![\"\"](\"https:\/\/futurpreneur.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Devo_1-12.jpg\" "\\"Devo_1")
<\/a><\/p>\nWe sat down with Devon Brooks, Co-Founder of <\/em>Blo Blow Dry Bar<\/em><\/a> to learn her secrets to mentoring successful young entrepreneurs. Devon recently joined the <\/em>Futurpreneur Canada Board of Directors<\/em><\/a>, and we\u2019re excited that she\u2019ll be bringing her entrepreneurship and mentoring expertise\u2014as well as her youthful energy\u2014to the organization.<\/em><\/p>\n In the following interview, Devon shares her tips on what it takes to be a good mentor, how to build a successful mentoring relationship and what drives her to share her expertise with Canada\u2019s aspiring young business owners.<\/em><\/p>\n Mentorship was incredibly natural for me. I grew up watching my mom, Judy Brooks, actively nurture\u00a0and guide people in our community.\u00a0Since founding Blo, I have informally mentored upwards of 20 creatives and start-up entrepreneurs. I\u2019ve also had the pleasure of mentoring the founders of Canada’s first cold-pressed juice company, The Juice Truck<\/a>, for more than three years through Futurpreneur Canada\u2019s formal mentoring program<\/a>. Their business has thrived and is responsible for igniting a huge cold-pressed scene here in Canada. I absolutely cherish the friendship we\u2019ve built, and I\u00a0connect with them as often as I can. The founders, Zach Berman and Ryan Slater<\/a>, are some of the most emotionally adept, kind and special men I’ve ever come to know.<\/p>\n I often hear mentors say that giving is so satisfying. I absolutely feel dutiful about my work as a mentor\u2014I dig the output and volunteerism, for sure. But, I need to be clear. I very much GET SOMETHING from this. It keeps me fresher than anything else I do. You only get your first time launching a business once. As a mentor, I get it over and over again. Each time I begin a new mentorship, I benefit from a start-up experience right from square one.\u00a0It keeps me on the\u00a0front lines. Innovating. Reflecting. Problem-solving.\u00a0\u00a0It’s an\u00a0exercise\u00a0that yields immediate results for me.<\/p>\n It\u2019s when I see a mentee spinning their wheels\u00a0and burning out. I get tremendously invested in the well-being\u00a0of my mentees, not just in their success. Because of the range of challenges I have already faced, I take a real\u00a0mind\/body approach to life. Nothing is worth doing that leaves you with that empty feeling. It’s important to be\u00a0thoughtful about the time that you put into your businesses\u2014at any stage. Your work cannot be your only source of enrichment. It’s not sustainable.<\/p>\n A good mentor has their ego in check. They are just as happy to dish about their missteps as they are to share their shiny accomplishments. Mistakes are invaluable. They are role models and have a knack for mirroring\u00a0back what they\u2019re hearing and observing. It\u2019s all about supporting your mentees in learning, rather than trying to give them the ‘answers’. Good mentors teach you how to fish and forage. But they don’t know it all. They can’t! When a question or scenario arrives that isn’t part of their ‘A game’ they are stoked to introduce a specialist to the mix who can add value to the dialogue.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n A good mentee is accountable.\u00a0They are just as appreciative of compliments as they are of\u00a0critique.\u00a0They take amazing notes\u00a0and do their best to circle back and keep their mentor updated on the progress of any deliverables agreed on in session. They fess up. Nobody can provide worthwhile guidance without having the whole truth. You can’t be worried about looking stupid. That doesn’t help anyone.\u00a0They are gracious and honour their mentor however they can, be it through random acts of kindness, testimonials, nominations or some other awesome form of gratitude.<\/p>\n I am fortunate to be surrounded by world-class creators who I get to call on as sounding-boards. Their wisdom and honesty have helped me continue to find clarity by observing my fears, and trusting my own instincts.<\/p>\n Whether it’s a mentee or mentor you\u2019re looking for, take your time, and don’t be afraid to decline if you aren’t digging the vibe. When you\u2019re in a flow with someone, you notice immediately. Patience will pay\u00a0off.\u00a0Like any successful\u00a0relationship, mentorship needs to be a reciprocal process, one where both parties are totally committed to contributing meaningfully and with preparedness.<\/p>\n Devon launched Blo<\/a>, a concept born from a second-year university project, when she was just 21 years old. Today the company has 52 locations in four countries, and has collaborated with international mega-brands like Mattel and Guess and actress Gwyneth Paltrow. <\/strong><\/p>\n Devon has been recognized multiple times for her entrepreneurial prowess. She was named to Marketing Magazine\u2019s 2012 30 Under 30<\/a> list, Chatelaine Magazine\u2019s Hot 20 Under 30 Women of the Year<\/a> list and PROFIT Magazine\u2019s 2012 The Fabulous 30<\/a> list alongside Cirque du Soleil\u2019s Guy Lalibert\u00e9 and Joe \u2018Fresh\u2019 Mimran.<\/p>\n Read her full bio<\/a> on our website. If you would like to connect with Devon, follow her on Twitter<\/a> and Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n Written by:\u00a0<\/strong>Devon Brooks, Blo Blow Dry Bar and Kristin Knapp, Futurpreneur Canada Staff Writer<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" We sat down with Devon Brooks, Co-Founder of Blo Blow Dry Bar to learn her secrets to mentoring successful young entrepreneurs. Devon recently joined the Futurpreneur Canada Board of Directors, and we\u2019re excited that she\u2019ll be bringing her entrepreneurship and mentoring expertise\u2014as well as her youthful energy\u2014to the organization. In the following interview, Devon […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":4540,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15,12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4539","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entrepreneurship","category-mentoring"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/futurpreneur.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4539","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/futurpreneur.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/futurpreneur.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/futurpreneur.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/futurpreneur.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4539"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/futurpreneur.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4539\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/futurpreneur.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4540"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/futurpreneur.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4539"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/futurpreneur.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4539"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/futurpreneur.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4539"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}You\u2019re known for being a pretty amazing mentor to young entrepreneurs. How did you get started on that path?<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Why do you do it?<\/strong><\/h4>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nThat\u2019s amazing. But I\u2019m sure it can\u2019t be easy all the time. What have you found to be the most challenging parts of the mentoring relationship?<\/strong><\/h4>\n
What qualities do you think make you\u2014or anyone\u2014a good mentor?<\/strong><\/h4>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nIn your experience, what makes a mentee great to work with?<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Do you have any experience being mentored, yourself?<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Finally, what advice do you have for people starting their first mentoring relationship?<\/strong><\/h4>\n
About Devon Brooks<\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n