistakes as they did. 

According to a Stanford Report by Xuan Zhao in 2022, is that people naturally want to help but don’t because they don’t know someone needs help or don’t want to invade another person’s privacy by offering help. So muster up the courage to ask for help!

I assure you this will help you achieve your long term life and career goals. I’ve also included a snippet from my keynote speech in Richmond, Virginia where I was speaking on this very topic.

With Love,

Shannon