There will always be people that teach you things, but the real things you need to know will come from your female mentors. I may get a little cheesy here, but bear with me. These people are the ones who will help you build your foundation and who will understand the guilt you feel, when you have to leave your kid at the babysitter for another meeting. They get it, they understand that you’re exhausted, frustrated and insecure. Here’s why you should open yourself up to a female mentor.
No judgment
I know that there is a perception that women are emotional but the truth is that’s false. Women are some of the most logical thinkers I know. They have a knack for assessing the situation from all sides. While as women we have a long way to go in supporting each other, the kind of ‘I know what you’re going through’ camaraderie can only be found in a female mentor. She gets the feeling like a fraud thing. She gets the ridiculous fear of not being good enough, she gets the defensive posture because she did it too. Talk to her about your journey, maybe she can show you a map.
You learn how people see you
Women are communicators and observers of social behavior. A female mentor will also have the advantage of seeing you as a peer right from the start. This simple shift in perspective gives you the ability to understand how prospects and partners see you without undermining your confidence. Take advantage of a sneak peek into how your competition sees you. You might learn something useful!
You learn to take it easy on yourself
This is something that I have learned from both sexes in the role of mentors, but my female mentors seem to have a very distinct take on this. When I was going through my divorce and I was dropping the ball, it was a female mentor that said to me ‘it’s not okay. You’re not okay, and that is completely okay’. She didn’t make me feel incompetent, she didn’t make me feel like I should be a stoic soldier putting one foot in front of the other. She reminded me that I was an entrepreneur because I wanted a better life, and a better life meant doing what was going to work for me. And if that meant stepping back, then that was what I had to do. She didn’t push me to make the sale and just get on with, she pushed me to make myself happy in spite of sharks swimming in the water.
The mentors come in all shapes and sizes, some are frenemies and some are maternal but they all have lessons to teach. They come in seasons, but they will show up. Your job as you are building your empire is to learn, even if you don’t use it just learn it.
