January is National Mentoring Month. Yes, National Mentoring Month and it is definitely a worthy topic to celebrate! It began in 2002 with the express desire to encourage people to contact, thank and show appreciation to the mentors in their lives; or, better yet become a mentor.
Looking back at the mentors that I have had in my life, none of them were planned, organized or facilitated through clubs or organizations. Now, there are so many formalized ways to find a mentor. Most of my mentoring relationships have been unexpected. By that I mean there was not a lot of pre-planning, no one person matched us up but my experiences have been inspirational, well-intentioned and the best advice came from mentors who found me.
With that said, (and I believe that many of you know this), I just had an awesome opportunity to collaborate on an anthology. The book, Mentoring Moments: 14 Remarkable Women Share Their Breakthroughs to Success presented by Denola Burton was published September 2019. It is a compilation of 14 women’s stories and how we overcame obstacles. It is an inspiring blueprint that gives the reader a glimpse of what a profile of a remarkable mentor looks like through each chapter; encouraging them to find one; and, giving hope that regardless of the situation “you shall overcome.”
Looking at my life and some of the young women and men who I have mentored; and, still do, it is clear from my standpoint that everyone should have multiple mentors in their lives. It gives you a complete and comprehensive view of who you can be whether it is the academia you, the creative you, the athletic you or the professional you – mentors from different areas allow you to see what they see in you! My daughter is now a pre-teen and for the past summers she has had a basketball mentor. A young woman that can help her improve her basketball skills, thinking fast on the court and inspiring her to be a better player. This past summer was especially sweet because the young woman was a local basketball player that earned a full college basketball scholarship. Recently, we had the chance to watch our daughter’s basketball mentor play. It was exciting, it was fun but most importantly, my daughter was proud that she knew her and that she had the chance to learn on the court from her. It inspired my daughter that she could do that too (play at a competitive basketball level).
My life’s mentoring relationships were unconventional and I am grateful to each and every one of them. At this stage in my life, my mentors are more deliberate and purposeful. My mentees are the ones that have selected me (other than my #1 mentee, my daughter!). So, as you read this today – celebrate the mentors in your life. Write them an email, text or give them a call and let them know that you would not have done (fill in the blank) if it were not for their encouragement and belief in you. Happy National Mentoring Month!
Sonya Ruff Jarvis, is the Managing Member of Jarvis Consultants and the Founder of the eRetailer Summit and JC Event Group. An expert in her field, Sonya has been published in numerous retail industry b-to-b publications. Sonya shares her experiences in her book series Mindful Minutes: A Marketer’s Journey Through Business. In addition, Sonya collaborated in publishing an anthology, Mentoring Moments: 14 Remarkable Women Share Their Breakthroughs to Success. To purchase Sonya’s books go to AMAZON.
Sonya has a M.B.A. in Marketing. She is married and has a daughter and they live in Trumbull, Connecticut.
Follow Sonya on twitter at @jarvisconsult or @eretailersummit