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mENTORS IN my lIFE
day, Jim came into my office, closed the door and told me, “You know,
you will go a long way in life if you stop and smell the roses once
in a while.” He then got up and walked out. I thought about what he
had said for several days and decided to ask Jim what he had meant.
He then told me that he had noticed my patience was not what it used
to be, and that I needed to slow down and think things through before
jumping into action. Jim’s knowledge was far beyond his years. I
still get together with him at least once a month, and he always brings
up something I did and we all have a good laugh. Jim taught me to
think things through and ask if you don’t understand. The experiences
learned throughout my years with the Ford Motor Company will always
be etched in my mind. After being taught and mentored by some
of the best, I retired at the age of 53.
After retirement, I was still very active and I wanted to keep busy.
With the knowledge and experience I had gained throughout my school
and work years, I decided to go on a search to purchase a franchise. I
had heard that franchises have a proven record of success and all of
the business practices you need to get started. Before I decided to go
through with it, I called up an old friend who had been a very successful
businessman for many years. I asked him if he thought I should
purchase this franchise and he told me that I was talented enough and
didn’t need to. Well, I didn’t take heed of his advice and clearly thought
I knew it all. At first, everything was going really well. Business was
growing and the outlook was promising, and then the unexpected happened.
The economy took a nose dive. I contacted the franchise and
asked for their advice on what to do next. Their response was something
like, “We haven’t gone through a downturn like this before, so
keep advertising and investing in your business and customers will find
you.” Well, it didn’t work, and after I closed the business, I ran into my
longtime friend who looked at me and calmly asked, “Did you learn
anything?” Well, I sure did. I learned that before you start a business,
you need a mentor who has ‘been there and done it’ before you.
As you go through life, it is amazing the people that cross your path and
have the ability to see a lot more in you than you are able to see in yourself.
The people we meet may come into our lives for short moments
and others may stay around. They may be our family, friends, teachers,
coworkers or just passersby; however, they often guide and teach us a
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