On January 24, 2024, the 22nd International Mentoring Day will take place. It’s an opportunity to reflect on and be thankful for the mentors you’ve had in your life, appreciate the community that uplifts you, and focus on ways that you, too, can be a positive influence in someone’s life.
Mentorship can make a massive difference in people’s lives. You can likely look back at your own history and pinpoint important figures who helped shape you into the person you are today. Without them, you may not have reached the heights you’ve achieved.
This International Mentoring Day, we encourage you to celebrate by giving back in your own way.
Beauty Pro Mentoring
The beauty industry is filled with opportunities to make an impact. If you want to use your platform, skills, and expertise to help others accomplish their goals, mentorship is an excellent idea. To help you get started, we’ve compiled a list of meaningful ways to make a difference.
Talk to High School and College Students
While there is no set of rules regarding mentoring, the dynamic often plays out where a younger, more impressionable person finds the guidance of a more experienced authority.
Story after story tells the tale of a lost youth turning their life around with the help of a strong role model.
If you want to make a difference in young people’s lives, speaking to high school and college students is a phenomenal way to do it.
Whether it’s sharing your inspiring story, giving guidance to those interested in becoming beauty pros, or simply providing insights into alternative paths for their futures, your willingness to mentor—even briefly—could have a lifelong impact!
Volunteer in the Community
Everywhere you look, people are in need of mentoring. The opportunities to make a difference surround you; it’s just a matter of positioning yourself to help. By volunteering in the community, you can put yourself in touch with those who may be searching for a mentor.
Whether it’s offering your beauty pro services to those in need, helping the community come together at a holiday event, or rallying your beauty biz around a worthy cause, getting active in the local scene is a great first step toward making a real and lasting difference in people’s lives.
Who knows, you might just find someone to take under your wing long-term.
Hire an Intern
Skill and education play a role in your success as a beauty pro, but experience and professional connections are just as—if not more—important.
If you want the chance to help someone grow as a beauty pro and set them up for long-term success, hiring an intern is a wonderful idea.
College students and recent graduates typically fill internship roles. Their fervor for learning and clear ambition make them fun and gratifying to mentor.
Taking an intern under your wing to help them succeed in the competitive world of beauty is sure to benefit them and their careers, but also you. The reward of seeing them grow, the development of your skill as a teacher, and the wholesome dynamic it brings to your salon are all tremendously valuable.
Create an Online Course
There is a classic picture of mentorship that involves one mentor and one mentee. While this is a powerful way to build a connection and create a positive mentoring relationship, it is not the only way to help people in need of guidance.
Creating an educational online course where you share your beauty pro knowledge—both technical and anecdotal—can reach an untold number of people.
You can design and scale such a course however you please, allowing you to provide aspiring beauty pros with value in a way that works for everyone.
Alternatively, you can become an educator at a local institution. This might be more demanding of your time and have less wide-reaching potential, but it provides the opportunity to connect with learners in person and form mentoring relationships with them.
Bring on an Apprentice
Mentoring someone one-on-one is a truly special experience.
As a beauty pro, the connection you can create, the knowledge you can pass on, and the meaningful ways you can impact an apprentice’s life both professionally and personally make the investment quite compelling.
Unlike an intern—who usually stays only briefly and primarily shadows various professionals within your salon—apprentices tend to stay longer, actively practice what they’re learning, and focus on gleaning knowledge from a single source.
While the time and money (apprentices are typically paid) are considerations, the rewards are well worth it.
This International Mentoring Day, take time to reflect on individuals in your life who have made a profound difference. Then, turn your attention to how you can play that same role in the next generation. You’ll be glad you did!
For more beauty biz insights, be sure to subscribe to Beauty Insurance Plus and visit our frequently updated blog.
