Stay regular...with your blogging, I mean

All of the "Blogging tips" websites say that it is important to be regular with your blogging. Don't just post here and there and everywhere (sort of like I've been doing). I've decided it would be nice if I could have a post every Sunday night and every Wednesday. That seemed like it might be a pain until I discovered that nifty little option that allows me to write a post whenever I want and have it publish at a scheduled time. Handy.

So, let's talk a little bit about mentors. First off, what is a mentor? Dictionary.com says it is:

1.	a wise and trusted counselor or teacher.

2.	an influential senior sponsor or supporter.

So, a mentor is a counselor/teacher, or supporter. In a business context, a mentor is someone who has been where you want to go, and is willing to help you get there as well. This may or may not be in exchange for something of value. A lot of people just want to help others out, and expect nothing in return. Some people want to see some initiative before offering assistance. Some hold courses and charge money for their mentoring services. Either way, I think having a mentor is something that can prove invaluable to your growth.

Where do I find a mentor? Well, I hate to sound simplistic, but just think of what it is you want to do, find someone who is doing it, and talk to them. Offer them your services for free, befriend them, whatever. If your lifelong dream is to open a flower shop, go to a flower shop. Get to know the owner. Maybe offer to work for a couple of hours for free in exchange for advice. Maybe take him/her out for lunch and pick his/her brains. It might be a little scary, you might have to get outside of your comfort zone, but that's the only way you are going to grow.

Let me tell you how I have managed to find a valuable mentor, and hopefully that will inspire you to do the same. As it mentions in my profile, I am currently working as an electrician. I have a friend who owns a store that I have done work for in the past. Up until now, I have have traded my services for some of his merchandise. This has worked well, but I recently got to thinking. This individual started a successful landscaping company and sold it for a large sum of money. This individual is currently running a successful business. This individual has been where I am trying to go, and could provide a lot of valuable insight. So, awhile ago he asked me if I could help him replace all of the lights in his store. He has some really old lights that suck up a lot of power. They cost him a lot of money, and half of them don't work. At first, we had talked about doing some more trading. But then I decided to do something crazy. I told him I would do it for free. All I wanted in exchange was some mentorship. I told him of my business plans and what I hope to do, and he agreed that he knew quite a bit about those things. He seemed quite impressed by my offer, and is more than willing to help out. There was even some hints at possible partnership. I know that nothing is written in stone, and I don't like to be presumptuous or jump to conclusions, but either way, I see nothing but good coming from this. My business partner and I will be meeting with him this week to go over what I have so far and I am very excited at what he has to teach us.

It was hard look at the possible money/trades I could have received instead for doing the work (easily worth $1500-$2000) and turn them down, but I don't think I can put a value on the kind of things he can teach us. Bottom line: if you can find a mentor, DO IT! They've done what you're trying to do. They know the pitfalls, they know the challenges, they know how to avoid them. They can take years off of your learning curve. How can you say no to that?

Dad