The joy of being a business mentor

 I recently had the privilege of being invited to speak on a panel hosted by Women's Economic Ventures, a Southern California based non-profit organization which I've been involved with in various capacities for the past couple of years and whom I'm very proud to support. The audience was comprised of women who are in "pre-entrepreneurship" mode, meaning they're currently assessing their business ideas, skills, and resources in order to determine whether entrepreneurship is the right path for them to pursue as a next step in life.

During the course of the evening my co-panelists and I pulled from direct real-world examples from our respective entrepreneurial journeys and shared these insights with the audience members based on our individual area of expertise. After the direct Q&A from the panel moderator, the floor was opened up to general Q&A from the audience. Not surprisingly, the audience members were extremely astute and it was really a pleasure to respond to their very well thought out questions.

The evening ended and I, along with the other panelists, said our good-byes and left. Given that these types of events are highly enjoyable for me, I drove home feeling very fulfilled by virtue of the opportunity to be of service to future entrepreneurs in such a meaningful way.

The good feelings didn't end there...in the past week since I participated in the panel discussion several of the audience members have sent me emails thanking me for my time and sharing their impressions regarding some of my insights/tips/ideas, etc. which have resonated with them. Then the other day at my office as I was going through my mail, I received a thank you note which was signed by several of the audience members along with personal notes expressing their gratitude under their signatures. Of course, this note was the best piece of snail mail which I had received all month and it totally made my day!

So why am I writing about this and why should you care? Well, there are actually many reasons, but here are the top three in my opinion:

1. If you're an established entrepreneur or business owner, you might want to explore the possibility of carving out some time in your busy schedule to mentor other existing or would-be entrepreneurs. There are well-publicized statistics indicating the tremendous increase in entrepreneurship in the US in the past 2+ years since the recession. There are ample opportunities for established and seasoned business owners to share their expertise with those who are just starting to go down that path. Your advice and insights will be highly valued and it will be one of, if not the most rewarding experience of your life - I highly recommend it.
2. On the flip side, if you're a budding (female) entrepreneur, I wholeheartedly encourage you to seek out mentors for your business. Ideally they would be in the same industry as you're seeking to establish yourself but they don't necessarily have to be. Get out there and don't be afraid to ask for help. You never know until you try but make it a point of your business strategy to surround yourself with strong advisers and mentors who can either be of direct assistance to you or who may have someone in their network who can. Give it a try - be kind and respectful but go for it.
3. As the numbers of entrepreneurs increase in our society, we need to have more organizations such as Women's Economic Ventures. The work that they to do educate, inspire and in many cases, help  (women) entrepreneurs seek funding is priceless, both for the entrepreneurs as well as for those of us who benefit from the goods and services produced by those entrepreneurs. They are the vital link between the new entrepreneur just starting out and the experienced and seasoned entrepreneur who has a wealth of wisdom, experience and advice to share.

My own personal experience with mentorship of other entrepreneurs/business owners has been an incredibly positive and fulfilling one. We each face challenges in our daily lives and once you commit to becoming an entrepreneur, you essentially sign up for embracing challenge on a daily, if not hourly basis. If you've been down that road and have been lucky enough to make it, then there is nothing more rewarding than to know that you're making a difference in the life of another person by extending a helping hand to continue that chain of positive influence past yourself. 

After all, none of us got to be where we are without the help of others and so in my humble opinion, it is a duty and a privilege to do the same for others.

An Afternoon of Inspiration at Green Festival LA

Los Angeles Convention Center, photo credit: Lili Rahmati

After spending a few hours at Green Festival LA yesterday, I left feeling very inspired by the number of interesting people, entrepreneurial ventures, and educational opportunities represented there (event location was the LA Convention Center) which shared a common focus centered around values such as social responsibility and justice, sustainability, taking care of our planet, of ourselves, and of one another.

My primary reason for attending was to listen to a speech at the Social Media Hub which was being given by Mallika Chopra. In addition to being an incredibly warm and gentle soul, Mallika is also a successful entrepreneur (as well as mom, wife, author and much more), with her chief role being the Founder and CEO of Intent.com, a dynamic community where members can share their dreams and aspirations, and receive support from others. During her talk, Mallika shared some of her own personal and professional stories about the power of social media to transcend borders and bring about positive change which can ultimately change the world.

 

 As I walked the floor of Green Festival LA, I was amazed by the number of diverse exhibitors present including artists, businesses and non-profits. The afternoon was really a rich learning experience which resulted in great inspiration for me so I thought it would be fun to share some of the highlights. 

There were many great talks and panels all throughout the afternoon. The panel in the photograph above was of a talk given by Sarah Sikich (Heal the Bay) and Anna Cummins (5 Gyres) which addressed the devastating impact that plastic consumption is having on our planet, specifically our oceans and related ecosystems which are suffering greatly as a result.They highlighted many ways in which this is a serious problem which requires conscious collective action by all citizens of the world.

For those who came to the Festival to shop, they weren't disappointed. From books to candles to handmade goods, there was literally something for everyone. Pictured in the right hand side of the photo collage above are just some of the beautiful hand-crafted purses available at the Rksa Soul booth, a non-profit which supports artisans in small villages in India through fair trade practices ensuring that artisans receive a fair share of the trade so that they may live a "sustainable, dignified and fulfilled life."

For those who came to the festival hungry, there were numerous ways to satisfy that hunger (or thirst). Well-established companies such as Clif Bar had their booth full of new and exciting flavors of their nutrition and energy bars for the passers-by to sample and purchase. There were also a great number of new food companies offering samples of their yummy treats such as "The Good On Ya" bar, an all-natural and organic energy/nutrition bar which comes in various flavors (I tried the Breakfast Bar which is full of flavor as well as lots of good-for-you nutrients, not to mention tons of fiber). Pictured on the lower left of the photo collage above is the giant orange Sungevity food truck with solar panels on top which also sells ice pops. Sungevity is in the business of selling residential solar roof panels but has come up with a fun and attention-grabbing way to reach new customers. Another innovative company, Simply Straws (based in Newport Beach, CA) presented their BPA-free durable reusable glass straws.

Whether your interest lies in the arts or in business, there was a little bit of something for everyone. Artwork by two talented brothers, Mario and Calixto Sibaja (top right of photo collage above), exemplified  their rich Hispanic heritage through their colorful paintings, sculptures and other artworks. Several booths away I learned about the work of an incredibly talented fine art photographer, Lisa Kristine, whose book "Slavery" and accompanying photographic series highlights the disturbing reality of the 27 million people who are living in slavery in the present day. 

On the business side, I chatted with the team at Trilogy Financial Services (lower right, photo collage above) about the services they offer to the public related to financial planning, estate planning and tax planning. Trilogy clients can work with their advisors to structure their investment portfolios to include only those companies whose ethical and social mission are aligned with their own values. For example, if you are anti-gun, you can work with your advisor to make sure that none of your stock or mutual fund holdings support companies that are in the gun industry, and so on. I also had a chat with several alumni and administrators of Meridian University about the MBA in Creative Enterprise - this is perfect for heart-centered entrepreneurs who want to strengthen their business skill set in a way which is mindful and purposeful.

 Speaking of entrepreneurs and cool business settings, I had a chance to chat with some of the folks from HubLA, a super cool social entrepreneurship, shared office, and event space "where people take collaborative action for a better world." They have different membership structures depending on what's right for you and it's a great way to network, meet and be inspired by like-minded people who want to make the world a better place. I can't wait to check it out myself!

Probably one of the most interesting booths which had items for sale was that of Ten Thousand Villages. Virtually all of their products were made from recycled materials, most often by hand by artisans around the world who were paid a living wage according to sustainable and environmentally sound principles. In the photo collage above, the top left picture depicts vases and mirrors made entirely from recycled magazines; recycled tires were used to make colorful and durable floor mats (top left); bike chains were cleaned and re-purposed to find new life as a chic and stylish clock (bottom right).

The whole festival was full of fun, interesting, dynamic and purpose-driven individuals so it's hard to pick a favorite...that said, perhaps the coolest business that I discovered at the Festival was Conscious Box. The founders, Jesse, Jameson, and Bjorn have formed this amazing business which provides a valuable service, both to the small businesses whose products are featured in the Conscious Box, as well as to the lucky customers who look forward to receiving their box of goodies each month. The way it works is that businesses which are fully vetted and determined to meet the Conscious Box team's criteria of being ethical, sustainable, and purpose-driven, etc., get to have their product featured inside the box, which is then sent to Conscious Box subscribers. The cost to the businesses who have their products featured in the box is zero - completely free. Conscious Box customers pay $19/month (which they can cancel at any time) to receive a box of between 5 to 10 new products each month. With a focus on ethics, sustainability, being purpose-driven, planet-friendly, and so many other important values, I really don't see how small businesses (who meet the ethical criteria) can afford NOT to participate OR how customers can resist the very reasonable subscription cost of being introduced to cool new globe-friendly products each month. This one is a total no-brainer and a win-win in my book. I'm looking forward to getting my own Conscious Box subscription and possibly some gift subscriptions for clients and friends!

One of the most colorful displays at the Festival was done by a wonderful non-profit organization, Mujeres de la Tierra (Women of the Earth). Initially it was the colorful and intricate Day of the Dead display which attracted me but once I found out about their mission, I felt even more drawn to the cause as well as its President/CEO, Irma Munoz. Given that women are the central focus of my business and its social mission, I felt a sense of synchronicity upon meeting Irma and learning about the work that Mujeres de la Tierra is doing to 'build grassroots community leadership amongst traditionally marginalized communities, in particular low-income, immigrant and people of color'. There are many non-profits whose mission is focused on enhancing communities in various parts of the world, but I think it's just as vital, if not more, for local US communities to benefit from the work that organizations like Mujeres are doing to improve the quality of life for our domestic cities, etc. I look forward to following the work that Mujeres de la Tierra are doing and look forward to supporting their cause.

If you missed the Green Festival in LA, don't worry as there will be a Green Festival in San Francisco next month and one in NYC in April of 2012. Hopefully you were able to get a taste of all of the wonderful opportunities for learning about and connecting with others through my post so make sure to mark your calendars and attend next year!