I am still, even after 20+ years of full time mentoring, humbled and honored when someone asked if I would spend time with someone to help them explore their future possibilities.  I feel trusted to nurture seeds of ideas and vulnerable dreams – it is always exciting to see how a mentee takes action!

It all started when I worked for The Prince’s Trust inspiring disadvantaged young people to realize their own potential. Over a 10-year career with The Trust I worked with hundreds of inspiring business mentors and together we supported thousands of young people to set-up their own business. I then went on to work for The Royal Mencap Society leading a national strategy engaging 12,000 volunteer mentors and then on to complete a Directorship with the children’s literacy charity Beanstalk, recruiting reading mentors helping young people with their literacy skills.  Then in recent years as my own business evolved I regularly mentor aspiring artists and creatives to build their confidence and strategically plan their development.  These four distinctive roles have given me a unique perspective of recruiting, training and managing mentors to then being the mentor myself.

The best mentors do not have all the answers but a wide spectrum of experience, which proudly includes both success and failure.  Knowing that the mentor has walked in your shoes, also struggled, overcome, grown, changed and is continuing to thrive is truly inspirational and makes the impossible possible.  Good mentors will also look out for experiences, or even create situations in which their mentees can become involved to learn new things, for example, providing a look behind the scenes or a glimpse at how other people live or do things.

Some of us have had a teacher, boss or friend who has been a mentor to us and made a positive difference in our lives, if we are lucky serendipity strikes and they enter our lives at the right time, just when we need them when faced with difficult choices or situations.  The team at ViewVo makes that happy accident a foregone conclusion.  Matching mentors and mentees for unique learning experiences and life changing opportunities.

I know that mentoring relationships are a shared opportunity for learning and growth. My mentoring experience has presented personal rewards as substantial as those for my mentees, and that mentoring has enabled me to achieve personal growth and learn more about myself.  It has introduced me to many people from different backgrounds and cultures and opened the door to professional opportunities, such as public speaking, industry awards and contributing to the book “Brand Hero” as a leader in my business niche.

I was really attracted to being part of the ViewVo mentor collective as I was able to personally design the most actionable inspiring “Being An Artist” day, to take a deep dive into typical fears, resistance and all that holds people back from that opportunity to then turn that into a series of actions that create momentum and build confidence.

If you’re interested in becoming an artist, you can view Sam’s ViewVo mentor profile, her inspiring ‘Being  An Artist’ day and connect with her here

Samantha Morris is a professional full time artist, you can view her work here