After I had been operating my business for a few years, I found myself stuck in a rut. Although the business was growing, I was not achieving the results I wanted out of my business, and certainly hadn’t achieved the outcomes I had hoped for and aspired to when I first established the business.

It was at this time I met and engaged my Business Mentor to assist me in turning the business around. I couldn’t say the experience was smooth sailing and without challenges. Sometimes I wished I hadn’t made the decision to work with a mentor.

Why did I struggle with the mentor/mentee relationship?

1.      He challenged me to reconsider the value I was providing to my clients and to have the confidence to set my fees appropriately/accordingly

2.      He encouraged me to revamp my business model so that I was only working with those clients who were profitable

3.      He encouraged me to step outside my comfort zone in terms of the way I conducted meetings with clients

4.      He taught me the importance of “being present” when with family or at work. I often struggled with switching off when I was at home and would find my mind wandering to thoughts about work.

5.      He provided me with a tool to understand the dynamics of my team, their strengths, and how to best utilise their attributes to prepare those tasks which come naturally to them.

6.      He made me cry… often… which is a testament in itself of the boundaries he pushed me through.

Of course, my headline is said in jest. I am extremely grateful for the mentoring I received from my business mentor. He guided me to push the boundaries, create clarity on services I wanted to provide, and those clients I enjoyed working with. Most importantly he was a trusted sounding board, with an unbiased, outside perspective for me to share thoughts, ideas and gain insights.

It goes without saying, if I wasn’t prepared to make changes, or take actions based on our meetings it would have been a complete waste of my time.

I’m sure we have all experienced times when a sporting coach, teacher, parent or mentor has urged us to stretch our boundaries, for better or worse. How did you fair?