Since my last blog, the bulk of my time has been focused on getting version one of the NBT Mentors website/engine complete and online. I love the process of building things, so the last two years of brainstorming with friends, family and colleagues about the idea of creating a mentoring community was enjoyable. Now that version one of the website is built, the hard work of building a community begins.
Hesitant to ask people for help, I also must acknowledge that I’ve allowed myself to fall into the trap of hoping for success. This is a common mistake, especially in business. As a couple of friends shared with me many years ago, “Hope is NOT a strategy”. Now that NBT Mentors is live, it needs to be promoted to encourage registrations and facilitate mentoring connections. Leaning on the hope that simply because people like the idea, they’ll be proactive and join the community, needs to be replaced with a strategy of execution.
Many thanks to those who signed up and provided feedback on the registration process, following my first call to action. If you or others you know have an interest in mentoring individuals or start-ups, or being mentored, please join NBT Mentors (www.NBTmentors.org) and share the site with your networks to help grow membership and build momentum. It will be a lot easier for me to approach mainstream media for coverage, and corporate sponsors for funding, if we have real mentors and mentees signed up and connecting.
So that’s where I’ve been the last half year and where I’m headed for 2018. In my personal life and any kind of goals I’ve set for myself, I need to remember to not rely on hope, but to devise strategies to execute, just like training for race day. Head down, the next 9 months will determine the future of this nonprofit venture, and as much as possible, I’ll drive to ensure it’s a success. Join me - there's No Better Time.
Cheers,
Rob