Transformative Guidance: The Mentorship Journey of David Bachsinar and Bevan McLeod

Mentee David Bachsinar (left) with his mentor, Bevan McLeod (right).

In the dynamic world of business, where challenges and opportunities intermingle, mentorship stands as a beacon of guidance and growth. EO Melbourne's Mentorship Program, which pairs seasoned business leaders with entrepreneurs and business owners, exemplifies this. Here, we explore the inspiring mentorship journey of David Bachsinar, Founder and Managing Director at BACH Commercial, and his mentor, Bevan McLeod, Managing Director at BlueRock.

The Start of an Empowering Relationship

David Bachsinar joined the EO Melbourne Mentorship Program for the first time, seeking guidance beyond his immediate circle. "I faced challenges I couldn't discuss with my team or solve alone," David recalled. "I had wanted to join the Mentorship Program for some time, hoping to find someone who could provide the support and perspective I needed."

In contrast, Bevan McLeod returned for his second year as a mentor. "The first time around was incredibly rewarding," Bevan shared. "Helping individuals and seeing them apply that knowledge in their businesses is immensely satisfying. I also learned a lot about myself in the process."

Their journey began at the welcoming event, a crucial first step that laid the foundation for their mentorship. "The EO Mentorship Program's structure helps establish a bond early on," Bevan noted. "Locking in that first meeting and learning about each other on a personal level is key." For David, this initial interaction revealed unexpected common ground. "We both have a keen interest in sports and fitness, which created an immediate connection," he said. "Bevan's background in manufacturing, particularly his experience with his father's business, resonated deeply with me. Additionally, he had a wealth of experience and knowledge that I could learn from."

Learning and Growing Together

Over the past 12 months, the mentorship journey proved transformative for both David and Bevan. Navigating the complexities of managing his growing business, David found Bevan's guidance invaluable. "Bevan's executive director experience opened my mind to high-level management, organisation, and team structure," David shared. "Before this, I was trying to figure everything out on my own, which was incredibly challenging."

One of the most significant changes David implemented was aligning team values and celebrating individual contributions, which he learned from his mentorship sessions with Bevan. "Introducing an MVP or Most Valuable Player of the Month award has been a game-changer," he explained. "It brought so much positivity and recognition within the team. Letting the team nominate the MVP themselves created a sense of ownership and pride."

Another thing David learned from Bevan that he is set to introduce to his team is the Hermann Brain Dominance Instrument, which will aid him in better understanding team dynamics. "That's something I’ve got underway at the moment. I’m excited to see how it unfolds," he stated.

Bevan, too, found the mentorship experience enriching. "We challenge each other, and I always learn from understanding different business perspectives," he observed. "There’s a nervous anticipation before our sessions, not knowing where the discussion will go, but it's always rewarding." The intuitive connection they developed allowed their conversations to flow naturally, leaving lasting impressions on both mentor and mentee. "I never had to take notes because our discussions were so memorable and impactful," Bevan added.

Practical Applications and Business Impact

David applied several key lessons from Bevan to his business. "Implementing a value-aligned team culture and recognising individual contributions were pivotal changes," David said. These practices, stemming from Bevan's insights, provided a framework for David's growing business. "Coming from a one-man band to managing a team of 30 staff and numerous subcontractors was daunting," David admitted. "But Bevan's guidance through this growth has been invaluable. I've begun to put managers in place but lacked a structured framework. Bevan has been instrumental in guiding and supporting us through this transitional phase as we continue to expand."

Bevan found immense satisfaction in seeing his advice implemented effectively. "Hearing how our discussions on values and team management have positively impacted David's business brings me great joy," he said. "The fact that the advice was received well and acted upon is deeply rewarding."

Inspiring Others to Join the Journey

For those considering joining the EO Melbourne Mentorship Program, David and Bevan’s experience highlights its transformative potential. David emphasised its profound impact on his perspective and business acumen. "It’s an amazing program that opens your mind and provides support and strategy to overcome challenges," David stated. "I’ve also formed a great friendship with Bevan, which is the best part."

Bevan encouraged experienced business leaders to become mentors, noting the personal and professional rewards. "Mentoring offers a fresh perspective and reinforces the impact of your own practices," Bevan concluded. "It’s about giving back and learning from each other. Seeing the positive changes in David’s business has been incredibly fulfilling."

Overall, the mentorship journey of David Bachsinar and Bevan McLeod exemplifies the profound benefits of EO Melbourne's Mentorship Program. Through shared learning, practical applications, and mutual respect, both mentor and mentee experienced significant growth and satisfaction. Their story serves as an inspiring testament to the program’s potential, urging others to embark on this rewarding path.

Walking the Path of Mentorship: A Journey with Jacob Spencer and Amanda Walker

In the bustling world of entrepreneurship, the path to success can often feel like a solitary one. Yet, amidst the chaos of business, there exists a beacon of support and guidance: mentorship. In the EO Melbourne Mentorship Program, transformative mentor-mentee relationships illuminate the profound impact of shared experiences and mutual learning.

One such tale unfolds between Jacob Spencer, Owner & Managing Director of Mobile Skips, and his mentor, Amanda Leigh Walker, Co-founder at Lord of the Fries, a life & personal development coach for women. Their mentorship journey was not just a series of meetings; it was a dynamic walk through the forests of insight, growth, and camaraderie. Instead of adding more to their already fully loaded  “to-do” lists, it was about cutting back, distilling ideas and practices down to their essence and refining their formula for success. 

Embracing the Journey: A Purpose-Driven Partnership

Although Jacob has previously engaged in the EO Mentorship Program, he opted to enrol once more for this intake, aiming to derive further benefits from the program. He shared, “I joined again because I was looking for different perspectives and experiences around things that I was going through and to have my blind spots opened up. I've always leaned into the idea that if you want to have a great business and a successful life with your family or personally, then you've got to start to work internally first. The mentorship program does that. It helps you focus on yourself and think about what you're getting from your endeavours and who you are as a person.”

It is also Amanda’s second round as a mentor in the Program. Her decision to participate again as a mentor stemmed from her love of learning from others while supporting them on their path. Together, they found a seamless connection rooted in their shared values of purpose-driven entrepreneurship. Their mentorship journey was characterised by service-mindedness, transforming business discussions into opportunities for personal and collective growth.

Walking the Talk: Lessons Learned Along the Path

Their sessions weren't confined by four walls; instead, they chose to meet for monthly walks and talks along Merri Creek. Through their exchanges, they unearthed many valuable lessons including embracing the whole path of reaching goals instead of focusing on the end game.

“On our walks, we don't have any distractions with devices, it's very informal. That, in itself, is excellent. We are completely present and in a space and mindset to have a really good open vulnerable discussion,” Jacob explained.

Amanda shared that she loved walking for the fact that “we get to enjoy the freedom of our business that allows us to get outside, open our minds and be creative, instead of tied to a desk.”

One of the key things that Jacob learned during his sessions, was that he has something valuable to offer others in every stage of goal creation. By sharing his journey with Amanda, together they were able to pull out nuggets of wisdom that would be valuable for people who are on the same path.

They found that the beginning, middle and end of any goal is equally as important as the finished product. To get to the finish line and only share the outcome is to miss the lessons along the way. We are all standing on the shoulders of others who have had to take the path to success. It can be messy and difficult to build it’s powerful too. Like in nature, the leaves are just as important as the roots. 

The Path Unfolds: Applying Insights for Growth

Another area they worked on together was the importance of aligning one’s business with personal values. Doing this resulted in a fresh understanding of Jacob’s corporate culture and purpose. “When you're leading a business and the heartbeat of the business comes from the culture that you bring, it starts with your values. I've seen that when I waver in my values or if I'm not using them to help guide the way we operate, the business and its people become misaligned quickly,” he stated.

Authentic Leadership 

A theme that ran through their sessions was about walking the talk and being an authentic leader. They share the similar idea that to be your best in business is to have a clear and positive outlook, an abundance mindset, be open to feedback, be willing to upgrade sluggish ideas, align personal and business values and create habits that anchor you to being your best self. To tell others to be on top of their game but not to practice the self-care and self-awareness required oneself is to be a hypocrite. In their mentorship, they held each other to those standards and encouraged congruence in the business.

Navigating the Terrain: Benefits of Mentorship

For Jacob, the EO Mentorship Program offered more than just guidance; it provided a platform for personal responsibility and vulnerability. By embracing these principles, Jacob unlocked the true potential of mentorship, leveraging it as a catalyst for self-discovery and growth. 

“To talk about the benefits, I'm going to bring it back to some of the core principles in EO and what we get out of the forum. We start with this wonderful gift that we have — somebody who is very experienced in business and life, who has been on a great journey and willing to give you time. Then it's up to the participant to get what they want out of it. The mentee is the person who should take responsibility for how they meet, what their discussions are about and what the goals are,” Jacob said. 

As for Amanda, she found fulfilment in supporting Jacob in his continued growth, relishing the opportunity to witness his evolution as an entrepreneur and individual. Amanda quipped, “It is a privilege to be a part of someone's journey, to be part of their business and life journey. It is an   to be able to walk with someone along  their path during this experience.” Not only that but Amanda was able to gain insight into her own business practices, values, and leadership by being with someone who embodies all that she strives to be: successful, humble, kind, aligned and service-minded. 

Walking Together: A Privilege and Honour

As Jacob and Amanda traversed the winding paths of mentorship, they discovered a profound truth: the journey is as enriching as the destination. Together, they embarked on a voyage of self-discovery, camaraderie, and shared growth, guided by the principles of purpose and authenticity. Their mentorship walks became more than just a physical activity; they symbolised a dynamic exploration of entrepreneurship, friendship, and the human spirit.

Mentorship is having someone walk with you on your entrepreneurial journey

Mentorship pair Conor O’Malley and Nyree Hibberd.

Much has been said about the entrepreneurial journey being a lonesome path, but not when you’re surrounded by like-minded individuals, such as being part of a group like EO and having someone to walk with you, such as a mentor, for instance.

This is how EO Melbourne Member and mentee Nyree Hibberd, CEO at Koh Living, and mentor Conor O’Malley, a known Executive Coach who calls himself “The CEO’s caddy”, described their mentorship experience.

Conor still remembers the first time he and Nyree met, which was at the induction day of mentors and mentees at last year’s intake. He recalled, “I met with Nyree, and we had a great conversation, however, I had to leave early. Nyree very kindly offered to continue our discussion and offered to leave that space by walking with me to the train station. From there, I thought, this sounds like something I'd really like to do, which is to work through the EO channel and support Nyree.”

Nyree, on the other hand, is thankful to have someone who can be with her during this part of her entrepreneurial journey. “I'm a big believer in the motto or saying that ‘you don't know what you don't know.’ As a business owner, it seems like I don't know a lot. So, it was all about connecting with the right person to help me progress in my path, personally and in the business,” she stated.

One of the things that Nyree learned throughout their sessions was finding answers to things she wanted to know. She described how she was learning new things along the way, “Conor's approach was really to question – asking, probing – almost, ‘you know the answer but you've got to find it in there and then let me know.’ This really worked for me, so using questions more is what I actually do now with the staff as well, which is quite good because before, I’d also tell people the answer, ‘just go and do this and this,’ and they wouldn't learn the same way as I would. I wasn't learning by just being told, so that was quite good in comparison for me.”

She further expounded on the learnings she picked from her conversations and interactions with Conor. “I think I went into it with a ‘what next, what now’ and ‘how do I get it from here to where I know it can go.’ So, the key learnings were really about pushing back on me and seeing myself as the leader rather than the doer because there's no scaling if I was going to be still 5% in everybody's role. That was the big thing.”

“The second thing was about holding the space,” Nyree continued. “I've got a couple of challenging relationships at times within the business, and it’s just this kind of concept of allowing them to hold their space, that I didn't need to jump in and do anything. I just respected that they had that opinion and felt the way they did, and it allowed me not to jump into their story and not enflame situations as well. It kind of worked quite well. 

Then the third one is with my son, personally holding the personal state not just with my son but with my partner as well. I would often get home, I'd have dinner, put my son to bed, and I'd sit on the couch with my computer and keep going when my partner was around, but there was no real quality time. I don't know if it naturally just stopped or I made a decision to, I can't remember. But when I’m with them, it is to literally be present and not try to do two things at the same time. So, yeah, these are the three really big things for me.”

But it was not just Nyree who was learning from their mentorship. Conor also has picked new ideas and lessons from Nyree’s experiences. “From a commercial perspective, Nyree and her business partner are in a really interesting stage of growth in their business and, in my words here, ‘taking it to the next level and then looking at what the next horizon is.’ There's no doubt for me that there was a really good learning opportunity of working with an entrepreneur who's taking a business, with a business partner, from scratch to an amazingly successful business to where it is now, and going, ‘Okay, what next? Where next?’” he remarked. 

Conor added, “It’s the opportunity to co-learn, co-create and, in some cases, introduce people in my network to Nyree, some of whom resonated and some didn't. That was real learning for me in terms of who in my network resonated and who didn't. And there's no right or wrong there. For me, that was commercial learning, walking – and we literally did – as we had many walking sessions and conversations around an entrepreneur taking a business to another level and looking at what the next three-year vision really is and how to get there.”

He also stated that the whole experience did not only contribute to his professional growth but also to his personal development. “On a personal level, COVID was part of our journey, and I was learning from Nyree in terms of her perspective and how she and her family and I were managing through COVID. It was a challenging time, and there's no doubt that I certainly learned through that time as well,” Conor enthusiastically shared.

For Nyree, their sessions also had her thinking about how she deals with her business and personal areas of her life. “I read this book called, What Got You Here Won't Get You There, and I realised that one of my bad habits or difficult challenges is trying to over-add value rather than allowing other people to take initiative and responsibility. That's one of the main things that seemed to keep coming up as a theme that had a big effect on me and how I run the business because I was constantly in people's roles, feeling like I had to help them do their roles rather than give them the tools they needed to do the role themselves. I enjoyed actually being able to be challenged on that and step back and watch what happened.”

“The other area was in my personal life where I've got a four-year-old son, and just that balance of spending time with him, I really found it quite challenging because the business is so busy that even when I was with him I wasn't present. So, Conor had this saying, ‘for the sake of what,’ but we changed it to ‘for the sake of who.’ When I started doing activities with my son, even if I was walking down the street with his pram, I would ask myself, ‘for the sake of who am I doing this?’ And it'll be for him and it's to spend time and to talk about cars or whatever he wants to talk about rather than me thinking what am I supposed to be doing right now. So, it was a nice tool that I used personally to just bring myself back to where I was, at the time,” Nyree explained.  

Both Nyree and Conor were glad to have walked together along the business path, sharing their stories and exchanging insights with each other. Although they have already finished their Mentorship Program, they were grateful to have formed a connection as a mentor and as a mentee, which has blossomed into a friendship.

In Conor’s words, “The metaphor I have in my coaching practice is to be a caddy. I'm a golfer, and I see myself as the person's caddy who walks alongside that person, and Nyree knows that she's got a caddy walking alongside her and she can reach out. Let's say, in this case now that the programme is over, the caddy's walking outside of the ropes, but anytime she wants to, she can pull this caddy in. I'll be on the bag and I'll walk inside the ropes with her.”

The beauty in diversity: a mentorship experience

Learning comes from various things and in many ways, and oftentimes, how we differ from each other helps us widen our knowledge and understanding of the space we live in and move around. Such can be said for mentor Emma Duffy, Learning Director at ProActive Training, and mentee Hayden Brass, Founder and Managing Director of Zea.

Mentor Emma Duffy and mentee Hayden Brass share their mentorship experience and learnings from it.

Other than running a business and being business owners, they haven’t necessarily spotted their similarities or commonalities. But despite having different businesses, they found themselves at a very good start when they met for the first time at the Mentorship training.

“Working together in the training session that Carlo ran, I thought that was a really strong start to the whole program for us as I feel that we got to know each other pretty well and understand what we both wanted out of the program and that we at least got a framework to build on from that,” said Emma.

Hayden concurred, “We have very different businesses, which are, in some ways, what you’d want. Although we had no common ground for this, I think we've learned a lot from each other in that way as well because we've had different experiences and different industries, which has been really great. So, it's been a great element of the mentorship.”

He continued, “We started off really strong catching up almost the same time every month and being able to come away with different viewpoints that I have not necessarily thought of. 

We have quite different businesses, quite different lives, and quite different ages as well. A lot of different elements allowed for really valuable insights and learnings from that perspective. I think that just having those differences made it really valuable in making me think outside the box and think about things differently.”

The whole journey has also provided them with more insightful experiences and new learnings. For Emma, it has encouraged her to think in an unusual way. She narrated a time when she was frustrated with not being able to give training ideas to Hayden because what her business did could not necessarily fit his needs or his team’s needs. 

“After our last catch-up when it came up again, I thought, ‘Well, I'm not going to walk away and stay frustrated or feel like I don’t have an answer in my area of expertise.’ In fact, it has prompted me to come back to my desk and actually do a whole lot of research into various apps and system processes that are available in the marketplace and find ways so that when we catch up next, I could go back to Hayden and say, ‘Well, these are some ideas that you could take into your business and use in your business.’ So, it's really stretched me to think a little bit differently about what businesses need in terms of training. It's then pushed me and my business partner to really reconsider how we set up some of our own compliance requirements in the business and how we could potentially develop them into a type of software that we could take to the marketplace. It's a huge gift that that sort of thinking pushed me to do something really different for me, my day-to-day work, and our business. I would never have done research on apps and processes otherwise,” Emma explained.

On Hayden’s part, he has gained a lot of ideas and perspectives from their mentoring sessions throughout the year. “What happened was with the first six months, and they're very well aligned, we had these three sets of goals which we set around leadership, etc. I think for me it was a lot about being able to come to the table with a little leadership challenge or a hiring challenge and then hearing a perspective that's quite different and new. That's been really valuable. It's also been good in that we've been able to bounce different ideas off each other within a meeting. I'd come either pre-planned, and we've done it before, and mentioned a few key things that we wanted to cover. It's given us a chance to reflect on it and review it, whether it's a staff leaving or a staff deciding to ask for a big wage increase or whatever challenge it might be that I’m having. It's just that back and forwards and getting that new perspective on whatever it might be.”

For the duration of their mentorship journey, both Emma and Hayden enjoyed their interactions and the key takeaways they get from their conversations.

Emma shared, “I really enjoyed the consistent and regular catch-ups. Hayden's business has gone through amazing growth in the last 12 months in the time that we've been working together. It was really interesting to see and learn about that. That was I guess one of the main things, from my point of view. It was just great. I've really enjoyed those conversations and I walked away each time hoping I might have added a little bit of value.”

As for Hayden, “It was a very broad goal that I've set in becoming a better leader. I think it doesn't come down to one or two things. It comes down to a multitude of things that have happened in the mentorship program and also in the growing of the business and coinciding with one another to get that. It's a long way to go, but definitely, I think I've achieved that in that 12-month period. A lot of it comes down to little bits and pieces that have come together to make a big difference in mindset or ways that we are reacting to different scenarios. It's all been really valuable from that perspective.”

And what’s the secret behind a successful mentorship experience that others may consider when getting into mentorship?

“Commitment is definitely one of the biggest ones,” Hayden remarked. “You need to go in there with the commitment that you're going to do this on top of your normal workload and normal forum and whatever else you've got going on. The other aspect would be to be really clear on what you want to get out of it when you're applying for it, who the type of mentor that you're looking for, and what is the specific area that you want to get the most value from because if you're very specific on that, that helps the team to assign a good mentor to you. I think it’s being very specific on those and differentiating it to what you want to get out of your forum or other learnings or whatever that might be and have a really specific goal for your mentor-mentee relationship because that can make a big difference as well.”

Emma was in agreement on the importance of commitment to make one’s mentorship journey a valuable one. “I completely agree. With preparation, just to do a bit of thinking beforehand to maximize the one hour, Hayden was really disciplined about contacting, setting the meeting time up, and turning up. We were there for one hour and then we were gone. It didn't linger on. There was really a focused time commitment.”

EO Melbourne’s Mentorship Program is one of the significant programs of the organisation that members can take advantage of and benefit from. Each experience is different and unique, and the value it can provide to both the mentor and the mentee can be priceless.

Mentorship: it’s a two-way learning

It was a first-time for both mentee Laiken Kerr Clarke, Director at Medisound, and mentor Catherine Duncan, COO at Matthews Steer Accountants & Advisers, to take part in EO Melbourne’s Mentorship Program and both found it enjoyable. Plus, they found the program nicely structured, which allowed them to go through their objectives for this mentorship journey.

“We did have that prior time where you thought about your goals and what you wanted to achieve through the mentorship. I think it just set a nice foundation that you could work off from, as you continued on along the journey with the mentor,” Laiken remarked.

Recognising common ground

Catherine recalls how they began with their journey, “Laiken and I met at that session where we were paired up. How they set that up that morning of us getting to know each other, I found it really good fun. I think we got to know each other pretty quickly in a short space of time.”

To which Laiken concurred, “We just had the same outlook on a lot of things – the same values and the way we saw the world and our kind of place and role in it. It was definitely something that I picked up immediately. Also, we have similar interests like yoga and the spiritual side of things, which clicked us quite quickly. It was a nice surprise, I guess. It wasn't something that I thought would happen to go into it, but it was a very good addition. We had lots of interests outside of business that was aligned.”

And there’s an interesting story to their similarities, which Catherine explained. “Apart from the fact that we've both got an accent as well, which is another similarity, the really quirky, funny thing was Laiken’s name and the background to that. It’s a place in Scotland where I actually lived 20 minutes from, and it's a very remote part of Scotland where she was referring to. So, I thought that was quite spooky, actually. We were very well matched in a lot of similar interests, which were fantastic.”

Finding direction through their conversations

As they found many parallelisms and similarities in their background, Laiken and Catherine also learned a lot from each other. “There were so many that came out of it, so it's hard to just go down on one,” Laiken pondered. 

She continued, “I heard a great quote a little while ago and it was something like ‘good mentors give useful answers but, great mentors ask great questions.’ I think that's what Catherine did really well and just effortlessly. Coming from that side of it, it helped me to solidify what I wanted to do and which direction I wanted to go. That then propelled me to make certain decisions based on those questions and conversations that we had. So, I think that the key learnings would definitely be to ask better questions and really dig down into what your motivations are for why you are choosing to do certain things and go in certain directions.”

But the questioning and learning were not just coming from one side of the mentorship because Catherine, too, was picking up insights from Laiken. “For me, the questioning part is interesting because, likewise, Laiken does ask a lot of really good questions. I think a lot of our discussions ended up about whatever Laiken was doing in the business or thinking about doing. It was actually tapping into how she was feeling about it. It’s that connection with both the health and the whole being of the person. It’s not just about your business but also about your heart, soul and mind. That was really easy to help align Laiken into where she was going because she's very clear and structured in what she's doing. And she's done wonderful things and got an incredible vision of where she wants to go.”

“It was just really tapping into that and checking in with herself along the way. Doing that with Laiken reminds me to do it with myself. That's the thing when you're working with somebody. It's about applying it back to yourself and going, ‘Oh, am I doing that for me, too?’ It's very easy to do it with somebody else because you're talking to someone than applying it to yourself. So, that was great learning for me. I guess it's that validation of surrounding yourself with good and like-minded people but in totally different industries and totally different walks of life, yet you have so many similarities that you can navigate together. I just love that I always come away percolating what we talked about. So, it was always two ways for me,” Catherine added.

Recognising a solidifying, powerful experience in mentorship

Not all the time one can experience a positive experience in mentorship, but for those who do, it can be so impactful to them. In the case of Laiken and Catherine, their mentorship experience is something they will always treasure. 

“The whole experience in itself is really solidifying, how powerful that can be. Also, a lot of people would struggle to find a mentor, but just the uniqueness of this relationship is quite nice. I had thought there might be an element of forcedness or that it wouldn’t quite work, but it's just been really a nice experience and something I’ve really enjoyed, and I’m very happy I got into it,” Laiken professed.

Catherine couldn’t agree more. “For me, it comes back to that whole thing of validating. When you talk to somebody in a place of trust, you get deeper into those visions and those goals that you become more familiar with what the purpose behind it is. For me, another learning is you need to talk things out what you're thinking just to really validate back to yourself. What is the purpose? What am I trying to do? Why am I trying to do this? It’s a simple thing of talking about building different relationships with a certain person and then seeing what difference that would make if you do that across a wider range or how that would change you. Those deeper discussions really resonated with me, and Laiken’s been great in sharing that and just helping me validate the need for those deeper discussions and deeper relationships with people who you can trust. It's been great to get that opportunity through EO to do that.”

There’s so much that mentorship can offer. In fact, many entrepreneurs have recognised the value of mentorship in their journey and growth. If you’re interested to know more about EO Melbourne’s Mentorship Program, visit https://www.eomelbourne.org/mentorship. 

The beauty of mentorship: having someone focused on your growth

The EO Mentorship Program runs for 12 months where mentors and mentees have regular monthly catch-ups, which usually last for only an hour or more. But for mentees like Jeni Clift, Owner and Co-founder of Otto, those regular conversations with her mentor, Anthony Closter, Director at Urban Land Developments, were precious to her. 

Jeni Clift enjoys being a mentee as it provides her with the opportunity to learn from someone who is focused on her growth.

“For me, I think the real value is in taking a couple of hours out every month and sitting down with somebody who is completely focused on me,” Jeni remarked.  “I didn’t always have specific questions or know what I needed coming to our meetings but Anthony was great at picking up on something in my month’s update and leading the conversation,” she said. Jeni understood how important it is to have someone focused on her entrepreneurial journey because she, too, has been coaching other business owners and executives as an EOS Implementor.

“I’m usually the mentor. But, yeah, I decided to throw my name in the hat to become a mentee and to be on the other side of the table for a change, to be learning from somebody else and having somebody available to reach out to when I had questions or just didn't quite know what to do,” she explained.

As a mentor, Anthony Closter appreciates that the program has given him the structure to actually help and provide some mentorship.

Anthony admits that the prospect of mentoring someone who’s been doing it herself is quite intimidating. “I was a little bit intimidated by the prospect of trying to help or mentor somebody who generally mentors other people. We first caught up with the training with Carlo and it was a little bit daunting at the time because obviously, as Jeni’s already mentioned, she trains people so she's a business/life coach in her business life.”

Although it was their first time to meet during the Mentorship Program training day, they instantly bonded well as a mentor and a mentee because they share a few common things. Jeni calls it “intimacy” (instant intimacy through EO’s confidentiality) – a term that is often used in EO – because Anthony is an ex-EOer himself. 

It is for this same reason that Anthony agreed to become a mentor for this program. “I was a member of EO from 2006 to probably 2016 – for about 10 years. I got a lot out of EO and loved it and loved the way they went about it and the benefits of being a member. So, when I was asked by James Murray to be a mentor, I thought I’d jump at the opportunity and, hopefully, get to meet some more people and also give a little bit back to EO for everything that I took out of it over the 10 years.”

Apart from that, they also share other commonalities, which is why Jeni found it easy to have that trust with Anthony as her mentor. “Anthony's background appealed to me. He is regional-based, I’m in Geelong, but I’d lived in country Victoria for 20 years. He'd had some big businesses, such as in hospitality, with lots of staff. I wanted to learn from his experience managing lots of staff, as we were growing towards a bigger business,” Jeni shared.

Jeni appreciates that she could reach out to someone when she’s got concerns with her business. She recalls, “I’ve just been through some “stuff” in one of my businesses and just rang Anthony and said, ‘Hey, have you got a minute?’ He said to me at the end of the call, “Ring me every week”. I did that until things started to settle down. Having somebody that you know is on your side, that you can reach out to, knowing that those conversations are confidential and just having somebody that can give you a whole different perspective, is valuable. He's bought and sold different businesses and exited businesses so I trusted his insight.”

She adds, “It’s having somebody on your side where there's no expectation of anything in return. There are some people when you ring them and you know that they're going to expect something in return. I know that I can ring Anthony, ask him a question, he'll give me an answer and I know that he's on my side.”

Another thing Jeni values in mentorship is learning new insights from Anthony. “I don't know anything about hospitality or land development, but some of his experiences have really triggered ideas in me that I can go and put into action,” she explained. Anthony’s knowledge about connections and tapping into what he’s done before to expand his network helped Jeni to think of various ways to grow her consulting business, the EOS business, which is still in startup mode.

But it’s not just Jeni who’s learning from their regular catch-ups. Anthony has also picked a lot of ideas from Jeni as well, especially with her work on EOS. Other than business learnings, they also get to talk about life and family. For Anthony, the beauty of the EO Mentorship Program is it's being structured. “This is the first proper structured mentor process that I’ve been through and so far, it's been really good. It's a great experience. I love catching up monthly and talking about things that we’re going through. Sometimes, there are specific issues we've got to talk about and sometimes, it's just a general chit chat about what's going on in our lives.”

He added, “It has been something that has given us some structure to actually help and provide some mentorship. Hopefully, Jeni is finding that she's getting something out of it because it is a really difficult time that Jeni's in a startup and it's really hard to start a business when you've been locked down for 240 days or whatever has been. It's really tough, so I think all credit to Jeni for doing what she's doing and forging through with her business.”

Anthony has imparted encouraging words that still ring in Jeni’s mind. She recalls, “A few things that Anthony said to me through the course of our conversation that I’ve now got in the back of my mind that keeps popping up to remind me, which is to stay positive and to just keep an eye on my business and make sure that that’s still okay.”

This is what makes Jeni appreciate her mentorship journey even more, which is having a mentor who looks after her welfare as an entrepreneur. “When do you get having somebody sitting there for two hours and they're just completely for you in that time frame? But to me, that's the biggest value – the thought process that I go into before our meeting and then all I take out of that meeting to put into action over the next couple of weeks.”

Like Jeni, many EO Melbourne members are also reaping the benefits of the Mentorship Program. Recognising its value to the members, another intake is about to take place this March 2022. EO Melbourne members who are interested to be part of the program are welcome to apply at https://www.eomelbourne.org/mentorship. 

Taking mentorship to a different level the second time around

Mentorship is a significant factor in one’s entrepreneurial development. Having a guide along the challenging path of the entrepreneurial journey helps accelerate one’s growth, progress and momentum. The good thing about mentorship is that it can be done over a specific period or can be repeated at certain points of the journey or can be done continuously, depending on one’s need. 

For Costa Vasili, CEO of Ethnolink, this is not the first time he is taking part as a mentee. “It’s my second time in the mentorship program. I had a really good experience in 2019 and learned a lot of helpful experiences, particularly around leadership and people management. This time, I was looking for a mentor who had skills in significant growth and also who had potentially exited a business at some point in their career as well. I was really looking for something different just for a different type of mentorship experience. They're both very different, but both are very, very helpful.”

This year, Costa’s mentor is Stuart Marburg, Director of TenPaces, who was once an EO member himself. Stuart accepted the invitation to become a mentor this year to support other entrepreneurs. “I’ve been doing it for a number of years. I used to be an EO member myself and I thought some of my experiences could be helpful to other EO members who are growing their business, that's why I got involved.”

Despite this being his second time in the mentorship program, Costa admits that he still has a lot to learn and that there’s always room for improvement and growth. He is thankful that through his mentorship sessions with Stuart, he is able to acquire additional knowledge. “My blind window of what I don't know is being further opened by Stuart because he knows so much and has experienced so much in his career, and I get to learn from his experiences in a considerable way. For me, that's been the most important part. It’s not just getting advice but actually learning about things to avoid and hearing stories about similar experiences that he's gone through or similar issues or challenges in his career.”

Stuart’s entrepreneurial story is something that Costa finds very inspiring. “Stuart sold his business to iinet - one of the largest telecommunications companies in Australia in 2010. He and his business partner were the shareholders and they sold Netspace for $40m. In order to do that, they were able to grow the business to a significant level in a relatively short amount of time and position the business in a way that was really desirable for a potential acquirer. In that case, they were able to have a really strong exit. So, they had a great business and they sold it for a really great price and I think that, in particular, has been really, really insightful for me,” Costa shared.

On the other hand, Stuart acknowledges that he also learned from Costa during the mentorship process. “I’ve enjoyed it and I hope he has as well. I’ve learned some different things about his business. Hopefully, some of my experiences have been helpful for him. I just find it interesting learning about different businesses and different ideas, different ways that different people market and run their business and the like, especially in this current era of everything being online and having to manage people remotely,” Stuart said.

It also helps that Costa and Stuart found a lot of commonalities when it comes to their values and goals. Costa expounded on this, “I can tell that Stuart's a very caring person. He cares about his family, he cares about his people, he cares about what he applies himself to as well. He's extremely considerate in the way in which he approaches issues. He fights for fairness and he's just a very, very ethical person. Working with someone in a mentorship capacity who is similar to me in that way has been really, really helpful because I don't feel as though the advice I’m being given is in direct conflict with my own values.”

Stuart added, “The common ground is that I was an EO member, he is an EO member and I’m pretty passionate about helping people who are truly on their way to having success in the business and growing their business.”

Costa is grateful for all the positive things that mentorship has contributed to his growth and the growth of his company. “Stuart's been instrumental in helping shape the strategic direction of Ethnolink for the next five to ten years. Without his push and without his mentorship, I probably wouldn't have been able to find the courage independently to make some big decisions about the future of our enterprise. Absolutely, I'd say it's been very life-changing,” Costa acknowledged.

He appreciates taking a break in between his mentorship programs to fully absorb all his learnings and being able to apply them to his journey. “Because I took a break between 2019 and 2020, I found that having that one year break just gave me a bit of time to absorb the year prior. So, it gave me time to reflect and review the notes from the mentorship. One thing I find about coaching or mentorship, in general, is that sometimes it's just so fast-paced, always doing and always executing, rather than having the opportunity just to settle and reflect. So, I think having a year off the mentorship program was really helpful for me to also find that renewed vigour to go in for this second year,” he explained.

Overall, it’s something that Costa and Stuart recommend for entrepreneurs to experience, whether as a mentee or a mentor. Stuart remarked, “I think that just for the same reason they've joined EO and for the same reason that they contribute and go to a forum that's why they should do it. At the same time, they need to be open about themselves and be open to their mentor and to them (Mentorship Committee), I think it's James who runs the mentorship, about what they're trying to get out of it so that the right mentors can be paired with the right mentees.”

What are your experiences having a mentor or being a mentor to someone? EO Melbourne will be having another run of its Mentorship Program for its members in March 2022. To learn more about the program, visit https://www.eomelbourne.org/mentorship. 

Becoming a polished gem through mentorship

Steve Wood (mentor) and Edric Taing (mentee).

Although he already has over a decade of experience running their family business, Edric Taing, CEO of SH Jewellery, still finds ways to polish himself further so that he can be a sparkling gem in the entrepreneurial space. He thought that having a mentor would help him become a finely cut entrepreneur, someone whom he could bounce ideas off, just like how a gem would bounce light to produce a beautiful masterwork.

Becoming part of EO Melbourne’s Mentorship Program, Edric found that “The biggest value for me is really being able to have a solid person to share my thoughts and ideas and current progress and also being able to talk without judgment about the challenges that are rising.” 

As solid as a rock, a jewel in the crown

A solid person is what Edric found in Steve Wood, Director at Roaring Success and an author of five books. With Steve having written books related to business, Edric feels he has hit a gold mine as he sees it as an added bonus to their mentorship.

“What I found really good with Steve is that he's written a lot of papers and books. It's quite common that I would present a current challenge -- and it's happened a few times -- and he'll email me a white paper that is written or something that’s got research behind it with his name on it, which quite impressed me. We then use that as a foundation for our discussions, as well. That I didn't expect from mentorship, but that's been a bonus that's been thrown in there,” Edric remarked.

Edric is glad to have Steve as his mentor. “I’ve had business coaches in the past, but not really a mentor. I just thought that would be a good relationship and friendship to form over time and somebody to be able to bounce ideas off and workshop ideas with,” Edric said. “Some of the immediate benefits (with having a mentor) have been having somebody when you've got a challenge or something that you want to share. To some extent, it’s with somebody who's been there, done that and has worked with a number of different people in that field as well. That always makes the conversation and workshopping really smooth.”

To this, Steve explained, “To be honest, the only reason I’m able to do that is I’ve worked with over 100 companies. They've been my training ground for experiences, which then I just gather. Then, Edric turns up. We can talk about what I’ve seen in the past -- working with a different company, what they did well, what they did badly, in my opinion -- and therefore, options for Edric to consider for making his own decisions to move forward. So, I’m very fortunate that I’ve worked with many companies that basically provide experience.”

The backstory as to how Steve has gotten involved with EO Melbourne’s Mentorship Program is quite interesting. As a management consultant, he had the opportunity to work with EO Melbourne Mentorship Chair James Murray in his business. James asked Steve if he would be interested to partake in this program as a mentor and he willingly lent his help.

Cast in the same mould

Finding a common ground is often a good starting point for mentors and mentees. Although they only met in April this year during the first meet-and-greet for the mentorship program, it was easy for Edric and Steve to instantly find things that can tie them together. 

“I'd say that in that first session, it wasn't long before we realised we had similar things. I realised Steve was growth-oriented and really into learning. Obviously, we're both in the business space, and we're looking at business improvement. On a personal development level, we ran a few exercises through that workshop. From that conversation, I felt that we gelled pretty well and the flow of the conversation was just really easy to be had. It has continued that way for the last few months as well,” Edric narrated.

Steve concurred, “I recognised in Edric a younger version of me -- a smart cookie, hard-working, leader -- all those sorts of things. I was thinking, ‘Yep, I like this fellow. I can help him. He's going to do the right thing by himself and by me. He's not going to waste my time. He's going to be in charge of the process,’ which he was.”

Even though the current situation has limited their face-to-face interaction, nothing has hindered their mentor-mentee relationship and the friendship that has formed along the way. According to Edric, “If I think about this relationship during COVID and if COVID wasn't to exist -- and in the short time, we've had both, actually, with our course -- the principle has been the same. I would say that the structure and what we aim to get is the same. It's about bringing what are your top challenges that you want to discuss and what are the updates that are going through. Whether in COVID or not, I think the help and the support level has been equal. It's really in line with that progress and that growth and just attacking things that are on top of the list to get done.”

Mentorship: a treasure trove of learnings

Both Steve and Edric found great value in mentorship. Both learn from each other and both have taken something out of the program. The learning process has accelerated as they were able to sit down and discuss various aspects of their lives. 

Edric was able to pick up nuggets of wisdom and knowledge during the course of their mentorship. “It's like a compounding thing over time. Now, we've been in this for three-four, maybe even five months now, and I can feel that the problems that I’ve brought to the table, I’ve come away with more clarity of mind about how to address those things. Maybe in five months, there isn’t one exact thing that's to say, ‘Oh, I got this really good result,’ but I’m sure if I compounded that over time, the results would be really, really amazing.”

He continued, “Sometimes, even unpacking it myself as I explain things to Steve, I’m kind of working out solutions just by being able to go there openly and talk about those things. So, the biggest things or biggest wins and value adds for me are really having that relationship -- a solid person that you can talk to, get feedback on and also workshop things together in that mindset of growth, then improving things. That's probably my biggest takeaway.”

Steve is also amazed at the whole experience as he gets to learn new things. One of those that really stuck to him during their discussions is on the lifeline diagram. “Edric showed me the life cycle or the life stages diagram -- The lifeline. Again, that's a model I’ve never seen before. Edric talked me through his (lifeline diagram) and then I talked him through mine. What's very interesting is that our personal learning happens in times of good stuff, but it also happens when it's really difficult. And when it's really difficult, I reckon we learn actually more because we have to be resilient and we have to work out what to do and how to do it. And then, that builds our skills, our mental muscles, our physical muscles, and our logic muscles to be able to figure out what to do next. I hadn't seen that model before, but it reinforced that we learn in many ways and we should always be open-minded to those sorts of things.”

Moreover, Steve enjoins those who are considering becoming a mentor themselves, “I would certainly say it's worth giving a go. It's not about you or me as an individual. It's actually about helping others to achieve what they can do. And actually, that's quite a skill. If you're able to do that, that's quite a skill that you're building for yourself. For me personally, I get huge satisfaction out of helping others grow, helping others get through maybe challenging difficult situations and moving forward.”

There are many more gems to mine out of mentorship. If you have experienced mentorship, feel free to share with us your precious learnings by commenting below.

Mentorship as a game-changer in the entrepreneurial journey

For most business owners, the entrepreneurial journey is full of challenges, but the experience is very rewarding. There are moments when they hit an obstacle or arrive at some crossroads along the way. Having someone to guide them can be a huge help in leading them where they want to go. And that’s what mentorship does.

“It's been the biggest game-changer for me,” said EO Member and Davidson Technology Consulting Director Gary Lorden regarding the EO Mentorship Program. He continued, “It has provided me with a lot of value around growth. It has added an even further challenge on how I approach things and look at things in terms of connecting the key rocks in my life.”

Gary is grateful to have as his mentor in this program Greg Tucker, former CEO of Maurice Blackburn Lawyers and Chair of Claims Funding Australia and now Non-Executive Director of Thompsons Solicitors LLP, the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre and the Australian Urban Research Infrastructure Network.

Mentor Greg Tucker and Mentee Gary Lorden.

Having the right match of mentor

Although Gary admitted that he wasn’t open at first to join the program because he had a mentor at that time. He was thankful that EO Melbourne Mentorship Chair James Murray never gave up on inviting him to take part in the program. “James persisted and followed up and said, ‘you'll be surprised with the different matches that you can get.’ I was certainly open to looking at how I could take the next step in my journey and luckily I got matched up with Greg from there, which was good,” he recalled.

Similarly, Greg was also convinced by James to be a mentor for the EO program. “I've mentored a fair bit in the past, both as a CEO of a big organisation, where I mentored people internally for years, and when I left that organisation in 2019, where I have mentored senior people in all sorts of walks of life, mostly in professional services.”

Having somewhat of a different setup now as a minority shareholder after a previous business transaction, Gary has been going through different challenges where he needs support, advice and guidance from someone articulate on shareholding, legalities, and the like. He then pointed out that Greg’s skills and experience fit the profile that he’s been looking for in a mentor. “There were a couple of things I highlighted. Greg has a strong background from his professional career in financial markets and shareholding, and he comes from the legal profession as well. On paper, we matched up from day one. I was really surprised, and it surpassed expectations around that alignment. Everything I asked for was pretty much matched up in the person that I was looking to be matched with,” shared Gary.

The beauty of the EO mentorship

With his experience on mentorship, what Greg finds special with the EO Mentorship Program is that “it provides a structure at the start so that both parties understand how to get going.”

Greg expounded, “My experience in mentoring is that once you've got that structure, you then take off where the mentee wants to go. You need a structure to start with, which EO does. There are regular check-ins, six-monthly or something, which is good because some mentoring relationships can go off the rails. I think having guard rails at the start of how you should begin it and then having check-ins is a really good idea. That's different from what I've experienced. Mostly it's been me. At the organisation I was at, we had our guidelines for establishing mentor-mentee relationships. So, I'm used to that. This is a little bit more structured. With Gary and I, we look at what the areas are, and then it's all about refining those and then doing whatever EO wants us to do in terms of reporting back and shaping the journey further.”

As for Gary, he sees mentorship as a way for him to be challenged and to grow. “From a mentee perspective, I want to be challenged. Ultimately, the success of it is that you feel like you've grown and matured in different ways. The journey is probably not where I expected it to necessarily go completely at the start, although I believe it will still cover all the initial goals and things I wanted to cover. It's probably encapsulated in different areas of my life around joining the dots, around how they all need to come together from a personal perspective – health, business, personal assets, and family. They’re all interconnected and we're bringing all these together. It’s probably a bigger journey, and it challenges my thinking around and approaches to things. It feels like I'm on that pathway of growing. Particularly with COVID, mentorship has helped me around how I'm supposed to be coping with that and progressing as well, which is good.”

Getting great value from the mentorship journey

Through mentorship, Gary was able to break down the various things in terms of the hats he wears professionally and personally. “In my business, I've got four different roles that we've identified and broken down. I need to understand how I'm performing in each of those roles separately and then how they interact together to get the best outcomes and the best interest of my business. I also need to have that approach around the hats I wear in my family, with my friends and in my business. I need to focus on them separately but also on them as they connect, which will ultimately give me the best outcome that will make sure that I’m happy and healthy and driving towards the goals that I want to do personally.”

Gary went on, “I talked about health and family and business and personal assets. We're building out to four quadrants, then understanding that they all impact each other around how you are personally. The success of one results in the success of another one, around how they're interconnected. So, by actually breaking them down, it has simplified things around how I view some key components in my life. But I also need to make sure that I'm focused on all of them individually to make everything work in the right direction. So, that's been real learning for me, around focusing on core areas of my life, both business and personal, and driving towards making them better.”

Yet, it’s not only Gary who reaps the benefits of mentorship. Greg acknowledges that he, too, is learning in this mentorship journey. “There's that learning part, which I think a mentor needs to have. If they’re interested in learning and listening, there are those, and then there's the giving back. Making that difference is rewarding that's why I mentor because of making a difference to someone. Then, there are the challenges along the way. In my life, I've always found it beneficial to be able to articulate or vent my challenges. Just doing that alone helps. Having trust in someone enough to articulate your challenges helps in itself, let alone anything that comes out of the discussion,” Greg noted.

Greg further added, “I certainly get something out of it. The learnings we tease out between each other in the sessions always give me insights into my own life. That's the value of it for the mentor. I guess a lot of people would ask, ‘why would you do it?’ But it's got value because it clarifies your way of thinking and gives you insights into your own life. That's a powerful way of providing a mirror to yourself like self-learning, and that's a learning in itself for me.”

Like Greg and Gary, you, too, might find the mentorship program a game-changer in your entrepreneurial journey or professional growth. If you’re interested to become a mentee or mentor in the upcoming EO Mentorship Program, apply now at https://www.eomelbourne.org/mentorship. 

Mentorship: Accelerating growth by learning from others’ experiences - The Salt & Fuessel’s experience

Have you come across this quote by Jordan B. Peterson: “Experience is the best teacher, and the worst experiences teach the best lessons”? True, hard lessons are those you experience yourself, but surely, there are other ways to avoid the common pitfalls and save yourself from losing time and money, which can be done by learning from the experiences of others.

This is the beauty of mentorship because one can get tips and tools on how to fix things and do them right through having one-on-one conversations with entrepreneurs who have more experience than you. It is one of the many benefits of having a mentor that Gabriel Esseesse, Co-Founder at TestMate and Salt&Fuessel, has come to recognise as a participant of EO Melbourne’s Mentorship Program. It is why he is thankful to have Sue Jackson, Chair and Director of Solterbeck Events, as a mentor who provides him with guidance, support, and assurances.

Finding like-minded individuals

Entrepreneurship is not an easy road, and often a solitary one. Sue has experienced it herself and hopes she can be there to guide and keep Gabriel’s company at this part of his entrepreneurial journey.

“It's very lonely when you run your own business and there's no one there to defer to or ask a question. It's helpful if you've got a business partner so you're in it with someone else, but still, every single decision is yours because the buck stops with you,” she described.

Gabriel agrees that it is reassuring when someone more advanced in the entrepreneurial journey helps those who are still getting to the point where mentors are right now.

“That reassurance of someone tapping on your shoulder and saying, ‘Yeah, everything is going to be okay. Just keep at it, as I've done that. I know how hard it is, so just keep moving.’ That is sometimes all you need and people from the outside don't see that. I mean, my wife would not understand that, my friends would not understand that. It's just someone who has done that road and built the businesses that know the constant struggle and the lonely struggles that you face. That's why I'm always thankful to Sue for all the words and knowledge that she provides.”

Opportunity for growth

Growth is an ongoing thing that even entrepreneurs have come to recognise as something important in personal and professional development. “Since I joined EO, I realised more and more how important education was and how important learning from others was going to be in my career. Just by having a mentor, especially like Sue, someone who has done it and was already in a place where I would love to be in a few years, I thought it was going to be an amazing opportunity for me to accelerate that growth and that knowledge,” Gabriel explained.

However, it is not just Gabriel who is growing through mentorship. Sue also admits she’s picking some insights from Gabriel as well. “I equally learn from Gabriel. I don't know everything about his business, so that's fascinating. I'm always interested in other businesses and other stories so I can continue to learn,” she shared.

“It is valuable and enjoyable because when you get to my stage of your career, you sometimes forget how much you've learned and how many trials you had along the way. It's not until you know the younger entrepreneurs coming up and you realise that they're facing the same things that you did – from how you manage your time to how you manage your growing business and the different phases of the business and what it's like managing five people versus 15 people versus 35 people versus 80 people. I think it's fascinating and it's valuable to share those insights and try to help. I hope I can fast-track Gabriel a little bit and that he can learn how to cope with those things faster than I did. If I can save him a month or a year or three years then it’s fantastic,” Sue added.

Key learnings

One of the many tips and tools that Gabriel has picked from his conversations with Sue was getting middle managers and filling certain positions in his company. “Aside from getting amazing tools and tips on how to fix things that aid me along the way at whatever I'm going through, it's that feeling to be reassured that things will turn out fine. It's going to be good and then we will continue growing. So far, every single time I come out with two or three or four specific action items that I need to do, I can go back to the office and implement with the team,” Gabriel noted.

“The number one thing that I enjoyed the most is realising that not everything bad is that bad and not everything good is that good. It's just a journey. To start learning that, you will find that there is light at the end of the tunnel. There are batches where things are not that good but better times will come. At the same time, when better times come, there might be times when things will get rocky so you just need to keep pushing forward. But you need to start enjoying the journey. Whenever I spoke with Sue, it’s like, ‘Oh yeah, I've done that and this is what happened. And yes, you will get there.’ That's always the feeling that I get out of my mentoring sessions and I get reinvigorated and re-energized, telling myself, ‘Well, it's not that bad. Let's move on. We will improve it,’” he added.

Sense of fulfilment

One of the reasons why Sue has taken part in the program is that it has allowed her to help other entrepreneurs, which is a rewarding feeling and a worthwhile experience.

“As I was once part of EO Melbourne, I always found it invaluable to hear the insights and experiences of both EO members and other business people. Given that I found it valuable then, it may be that at this stage in my career, as I’m on the other side now in terms of the time frame, wherein my experiences equally might be valuable to someone else as well. So, that was the primary motivator. The secondary motivator was to give back to EO because it's a fantastic forum for entrepreneurs worldwide,” Sue remarked.

She went on, “I think, as a mentor, you get enormous satisfaction out of being able to share stories and histories of what you've been through and hope that it could be valuable to someone else. It's great to be able to give back and be able to support the next generation of entrepreneurs because entrepreneurs are incredibly valuable to the business world. Personally, it helps keep that fire and how to help you continue to see that that fire in the belly of people. That spirit is uplifting for yourself because it's not just you’re sitting there and telling a few stories but also you're getting much more out of it.”

In a challenging journey like entrepreneurship, it is helpful to find other people who can guide you along the way and help you accelerate your growth so that you can achieve your goals at a faster rate. This is what mentorship has provided Gabriel and many more who took part in the program.

Mentorship Story: Reflecting from the rearview mirror to drive forward on the entrepreneurial highway

To be a better leader – this is the goal this year of James Murray, Founder and Managing Director of Work Healthy Australia. And for him to drive himself forward in achieving this goal, he recognises the value that the mentorship program is offering entrepreneurs like him, who aims for continuous personal and professional growth.

James is thankful to have Steve Sacks, Chairman of Sonnant, as his mentor because of the value that their relationship has brought to James’ professional development. “My journey for my self this year is to become a better leader, which means to become a better listener. Steve has been very helpful. Even if I've only changed 1% or 2%, I attribute a lot of that to some of my conversations with Steve because he's just such a good listener,” James professed.

For both James and Steve, their mentor-mentee relationship is like a two-way street where they get to learn from each other and be inspired by what the other has done in his entrepreneurial journey, notwithstanding the differences they have in their respective phase in the journey.

Restoring things to make them more efficient

Steve has enjoyed being a mentor to James because of the many facets of entrepreneurship that James brings to the table. “I've enjoyed hearing James' agenda of activity, like the amount of stuff that he packs into a week is pretty inspiring. But I've enjoyed telling him to slow down as well. I've found great value in learning about a completely different sort of business sector. Well, it’s two actually, between the egg farm and Work Healthy Australia. And also, I like hearing about James' various non-work activities like his passion for old Saabs,” Steve shared.

Whilst Steve is learning from James’ involvement in such a diverse range of activities – both business and personal interests – he is also imparting with James some of his learnings from his entrepreneurial journey. “One of the things we've talked about has been around where James’ company is at now, with 70 staff members. I've taken a couple of companies from startup up to that number of people, and some of the challenges that you face when you get to around 25 and then around 50 are that the management structures typically need to change. Some of the control needs to devolve. Some of that I learned painfully and I think most founders learn painfully even if they hear it from somebody else. But I've tried to reflect on that in some of the conversations with James as he goes through that same challenge. I'm sure he'll get through it,” Steve said.

From Steve’s experience, James could draw out his thoughts and realisations and then apply them to his business, hoping to make it better, the same way as to making his Saabs up and running. “It’s helpful hearing about what you have to do at 25 people, which is a lot different than what you have to do at 50 and how different those businesses are because, for me, I've just been adding a couple of people at a time. I haven't looked at it like it’s 25 then 50. That reflective view, back in the rearview mirror, is helpful because as an entrepreneur, sometimes we don't want to let go of things, especially if they were like our favourite thing or they were something that we used to think we're good at. That ability to recognise that you've got to let some stuff go to let other people do well is a great experience to hear,” James reflected.

He added, “When Steve shares some war stories from a couple of the other business he was in – some of his tough times, the hard things that he's had to get through and the hard decisions he's needed to make – those are awesome learnings because typically in my experience, I've had to make every mistake to learn from it. Those are much cheaper lessons to work my way through, so I appreciate how genuine and how deeply Steve shares them with me.”

Slowing down but moving ahead to the future

Driving a bus loaded with a lot of people towards the goal can often be tiresome for entrepreneurs. Trying to accelerate their speed to get to their destination faster can sometimes take a toll on their wellbeing, which may affect their families, businesses and those who rely on them.

In James’ situation, “There's a lot of people around me right now. I've got 70 staff members and four kids as well, and everyone just wants a little bit of me. They just want to pull me here and there. Sometimes, I don't know how to say ‘no’. It's great that I like to help people but it's also really hard on me. What I've learned from Steve, and he’s good at telling me this, is to just slow down a little bit or make a better choice or just find some time to turn down the volume in my brain and chill out. I think that's good because no one who works with me is going to tell me that. Having someone external to me who can just say, ‘hey James, grab a hold of that volume button and turn it down a couple of notches.’ It's helpful because I can't see myself from an outsider's perspective. That deeper reflection from a good place has been helpful. I have learned a lot from that.”

“Steve's been successful and he's done a lot of great things. He's in a different phase than me. That phase where you get to pick and choose what you want to do and you don't have a lot of people who are on to you all the time, that ability to embrace your own choices and then also be disciplined within your own choices and enjoy those, it has given me a lot of hope for the future and a lot of inspiration to create my own life,” James remarked.

Driving the Mentorship Program forward

As a former EOer himself, Steve appreciates how mentoring is done in the organisation. “The past few years, I've been doing increased involvement in more informal types of mentorship situations, but given this is EO and I can relate to the culture and the ethos of experience-sharing rather than telling people what to do, I thought that it'd be a good one to have a more formalised kind of mentor-mentee relationship. I think part of it is that we're trying to keep to a reasonable structure here. I think it has worked well trying to structure the program and have some intentionality into what you're going to cover and how you prepare them.”

On the other hand, for James who is currently the Mentorship Chair, the program is a significant pillar of the chapter. So, while he works towards further strengthening the program, he also participates in it as a mentee and gets various benefits from it. “I think it's a great program because if you look at the calibre of mentors that we've attracted into the program this year in Melbourne, and we're talking about over 30 mentors now in in the program, we've got some incredibly experienced individuals and they're volunteering which is amazing. I love the program and I’m going to do it next year. Because the maximum that you can do in EO is three years, I think I'll probably keep it for the third year. I’ll try and build it up to be a real cornerstone of the chapter experience for the members of Melbourne. I don't think there are any downsides being part of it.”

Moreover, James couldn’t stress enough the idea that “Mentorship creates the environment through which both of us can share our experiences for mutual benefit. I hope that Steve would like to continue our relationship after the official mentorship is over. This isn't a business transaction and the mentorship relationships provide critical value that is added to our membership in Melbourne. This is part of our entrepreneurial journey where we can continue to learn and grow.”

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If you’re an EO Melbourne Member, have you already signed up for the next mentorship intake? Find out more on our Mentorship page.

A recipe to a successful mentor-mentee relationship

(An EO Melbourne Mentorship Program Story)

“Access to knowledge is easy, but access to wisdom is difficult.”

- Kym Huynh

Founder of WeTeachMe and EO Melbourne’s Past President

During one of their most recent mentorship sessions, John Paolacci, Director at KMG Advisory, invited over Kym Huynh, his mentee, to his house and prepared his father’s gnocchi with him. Kym watched John closely while he cooked gnocchi in his kitchen. Kym found meaning and inspiration from this experience.

“I appreciate the degree of care that he takes in explaining every step of the process. John was incredibly specific and very conscientious and thoughtful that I understood the ingredients used, where the ingredients were sourced from, and how much to use in the cooking process so that the gnocchi comes out the way that his father makes it. It made me question whether I applied that specificity to the things that I do in my life. John is a lot more deliberate in how he does things and the processes he uses, and I derived a lot of value in that by just watching how he operates and how he works. That's an example of an intangible benefit that comes out of the mentorship program,” Kym shared.

Care and Love

Kym acknowledges that this was only possible because John has opened up himself in his home and welcomed him. Although this is the third time that Kym has participated in EO Melbourne’s Mentorship Program, he cherishes the learnings during their sessions together and the relationship that developed along the way. “He shared something with me that's quite intimate to him and special to him. That was a big learning for me, just seeing the intention that John puts into his cooking, how he shares it with others, and the love that he puts into it.”

“Through that interaction, I was able to ask a lot of questions and understand what was John's journey, what were his lessons, what are the things that are important to him, what were the failures, what are the things that he did well, what are his concerns, what are the things that he's most proud of, and how is he with his family. These are the intangible benefits that I've taken away so far from our mentor and mentee relationship,” Kym remarked.

Open to change

For John, on the other hand, he finds the experience as an eye-opener in various ways. “What I’ve found in mentorship is that it gives me exposure to a younger perspective or a different generation. If you hang around with people your age or who have similar experiences, (whilst) I think it's good you share a lot of common knowledge and other things, it doesn't necessarily challenge you or put you into the picture of what's happening out there.”

Seeing how the younger generation can use technology seamlessly and use it to their advantage personally and professionally has opened John’s eyes and made him more open to change. “I think the change part is a big element for a mentor, where a lot of the times if you keep doing the same thing and you're not exposed to new experiences it's very hard to not only change but even consider making a change or consider the need or benefit in making any changes,” he added.

As a mentor, it was an opportunity for John to share his knowledge and experience but also reflect on his business and personal life. John explained, “The exposure I've had to Kym and his business and his objectives, in terms of what he wants to achieve, has helped me assess from my perspective: am I doing things like that in my life? This mentorship has made me confront issues that are relevant to me personally and relevant to my business.”

Trust and friendship

Both Kym and John find the experience refreshing as it does not only help them learn more on how to deal with their respective businesses but also enhance their perspectives in life and contribute to their personal development. Moreover, they both appreciate the bond that was formed between them because of the program.

According to Kym, “I put a lot of value on his friendship. There's something quite bolstering in knowing that another person sees you and hears you and understands you and reassures you that whatever issue you have for that month and whatever issue you're experiencing is normal. It’s quite bolstering knowing that you have a friend and ally every step of the way, someone in your corner shouting for you and cheering for you and working with you. That’s a benefit that I didn't anticipate coming into the mentoring program. I thought it would be – here’s my problem, here's the issue, here's how to resolve it, this is the person you talk to – and you just get to it in a very methodical problem-solving approach. But what I've come to experience with John has been more of inner strength and fortitude. Again, that came as a big surprise, a very welcome surprise.”

John acknowledged that through the mentorship program, “you get the opportunity to meet someone and get to know someone. It allows you to delve into their life in a way that you wouldn't normally do with a person that you just met. So, I think personally and professionally, it's been a major benefit to me. If I can see that Kym gets some benefit or development out of our interactions, then that gives me a lot of fulfilment, knowing I'm able to assist and help while I'm also developing myself.”

Kym echoes the same kind of appreciation for John. “Having the benefit of his experience and his wisdom is invaluable to me. The interesting thing is that I came to John for business advice but what I'm getting from him is life and wisdom, which I think is 10 times more impactful than the business advice.”

Many others have become part of the program either as a mentor or as a mentee. From John’s and Kym’s experiences, there are a lot of things one can get out of the program, but it can only be achieved as long as one puts in the effort and the right ingredients to make it a success.

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Are you interested to be an EO Melbourne mentor or mentee? Learn more about our Mentorship Program and apply to be a mentor or mentee through this page.

The importance of mentorship in the entrepreneurial journey

The entrepreneurial path can be quite daunting for those who are contemplating to take it. But even when you’re already in the journey, there are times when the ride can be tough and you seem to be lost midway due to the pressures coming from various directions. Having a guide, someone that has been through this before, to point the way can help ease the anxiety of not knowing what lies ahead and can even be instrumental in accelerating things. This is where mentors come beneficial to one’s entrepreneurial journey.

Entrepreneurs Damian Blumenkranc, Co-Founder of Creativa, Attento, and Just Click Videos, among others, and Benjamin Trinh, Founder and Managing Director of Life Ready Health Group share that having mentors have helped them in the success of their endeavours. Apart from being on the receiving end as mentees, both have also become mentors to other entrepreneurs, helping others in their businesses as well.

“I have experience at both ends, been a mentee and a mentor many times, and planning to continue getting mentors and helping others.”

-          Damian Blumenkranc, Co-Founder of Just Click Videos

From his experience being a mentee and later on as a mentor, Damian recognises the value of mentors in one’s entrepreneurial journey. “Having mentors has been critical to my success in business. It can take years to go through the experiences and the mistakes you need to make to know what to do best in each situation. As entrepreneurs, we face new challenges daily and having someone that can guide you through those hard or strategic challenges based on their success & failure experiences can mean a life-changing difference,” he stated.

Yet, to be able to give back by guiding others has become a fulfilling experience for Damian as well, providing him with a different perspective and understanding as a business owner. “As a mentor, it is extremely rewarding to not only see your mentees’ businesses flourish, double and triple, but also to know that all those hard-earned experiences are useful beyond your realm and gives you the energy to tackle any new challenges to come, hopefully with the help of a mentor to guide you through it as well.” 

Choosing a good mentor to guide you may not be easy. But there’s no need to look too far, according to Damian. “For those that haven't had a mentor before, I think the best mentors are not necessarily those that are 100 steps ahead of you (they are great for contacts and inspiration), but those that are just 2-3 steps or maybe 3-5 years ahead of you because they will not only be able to relate better to your situation but also have fresher memories similar to what you are facing and a contemporary approach to solving your current hurdles.”

“Ensuring people have access to mentorship ensures they learn and grow within your organisation.”

-          Ben Trinh, Founder & Managing Director of Life Ready Health Group

Ben has experienced the benefits of having a mentor in shaping his growth as an entrepreneur. “When I joined EO at 23 years old, my business had barely scraped over the $1 million and Accelerator hadn't existed. Thankfully, some mentors helped guide and shape my business into what it is today,” he said.

Acknowledging the value of mentors to startup owners like him, he later went on to guide other entrepreneurs who are in the same situation he once had. As a result, Ben shared, “I participated in the EO mentorship program as a mentor for 2 years. Apart from that, I also sit on numerous advisory boards and provide help to other founders.”

Moreover, he found that mentorship done internally is also significant when running a business because it develops the people within that organisation. “Succession planning is critical in any business. Without it, businesses get stuck with young people leaving for other opportunities elsewhere. Ensuring people have access to mentorship allows them to learn and grow within your organisation. It also ensures you are replicating the strong aspects of your key people for each of your managers. In our corporate culture, we must ask, ‘who will replace you?’ This culture, combined with forum-style governance, has allowed us to scale from 3 people to now over 400 across 3 states,” he shared.

EO Melbourne Mentorship Program

EO Melbourne Mentorship Chair Dr James L Murray revealed how the chapter is working on this program to help entrepreneurs learn from others who have the experience to guide them in their journey. “This year, we have gone above and beyond to recruit some amazing Mentors from outside the chapter. Some are absolute rock stars in the Melbourne entrepreneurial community. There are also many YPO members and lots who have exited multiple times successfully.”

According to James, “Mentorship ranks as the #2 member experience after their forum. The program ranks higher than learning events, retreats and universities. For a small-time investment of only 20 hours for the year, they may meet and get to know someone who can change their life and their business forever. Also, training in how to be both a Mentor and a Mentee will serve them in all aspects of their life.”

If you are interested to know more about this program, visit our Mentorship page for more details.

Mentoring your team effectively

Business growth is not only measured by the increase in sales and profit but also on how the organisation develops and improves. Human resource development allows you to shape the people within your organisation and let your venture grow and thrive.

Whether there is a newbie in your team, someone up for promotion, a member being honed for succession or only a skeleton staff is working and you have to deal with a lean organisation, training a team member is part of your human resource development. One form of training is by mentoring, which is teaching new skills, adding knowledge and guiding the person-in-training.

It can be done formally and informally, as mentorship can also be part of your corporate culture. However, if you have a goal in mind and to make sure that your mentorship is effective, there must be a certain framework where the mentor and mentee can refer to as they go through the process. You or your HR may outline the things needed for mentoring, such as the activities we have listed below.

Do a skills review

Before you plan out how you will conduct your mentoring, do first a skills review so that you can identify the strengths and weaknesses that the person can work on as well as where the skills set can fit in your organisation. What are the competencies that need to be built up? What talents and capabilities that must be instilled in the mentee?

Set clear objectives and accountabilities

Once you have identified the skills that can be enhanced and those that still need to be developed, design the objectives and measurable goals of your mentoring. Draw up an action plan and specify who is accountable for which. Stipulate how you will achieve your goals and how to evaluate if the mentoring is indeed successful.

Build a good mentor-mentee relationship

As much as you have a goal in mind, don’t forget to put importance on the whole process and the relationship. As tennis player Arthur Ashe once said, “Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is more important than the outcome.”

Trust is a good foundation to make the mentorship a fruitful one. Mentors must exercise patience and provide motivation and inspiration to the mentee. On the other hand, the mentee must be open to correction and learning so that the lessons that the entire experience can bring will be ingrained deeply to one’s frame of mind.

Delegate and assign tasks

Experience, as they say, is the best teacher. The best way to mentor someone is to allow them to be immersed in various situations where they can exercise good judgment and resourcefulness. Delegate tasks that the person can work on. Don’t spoon-feed. Rather, be a guide and allow room for the person to do things based on his abilities and work style.

Monitor and evaluate

Have a regular huddle or avenue where you can assess the short-term goals of your mentoring. By monitoring the progress of the process, you will be able to define the areas where you need to work on the most to achieve the objectives you have set for this mentorship.

Mentoring is a way of sharing knowledge and building expertise among your people. As your team develops, your business will also grow. Even when you have a lean organisation, if you have quality people, it will keep your venture going. Moreover, looking after the improvement of your staff also boosts their morale and strengthens your relationship with each other. But as you mentor your people, it is also best that you also look after your professional growth. Have someone mentor you as well so that you keep on increasing, expanding and improving your skills set and experience as an entrepreneur.

Finding the right mentor for business

The challenge-laden entrepreneurial journey is not for the faint of heart. One may get lost or burdened going through it, especially for the new ones. It becomes bearable when you take it with other entrepreneurs or when there is someone who can guide you along the journey. A mentor is someone who can do that and help you get to your destination faster.

It is important that you have a full grasp of the concept of mentorship to keep things straight from the beginning. Understand that a mentor is neither your boss nor instructor. You will be the one to make decisions in the end. Your mentor will only guide you towards the right path. Because you are too caught up in your venture, a mentor will help you look at your business at a different angle and see gaps and loopholes.

But finding the right mentor who can help you in your personal and professional development is easier said than done. It’s not just all about the achievements your supposed mentor should have but also the personality that can match yours as well. The main concern is where to find the one that can fit your values and entrepreneurial needs. Having a checklist of things that you prefer in a mentor will help you narrow down your search.  

Family and Friends

Start looking for a possible mentor among your inner circle of family and friends. Someone close to you might be able to support you in providing advice and processing your ideas and decisions. There are pros and cons in choosing a family member or friend. While it is easy if they already know your character and work ethics, it may also become a deterrent in the mentorship as this can cloud your judgment of each other. However, if you feel more comfortable with someone familiar, then you can take this route in having a mentor in your entrepreneurial journey.

Business Groups

A good venue to find a mentor is a business group or organisation like EO. Such groups are composed of people who are also in the same boat as you are, some may have already been ahead while others are still starting out. In addition, they have programs and learning activities that can provide you with an opportunity to have a mentoring session with someone who can support you in your business experience.

Networking events

Seminars, conferences and workshops are a a great opportunity to meet business leaders and experts who can give you tips and advice when it comes to running your business and braving business challenges that may come your way. You may even meet business people whom you look up to as a model or inspiration. Events like these can open doors for you to establish friendship with them that can lead to a mentor-mentee relationship.

Mentoring service

There are many online platforms nowadays that provide mentoring services to startup founders and entrepreneurs. They often provide resources and experts who can share pertinent points on various apects of the business. Some platforms can even match you with a mentor. Examples of these onine applications are SCORE, MentorCity, Find a Mentor and Mogul.

Social media

There are social media networks that can connect you to other entrepreneurs. You can find some online communities where you can find like-minded individuals exchanging business insights. LinkedIn is one particular example. However, it is best to connect with a mentor through social network if you have established rapport with the person.

Once you have your eyes set on a particular person as your mentor, get to know that individual first so that you have an idea of the best approach to do the ask. Learn well from your mentor. Who knows, you might also become a mentor to someone in need when the right time comes.