My Mentor

It is with a touch of sadness that I write this blog.  When I started working with Xpress Healthcare 14 months ago, I was not at all confident about my skills in network marketing.  I had been in network marketing for a few years, but the company with which I was affiliated previously did not provide “real” training.  It was more like (take out your pom-poms) “you can do it, you can do it, you can, you can!”  I was never very successful.

Upon joining Xpress, almost immediately, our Corporate ABO Mentor took me under his wing and began mentoring me – one-on-one!  We had a scheduled call each week, plus we talked several times in between.  Early on he asked me to host a call for him – a nationwide corporate call!  After revealing my insecurity, he told me that I could do it, and he gave me a few tips.  I was a nervous wreck, but I hosted the call.  Once I began talking, my nerves calmed down, and I did fine.

As time went on, my mentor repeatedly challenged me with new tasks, and over the next few months I grew.  I began to build a strong team, hosted both corporate and team calls regularly, and I tried things I never thought I could do.  My mentor was always there cheering me on.

I have worked hard and become one of the top team leaders, and I have many wonderful team members of whom I am very proud.  I have taken a few of them under my wing, challenging and helping them as my mentor did with me.

Now comes the sad part… A couple months ago, my mentor’s father became very ill and eventually passed away.  He was out of work for a couple weeks.  When he returned, he was different.  We spoke frequently, and he shared that he was having difficulty doing the tasks he’d been doing from the beginning. He felt as though he needed to be with his family more, to support them. He was working ridiculous hours, mentoring his own team and anyone else who needed help. He was barely sleeping and was getting bad colds every few weeks.

Finally, after weeks back on the job, he shared with me that he couldn’t continue doing his job.  His job was his life prior to his father’s death, but he simply couldn’t maintain that schedule anymore. He wanted and needed to be with his family.

So, he has now resigned from our company.  He has taken on a “normal” job, allowing him to be with his family regularly, support his newly-widowed mother and begin to regain his health.  Everyone was shocked to learn he had left.

He and I are still speaking on the phone regularly, but there is a void in the company.  And rumors about why he “really” left are beginning to spread.  I know why he left.  I wasn’t surprised, because he’d spoken to me about it.  I saw it coming.

Having this knowledge doesn’t make me miss him any less.  Whether or not the company will bring on another “mentor” is yet to be seen, but even if they do, no one will ever replace him in my heart. I am happy for him. Thank you Mike. I will be forever grateful for your mentoring and your friendship.