HAVING A STRONG NETWORK MADE HIS CAREER PATH POSSIBLE: After graduating from college, Andrew worked for ten years as a corporate banker. He obtained his MBA but decided he wanted to leave banking to become a consultant. When he exited banking in 2002, he learned to be intentional and purposeful in building his network. He became a consultant and decided he wanted to take the leap and start his own consulting company in 2016. He is also a professor at Ohio State University, teaching Marketing Capstone Classes. He loves teaching students and mentoring people. He has worked very hard to build his network, believing in the phrase “your network is your net worth.” 

YOU ARE THE AVERAGE OF THE FIVE PEOPLE YOU SPEND THE MOST TIME WITH: 

We may not even realize it, but we absorb the behaviors, attitudes, and habits of the people we spend the most time with. For example, if you are surrounded by people who exercise daily, you will likely start to exercise daily. The same can happen with bad habits, so make sure you are very intentional about who you spend most of your time with. Good routines become good habits, and good habits become our success. 

WHAT MAKES A GREAT MENTOR? A great mentor will challenge you to push yourself. When Andy was in banking, his mentors challenged him to obtain his MBA. A great mentor has empathy and is a good listener. They will guide people back to a positive place when the person they are mentoring is frustrated or discouraged. They can relate to the person they are mentoring because they have been in their shoes. They also realize that everyone’s learning styles are different and find ways to teach them according to how they learn. A great mentor is giving and believes in helping people.  

WHAT MAKES A GREAT MENTEE? Having unbridled passion and enthusiasm is incredibly valuable as a mentee. A great mentee is willing to put in the time and energy to improve. They are open to feedback and learning new ways of doing things. They show initiative and are willing to get outside their comfort zone. 

FREQUENT COMMUNICATION IS KEY TO A SUCCESSFUL MENTORSHIP RELATIONSHIP: Regular check-ins are of utmost importance. During these check-ins, discuss what you are working on and what you need to accomplish before the next visit. Setting goals for the next check-in will help keep you accountable and will help you develop great habits. While social media is a great addition to keeping in touch with your network, it does not replace verbal or in-person communication. The person you are mentoring may be in a different geographical region, but fortunately, with technology, we can still communicate via Zoom or Teams and make communication effective. 

IF YOU NEED A MENTOR, ASK FOR ONE: When you have an opportunity to meet someone, don’t pass it up. This is key to building your network. If you meet someone you are really impressed with and feel you could learn from them, open yourself up, and ask them for help. Make sure you are specific and know what you are asking for. Don’t just ask them to be your mentor; discuss exactly what you hope to accomplish with the mentorship. Nurture your network, and find ways to be giving. When you help others, they help you. Being generous comes back around and pays dividends!