I’ve had two growth spurts: a physical one when I entered my teens and an entrepreneurial one when I met my mentor.
I was going nowhere…fast
I was in my mid 20s and had been plodding along with various business ideas and going nowhere.
My mentor was the owner/operator of the first restaurant I worked in. I had been a part-time server at his restaurant to get extra funds for travel. When I returned, I took a job doing each-and-everything in the kitchen of the same restaurant and worked side-by-side with the owner.
He had been involved in all kinds of ventures and his infectious business spirit grabbed me. He basically said that he would offer his support and experience to anyone who was willing to become an entrepreneur, specifically a restaurateur.
Missing piece
This was the missing piece in my quest to become a entrepreneur, and it accelerated my learning curve. Not only did I further appreciate the workings and existence of a front-end and back-end of a busy restaurant, but I also recognized the necessary detailed groundwork needed to establish a business. It would turn out to be a mixed bag for both of us, though.