A thought for consideration regarding mentors and achievement:

Having or being a mentor is nothing new and certainly not unique to the high achiever. Mentors come in many forms and disguises, sometimes officially labeling the relationship as Mentor and Mentee. At others times both remain anonymous. But this is not a relationship to be taken lightly.

The mentor/mentee relationship can change the course of a life. A mentor can influence through their words, kindness and insight. As a mentor shares their experiences and wisdom with the mentee, the mentor is brought face to face with his beliefs and values, re-enforcing them as they go and grow.

This is really a student-teacher relationship. It has been said, “When the student is ready the teacher appears.” By the same token, “When the teacher is ready, the student appears.”

Thanks Kathleen, your timing on this post is great. I just submitted an email with questions to a SCORE mentor - they are retired business people who mentor entrepreneurs or others interested in starting or expanding a business.

Are there any quidelines on to how much info to expect from a mentor, and if you don't receive the detailed assistance you might need, is it tacky to switch mentors?

I've been both mentor and mentee and have just found 3 women who are going to apprentice with me to be fiber artists. I found a small apprenticeship program where they will be paid a few hundred dollars to buy supplies and gas and I'll be paid a teaching stipend.

I anticipate this relationship to be a good one. They have to sign a contract saying they will do thus and so and I have to sign a contract staying I'll teach them thus and so.

Having said that, I'll add

Be careful. Mentoring is a situation that's absolutely fertile for "bad things to happen". People are drawn to high achievers, to those who have high energy, to those who have dreams and are working their behinds off to accomplish their dreams. Like moths to a flame people are drawn to high achievers.

I've had good relationships and terrible ones from mentoring situations. Some of those relationships were horrid enough to be made into a movie staring Jack Nicholson and the scars have lasted years and show no signs of abating. The other woman is still spewing venom and lies about me but she doesn't realize she's her own worst enemy. She's losts jobs, other friendships, etc. and yet she continues her self destructive ways.

By this age I've learned "no" is a perfectly acceptable word. Those who will understand, do understand and those who don't...run!

Thistle--what's a fiber artist? Sorry, I've never heard of this. Please enlighten me!

I have seen some wonderful fiber art. Paintings and sculpture made of varieties of mostly natural fibers though I think they can use other types.

But every time I see the words 'fiber art,' I can't help but think of something made from belly button lint.

Sorry Thistel, I'm a sicko.

smile

SO - A fiber artist uses various fibers, natural and man-made, to make either/or both art of the contemporary kind or wearable garments or items for the home.

I spin, knit, crochet, weave, use natural and chemical dyes, etc. from the fleeces from my small hand spinner's flock and my hypoallergenic American Curly horses.

Sounds fascination but like alot of work...

Sandra,
I swear the people selling them said the wall hangings and some sculptural looking things were fiber art, but now that you mention it, I think they had some clothing too.

But if sheep go on strike or something, I have some belly button lint.

smile

Thistle, as you know I just learned to knit this year and I LOVE working with yarn. The owner of the yarn shop, who taught me to knit, is a very creative person and her style is more about fashion, color and texture, rather than the technical side - I'm learning a lot from her. I've been scouring the yarn shops locally and in my travels and there is a big difference in the types of yarns, depending on the shop owner's style. I just wish I had the time to work on it more.

As for mentoring, you are so right. I once had a mentor who suggested I keep my job because I probably could not do any better, since I have some college, but no degree. My commission salary was going downhill (as the economy), I started noticing that corrupt things were happening in the company, and I was working 2 jobs just to make ends meet. I started looking for a job and it took a while, but when I interviewed for my current job, the manager said my lack of a degree was not a problem, that my experience more than made up for it. I was hired. I am only sorry I listened to that woman! I stayed in a bad job 5 years longer than I should have.

Daisygirl

Thistle and daisy, finding the right mentor is key. Great topic.

Here's a link to the International Mentoring Service:

http://www.mentoring-association.org/membersonly/Process/ProcessFindM.html

I've done a little research about this so I thought I'd share this site that can be instrumental in helping us decide how to go about the process fo finding the perfect mentor.