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Elevate Your Career: Unveiling the Power of the Secret Mentor Strategy

When I was in my mid 20’s, I had the opportunity to join a new and exciting company in the luxury cosmetics field and started the job with stars in my eyes. I was already working as a freelance makeup artist around Nashville by offering my services to photographer, videographer, and event planning friends in the music business, so this seemed like the next right step.

Once I got into the swing of the daily job, I quickly realized how much I didn’t know. Not only was my product knowledge lacking, but my artistic skill was in it’s infancy – all I had to do was assist another seasoned makeup artist to witness her calm expertise while she served a challenging client (and it was obvious that her experience was light years away from my own!)

The Secret Mentor Strategy

After some time, I noticed one artist in particular. She was polite, well groomed, and reserved (some would even say intimidating)…but her work was head and shoulders above the rest. Her ability to glance at someone and know exactly what product and shade to use spoke to her deep knowledge of our inventory; her skill at application and personal touch revealed her ability to execute both parts of her job (the artistic side and the sales side) with excellence.

At that moment, I decided to make her my “secret mentor” by following three steps: I would watch her work, try to emulate her as much as possible, and always help her (and never be a hindrance or annoyance!).

The strategy worked. It didn’t cost anything of me except my pride (and I was fine with being in the student role…I was too eager to learn to feel anything but excitement about it!) By observing someone else do the job really well, it helped me to visualize myself at that level and inspired me to work harder. It also brought focus to my mind during a shift because now I knew who I could turn to with my questions, where I could go to learn a new technique, and how I needed to be filling my time.

If you are starting a new job or transitioning careers, it will benefit you to find someone at your new firm to be your “secret mentor.” You don’t have to tell anyone (hence, the “secret” part) but you do have to pay attention!

You can do this by:

recognizing those in leadership who do their job well
zeroing-in on one or two people at this level
honoring those people by being a pillar of support for their work
and learn, learn, learn as much as possible!

Over time, I gleaned a wealth of knowledge from that artist, and we eventually became friends. Because of the example that my “secret mentor” set for me, I was able to rise to a role of brand education and regional leadership (which I loved even more than being a makeup artist!) There were many mistakes made during the early days of my working life, but this is a strategy that I’ve carried over to other jobs and careers and it has brought me success – I hope it serves you well!

Do you have a “secret” mentor or similar strategy? Let me know in the comments, or shoot me a quick email!

What is Courage?

“Courage is the commitment to begin without any guarantee of success.” — Goethe

The Advent of Zechariah’s God

Zechariah was a priest and prophet about 500 years before the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, yet he prophesied more than 14 specific points about the coming of Christ. His name, and the title of his book, means “the Lord remembers.”

We must remember the context: this was after the calling of a people through Abraham. After the period of enslavement in Egypt. After the miraculous exodus. After the wandering and battles and victories and losses. After the Babylonian captivity. After being set free, once again.

In Zech. chapter 2, we witness the powerful language of God speaking through Zechariah to His people, crying out, “Come, O Zion! Escape, you who live in the Daughter of Babylon!”

And

“Jerusalem will be a city without walls because of the great number of men and livestock in it. And I myself will be a wall of fire around it,” declares the Lord, “and I will be it’s glory within.”

And

“Shout and be glad, O Daughter of Zion. For I am coming, and I will live among you...Many nations will be joined with the Lord in that day and will become my people. I will live among you and you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you.”

Zechariah’s life was spent declaring the coming of Immanuel, the God who chose in love to come be with His people. Zechariah was fulfilling the priestly role—to prepare the way for the Lord…to call many nations out of Babylon and into Zion…to ignite a fire of readiness. He was foreshadowing the coming of Christ, our great High Priest (Heb. 4:14-16).

Our God is not passive. Not forgetful. He remembers.

Can you feel the anticipation building?

Are you being made ready?

O Come, All You Unfaithful

Three Things: Winter is Coming Edition (plus a bonus goodie!)

Temps are dropping, skies are grey, and gusts of wind whip the last of the golden leaves to blanket the ground. We are saying goodbye to glorious fall and bracing ourselves for a long winter–a winter spent (mostly) at home, no doubt, and in need of accoutrements.

In the spirit of making-the-most out of our mostly stationary lifestyle (hashtag 2020), I’ve put together a quick wishlist of items that I’m eyeing for the coming winter season.

A Writer’s Campaign: Laundry, Essays, and Pressing On Toward the Goal

I look at the clock again. How is it that time already? Where have the last 45 minutes gone? I’m scrambling to finish the task I am doing, one of about a thousand that requires me to do it, my hands and my feet, and not anyone else. My pace quickens as I throw in another load of laundry, picking up items on the way to be distributed to their original places.

The small people in my home, my own flesh and blood and tears and laughter, ignore my prompt to brush their teeth to fight over a ninja turtle action figure instead. It is as if my house is spinning around me, tiny faces and random things flying through the air, and I can’t find a steady place to hang on to. I am Dorothy without her ruby red slippers.

How St. Augustine is guiding me through this election

I’ve been spending some significant time with St. Augustine lately. If you remember, he was the Bishop of Hippo during the fall of Rome, that great “Eternal City.” I like the bishop; he is profoundly relatable. He shares the inner dialogue of his heart and mind with astonishing transparency in Confessions, a sort of autobiographical retelling of his coming to Christ at age 34 (If you have not read Augustine yet, start here.)

But it is his political theory -and more so his theory of history and how we fit into history- in his dense work, The City of God, that has caught my attention during this insane election cycle.

Faith and Career Choices: When God Asks You to Quit Your Job

Was I making the right decision?

Why would God tell me to quit a job that I loved?

What about my career path? Or finances?

What would my colleagues think?

Oh, Piercing Word: The Hurt of the Lord

It was a simple mistake. A grammatical error, to be exact. But it was on the internet, the modern-day public square, and (crucial to note) the error changed the meaning of the statement. When I received a mocking response (yes, from a stranger!) I was surprised at how it felt—like a hot iron, pulled from an angry fire, and pressed on my mistake. Exposing, embarrassing, and painful. My face flushed with shame; I was caught in a stupid blunder.

And just as quickly, the embarrassment was followed by shock at my reaction. Why had I responded that way?