In Entrepreneurship, Mentoring Makes All the Difference

After interviewed almost 30 different entrepreneurs in 16 different countries for the book «Changing Lives – The Entrepreneurial Way», I have heard a thing or two about mentoring and the importance of a mentor. A mentor could be the one thing you do that can make you a success. The magazine Entrepreneur is having a lot of articles about mentoring an entrepreneur.

AYELE SHAKUR is Executive Director of BUILD Greater Boston and she is saying in the magazine Entrepreneur that many people question whether they have enough experience to be a mentor. Generally speaking she say, if you have professional work experience or have been in the trenches as an entrepreneur for over a year, then you have what it takes to be a good mentor and pass along your knowledge and insights to the next generation.
Mentors come in all shapes in sizes. Some are seasoned professionals, some are serial entrepreneurs, retirees, recent college grads and everything in between. What most mentors have in common is that they care about youth and are passionate about giving back.

 

Research shows that the skills needed to come up with a business idea, and then execute it, are the same ones needed for academic and career success. The ability to communicate and collaborate, to problem solve and innovate and to persevere through the inevitable highs and lows of launching a new business are the 21st Century skills needed to thrive in today’s economy.

If you want to read my book, you can click on the book cover and order it.

Changing Lives – The Entrepreneurial Way

FINALLY, the book is out!

I have gathered 27 stories from 16 countries in a 152 pages book. In all the years I have been working with youth companies I have been hearing all these interesting and unique stories about youth companies, that have gone out and done well in «real life». These are stories that I have used in my teaching, and when I talk to  and with people. And all these stories fascinate people…

This is an inspirational book for teachers, entrepreneurs or businesspeople. For everybody who’s working with entrepreneurship.
Here you can read about the impact Young Enterprise has done for the entrepreneurs lives. These are the future business leaders in Europe…

I will also like to thank Young Enterprise for their support, and especially Caroline Jenner.
Click on the picture and order a copy today

 

What to do with my life?

I am often asked questions like: «What do I do with my life?» Or «What should my next step be?»

– And I answer usually always the same:

«Follow your heart and do what naturally inspires you right now!».

Indeed, we can speculate and speculate of what we should / should no do, and so on. But happiness is not in your thoughts. Happiness can be found in the moment when you follow your heart and is present in the moment.

I did now for many years ago that I should work with people, and I really love to see how you can help others to develop. It makes me happy and gives me energy.

Reluctance against change

One of the more paradoxical thing about us humans is that we often have – consciously or unconsciously – to resistance to change.

Even if it’s a good change. Once we have converted a routine in our lives, we risk therefore easy to fall back into our old patterns again.
Think about how it has been in your life:
How much have you actually changed you over time?

I have done a big change in my life the last 6 weeks and I am terrified to go back. And I am working on that fear everyday, so far it looks good.

Reflection Exercise:
Try and to stop for a moment and focus on your course. Find out where your ship is headed.

Are you fell back on an old course?
And it is the rate you want to be on?

If you often fall back into old patterns in one area, you can ask yourself whether this is due to a subconscious aversion to change. This is the first step.

The next step will then be to ask yourself:
Whence comes the reluctance?
What are you afraid of losing if the change happens?

Good luck changing a pattern, for me it will be a better life. I have started to do a to of excersise and eat better food, no more pizza and pasta…

Best Mentoring Blog 2014

 

In 2011 I created a best mentoring blog ranking that got very popular, actually so popular that I wanted to make this an annual event.

The work of finding the best blog is difficult because a lot of them are hiding within the page of the business, but this year I have gotten a lot of help from different groups on www.linkedin.com.

I will reveal the list in the next weeks.

 

Lazy holidays 

When I am writing this blogpost I have been over one week in France. I have been three days in Nice and yesterday we went to Monaco, both fantastic cities. And the weather is fantastic, well a bit to hot for us Norwegians, but we can’t complain. Home in Norway they have 16 degrees and rain, and we have full sun with 30 degrees.

I am also trying to get some reading done and I am reading a book called «Mentoring. Learning alliances in management» from one of my fellow Boardmember in European Mentoring and Coaching Council Norway Jennybeth Ekeland. I really hope it will be in English also, because it’s very good.

And in August I will reveal «Best Mentoring Blog 2014» and get more updates from an excited business trip.

 HAVE A REALLY HAPPY LAZY SUMMER!!!

 Between Nice and Monaco there are a small village in the mountain called Eze  that is were the picture are from.

Do you want to do a difference?

Are you one of those people who wants to do a difference? I met a fantastic person in the end of 2014, Sabirul Islam, and he sure is making a difference. Sabirul is an English entrepreneur, author and motivational speaker. He has written three self-help books. His Teen-Trepreneur board game sold to over 550 schools in the United Kingdom and in 14 countries worldwide. Since 2011, he has spoken at over 700 events worldwide as part of his Inspire1Million campaign.

He reach his goal of Inspire 1 million in early november in Bangladesh.

Happiness

Was one of you dreams about happiness?

The majority of us pretend happiness is around the corner, almost within reach. As long as we come to the other side of the New Year. Now if only we try a little harder, earn a little more, put a few more goals, find another partner, take one more training, get a second child, it happens … Then we are happy!

But «Project Happiness» is a mirage, which very rarely come true and even more rarely maintained for very long. Often we describe happiness as something that comes in flashes, in seconds or minutes at a time. But who says it need to be? Why do we think that happiness can only be experienced glimpses?

What is happiness for you?
And how are you trying to achieve happiness every day – consciously or unconsciously?

You know the saying: The glass is half empty or half full? It is up to you to decide.

I believe that happiness is a choice, and its a choice you make EVERY DAY!!!

Achieving Your Dreams

This is an article from Jim Rohn and is newsletter, get on the list her

While most people spend most of their lives struggling to earn a living, a much smaller number seem to have everything going their way. Instead of just earning a living, the smaller group is busily working at building and enjoying a fortune. Everything just seems to work out for them. And here sits the much larger group, wondering how life can be so unfair, so complicated and unjust. What’s the major difference between the little group with so much and the larger group with so little?

Despite all of the factors that affect our lives—like the kind of parents we have, the schools we attended, the part of the country we grew up in—none has as much potential power for affecting our futures as our ability to dream.

Dreams are a projection of the kind of life you want to lead. Dreams can drive you. Dreams can make you skip over obstacles. When you allow your dreams to pull you, they unleash a creative force that can overpower any obstacle in your path. To unleash this power, though, your dreams must be well defined. A fuzzy future has little pulling power. Well-defined dreams are not fuzzy. Wishes are fuzzy. To really achieve your dreams, to really have your future plans pull you forward, your dreams must be vivid.

If you’ve ever hiked a 14,000-foot peak in the Rocky Mountains, one thought has surely come to mind: “How did the settlers of this country do it?” How did they get from the East Coast to the West Coast? Carrying one day’s supply of food and water is hard enough. Can you imagine hauling all of your worldly goods with you… mile after mile, day after day, month after month? These people had big dreams. They had ambition. They didn’t focus on the hardship of getting up the mountain. 

In their minds, they were already on the other side–their bodies just hadn’t gotten them there yet! Despite all of their pains and struggles, all of the births and deaths along the way, those who made it to the other side had a single vision: to reach the land of continuous sunshine and extraordinary wealth. To start over where anything and everything was possible. Their dreams were stronger than the obstacles in their way.

You’ve got to be a dreamer. You’ve got to envision the future. You’ve got to see California while you’re climbing 14,000-foot peaks. You’ve got to see the finish line while you’re running the race. You’ve got to hear the cheers when you’re in the middle of a monster project. And you’ve got to be willing to put yourself through the paces of doing the uncomfortable until it becomes comfortable. Because that’s how you realize your dreams.

A challenge for you: DREAM

I know one thing for sure and that is that if you want your dreams and innermost desires fulfilled, then you will have to dare to risk inviting entire life, the highs and lows on the trip and say YES to your dreams.

The easter is over and you will maybe start to plan your summer vacation, and what is better to dream.

Write your dreams down, sign them, sleep/think on them.

Say them out loud. Tell your nearest you dream about.

And let your heart guide you, not your head!