Mentorship: A Cycle of Gift and Responsibility
By: Brian Rensing
We all have the need to ask others for help and the opportunity to be there for others. Mentorship is one of the truest cycles of gift and responsibility. It is a gift when you have people in your life who will:
- Dedicate their time and expertise to you
- Provide objective observations and emotionally detached advice
- Speak the truth you need to hear
- Encourage forward progress, if not hold you accountable
And when you have this amazing gift, you owe it to your mentors to:
- Organize your thinking as much as possible
- Be transparent about the full set of challenges you face
- Be open, receptive and coachable
- Show gratitude for all that your mentor has to offer
Mentoring is one of the most anticipated aspects of PHX Startup Week. We pull together a group of rockstar business leaders in Arizona who are ready to give their time to YOU. As we gear up for PHX Startup Week 2019, we want to extend our community by matching skilled mentors with those of you who are seeking help and advice in your ideation, new venture or career.
At #PHXSUW 2019, we will have mentors available each of the six days. Attendees are given the opportunity to apply for mentoring prior to Startup Week to participate in a one-on-one 45-minute mentoring session. This is valuable, uninterrupted time you will have with established business founders, executives and professionals, and we want you to be able to maximize these 45 minutes. To make the most of your mentoring session, it’s crucial to come prepared by answering some important questions that will give your mentor background and context. This also helps you hone your message and be specific about your request for advice. Here are some important items to start thinking about now:
- Elevator pitch for yourself and your idea/business
- What’s the stage of your idea/business?
- What challenges have you encountered?
- What steps have you taken to overcome those issues?
- What 1–3 questions can your mentor answer?
We want this to be a productive and powerful experience for you and your mentors and, more importantly, we don’t want this to be one-and-done. Remember, mentorship is a cycle and we want you to have the opportunity to give back as well. This is the start of valuable relationships. This is the start of great ventures. This is about you and this is about building a supportive startup community in Arizona to #thrivetogether.
Interested in getting mentored this year? We thought so! If you’re going to purchase your tickets to Startup Week this year, you can also apply to be a mentee! We’re now accepting applications for our 2019 mentoring program. We have some AMAZING mentors, but a limited number of mentoring sessions throughout the week, so the sooner you purchase your tickets and apply, the more likely you’ll get paired with a mentor. Plus, you’ll find out who your mentor is prior to the event.
The deadline to apply to get mentored is Feb 15, 2019.
