My hero of the day: Sarah Breedlove Walker

I’d never heard of Sarah Breedlove before today. I saw a small tag line on an email saying that she was the first “millionairess” in the world after developing the hair straightener. I had to know more. Upon delving further I found out the following which continued to blow my mind:

• Sarah was born to freed slaves in Louisiana, USA in 1867
• Married at 14, she was orphaned and widowed by the age of 20
• Upon retirement Sarah built a house beside tycoon J.D. Rockerfeller
• The Guinness Book of Records lists Sarah Breedlove as the first female (black or white) who became a millionaire by her own achievements

In her own words: “There is no royal, flower-strewn path to success. And if there is, I have not found it for if I have accomplished anything in life, it is because I have been willing to work hard.”

After watching the recent election in America many people across the world are amazed to see what someone of African American descent is able to do right now. How phenomenal is it to then consider what Sarah Breedlove Walker was able to accomplish as a female African American, over a hundred years ago.

By Kirsty Dunphey with No comments

Forward to the future

I’ve always loved the Back the Future trilogy. There was something so very exciting about watching them in the 80’s (something that had next to nothing to do with my crush on Alex P. Keaton.

Kids flying around on hoverboards, cars that flew and used garbage to create a nuclear reaction, video games you played only with your mind.

We’re now living in “Back to the Future”’s future and I must admit I’m pretty astonished at what the internet can allow us to do.

I just bought a friend the gift of giving literacy classes in Cambodia as his birthday present It took me less than 3 minutes.

In New York a boy saw an intriguing girl in the subway. He was too shy to talk to her, but upon regretting it he made a website with a drawing of her and actually tracked her down and they ended up dating!

A guy traded one red paperclip for a house using the internet to find potential traders.

And while I don’t yet have a hoverboard if the internet can do all this I’m not giving up hope on that yet either!

By Kirsty Dunphey with No comments

Crazy about the clean: why did you get referred?

In chatting about the ancient art of tattooing recently (no, I’m not game enough to have any, but yes, I find them fascinating) I was surprised to hear my husband of all people highly recommending a particular tattoo artist.



Given my husband’s tattoo free stance I was surprised that he would recommend anyone and was keen to find out what was so amazing about this artist’s work. Turns out however that my husband wasn’t referring him based on his work but on the fact that when a friend of his tried to enter the premises with shoes on he was told to leave and the floor was immediately mopped where he’d walked. The commitment to maintaining a sterile environment had impacted on the person getting the tattoo so much that he had then told it to who knows how many people and that story had impacted on my husband enough for him to pass on the artist’s name.

It’s an unusual referral chain! Who’d have thought a tattoo artist would be getting referred because he was crazy about the clean? I certainly wouldn’t have, but his passion for sterility made such an impact that it’s become a little bit like urban legend and inspires confidence in respect to safety to those that hear about the story.

It got me thinking that you might not always know why people refer you: I’ve heard home owners refer builders because they took the time to clean up their work site at the end of each day and one of my uni lecturers loved telling the class that he flew Singapore airlines because they always have the “prettiest” cabin crew.

Or why people don’t refer you: I’ve heard an irate friend tell people not to shop at a local grocery store because they rudely refused a $20 note when she was shopping for something that cost less than $5.

By Kirsty Dunphey with No comments

When to pop the question?

You’d be unlikely to ask your girlfriend to marry you while she was sitting on the toilet (I hope!) You’d also feel uneasy if your taxi driver asked you to fill out a survey on his driving skills as soon as you hopped inside his taxi. And I’m sure you’d be reticent about asking for a pay rise in the middle of a disciplinary discussion about your extreme use of facebook on work time.

Sometimes when you ask is just as important as what you’re asking.

I was reminded of this recently at a speaking job. I make it a priority to get feedback after my talks but in my eagerness to promptly ask the organiser if he was happy with my performance… I did so while we were both still on stage in front of 500 people (thankfully my microphone was off).

I think, on that day, something in my subconscious needed some positive reinforcement so I asked the question at a time when the organiser couldn’t possibly give me bad feedback. For one, he had about 5 seconds to answer and secondly who’s going to say they weren’t happy while the speaker is still on stage!! It was a silly time to ask, and it made his response meaningless, but it was a good lesson for me to learn because I know it’s not the first time I’ve eagerly done this.

When I followed up via email later on and asked the question again (at the far more appropriate time) I got exactly the kind of valuable feedback the question (at that time) deserved.

What’s an important question looming in your future and when is the most appropriate time to ask it?

By Kirsty Dunphey with No comments

Life in 30 minute blocks

I recently had to wear a blood pressure monitor for 24 hours which measured my blood pressure by constricting (very tightly!) a big black band around my arm every 30 minutes while I was awake.

While it was uncomfortable, the thing that really struck me was how quickly 30 minutes goes by. So much so that I got a bit manic by the end of the day with each 30 minute block appearing to come quicker and quicker making me wonder what on earth I’d been doing the past 30 minutes!

Perhaps it’s because I’ve just celebrated my 30th birthday that I’m watching the time that passes a little more closely, I’m not sure. All I know is that having something that brought to my attention that time passing was certainly an illumination experience and made me realise that each 30 minutes gone are ones I’m not getting back!

By Kirsty Dunphey with No comments

What would you ask for if you knew you couldn’t fail?

Last night the proud dad of my 3 year old nephew recounted my nephew’s “order” at their recent family BBQ.

When asked what he would like to eat, Patrick replied that he would like “20 sausages” and then after thinking about it a bit more, he decided that no, he would like “all the sausages”.

But what would his Dad eat? Well, Patrick has a plan for that too. His Dad was allowed to eat “BBQ sauce”.

Of course, the story received a few giggles all round. It got me thinking though: a 3 year old has no imposed limits (self or otherwise). When Patrick thought he wanted “all” the sausages, that’s exactly what he asked for.

If you had no self imposed limits –what would you ask for? What would be “all the sausages” for you?

An earth shattering-ly mind blowing relationship full of passion and love?

A career that makes you smile just thinking about going to work each morning?

To visit every country in the world at least once?

The ability to change the world?

A wardrobe that houses 1,000 gleaming pairs of shoes… (ok that one may just be me).

Thanks to Patrick for reminding me that 3 year olds, while they don’t always get “all the sausages”, are amazing because at least they ask for them!

Ask the world for something amazing today – and then take action to start making it happen. You may not get “all the sausages” but you’ll never know if you never ask!

By Kirsty Dunphey with No comments

Don’t forget “back thing”

We found this workout regime downstairs in our “shed”, a reminder of inhabitants past.

I had to take a photo and share it with you because it so accurately represents the procedures I find in so many small businesses.

I’m sure the exercise “back thing” was completely self explanatory to our lone exerciser in the shed, but if I were to try and replicate his exercise plan using just his procedure it’d be complete pot luck as to whether I was anywhere near what he meant by “back thing”.

How many “back thing”-esque occurrences are there in your procedures?

If I came into your workplace today and sat down with your procedures could I complete your systemised tasks or would I be left scratching my head and wondering what on earth you meant?

By Kirsty Dunphey with 2 comments

Fire the boss!

According to a Gallup survey around 24% of employees in the United States would fire their boss if they could.

If you’re an employee, you may already be smirking at the thought of firing the head honcho! If you are the boss, what percentage of your employees do you think would give you the flick if they could?

5 things a boss can do to stop being “virtually” fired

1. Quickly write down the top 5 words you would most like your employees to use when describing their boss to a friend or family member. Then write down the 5 words you’re afraid they may actually be using!

2. Have your employees anonymously rate you every time you rate them (ie: performance review time). It’s scary as heck, but a great way to get essential feedback on the areas you need to improve.

3. Give great exit interviews. Do everything to find out the real reasons why your staff leave.

4. Encourage feedback and act on it. Become known as the boss who can not only take it when someone provides constructive criticism (in a respectful way) but the boss who will actually amend policy and behaviour when required.

5. Listen. When you know that your staff are whining – that’s a sign to listen. When you know that your staff are actively looking for other jobs – that’s a sign to listen. When your staff up and leave and you have no idea they’re looking for other employment – that’s a sign to listen.

By Kirsty Dunphey with No comments

Getting the deal across the line

So, you’re about to buy an investment property, or any property for that matter and you want to get the absolute best deal. Always keep in mind that a contract for purchase doesn’t just consist of a price. Many times there are other conditions on the contract which are just as important to the seller as the price.

If you’re trying to get your offer accepted and it’s not quite at the sellers asking price, or you’re in competition with other buyers and want to make your offer stand out… here are a few things you can try to help smooth the deal.

1. Leave the settlement date (the date when you officially own the property) off your original offer and let your agent know that you’re happy to settle whenever suits the seller. If a certain time specifically suits them (quick or a long), being flexible may just help you get the deal across the line

2. Put down a sizeable deposit. This shows you’re serious and are capable of completing the contract. Oftentimes attaching a cheque for the deposit to your offer is enough of a mental stimulus for the seller.

3. Where possible make your contract unconditional or subject to as little as possible. Unconditional means that a contract isn’t subject to a building inspection, finance, selling another property etc. If you can get your building inspection done prior to offering and have your finance approved, this can be a very strong incentive for a seller to sign and put the sold sticker up straight away.

4. Consider letting the agent pass on your circumstances. You’d be surprised how many sellers I’ve dealt with over the years who like to know who is going to own their property after they’ve moved.

It’s important to note that if you’re not able to do points 2 and 3 – DON’T! These are only handy hints and they only work if you’re able to do them.

The points also work in reverse if a seller wants you to come to their price. You can then start to be more rigid with settlement date (perhaps you want to stretch it out so that rent increases can be completed) or deposit (perhaps you want to put down NIL deposit so that your cash isn’t tied up).

Contracts are like living breathing organisms and they’re open to being changed, amended and reworded so that they best suit the parties involved. Before you sign any contract make sure the agent takes the time to explain it and that you’ve read every part of it. Where possible, take it to your conveyancer or solicitor to check over.

Happy purchasing!
Kirsty

By Kirsty Dunphey with 1 comment

Is there a bomb on your bus?

Have you heard that much touted employee hiring practice of “getting the right people on the right seats”? Whenever I hear that I always think of seating people on a bus… and then I always think of the movie Speed.

You remember Speed right? Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock burning down the road jumping broken bridges, looping cameras, staying above 50 miles per hour, flirting like crazy and all so the bomb in the bus doesn’t detonate (ok, the flirting may have been optional in terms of bomb safety but you get my point).

How different would this movie have been if Ellen Degeneres were cast instead of Sandra Bullock?

She almost was you know! Now don’t get me wrong, I think Ellen’s a riot (and I dance with her daily) – but I can not imagine that movie with her in that role!

In my early days in real estate I almost put on a staff member who I’m sure would have been good, but would not have fit in with my organisational culture. In short, they wouldn’t have been the right fit for my bus. The short term loss of not putting them on stung (but nowhere near as much as the long term pain of having that cultural clash would have).

Now the bus analogy works equally well when you’re looking for work. Don’t do a Meg and miss the fabulous bus.

Meg Ryan has had some great hits, but Top Gun not withstanding, what about the movie lead’s she turned down – Pretty Woman, Basic Instinct, The Silence of the Lambs and Ghost. Some great busses for sure there.

Whichever bus you’re hopping on or loading people on today – I hope it’s the right one for you!

To reproduce this article head here: www.kirstydunphey.com/usemebaby.html

By Kirsty Dunphey with No comments

Stop Making Promises!

Just this morning a friend called a service provider and was told by his office that he’d call back in “10 minutes”. 30 minutes later, he was on the phone to let her know that he’d call back “in an hour”. 2 ¼ hours later, she’s still waiting for his call.

Two broken promises within the first 3 hours of the day. How keen do you think she is to give him her business now?

Wouldn’t it have been easier for his office to say that he would “call her back”, or “call her today”.

Then when he’d called 30 minutes later to let her know he couldn’t help her immediately she would have been pleasantly surprised rather than thinking “is this your definition of 10 minutes?”

What’s more, he doubled the mistake by making yet another promise (which was soon to be broken).

My advice:
• Don’t allow others to make promises on your behalf.
• Don’t make promises where you don’t have to.
• When you do make a promise – KEEP IT (write it down, tattoo it on your arm, put a reminder in your phone, figure out a way to make sure you keep your promises, or let the person know that you can’t (prior to the promise elapsing)
• Learn what a promise is. A promise is a claim that you’ll do something. Don’t feel like you need to say “I promise” for it to be a promise, all you need to say is “I will”.

And finally – just remember the old adage that promises are like babies… easy to make, hard to deliver.

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By Kirsty Dunphey with No comments

Foot in keyboard disease

When I was 19 years old, I told a friend’s mother something that my friend had vented to me in confidence. My intentions were only the best. The result: foot jammed well and truly in mouth.

At age 21, I told a girl that her boy was talking trash about her in front of others (only I told her in front of a whole swag of people). My intentions, again were only the best. The result: far less than the best.

At age 23, I impersonated a small child dancing in an amusing way in a chemist. My intentions: harmless fun, I was in a silly mood. The result, I got “jumped” by her drug addict mum (so the chemist informed later) and a small gang outside the chemist. The result: my first and only fight. (Disclaimer: the “gang” were actually teenage pyjama clad girls, but they kicked and slapped with the best of them I can tell you).

And just yesterday, my intentions lead me to fire off a poorly worded email which ended up landing someone else in trouble. My intentions, as before had no malice, but the results… well I think you can guess.

This last outbreak of foot in keyboard disease got me wondering when this would all end. I’m a grown woman and yet still, every now and then I still stick my foot in it so badly.

The remedy? The only one I can think of: learn something from where my foot has historically ended up on occasion.

The solution?
• Take time to think before I email / say something
• During that time, ask myself how I’d feel if everyone I spoke about in that conversation or email heard what I was saying
• Don’t dance in chemists

It’s so easy today to fire off something verbally or via the keyboard without taking the time to think about it. 5 seconds thought about the email I sent yesterday would have been all I needed to realise it wasn’t a good idea. Unfortunately, I saved myself those 5 seconds and cost myself a whole lot more trouble in the long run.

By Kirsty Dunphey with No comments

What am I most proud of…

I’m often asked what I’m most proud of from my career in real estate. Well we won lots of lovely awards, sold tonnes of houses, had lots of clients… but the thing I always think to when I’m asked what I’m most proud of is what the people who were part of our team have gone on to do since that time. Many are still with the company, some have gone on to new adventures and some have ventured out on their own entrepreneurial paths.

So I thought in this post I might just make mention of a few of them who have gone on to starting up their own businesses and give them a little plug at the same time.

The youngest 21 year old real estate business owner – Emma Matheson – who proudly told me when she took my title of youngest real estate business owner in the State! You go Ems!

http://www.sthelens.harcourts.com.au/

Sharyn Crack, Maureen Lacey and Andrew Michieletto have all gone on to co-own two real estate agencies each – sensational stuff.

http://www.tamar.harcourts.com.au/
http://www.northeast.harcourts.com.au/
http://www.northernmidlands.harcourts.com.au/

And there’s even been excitement elsewhere in the business world with the always inspirational Bella Fountain opening up her own online bridal boutique http://catchthebouquet.com.au/. They’ll custom make the most stunning wedding dresses for you and the prices are so affordable.

And that’s my answer to what I’m most proud of. I’m proud to have worked with an exceptional team and to have watched them grow and fulfil their own potential in whatever way has worked best for them.

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By Kirsty Dunphey with No comments

Three quick easy and not too shameless ways to get publicity for free

1. Entering (and preferably winning) awards programs = free publicity and credible media opportunities. But you know what, entering, being nominated or being a finalist and not winning also has the fabulous benefits of the networking opportunities and in many cases it gives you an ability to sit down and do some very cathartic thinking about your business.

2. Perform a survey and put out a press release on the results. We just did one recently on the real estate industry here: http://kirstydunphey.blogspot.com/2008/09/real-estate-agents-trustworthy-is-new.html using a free online survey program and having 500 people respond. The results give journalists some statistics to work with and help get your name out there when you're published as a source.

3. Subscribe to HARO (help a reporter out www.helpareporter.com/)! There are lots of journalists / bloggers out there looking for great sources – it can be a bit US centric, but there are still awesome opportunities to be found.

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By Kirsty Dunphey with No comments

Anyone Can Be A Star

I love this clip…



… (even though I sadly found out it’s not a genuine and was part of a Gatorade advert that never went to air).

The reason I love this clip though is that it reminds me that in any group, organisation or company it doesn’t have to be the highest paid, the highest ranked or the loudest that gets to be the star on a given day.

The junior waiter who notices a restaurant critic eating dinner during that night’s service can be the star. The receptionist who wows the huge prospective client on the phone can be the star. The ball girl at the baseball game, could be the star.

My point… If you’re working your way up through your organisation, look for ways to shine and then be humble, if you work with good people, your work won’t go unnoticed.

And if you’re in a position where you often get to the best star (you’re the business owner, top sales person, manager) – look for the ball girl in your organisation and make them feel like a star when they deserve it.

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By Kirsty Dunphey with No comments

10 ways to reward (and therefore retain) staff

1. Give them a pay rise.
The downside: A $2,000 pay rise may equate to an increase in take home of only say $25 per week to your employee, not ground breaking. Plus, you’re then committed to that extra $2,000 ongoing.

2. Give them a bonus
The upside: A bonus is a one off, it’ll mean a lump sum goes to your employee (to some this is much more exciting than a trickle feed of $25 per week). It’s also not an ongoing commitment.
The downside: A lump sum payment can be harder on your cash flow.

3. Public praise
The downside: Some people can get really embarrassed and you can be seen to be playing favourites.
The upside: For those that love the spotlight, this praise in front of their colleagues can be worth more than gold.

4. Private praise
The upside: This is so easy to give, as long as you remember to and are sincere.
The downside: The words “come into my office I need to talk to you” may initially strike fear into your staff if they are more used to fire coming from your tongue than praise.

5. Home style praise
Sending a heart felt card or letter home to a staff member’s parents (for Gen Y’s) or to their partner or kids is a gorgeous way to show your appreciation.
The downside: sending the same letter to all your staff is just lazy and you’ll get busted.
The upside: having your staff member’s family feeling awesome about where their relative works and what type of person they work for.

6. Gifts galore
The upside: A well thought out gift is remembered and talked about, cultivating a stronger culture for your organisation. Using the “magic form” we developed in our organisation is an ideal way to get the low down on what would really delight your staff. Want a copy? Contact me here and I’ll send it to you: www.kirstydunphey.com/contact.html
The downside: A lame impersonal gift does nothing to cultivate the relationship going forward.

7. More responsibility / promotion
The upside: If you chose the right person to move forward in your organisation they’ll grow and shine with the responsibility.
The downside: Promote a person not yet ready into a management role and you’ll not only have issues with that person but with all they manage.

8. Flexibility
The staff member who knows that they can take off an afternoon to watch their kid’s swimming carnival and make it up later tends to value the organisation a lot more than the rigidity of always adhering to the letter of the law.
The upside: adding flexibility such as the above example, or allowing a staff member to start an hour early, or offering a day off per year for your staff to do charitable work can be easily implemented.
The downside: it takes management to monitor this to ensure flexibility doesn’t equal you being walked all over.

9. Train them / develop them
One of the greatest compliments you can give to a staff member is to say – I appreciate you and I want to see you develop and grow. Easy ways to do this: get a speaker/trainer into your office, do a training session yourself, go buy a book or buy one for each of your team members or set up a training library your staff can borrow from at any time.

10. Your time
One of the biggest complaints by staff in my experience is that “my manager doesn’t listen to me”.
The upside: It’s easy fixed if you know about it and care to take the time.

The manager’s dilemma?
You now have to pick the right reward for each of your individual team members. For the introverted person, public praise could be the worst thing they can think of. For some, throwing money at them when all they really want is a heart felt thanks could be a huge insult.
It’s not easy to reward appropriately, but the best manager’s try and try again until it becomes another skill in their talent war chest.

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By Kirsty Dunphey with 4 comments

It’s Not That Hard To Change The World…

I’m sure deep down, we’d all like to make a difference in the world, but sometimes our day to day lives get a little hectic and we don’t get around to it.

Here’s 3 ways you can make a difference right now:

1. Go donate blood (you can save a life, help someone with burns or cancer RIGHT now)

2. Find a cause online and get out the credit card (it’s simple and you’ll get a happy buzz that’ll last you all day long – check out www.hollows.org as one great example)

3. Send someone who makes your world a better place a handwritten card and let them know.

4. Antoinette Wood (sensational event organiser in Townsville) gave me this fantastic idea. Get together a bunch of friends (fellas, sorry I think this may work better with the ladies!) for a cocktail and have them all bring along any clothes they have that are in good condition but just don’t get worn any more (perhaps these items are the wrong size or were impulse buys). Then auction them off amongst your friends with all the funds going to charity (and consider donating any left overs to charity as well!).

So simple, and do-able right now. How have you changed the world for the better today?

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By Kirsty Dunphey with No comments

Kiva loan to Tajikistan

Hey guys - just another update on a recent Kiva loan I've just completed. I'm a huge fan of Kiva and highly encourage you to go and check out just how easy it is to make a micro loan to an entrepreneur in the world.

Today I've made a micro loan to a this entrepreneur.

Check out our Kiva group here to see what some friends of our weekly newsletter have been up to: http://www.kiva.org/community/viewTeam?team_id=1756

By Kirsty Dunphey with No comments

What I would look for when choosing a real estate agent

I’ve worked in real estate since I was 15 years old. One of the main reasons I wanted to open my own agency at the age of 21 was that I was aware that not all real estate agents are equal. Some are dreams, some are nightmares and many are in the middle. I get asked all the time – “how do I find a dream agent to sell my home?”, so this is what I’d look for in trying to find my dream agent.

The dream agent shows me the price
An agent who can SHOW me why they’re saying they can sell my home for a certain price. The way they would need to show me would be by showing me what comparable properties had sold within the past 3 – 6 months (I’d want to see addresses, photos and sale prices). Even better if they have personally or at least their company have been responsible for some of these sales.

The nightmare agent tells me the price
I don’t want an agent who:
• Finds out and then tells me the price I want to hear
• Finds out the other agent quoted prices and then quotes a selling price higher to get the business
• Plucks a price out of their head
• Bases their price on properties that are not comparable to mine

The dream agent’s marketing is first rate
I want to look at your website, your property presentations on real estate portals (like realestate.com.au), your brochures, your sign boards, your newspaper advertisements and see:
• Consistency of branding
• Quality
• Readability
• Descriptive eye catching wording

The nightmare agent’s marketing isn’t flexible
I want options and I want to know why you recommend that marketing option for my property, not a one size fits all approach.

The dream agent talks with me
Their presentation is question based and they take time to find out about me and what I’m looking for. They know their stuff, but they find out what areas I’m most concerned about before launching into a recorded message-like presentation.

The nightmare agent talks at me
Their presentation is said at me and they speak more than 80% of the time.

The dream agent is a natural negotiator
I can test this out by asking them to drop their commission (if they don’t negotiate hard for their money, what are they going to do when it comes to negotiating for mine?). I can also test their negotiation skills if I’ve ever bought from them before – did they get top dollar out of me then?

The nightmare agent is a natural regurgitator
The other agent offered you 20% off? Well we can offer you 25%... The other agent said they’d do that? Well I can do better.

The dream agent cares
I can test this out by showing up 10 minutes before one of their scheduled open homes and watching them arrive, set up and conduct the open. I can test it by taking note of any promises they make (they’ll call me Monday, they’ll find that information out by Wednesday) and see if they live up to it.

The nightmare agent talks at me
The nightmare agent screams in at the last minute for an open home, doesn’t tell me their name and doesn’t follow up.

The dream agent has fans
And they’re more than happy to let me know about their fans by showing me testimonials (lots of glowing ones) and by allowing me to contact people they’ve sold houses for in the past month.

The nightmare agent has people fanatically trying to track them down
(to complain)

The dream agent remembers me
Long after the sale.

The nightmare agent develops acute amnesia
As soon as they get paid.

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By Kirsty Dunphey with No comments

Finding Mentors

Excerpted from Kirsty’s first book Advance to Go, Collect $1 Million

Be careful when you approach a mentor! Realise that if it is someone very successful they are going to be very busy. Here are some tips for making your approach.

Be serious
Most mentors immediately start suggesting things that will push you past your comfort zone. If you’re not prepared to try everything your mentor suggests, stop now.

Ask permission to approach your mentor, recognise their time constraints and be reasonable with your requests
For example, I frequently get emails from young people entering the real estate industry. Many of them ask me questions like: “Can you tell me what your secrets are? Can you tell me what to do to be fantastic in real estate?” How do you answer such questions without typing back a 100 page email? These people are on the right track but that’s not the sort of question you ask of strangers. What I usually tell them is to find a local agent who they can shadow, emulate and learn from. I can no more tell someone all I know in an email than tell them how to be a great lawyer or hair-dresser.

Put forward options that would make it easier for your mentor to help out
For example, I have only approached a possible mentor very recently and was terrified! She is a superb professional speaker and I thought she wouldn’t have time to assist, so I‑gave her some options.
• Option 1 – Give me her upcoming schedule and where possible I could fly to watch her speak and learn from her.
• Option 2 – I could organise a monthly fee in exchange for assistance over the phone or via email.
• Option 3 – I could fly her down to watch me speak and have her comment if possible.
By giving her these options I was guaranteed a better strike rate than if I’d just gone in with option 3.

Tell them why you want to learn from them
Be honest and tell them why you want them as a mentor. I told my speaker mentor that she was the best I’d ever heard (and I’ve seen some of the best in the world) and I wanted to learn from the best. Don’t go over the top, but this person needs to know why you want to learn from them.

Be careful of who you associate with
Don’t let anyone else bring you down. If they make you feel insecure or less than the fabulous person you know you are, take yourself out of that situation and surround yourself with positive and inspirational people. Don’t let anyone steal your dream away from you. Often the most dangerous are those with “your own best interests at heart.” Sometimes in life, to get what you really want you do have to take risks and this can scare those near and dear to you.

Don’t settle for mediocre company! Surround yourself with brilliant, knowledgeable, motivated, creative and talented people. This is positive for your business, and for your professional and personal growth. When I say surround yourself, I am not just talking about people in your office. Offer to take the most inspirational business person in your town out to lunch. Subscribe to an email list of one of your mentors. Or, take a huge risk and pick up the phone or email one of your heroes – you will be surprised at their responses.

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By Kirsty Dunphey with No comments