s more formally through her paid mentorship program. (Lucky me!) Some companies pair seasoned employees with newer ones to "show them the ropes" and help them succeed. Usually an arrangement like this comes with certain requirements, company policies and some way to evaluate its success.

In her initial one-hour consultation with mentee

Whether you’re self-employed or you work for someone else, you’re new to business or a seasoned expert, one of the best ways to get ahead in business is to find a mentor. And some highly successful people even have more than one.

What's a mentor?

A mentor is someone who is willing to take you under his or her wing, give you advice and suggestions to help you improve your skills and business acumen, show you how they do something that helps them succeed, and help you reach your goals. He or she is someone who is already skilled, experienced and successful at what you need to learn.

For instance, one of my mentors is Joan Stewart, The Publicity Hound, a former newspaper editor turned publicity guru who is a very successful online entrepreneur. I chose her because she is a few years ahead of me with her Internet success and she has always been willing to help me. She offers excellent feedback on business ideas I’m considering, gives me suggestions about how to improve the idea, sends me resources, reviews my ebooks and newsletters, and provides mental support. I also have several other people in my business sphere who mentor me about other issues in my business. They are all people who have "been there/done that."

A mentor can work with you on an informal or formal basis. Joan helps me on an informal basis, but she also helps others more formally through her paid mentorship program. (Lucky me!) Some companies pair seasoned employees with newer ones to "show them the ropes" and help them succeed. Usually an arrangement like this comes with certain requirements, company policies and some way to evaluate its success.

In her initial one-hour consultation with mentee

e and suggestions to help you improve your skills and business acumen, show you how they do something that helps them succeed, and help you reach your goals. He or she is someone who is already skilled, experienced and successful at what you need to learn.

For instance, one of my mentors is Joan Stewart, The Publicity Hound, a former newspaper editor turned publicity guru who is a very successful online entrepreneur. I chose her because she is a few years ahead of me with her Internet success and she has always been willing to help me. She offers excellent feedback on business ideas I’m considering, gives me suggestions about how to improve the idea, sends me resources, reviews my ebooks and newsletters, and provides mental support. I also have several other people in my business sphere who mentor me about other issues in my business. They are all people who have "been there/done that."

A mentor can work with you on an informal or formal basis. Joan helps me on an informal basis, but she also helps others more formally through her paid mentorship program. (Lucky me!) Some companies pair seasoned employees with newer ones to "show them the ropes" and help them succeed. Usually an arrangement like this comes with certain requirements, company policies and some way to evaluate its success.

In her initial one-hour consultation with mentee

wspaper editor turned publicity guru who is a very successful online entrepreneur. I chose her because she is a few years ahead of me with her Internet success and she has always been willing to help me. She offers excellent feedback on business ideas I’m considering, gives me suggestions about how to improve the idea, sends me resources, reviews my ebooks and newsletters, and provides mental support. I also have several other people in my business sphere who mentor me about other issues in my business. They are all people who have "been there/done that."

A mentor can work with you on an informal or formal basis. Joan helps me on an informal basis, but she also helps others more formally through her paid mentorship program. (Lucky me!) Some companies pair seasoned employees with newer ones to "show them the ropes" and help them succeed. Usually an arrangement like this comes with certain requirements, company policies and some way to evaluate its success.

In her initial one-hour consultation with mentee

views my ebooks and newsletters, and provides mental support. I also have several other people in my business sphere who mentor me about other issues in my business. They are all people who have "been there/done that."

A mentor can work with you on an informal or formal basis. Joan helps me on an informal basis, but she also helps others more formally through her paid mentorship program. (Lucky me!) Some companies pair seasoned employees with newer ones to "show them the ropes" and help them succeed. Usually an arrangement like this comes with certain requirements, company policies and some way to evaluate its success.

In her initial one-hour consultation with mentee

s more formally through her paid mentorship program. (Lucky me!) Some companies pair seasoned employees with newer ones to "show them the ropes" and help them succeed. Usually an arrangement like this comes with certain requirements, company policies and some way to evaluate its success.

In her initial one-hour consultation with mentee Michelle Tennant of Wasabi Public Relations, Joan Stewart gave Michelle an idea for her client, a cosmetic dentist. The result? A popular Top 40 radio station in Denver offered the dentist the equivalent of $250,000 in advertising, for free. Wouldn't you like this kind of mentor?

Identifying and recruiting a mentor may seem like a daunting task, but it doesn't have to be.

If you work in a big company, there may be a formal program already set up for you. Here's the route I'd use to find the right mentor if I worked in such a company.

First, I'd ask my boss if there was a formal program within the company and how I could become part of it. If she didn't know of one, then I'd go to the Human Resources department and talk to the human resources manager.

If there was no program, I would have a couple of options. I could try to develop one (which would be an excellent learning experience, as well as a way to showcase my organizational and team-building qualities), or I could create an informal relationship with someone I admired and knew I could learn from within the company.

If I chose to simply find a mentor without creating a whole program, I'd take a look at everyone "above" me in the company. Specifically, I'd want someone who:

- Was at least two levels further up the corporate ladder than I was.

- Was a good,