Why Everyone Needs a Mentor

It doesn’t matter if you’ve owned a spa for years or if you’re a new spa manager, everyone needs a mentor. A mentor, or someone who invests in you professionally within a mentor/mentee relationship, can empower you, offer great advice, and put you on the path to success quickly. Think you’re too established to need a mentor? Think again. The most successful people in the world have had mentors. If you want to count yourself among them, begin looking for a good mentor.

Empower and build your confidence.

Whenever you’re doing something worth investing, it’s best to not go at it alone. Whether you’re building a new spa business or working on the enterprise you’ve already carefully built, you should have a mentor. Mentors empower and build your confidence. By having someone to bounce ideas off of, call when you’re in a pickle, or invite to a promotional event, you’ll feel more confident in what you’re doing. In fact, many people who have been successful in their life can point back to a time when they were a part of a mentorship relationship, or who still are.

Dan Gheesling, public speaker, author, and coach, puts it this way, “Simple words of encouragement, an email with a little different perspective, or even just knowing that you have the support of someone in your back pocket can help build your confidence.”

Who doesn’t need an extra support system?

Career and general life advice.

What happens when a client isn’t happy with a service, or if your employees won’t listen to your direction? Who can you call for sound advice? Your mentor has probably been in the same situations you are currently facing. Instead of trying to figure out tricky issues on your own, why not call your mentor and get advice? Most professionals have mentors, like Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, and even Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg. If they’re not above asking for advice, why should you be?

As time goes on and you get to know your mentor better, they may surprise you with practical life advice. After working in the spa business, you may realize that you can always be learning and that learning doesn’t always have to take place around your career. The popular professional website LinkedIn says, “At work, when it comes to the wisdom that you need to help you advance in your career, your mentor will be the one there guiding and helping you to maximise your potentials.” This is both professional and personal.

The path to success.

How do you get invited to that spa think tank or begin doing hair for local celebrities? Networking. Networking is all about getting connected to other professionals in your community. When you have a mentor, they have connections that they’re usually happy to share with you. Excelle, Networking for the Career-Minded Woman, says “(Your mentor has) a whole different network of contacts and connections that you don’t. These connections are priceless and can help enhance your career in ways you couldn’t yourself.”

This leads you to success quicker than if you were at it on your own. Sometimes simply mentioning your spa mentors name will give you an “in.”

Along with introducing you to other people and giving you opportunities for success sooner, a good mentor will keep you on your toes. They won’t let you settle for less than your best. Expect challenges and goal setting sessions once you land a good mentor. These things may be annoying at the moment, but you’ll be thankful afterwards when you’re on top.