Q: What’s an out-of-the-box question to ask my business mentor?
What are my greatest attributes? “I remember feeling frustrated and overwhelmed after starting my business in a new city. Long story short, my new mentor told me at the time — based on our first visit — that I would definitely excel, then explained the reasons why. And I did. I maximized on that conversation and always remember that honest pep talk. Sometimes other people see things in us that we don’t.” Angela Delmedico, Elev8 Consulting Group
What is one thing you would go back and change? “It doesn’t matter if it’s a personal or business situation. Everyone has one, and the answer is usually eye-opening.” Marty McDonald, Bad Rhino Inc.
What’s the best way to track and manage your money? “This is a great wealth management question and is specifically targeted toward individuals with more than seven figures in multiple bank accounts or financial institutions.” Zac Johnson, Blogging.org
What question should I be asking? “There are lots of questions I like to ask in order to gain insight and knowledge from a business mentor. You should ask them what they think you should be asking. What might you be overlooking in your strategy or approach? Is there something you haven’t thought of that they would like to share with you? Sometimes you just don’t know what you don’t know.” Jessica Baker, Aligned Signs
What set you on the path to pursue your career? “Ask for their ‘a-ha’ moment. I’ve found those inciting incidents to be pretty revealing.” Ariel Sultan, Food Guru
What’s the most significant regret you have about your career? “People are often laser-focused on getting advice about running their startup, but it pays to remember that these people are still human beings who make mistakes. How someone responds to this question can tell you a lot about who they are, and about how you might deal with your own failures in the future.” Steven Buchwald, Buchwald & Associates
What did you learn by failing? “Ask your mentor about a time when he or she failed, why they failed and what they learned from that experience. Learning from personal failure is hard; learning from other people’s failures is much more efficient.” Lisa Curtis, Kuli Kuli
(Source: TCA)
