IAM2211 – The Impact of Mentorship on Building Your Success

Janice Omadeke emphasizes the crucial role mentorship plays for entrepreneurs and professionals.

She explains that having a mentor can significantly impact the success of a business by offering guidance on refining business models, suggesting alternative strategies, and providing support through challenges.

Janice launched The Mentor Method, an online platform that matches early-career women with experienced mentors.

She highlights the entrepreneurs, mentorship is vital for overcoming obstacles, refining business strategies, and finding motivation during tough times.

Janice shares her experience finding mentors through MIT’s Global Entrepreneurship Bootcamp, illustrating the value of networking and exploring various opportunities.

Business Pillar: Human

Episode Link: the-impact-mentorship-can-have-on-your-success

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Transcription:

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Janice Omadeke Teaser 00:00

And from an entrepreneur perspective, mentorship is very important because finding the right entrepreneurial mentor is really is critical in helping you learn and develop your business.

I mean, I'm sure you understand this as well. I'm sure you have, a few mentors for yourself, but, I mean, they are the ones that will challenge your business model.

They're the ones that will say, well you could go this route, but I think that you need to continue AB testing.

Intro 00:29

Hello. Hello. Hello. This is Gresh from the I AM CEO Podcast and formerly the CEO Chat Podcast.

So doing something a little bit different as we ease into the fall from the summer and everybody's traveling a lot more. Life is obviously a lot different than it has been in the last four years, definitely since I started this let alone the last two years or so.

But I had a podcast called the CEO Chat Podcast, which is a lot more of a long form podcast. I didn't really reach the 1400 plus episodes that we did with the I AM CEO Podcast.

So there's a lot more long flowing, a lot more conversational, but might be dusting off the CEO Chat Podcast and bringing that back out.

So with that being said, while considering that, what I wanted to do is go through some of the interviews that I had that were some of my favorites and share those.

It's not gonna obviously be the full entire interview. We're gonna have links in the show notes so that you can go and listen to the full interview.

But I wanted to do some snippets that you can get. You're gonna hear, of course the visibility, either the resources or the connections in each of these different snippets.

So it's gonna be one of those things that's really gonna help you to hopefully learn more about the guest that's on the show, what they do, how they do, why they do it, but also get that opportunity to really learn about some resources that can make you more effective and efficient.

So sit back and enjoy this special throwback CEO chat episode.

Gresham Harkless 01:57

That's awesome. That's awesome. Yeah. And I know that having a mentor, especially in a corporate environment or even sometimes in business, is can be the difference between being successful or not being successful.

Having somebody that you can lean on and ask for advice and just can sometimes put you in the right direction can make a huge impact on people.

Could you tell us a little bit about the products and service that you provide for the mentor method?

Janice Omadeke 02:26

Sure. So my service, like I said before, was a it's an online mentor matching service.

So I provide the connections to screened, trained, professional women who are deeply involved in their communities and really interested in mentoring other women who are earlier in their careers.

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So when I say earlier, I mean early graduate to mid level in their careers. Maybe they want to change industries or they want to learn more about what it really takes to be an executive and an effective leader.

So I'm connecting those young women with these mentors who really want to give back and are genuinely interested in sharing their knowledge and the ways in which they've navigated the corporate environment as a woman with the next generation of leaders.

Gresham Harkless 03:20

And then do you find that you've had a lot of success or do you have like a lot of success stories or people you can point to and say, hey. They were successful because of this?

Janice Omadeke 03:29

We are actually undergoing our pilot program right now. So come back in about a week or two, and I'll be able to give you full testimonials.

But right now, we are in our pilot program. Things are going very well. No complaints.

The mentors are really excited about the caliber of women that they're mentoring, and the mentees are really, really thrilled with the level and the approachability of the mentor in the program.

So I think this is good. Everybody is really happy on both sides. Everybody's already seeing the benefits of this connection, in either learning new skills or broadening their network.

So it's been really rewarding thus far seeing how well it's showing.

Gresham Harkless 04:11

Definitely. Definitely. And I'm sure even just having a pilot program, just having the people, to actually participate in it and wanna be mentors and people that wanna be mentees, that's probably because you're pursuing a very important need.

And being able to do that and take the first step is definitely is very exciting.

So how would you define mentorship, and why do you feel that it's so important for, maybe people in the corporate environment, but also our target market, which are more entrepreneurs and business owners.

Janice Omadeke 04:51

I define mentorship as so it's honest, it's two sides to mentorship. So first side is being humble, being confident, and having service that you want to share your legacy with someone else as a means to help them become a better version of themselves.

So for example, as somebody who's led a very strong career, there are roadblocks. There are hurdles that you have to jump over and things that you have to strategically navigate to get to that point.

So from the mentor side, the willingness to share those stories and the willingness to see somebody else's career road map and help them navigate the best way to get to their own personal goals, that's the definition mentorship.

From the other side, from a protege or mentee perspective, it's the willingness to learn, the willingness to recognize that you don't know what you don't know.

And being open to hearing these experiences and these stories and really develop a plan with someone who's been there, understanding that they have your best interest at heart.

And from an entrepreneur's perspective, mentorship is very important because, finding the right entrepreneurial mentor is really is critical in helping you learn and develop your business.

I mean, I'm sure you understand this as well. I'm sure you have, a few mentors for yourself, but, I mean, they are the ones that will challenge your business model.

They're the ones that will say, well you could go this route, but I think that you need to continue AB testing to figure out which model works best or remind you of the fact that success isn't built overnight.

It takes a lot of hard work. Maybe they introduced you to a potential co-founder or you hit a snag along the way and you need a pick me up.

You can talk to your mentor and say I'm struggling with this, and they'll be able to relate.

And if they can't, they'll know somebody who can, help you get out of that rut or at least give you the tools and teach you what you need to know to get out of that situation, more positively.

Gresham Harkless 07:11

Yeah. I would definitely agree. And I think, along the same lines, being able to sometimes even have a different perspective.

That's sometimes one of the positive things about having a mentors in different fields or having more different experiences just because it gives you kind of like a new way to look at things, that sometimes when you're working during the day to day.

You don't have that higher view of what you're doing and be able to look at it from a different, angle or vantage point.

Janice Omadeke 07:44

Exactly

Gresham Harkless 07:45

How did you find I'm sure that most entrepreneurs and business owners didn't go about finding mentors.

Is it something that people just don't have, or do you find that people, had a lot of trial and error like you did in the beginning?

Janice Omadeke 08:01

I find that people I mean, finding the right mentor is a lot like dating. You do have to test out a few people before really finding the right connection, I believe.

I mean, some people are very lucky, and they find the one right out of the gate, and that's amazing.

But from my conversations with other entrepreneurs, they it took some time as well just in terms of finding the right person, the right balance of trust and respect and feeling that comfort level of wanting to share more about their business

I actually found my mentors through MIT's global entrepreneurship boot camp. I was accepted into the program, and that's how I met my mentors. It's really, really wonderful people who are readily available to provide entrepreneur feedback.

Gresham Harkless 08:55

As well as congratulations for being accepted as well too. Yeah.

Janice Omadeke 09:00

Thank you.

Gresham Harkless 09:00

It's funny that you said that too because when you were going through your process, I was automatically thinking, like this is kind of like a match.com for mentors.

With the process and the proprietary process where you have to actually make sure people are connected in the right personalities.

And it will actually click. Not only are you getting a mentor, but you're actually getting one to actually be successful too.

Janice Omadeke 09:24

Exactly. That's actually I guess, great minds think alike. If I'm doing my quick elevator pitch in about ten seconds.

I do just say mentor method is the match.com of connecting millennial women with career mentors, and then people get it right away. So glad you gave me an example.

Gresham Harkless 09:44

There you go. So, it could be around mentorship or it could be around, any other things. What advice would you give to someone that might be just starting up their business?

What would you tell them to do as far as, finding a mentor or even any other other aspects that you know that are important for businesses?

Janice Omadeke 10:09

For businesses, if you're looking for a mentor, keep an open mind and look everywhere. Go to the networking events.

Do your due diligence in terms of just leading as many people as you can. Also, for me personally, I found walk through, the online route.

So sites such as micromentor.com or even just connecting with somebody on LinkedIn is a really great way to potentially find a mentor.

So if you're say, for example, you want to start a company that focuses just on, SEO. Okay?

So if you go into LinkedIn and you look up other people who are experts in SEO, they are the knowledge base.

They're the ones that you really learn what it takes to be successful in that field.

So I would reach out to them. Send them a message, connect with them if possible if they're in groups, within LinkedIn.

Join one of the groups, and then find a way to get to know them there. From a career perspective, women in the DC area are really welcome to join the mentor method.

I would love to have you there and really help you with your career experience. I find that it's a lot better than having to do the awkward dating, cold calling situation.

So, unfortunately, we're not ready to scale up to a greater level. But right now, if you're a woman in the DC area interested in a career mentor, that would be the best way to go.

Gresham Harkless 11:45

Awesome. And, what did, what advice or what things do you think make the DMV, the Washington, DC, Maryland, and the Virginia area such a great place to be an entrepreneur or business owner?

Janice Omadeke 11:58

Oh, it's great. It's the energy and the DC area is electric. People are hungry. People are ready. People are so focused on doing their best and reaching new levels.

And at the same time, they're open to pivoting if it means there's a greater impact, not just on their business, but on those in which they're trying to help. That's what I've seen.

So I actually just got accepted into, an incubator here in the DC area, and the people that I've met through there are incredible.

And everybody the main the common denominator among all of us, even though we're doing different things, me with career mentor matching, someone else is doing something in waste management, someone else is doing tech.

There are so many different things that these startups are doing, and the common denominator among all of us is the strong burning desire to help the world become a better place in some way.

And I think that speaks volume not only to the culture of being an entrepreneur, but the DC culture specifically that we want to change.

We want to contribute in some greater way to more than just ourselves.

[00:13:20.50] – Gresham Harkless

Awesome. Yeah. Definitely, that spirit is alive and being around different startups, you can't help but feel motivated by hearing somebody doing great things maybe, like you said, in a different industry. But, again, just hearing them and being around that, it's infectious. So now you can internalize that in your business and and can kinda take it to the next level as well.

Janice Omadeke 13:39

Right. And you can also learn from other businesses. I think sometimes people get lost in the, well, this person isn't in my industry, therefore, they don't really understand.

But, I mean, even my mentors are not in career mentor matching. They are doing other things, and they've been widely successful in those things.

And through their stories, I'm still able to translate it to ways in which I need to improve.

So that would also be another lesson for entrepreneurs looking for mentors. Be open to different industries because a lot of the struggle as a start up, is pretty common among every every business.

Gresham Harkless 14:18

That's a good point. That's a very good point. Okay. So are there any other things that you would wanna tell our listeners or our readers about either the mentor method or anything else?

Janice Omadeke 14:32

Yes. We are looking for, we're increasing our mentor database given the supply of mentees right now.

Would love for you to apply if you're interested in being a mentor. Visit us on our website, www.thementormethod.com.

Very quick, easy process. From the mentee side, please join our wait list. We would love to help you out in developing a next level career connection through a mentor.

In addition to that, it really is time for change. I referenced that before in talking about the DC culture from an entrepreneurship standpoint, but women are the future of business.

We are incredible leaders, and it's time to change the ways in which we equip young women with the tools they need to really be impactful when it's their time and their opportunity to lead.

So I urge you, if that speaks to you and if that's something you're passionate about, you check out our website and feel free to contact me.

Gresham Harkless 15:35

Okay. And then we the best way to contact you is via the website as well?

Janice Omadeke 15:40

Yes. Via the website. Fill out the form. Fill out the contact form, and I'll be more than happy to respond shortly.

Gresham Harkless 15:47

Okay. Sounds good. Well, thank you so much, Janice. I really, really, really, really appreciate it.

Janice Omadeke 15:54

Yeah. Thank you so much. This is great. We have to do this again sometime.

Gresham Harkless 15:57

Yeah. Definitely.

Outro 16:00

Hello. Hello. Hello. This is Gresh from the I AM CEO Podcast and formerly the CEO Chat Podcast, which we might be dusting off and bring it back that we, the sunset.

So I hope you enjoy that episode. Like I mentioned, the goal is really just to give you some visibility around the guests, where it is around, what it is that they do, and how they do it, and what makes it unique, or get some resources that can help you level up within your business or within your organization as an enterprising individual that you are.

And then, of course, you might even get a different perspective on what it means to be a CEO and have that opportunity to connect with the person.

So I hope you enjoyed that episode. You can, of course, go to CEOChat.co to hear more of that episode.

Also, go to the show notes to actually hear the see the direct link to that episode. But I think it's something phenomenal that we have the opportunity to take the snippets from the longer form podcast and get some really valuable information that can help us love our organizations and our businesses.

So definitely take care, and look forward to talking to you soon.

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