There are a few people in my life that have dramatically changed the direction of my career and personal adventures. I don’t think I ever formally called these people ‘mentors,’ but that is exactly what they were. Sometimes they gave me direct feedback and because I asked for it. Other times, they communicated insights because they cared about me and they knew I needed to hear their thoughtful encouragement and observations. These mentors also opened doors and created opportunities for me through their networks and influence, and my life would not be the same without them.
Many people think that they need to achieve some kind of status or meaningful event to ‘qualify’ as a mentor, that they need to know all the answers about a specific topic, or have deep expertise in a specific vertical. While it’s great to learn from someone with deep expertise, most mentors are just willing to be open about what they have learned and experienced so far. They’re just humans with good intent who use their knowledge, networks, influence, and insights to support other humans on their journey.
I love how Simon Sinek describes mentorship: mentorship is like friendship. We can’t force it, it evolves over time, and it’s always a two-way street. The best mentors know that they still have a lot to learn and experience, and use the mentorship opportunity to learn more while supporting others. Í I had the opportunity earlier this month to participate in the Founded in Philly Series I Accelerator as a mentor. This accelerator program focuses on founders in the Philadelphia area that are working through the idea stage of their business. They are just getting started on their founder journey - some of them are repeat founders and others are stepping into entrepreneurship for the first time. They are all asking questions like: What am I building, and why, and for whom? How will I build this, and who will join me? What does it mean to be an entrepreneur and build a sustainable company? How do I get feedback to help speed up my progress and help me avoid common mistakes? What kind of leader do I want to be? There are so many questions to answer and explore! And that’s what accelerators are for: helping entrepreneurs work through these challenges with a dedicated community of mentors.
I joined the cohort to specifically work through the questions and challenges around building a team. We had some great discussions about working through conflict with cofounders, how to motivate early team members during times of chaos and growth, how to prioritize diversity in the hiring process, and setting goals and expectations early so everyone knows what success looks like. The founders had lots of great questions and curiosities, and we all contributed insights to help the group explore the topic. I felt inspired by their energy and enthusiasm to bring their ideas to the world, and I hope I get to meet many of these founders again.
Check out these amazing entrepreneurs and reach out to Philly Startup Leaders if you are interested to get involved with this accelerator program and supporting founders in Philly. The Philly Startup Guide is also a great place to see how you can get involved in the local startup community. And because mentorship is always a two-way street, you never know what you might discover about yourself or learn in the process.
