Is a Mentor Right for Me?

When I turned 31 years old nothing seemed to be lining up for me. I had a job, but I was covering a mat leave and I was worried about what I would do next, my relationship was ending and I wasn’t communicating with my friends like I normally would. I was feeling stuck and knew that something needed to change. I was scrolling through Instagram one day and I stumbled across a post about a mentorship program called New Girl on the Block. The post looked interesting and because I felt like I needed a change I checked out the website and it was like every word I read was speaking to me. A few questions that were asked were, when was the last time you felt excited by your life? When was the last time you flirted? Asked for a raise? Did something that scared you? When I went through and was answering each question, I knew I needed to do this program. I filled out the application about 2 – 3 times before submitting and if you’re wondering why I was scared, POINT, BLANK, PERIOD. I was scared because it would mean I had to change things, I would have to break out of my comforts and do things that made me uncomfortable. Once I hit submit, I was thinking to myself what did you get yourself into. Often as women we feel the need to do everything on our own and it can be hard to ask for help, I know for me that was the case.

What is mentorship? Mentorship is guidance provided by an experienced person. On October 15, 2019 my mentor Pauleanna Reid emailed me and if you do not know who this woman is you need to look her up. She is a celebrity ghostwriter, founder of Writers Blok and New Girl on the Block, Senior Contributor at ForbesWomen, mentor and the list goes on. I was excited and scared to set up my first call with Pauleanna but also to go through the experience. The day of my call came around and as soon as she asked me why I wanted to be apart of the program instant tears. It was like the feeling of stuck and wanting to break free of that just came rushing out. Pauleanna was very understanding and in that moment I knew I made the right decision. The next few months Pauleanna challenged me and pushed me to achieve my goals, find self love and pointed me in the direction to start my own business. The wealth of knowledge that was bestowed upon me is something I cannot put into words as I feel I was able to really grow and unlock my potential, I gained a new perspective on what my life should look like. Without Pauleanna’s guidance I don’t know if I would have gotten out of that cycle of stuck. It’s ok to ask for help and there are many ways to seek help and a mentor is a great way to seek guidance.

“A mentor is someone who sees more talent and ability within you, than you see in yourself, and helps bring it out of you”. - Bob Proctor