Almost Christmas! Almost there! Almost have all my gifts picked out… but should there be one more I am considering?

For the past few years I have been the President of the Product Marketing & Management Association for Toronto (TPMA). Having been a business or product marketer for most of my career, I often looked back wishing I had had someone there to help me with some tough questions. I look back and wish I had been given a gift of someone who could help expand my option of choices, guide me at times, and help me out when things were difficult. In short, I wish I had a mentor in my profession, to help with some wisdom.

We cannot change our history, but we can certainly help others form theirs.

Now in its fifth year, I am again leading a team to run a mentoring program in Toronto / GTA, specifically for Marketing Managers, Product Marketers and Managers. We will launch it in the new year, as I am targeting January 22^nd as our kickoff this year. Similar to our last round, I am hoping to bring together over 60 people to help their careers along.

Mentoring isn’t just beneficial to the mentee. In fact, I continually see that employment opportunities at senior levels call for experience as a mentor to run a team. Beyond that, mentors have an opportunity to expand their network to others with whom they probably would not have connected. Often mentors learn something new about cool fresh new techniques that a mentee is developing in their specialty, or industry. Being a mentor also provides you with a new though process, or analysing a challenge from an outside perspective, and challenges the mentor to merger their creativity and years of experience – for a cause outside of their own. Finally, the most cited reason mentors told me they joined in the past, was that they just wanted to give back to their profession. There was a need to feel honoured for the years of learning, and a yearning to make a difference to someone else’s life and career.

Certainly, if any members of Kamazooie are interested in our mentoring program – please let me know. However, my real message isn’t about this specific initiative. Rather, it is about suggesting that all of us consider some way that we are helping someone else – this season. In the case of the TPMA members, I am suggesting that their gift, be to someone they don’t know… and that being some of their time that they will share as a mentor or mentee. For our members here at Kamazooie – I ask you to get involved with some program where you will commit some of your time, and help someone in need. Whether it is mentoring, teaching a craft, helping at a food bank, volunteering at an elders residence, and so on.

Give the gift of your time to someone who really needs it, this season.

It will make a difference to their life, and yours.

Merry Christmas / Kwanzaa / Hannukkah