I've been running my own business for the last ten years. (Sidenote: I honestly cannot believe it has been ten years. I feel like I have literally blinked and it happened). In the beginning, I had no idea what I was doing, Literally no idea. I just kept chugging along, trying things, failing at things, etc. And while I loved experimenting and figuring stuff out, I didn't love how I wasn't exactly making any money doing it! In the first years of my business, profit was non existent. 

With small kids at home and a husband who worked in ministry (i.e. money was not exactly growing on trees), we knew as a family we had to make some changes, especially if we wanted to live in the expensive city that is Toronto, Canada. 

Through mutual friends, I was introduced to a lovely lady named Candice who worked as a corporate strategist. At the time, I had no idea what that meant- but it had the word strategy in it and I knew I was lacking in it, so we embarked on a trade agreement where I decorated her house and she provided business coaching. 

The results were amazing. And as the years progressed, I continued to work with coaches both on a business and personal level, who helped me to understand my strengths, poke holes in my business model, and overall, make me a better person and business owner.

I really do believe that everyone can benefit from a mentor- here are a few reasons why:

1. YOU CANNOT SEE WHAT YOU CANNOT SEE

It is really hard to be objective about yourself and your business. Especially as entrepreneurs, where you essentially give birth to an idea and you raise it up like a baby, you can be protective like crazy just like a mama bear. This closeness to your business can make it hard to see gaps, holes, struggles or limitations. Sometimes criticizing a business can feel like criticizing you- so to have an objective outside opinion is really valuable.

2. YOU ONLY KNOW WHAT YOU KNOW

We grow from people who know more than us- it is simply just a fact. To think we know it all is just not a strategic position to take! To learn from people who have been there, done that, invested hours, have failed, have succeeded, and more is a much more efficient way to grow than trying to learn it all on your own! 

3. MENTORS OPEN DOORS

A mentor can open doors (and unlock doors that you may have glued completely shut or created barricades against, lol) to worlds you never knew existed. A mentor can help with a mindset shift that you cannot get out of, a mentor can paint the picture of possibilities that you never knew existed, and a mentor can open your mind to completely new ways of thinking. It's pretty incredible and inspiring what the right mentor can do for your life.

I am really grateful to the mentors I have had over the last ten years. If you're interested in finding yourself a mentor, or learning about the benefits a mentor may provide you, I am taking part in a really fun online summit called the Success Mentor Summit hosted by Claire Diaz-Ortiz! It features some pretty amazing speakers including Jeff Goins, Donald Miller, Jon Acuff and more. I'm speaking about "Failing Your Way to Success" and I am so excited to share this inetrview with you!!!!! To learn more, click here,