7+ Smiles & Golden Nuggets Gained from Speed Mentoring
Each One Teach One. The Hawai`i Prince Ballroom buzzed with positive exchanges of wisdom, relationship building, and smiles. What can you gain from a 7-minute conversation with a mentor? By setting your intention to ask specific questions and then listen to understand (instead of being understood), you glean a lot of golden nuggets of advice. I received awesome advice from 7 mentors during BizWomen's Mentoring Monday Event by Pacific Business News (PBN) involving 41 remarkable women leaders and about 200 participants. I asked each mentor different questions according to their expertise. Here are my 7 key take-aways from that memorable morning of speed-mentoring and networking:
Growth Tips: To grow sales, you need to be targeted, focused and have unique value proposition. Make a list of the top people or companies whom you want to serve then call, call, call. In terms of career growth, having a mentor or coach is helpful for development, and having an ADVOCATE is also important for advancement. ~Philana Bouvier, SVP Corporate Business Development, Young's Market Company
Legal Tip for Small Businesses: There are websites that offer free or inexpensive legal forms and templates. Be aware, however, that there is great value in having a business attorney to assist you in creating legal documents and business advice. The investment upfront in working with a trusted legal advisor mitigates legal risks and higher costs that can happen when business agreements and communication don't work out as intended. ~Louise Ing, Director, Alston Hunt Floyd & Ing
Personal Success Tips: Never give up, Jack Canfield's 10 Success Principles, meditate daily, and create your vision board. ~Danelia Newman, Founder & CEO, Newman Consulting
Leadership Success Tips: Listen to understand, create and execute your strategic plan, and build a cohesive team. ~Betty White, Head of School, Sacred Hearts Academy
Business/Industry Challenges: Doing business in Hawai`i is challenging with government regulations and need for talented workforce ~Bitsy Kelley, Vice President, Outrigger Enterprises Group
Writing/Communication Tip: Check out Howard Daniel's Pen4Rent.com ~Caroline Witherspoon, President, Becker Communication
Networking - Advocacy: Personalized introduction ~ Jan Kaeo, President & CEO, Dale Carnegie Hawaii & Guam
In retrospect, these tips may refresh or evoke what we may already know within ourselves. The real value of the time with each mentor was their sincere care, encouraging dialog, and human connection.
