Our clients work in a variety of industries – but the same principles of leadership and mentoring apply. The following success stories illustrate how WeMentor worked with people in unique scenarios, to produce the specific results that pleased and benefited the different clients.
A therapist in the massage industry started a massage business in her home. After a few years she moved her business to a kiosk at a retail mall in Minneapolis. She called WeMentor. She identified with a question on one of our postcards, "Are you a leader whom even you would not follow?"
In three years of mentoring she moved into an inline retail site, increased number of massage therapists to 13, added massage products and gift items, expanded neck, shoulder and back massage to foot and full body massages, refined her internal operations and started a second venture connected with her first one. She has learned how to make a profit, mentor people and maintain her life style supporting herself and her two children.
Some of her challenges:
- changing her beliefs about money, being a breadwinner and raising a healthy staff
- making a decision not to be a victim to her business
- developing a higher standard of professionalism in the industry
She attributes many aspects of her growth as a leader, business owner and personhood to the mentoring experience with us. Her vision is large, so our work with her continues.
A president working in a technology firm had the option to become a shareholder with two partners. She joined WeMentor:
- to sort out the dynamics between the two partners
- to decide if she wanted to buy into the company
- to help with the strategic direction of the company
During the year and a half of our professional mentoring relationship it became clear that the two partners were not getting along and were driving the company deep into dysfunction. The president was able to maintain her professionalism while being truthful with both partners – providing options for them to work out the partnership.
The partners chose to not do what was necessary for the betterment of themselves and the company. With our help, the president worked to stabilize the staff while she secured a healthier executive position with another company in the same field.
A management-level executive at General Mills left to purchase a convenience store and gas station franchise in the metro. With his wife, he ran the store for a couple of years. With their teenage kids also pitched in to help out.
As the store grew, the owner’s wife went back to her nursing career and hired help came in to fill her position. The owner came to WeMentor because he needed to break the isolation he was experiencing, gain focus and be with his peers for support, feedback and problem solving.
After a few years, he decided to build a new convenience store and gas station with the same franchiser. We worked with him to sort out his values and align two partners accordingly. We also connected him with a resource to find a location and new development to purchase. He also learned another way of leading besides being a dictator.
New processes and systems needed to be implemented for the owner to run both stores. A position of general manager was created and an accountability system implemented. He is planning to continue working on this vision through the many challenges to his current role. Net profitability since working with WeMentor has increased to over 55%.
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