{"id":23516,"date":"2019-11-28T19:48:53","date_gmt":"2019-11-28T19:48:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.womensenterprise.ca\/?p=23516"},"modified":"2023-07-07T20:02:24","modified_gmt":"2023-07-07T20:02:24","slug":"5-peer-mentoring-myths-busted","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.we-bc.ca\/en\/5-peer-mentoring-myths-busted\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Peer Mentoring Myths\u2014 Busted!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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As the Mentoring Program Manager, I talk to a lot of women business owners. They tell me all the time, \u201cI can only talk to my friends and family so much about my business.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They need someone to bounce ideas off of, to pep them up when they\u2019re spiraling or give them advice when they don\u2019t know which path to take\u2014someone who doesn\u2019t give them the glazed-over look when they\u2019re talking about their new marketing plan!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mentoring can provide that support, and most people are familiar with the traditional One-to-One Mentoring format<\/a>. But, actually, a Peer Mentoring group<\/a> might be even better for you to combat your feeling of isolation! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I get a lot of questions about the format \u2013 what it is, and what it is not. So I\u2019m going to bust some of those myths:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Peer Mentoring Myth #1: I won\u2019t get the attention that I need.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Truth: Six heads are better than one.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A lot of women business owners, particularly in their first five years of business, are solopreneurs. They\u2019re doing the marketing, the operations, the sales, the financials, the product development \u2013 all by themselves! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a Peer Mentoring group<\/a>, you get the experience of your mentor, but you also benefit from the diverse viewpoints of the other group members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There might be a woman who runs a marketing firm but needs guidance with her financials. And in her group, I would place a bookkeeper with years of experience in financial management who needs help growing her business on social media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So they\u2019ll both work with the experienced mentor, but they can also provide another layer of help for each other in the areas where they\u2019re strong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cAs a solopreneur working from home, my business life and efforts have seemed like \u2018shots in the dark\u2019 without any feedback until the shot has been made. The feedback was from clients or was simply silent; in other words, I missed my target. The group was critical to help me know that I’m not on some wild and meandering path and that others have had similar questions. I became more clear about what stage I was actually at in my business. This was an empowering move! The group support was astounding.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Peer Mentoring Myth #2: I don\u2019t have time to sit around and talk about my feelings.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Truth: We use solution-based action learning, so you leave with specific strategies and takeaways.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You may wonder whether a Peer Mentoring group turns into a bunch of women complaining about how hard it is to run a business. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Actually, our format uses structured sessions with action learning. So you\u2019ll come with a specific problem or opportunity in mind, then the group will discuss the challenge and brainstorm solutions (guided by the mentor). You\u2019ll develop an action plan, then go out and implement it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next time, you\u2019ll come back and report on your progress. Did it work, or was it a flop? How can you adjust your strategy? Was it super successful and something your fellow mentee can use in her business?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cSmart, dynamic, uplifting. An avalanche of support and focused mentoring led by [our mentor] – one of the best in the business. I left with clarity, energy and increased vision – buoyed by a team of generous entrepreneurial women.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Peer Mentoring Myth #3: My competitors will learn too much about my business.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Truth: We make sure you\u2019re non-competing.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We interview every woman to make sure we don\u2019t have any competing businesses in each group. We want to create a safe and confidential environment so you feel comfortable sharing!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We find a lot of the challenges that women business owners face \u2013 like work\/life balance, growing their sales, managing too much demand, \u2013 transcend industries, and our mentees appreciate the different points of view from different types of business owners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cI liked that, right from the beginning, our mentor set a welcoming tone of confidence and trust. Even though all our businesses are in vastly different stages and industries, I always felt welcome and confident that anything said would be held in strict confidence and that it was a safe place to discuss just about anything. I appreciate that everyone was there to learn and were so respectful of others ideas and opinions, even when they were disagreed with.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Peer Mentoring Myth #4: I won\u2019t get mentoring from an experienced business owner.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Truth: You still get matched with a Mentor.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every group is led by an established entrepreneur in your community who has been through a lot of the same situations you\u2019re dealing with, and has come out the other side. The mentor has a knowledge base from her years of running a business, and she\u2019ll share her insights based on her own experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cOur mentor is awesome – no matter what she does, she is a true leader and role-model, a great leader for this group.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Peer Mentoring Myth #5: It\u2019s a glorified networking group.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Truth: The relationships you make are an added bonus of Peer Mentoring groups, but we also dive into the issues that you wouldn\u2019t be able to address at a networking event. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the top issues we hear from our clients is that they\u2019re short on time, and building your network can be time consuming \u2013 deciding where to go, who to meet, how to connect with them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our groups are made up of women entrepreneurs who are being intentional with their time, they want to connect and they want to build their networks and support system for the long-term.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cI love that I have built relationships with these women who will be able to provide support to me and I them moving forward. I have a renewed outlook on my business and balancing it all to be effective.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Connect with a Growth Peer Mentoring Group for your business journey<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Would you like to connect with other women business owners to grow your business? Learn more about the WeBC Growth Peer Mentoring program<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0join the waitlist<\/a>\u00a0to be notified of upcoming intakes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As the Mentoring Program Manager, I talk to a lot of women business owners. 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