My #1 Mentor

I have to be grateful for the opportunity of having many mentors in my life. Ever since I was a teenager I had the opportunity to meet a lot of great individuals who have been there to guide me. Although over time I have had many mentors in many of the things I have done one mentor who has not left my side since I was born is my Uncle Irving better known to me as “Tio Tito”.

A mentorship can take many forms; it can be motivated by religion, business, family, friends, or common interests. He not only is my uncle, he is my Godfather (catholic religion including baptism & confirmation), second father, and has mentored me in all of the stages of my life.

A mentor is there to guide, assist, advise, and troubleshoot. Tio tito has done the following:

• Guided me when I have seemed lost from disappointments in my personal life to the professional side like when I did not pass the CPA Exam. He has been their to re-focus my energy.
• Assisted me on many occasions I have had trouble understanding things and he was there. From explaining what the Archie Comic was trying to say when I was a kid to helping me out financially when I have gone through financial hardship. My uncle has always been there to assist.
• Advise me I see things most of the time very differently from my Uncle but on occasions the objective is the same. He usually gives me his take on things from choosing the New Logo of the rebranding I did for CIMA IT Solutions a few days ago to helping me solve complex issues in the way I approach things in life.
• Troubleshooting by having a different way of seeing things, he helps me find a quick solution to many of the problems I have been trying to solve for a lot of time.

I did not choose my mentor since in some way he choose me and has also provided me the following:

• My uncle has given me support in the toughest of times.
• He has been the driver of many of my goals and has helped me define them.
• He has been my sounding board where I have been able to analyze certain business and personal situations.
• By never leaving my side and always being approachable with a phone call away I know for a fact that “Tio Tito” has been a mentor for many not only me.
• His patience and compassion are admirable and have helped me keep my communication pretty open with him.

Why Tio Tito is my #1 Mentor

I can be Open and Honest with him

• Share succeses and failures
• He has provided me and still provides shortcuts to my learning process.

His conversations are “Thought Provoking”

• Encourage critical thinking.
• A very solid reflective questioning method.

He always Keeps it Real

• By always using real life situation as examples
• Offering respectful and honest advice.
• Real scenarios offer a strong reference point to proceed or correct.

Provided a Two Way Channel

• Always accepting my feedback even when we disagree.
• He keeps my goals in mind to help me succeed.

Adapts to My Style

• building on feedback that i provide
• never afraid to change directions
• end goal is more important than the process

Leads by Example

Always leading by example is why I have so much admiration. I have been able to interact with people that have worked with my uncle in various places. The stories are pretty consistent on how he is always leading the way but being an example to follow first.

Thanks to my #1 Mentor

I am the person I am today. I strive everyday to make him and the rest of my family proud. Thanks to “Tio Tito” being a father these days becomes a lot easier since he has given me another great father figure to follow. Thanks again for being my #1 Mentor Tio Tito and Happy Birthday!

Who is your #1 Mentor?

What are the things do you look for in a Mentor?