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By Francis Clark
VP Business Development
Profitect
Not long ago someone asked me ‘how do I find someone
to mentor me?’ A bit of a strange question but perhaps
appropriate as I have been fortunate with mentors but never
seemed to seek them out so I’ve given this some thought.
I think a ‘mentor’ is looking for individuals that exhibit
an interest in learning. Like teachers seem to spend more
time with those that show interest than those that ‘could
care less’. Also, I believe that with a ‘mentor’ you have to
be willing to invest your own personal sweat equity BEFORE
they might be willing to invest theirs.
My earliest and most impressionable mentor hired me at 14
for the exciting job at his store of putting away returnable
bottles outside until the store closed (due to my age, I was
unable to be inside working during business hours until I
turned 16) and then I cleaned the perishable departments
including scraping down meat blocks (there’s a note from
history). My mentor was Bob who bought the store from his
WWII ‘back pay’ as he was left in the Philippines when
McArthur was driven out. An interesting story in itself but
when the General returned, Bob, was part of the native force
that enabled a more successful return by providing enemy
strengths and locations.
Bob bought a ‘general store’ which had all the products
carried in a Target/WalMart (given the limited variety in
those days) so one had to understand perishable management,
pricing, preparation, etc., as well as all the non-foods.
There was much to learn along with a lot of hard work. Bob’s
butchers also trained me in the finer details of meat
cutting which served me well on numerous occasions. In all,
receiving, setting margins, rotation, understanding sales
cycles, ordering, managing the books, etc., gave me a great
start in my career as well as funding my college education.
Bob only asked that I ‘do my job’ and the rest came from
him.
It must have worked as he also employed my brother and
sister and would have me come in over college breaks for
little bits of inventory taking and other tasks which at
that time he was over paying me for. I turned out to be a
product he was pleased with and he gave me an education of a
lifetime.
There have been many other mentors in my life but I believe
Bob set me on the right track and made it easier for
‘mentors to find me’.
How do you find someone to mentor you... just do your job
and show interest. The rest should be easy or you’re working
for the wrong people.
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