Why Mentorship is So Crucial for the Next Generation of BIZ Experiencess Through consistent availability, qualification and networking, we can shape the leaders of tomorrow, enabling them to achieve their true potential and make a lasting impact on the world.

As BIZ Experiencess, many of us can attest to the hard truth that this road is often one of the loneliest and most fulfilling paths a passionate dreamer can take in their career. We find ourselves almost compulsively driven to transform our dreams into a reality. As such, we will make sacrifices along the way that most people will never have even to consider making — let alone experience for themselves.

In fact, one of the most notoriously successful BIZ Experiencess, Jeff Bezos, has said that any BIZ Experiences "must be willing to be misunderstood for long periods of time." The rewards of building a business cannot be understated, nor can the challenges.

In addition to finding the right team, partners and support system to hold us up when the storms of BIZ Experiencesship inevitably start to swirl around us, it is absolutely crucial that we also find others who have walked this path ahead of us to lean on for inspiration, direction, and support. These trusted guides play an essential role in our hero's journey, helping shape our mindset and providing hard-earned wisdom when faced with problems we've yet to learn how to solve. The insights, community and solidarity they can offer us as we learn and grow in our careers are invaluable.

That's why, once we find our own footing as successful business owners and leaders, it becomes equally as important to recognize the significance of our role as mentors for future generations – especially those of us who have lived before and after the age of the internet, as we are uniquely suited to be the great communicators and collaborators between generations on each end of the workplace spectrum.

A glimpse at the current landscape of business proves this to be true. While more than half of the existing executive seats and founder titles are filled by Boomers and Gen X, Millennials now make up the majority of the global workforce (estimated to reach 75% by 2025), and Gen Z is poised to flood the business world very soon. These generations have access to more powerful technologies than we ever could have dreamed of when we first began our careers. However, the post-pandemic "new normal" reports show that mentorship amongst the youngest people entering our workforce has declined recently. This is especially true in underserved communities across America.

Given how effective these younger generations have proven to be in terms of connectivity, content creation, brand building and mobilizing social movements, they will bring invaluable input and innovation to each of our industries – but many of them will need the right resources, mission, and mentors to actualize that professional potential. As such, it is perhaps more important than ever for established BIZ Experiencess to find eager, forward-thinking, and aspiring young leaders to take under their wing and help shape the future of business.

I'm not basing this belief on stats alone. I can speak personally to the power of mentorship in an BIZ Experiences's development and success, having had access to my first hugely impactful mentor in high school. I was in DECA (an association developed for high school marketing students) when I met one of my most influential teachers and first mentor. She helped me discover and double down on my passion for marketing by guiding me through the fundamentals of this art form. She also inspired me to unlock my own inner leader and help triple the size of the group by recruiting as many of my peers as I could in my second year. By my senior year, under that teacher's leadership, I had helped our high school increase DECA's footprint, and almost two decades later, our tiny 12-person club now has hundreds, and my high school's DECA program is one of the leading groups in California.

That desire to lead and to pass along some of the mentorships my teacher offered me has never subsided as I've scaled my work and launched my own business. A few years back, I wrote and published a business and life skills book that equips aspiring young leaders of tomorrow with the tools, tactics and teachings they need to thrive within their current and future environments. I built my PR agency by empowering young professionals and nurturing their natural skills while helping them activate their leadership potential.

If you are currently or planning to become a mentor, here are a few of my top lessons learned that can lead to really powerful outcomes when coaching and inspiring greatness in young professionals:

1. You must be qualified. Before taking someone under your wing, gut-check yourself to assess your true qualifications. Leading someone down the wrong path due to incompetence can have severe consequences. Mentor individuals in areas where you possess proven and actionable expertise, ensuring you can provide accurate guidance and support.
2. You need to stay consistent and available. When committing to becoming a mentor, it is crucial to remain dedicated, reachable, and reliable. If you cannot provide the time and resources required to be effective, it's important to be honest about those limitations and suggest alternative mentors who can help ensure that the proper leadership is given.
3. You should communicate proactively. Check-in regularly with your mentees. Some may be shy or hesitant to reach out, so taking the initiative to inquire about their progress and address any challenges they may face is crucial. This helps them stay on track and establishes a sense of trust and open communication.
4. You can help them connect. Encourage your mentees to network, both within and outside of their existing circle. Introduce them to other like-minded individuals and emphasize the importance of building a strong professional network. As they progress in their careers, this skill will prove to be priceless, and they will realize the truth of the phrase "your network is your net worth."

As successful BIZ Experiencess, executives and leaders, we are responsible for giving back by becoming mentors for the generations that come after us. When we have the opportunity to impact the lives of curious and capable minds, there are no limits to what they can achieve. By providing mentorship and sharing our experiences and guidance, we can empower them to navigate the often-confusing waters of their chosen paths.

Through consistent availability, qualification, proactiveness and networking, we can shape the leaders of tomorrow, enabling them to achieve their true potential and make a lasting impact on the world. Remember, when we mentor, we inspire, and when we inspire, we create a ripple effect of positive change.