MENTORSHIP
If the Entrepreneur's duty is to stand up for the company's interests even if the Entrepreneur suffers, then the Mentor's duty is to stand up for the Entrepreneur's interests even if the company suffers. It is difficult for the Entrepreneur to be alone, because everyone looks at him/her with questions and expects solutions, but he/she usually has no one to look to and ask, who understands and who can find solutions for the Entrepreneur and do all this in confidence.
Mentor is a long-term professional confidant and advisor for the Entrepreneur. It is a personal relationship where the Mentor understands the details of the Entrepreneur's past and future in order to find the best way forward in the present. A Mentor is not a business advisor, financial advisor, strategist, psychologist, spiritualist, etc., but she is all these life aspects together in one harmony. The Mentor's goal is for the Entrepreneur to reach to his/her full potential.
People often do not know what is needed and how to move forward, because its hard to see when you are in the middle of it. That's why there is a Mentor who lights up the Entrepreneur's path.
Statistics: Studies have shown that entrepreneurs who seek help from mentors have a greater chance of success than those who work alone. In 2013, a Stanford Business study found that 80 percent of the most successful CEOs received mentorship at some point in their careers. In another study by Sage, 93 percent of startups reported that mentoring has helped them succeed so far. A recent study by the US Small Business Administration (SBA) shows that 30 percent of startups may not survive the first year of operation, and 50 percent of businesses that do may not last more than five years. But another study by the same organization has shown that 70 percent of entrepreneurs who have mentors are likely to stay in business for more than five years.
Why should you choose Mentor instead of going to a conference/training with big and famous names?
Events are good entertainments where you can hear other people's success stories and general advice. Listening to other people's success stories is a double-edged sword. They can give a short-term 'I can do it' feeling of inspiration, but they can also lead to depression, anxiety and 'it's too big, it's too much, I'll never get there'. At such events, a embellished version of what happened in the past is told and generalized advice is given that sounds good and is accepted by the general public, but is often not feasible in reality with the resources you have.
Since no one's path is identical and things change over time, the path that led to someone's success is not the path for you; what worked yesterday won't work tomorrow. You need to create your own unique path based on your unique strengths, weaknesses, resources, and this can only be done through an individual approach, not through group work or passively listening to someone.