A friend is someone who knows all about you and still loves you.
– Elbert Hubbard
Pepper was born 13 years ago and made easier because of one person who had great faith in me. Can’t remember the conversation exactly, but what I do remember is Ian Collier’s matter of fact confidence that opening my own agency was a good idea.
I’ve always had the benefit of mentors. One of them used to take me to lunch every Wednesday at Mario’s, Valpark. I worked at National Brewing Company (Stag) at the time. Chris Vuyk introduced me to the Positioning Matrix where you can plot all the brands in a category, so you know where yours can be best placed. And boy did we have a lot of fun with Stag moving it from 6% share and setting the foundation for its impressive position today.
So, here’s 13 reasons why you should have a mentor:
- You can make mistakes (sometimes many) and still know they’ll be there for you
- It’s ok to cry in front of them. And crying is good for the soul
- They see light in your dark clouds
- They are great at offering alternative solutions
- Sometimes they show up with money
- They can help you open doors
- You gain a friend
- Mentors make excellent coaches (like Chris)
- They are an excellent source of Vitamin M – Motivation
- They help you avoid mis-steps
- They share their life lessons to help you shape yours
- Mentors stick by you through thick and thin
- Mentors prop you up
And you know what? After all of that, sometimes you switch roles and become the mentor’s mentor.
“If I have seen further than others, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” – Isaac Newton
Thanks to my mentors for making the rough roads smoother, over the past 13 years of running Pepper.
