Dempsey runs an IT company and while she has impeccable knowledge of technology, she’d never been a boss before, so during her first sit-down with Ryan they mostly discussed best practices in interacting with your employees. “Val’s been so great; I can’t even believe it. It was beneficial literally the second we were in the room together.” Ryan’s most valuable advice related to communication and Dempsey now has a sticky note on her computer monitor that says “Have You Connected Today?” that prompts her to make sure she’s talking to her employees.
Dempsey says taking the time to check in with her staff members has made a huge difference. “That was brilliant,” said Dempsey. She also credits Ryan for helping her develop better proposals and to make connections that will help her submit tenders for large IT contracts. “When someone else believes in you, you believe in yourself more. You’d be surprised at how easy it is to fix something that is plaguing you when you have the right resources behind you and the right person in your corner.” Ryan finds mentoring Dempsey rewarding and said, “I am happy to give back, to give them a leg up, to boost their confidence, to help them build their business; I find that meaningful.”
Hermanson told the group of young entrepreneurs at the Mentoring forum that experience has made her braver. “I can appreciate where you all are.” The other mentors, Glenn Williams, Dan Currie, and Valerie Ryan agreed, letting the young entrepreneurs know they aren’t alone, their issues are common, and that the majority of problems can be overcome by keeping the lines of communication with employees open.
