What is Mentoring & Why It Matters.

"The session was even better than I could have imagined," concluded Elizabeth Aladejare, the founder of online marketing business Upwardss after her mentoring session with Daniel Navarro, one of the Lendlease mentors.

Elizabeth joined our YEA! Young Entrepreneurs Alliance business support programme for 17 youth-led enterprises earlier this year. The 6-month programme, delivered by Echo in partnership with Lendlease, culminated in a Mentorship Day at IQL in Stratford.

‍What is mentoring exactly? 

Starting a business can be a lonely journey, and that's where business programmes, peer-to-peer learning and mentorship come in. A good mentor can be the reason we break it or make it in our business or career. 

The idea of 1-1 mentorship is that the experienced mentor offers their skills, expertise, and contacts for the mentee to develop their growth. This may involve helping the mentee achieve their goals, introducing them to new ways of thinking, challenging any limiting beliefs, or sharing lessons, tips or tools the mentor has learned in their own career. 

Simply put: mentoring helps us to grow and accomplish our career and business goals.

Like with any trade or skillshare, the importance of a mentee-mentor partnership is mutual. You never know what you might learn from your mentee!

As Daniel reflected after his session with Elizabeth, "I realised how challenging it is to be an entrepreneur and follow your passion. I will apply her entrepreneurial mindset to my daily work."

If you’re a Lambeth based entrepreneur and ready to take your venture to the next level, apply to join our next YEA! Young Entrepreneurs Alliance programme! Applications close on 11th December 2022.

If you're interested in becoming an Echo mentor and offer your expertise to young entrepreneurs, get in touch with sara@economyofhours.com

Mentoring is for everyone!