Mentoring makes a canny difference

Karen Marshall came away from the Meet A Mentor in Newcastle "buzzing and clutching three business cards".  Here she talks about why she set up her Marketing and PR business, Canny Marshall, what inspired her to source a mentor, and how finding the right mentor can prove invaluable.

Karen Marshall launched her Marketing and PR Agency, Canny Marshall, in October 2012. Its services include campaign planning and delivery, on-line and social media as well as business and partnership development. Asked why she set up the business, she says:

"I worked in the public and private sector for 15 years creating and delivering communication campaigns in tourism, destination management and the leisure industry. I really wanted to break free from being an employee, to do my own thing, so I did!  I’ve learnt a great deal working in the industry and I know I can help individuals and companies improve their businesses by simple marketing techniques and focussed activity."

Prior to setting up a business, Karen worked for Sunderland City Council and they provided a bit of support through a ‘Be Your Own Boss’ scheme and since then she's also found some useful support from Project North East in Newcastle. It was when attending a workshop by Durham Creatives that she got the idea to source a mentor, she says:

"Joanna Feeley from Trend Bible did a fascinating session on ‘predicting trends’ and to set the scene she talked about how her career had developed . She strongly recommended developing a network of mentors and explained how supportive they’d been throughout her development. It’s something that’s been on my radar for a while so I was still pondering it the next day when I spotted a tweet from ‘Get Mentoring’, no time like the present, so I signed up on the spot!"

It seems that it was worth signing up as Karen met three potential mentors at the event, she says:

"I came away from the event buzzing and clutching 3 business cards. Three very different mentors, whom I’ve been in contact with, and have been very helpful and interested in what I’m doing. One has a very specifically financial background, another has a similar business to mine and freakily similar interests, and then Angela, who I am now in regular contact with."

Angela and Karen had an initial meeting and got to know a little bit more about each other over a coffee. They decided how they would work together, as Angela doesn’t live in Newcastle, about the main challenges Karen was finding at that time. That was 2 months ago and Karen now emails her every two weeks on a Sunday evening, she says;

"It’s a very relaxed email which sets out my thought, my worries, my good news and my thinking. She provides me with encouragement, some advice on different ways of approaching projects, she challenges me, bucks me up when things haven’t gone to plan and celebrates my successes".

We asked Karen if she felt having a mentor had made a difference to her business, she says:

"Yes. I am an excitable sort, her backup makes me feel more confident in my decision making. When I’m pondering  a new project I think ‘what will Angela make of this’. It makes me ask a few more questions of myself before jumping in. If I can explain the project or challenge to her, then I can explain it better to myself".

She describes one particular area where Angela's support has been invaluable:

"Recently I tendered for a contract for a local authority. It was the first formal tender I have pulled together and I spent time thinking about my response, my price, my offer and how to pitch myself. As you’d expect I had a conversation with Angela about it and she gave me a lovely piece of advice. ‘If you’re not successful don’t take it personally. The question you should ask yourself is 'How could I improve?'. Well I didn’t get it, there was someone better placed to deliver it. I reacted positively due to the advice she gave me. I requested feedback, didn’t take it personally, and I am now better placed for my next tender."

Karen says she'd advise any new business owner to give mentoring a try,

"It’s a completely different relationship than the ones you already have. Your business colleagues, your friends and family will listen and be supportive and say the right things, but you get a different perspective from your mentor. Don’t get me wrong, you need to find the right one, someone you can trust and you know has you best interests at heart."

"I think the only thing I would say is that you do need to invest time, I spend at least an hour every two weeks responding or communicating with my mentor. If your mentor is giving their time, you need to give yours too, but its time well spent."

Canny Marshall is now growing a good and varied client base, which means that Karen is finally hoping to have a bit more time to develop a new on-line business which she describes as "cooking up as we speak".

She thinks that mentoring will continue to play a part in her life. "No doubt I will grow new relationships and some will fall by the wayside. I find the relationships very helpful for my business and my sanity". She says that any new business owner should give mentoring a try,

"I like the thought of being a mentor in the future.  I know how valuable having a mentor is and I have certainly gained from it.  I’m a firm believer in karma and giving back, so I have to really!"