As you know, I’m trying to get Yes I Can Pep Talks onto its feet. In the US, we have an organization called SCORE, which stands for Service Corps of Retired Executives. They are comprised of retired business people from all types of business and their mission is to mentor other business owners and aspiring business owners.
Also, by asking around, you can probably find groups of business people, and other like-minded individuals, who meet on a regular basis and offer support, guidance, and encouragement to one another.
I discovered SCORE midway through last year when my local library hosted a few of their seminars. It didn’t occur to me until the end of last year to contact them about mentorship. I signed up and have been meeting with them since January.
When SCORE told me they had found mentors who were knowledgeable and had expertise in the area of my business, I was ecstatic.
But,
…then they told me the mentors were an hour and a half’s drive away.
At first I thought: Darn. That’s going to be really tough to fit that into my schedule because I’ll have to give up the better part of a day.
I hoped they could help me through email correspondence, which SCORE indicated was one of the methods of mentorship. I resigned myself to that, knowing that it would be great and very helpful but also knowing it would be the same as in-person mentoring.
But then I thought: How short-sighted am I?? This is a golden opportunity and it’s handed to me on a silver platter. I’m being ridiculous for not immediately jumping at it and then moving heaven and earth to make it happen!!
I’m glad to report that I have been meeting with my mentors each month regardless of the difficulty–except when we had an ice storm and it was too dangerous to drive.
You have to be willing to put forth the effort, no matter what, to make your dreams come true. Yes, it will be hard; yes, it will be inconvenient; yes, you’ll have to make difficult choices. But the payoff–the payoff of moving closer and closer to your dreams–is well worth the time and effort!
Action Plan: Take a look at what you aren’t committing wholeheartedly to. What are you holding back on and not going “all in” on?
Even though the experts and folk wisdom may advise you to not put all your eggs into one basket, there are times–like this one with the SCORE mentoring for me–when putting all your eggs into one basket will be the smartest move you’ll ever make.
Do it! I know you can! I’m here to let you know I believe in you!
If you need a boost, write in the comments section below and I’ll formulate a pep talk just for you!
I’m proud of you!
Your Friend and Pep Pal,
Lauren
PS: SCORE is a national organization; check out their website to find your state and local chapters: http://www.score.org. They offer one-on-one mentoring as well as in-person seminars and workshops–often in collaboration with local libraries and chambers of commerce–and they also offer web-based seminars and workshops. And it’s all FREE!
Yes I Can Pep Talks 
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