January is National Mentoring Month #mentorship #mentoringmonth #thankyoumentor #mentoringamplifies
In my career and life I’ve had many mentors. My mother has been the best role model. Professional, hard working, a leader in her corporate roles. I was around 7 years old when she started taking me to work with her on the weekends or to University of Missouri-Saint Louis to finish a project for her 2nd degree. She was the bread-winner in our family. She was a leader in a time when men didn’t exactly respect a woman in a leadership role. (late 70s, early 80s).
After high school I went straight into nursing school, graduated, and went to work at MERCY – ST. LOUIS (St. John’s Mercy Medical Center). The nurses in the Burn Unit were all my mentors. Every single one of them taught me how to be a better nurse and how to be a better human. Eventually I became the leader on my shift, and then transitioned to a Nursing Supervisor role.
After that came many career transitions in medicine- discharge planning, home visits, insurance reviews, care management, and even some floor nursing.
There is never a time in medicine when others aren’t helping or teaching. It’s part of the role. Mentors are ever-present in the acute care setting.
In 2003 I changed my career. Once a RN, always a RN, but marketing fascinated me. I read every book, newsletter, and word written by the famous Dan Kennedy. I bought every course.
His words of wisdom are timeless. His sales and marketing strategies are timeless. They work just as well today as they did back then.
I started my own business in 2008 helping #homecareagencies market themselves online. Today Approved Senior Network®Marketing assists hundreds of home care agency owners big and small. George Novoson is my business partner, and for the last 16 years, has served as a mentor to me and every team member we hire.
Today I see Dawn Fiala and Lisa Marsolais becoming AMAZING mentors in our sales training programs. These two ladies are stars in the home care sales and marketing world. Any sales team would be lucky to learn from them. (and you can!)
Mentors have been part of my life for as long as I can remember. Without them, I’m not sure where I would be today.
Happy National Mentoring Month! And thank you for being a mentor.
Tell me who your mentors are! What’s your story?
Valerie VanBooven RN, BSN founded the company after years of working in many different roles from ICU Nurse to Discharge Planner, Home Care, Care Management and more. She wrote her first book in 2003, called “Aging Answers”. After that came “The Senior Solution” in 2009.
Valerie and her staff grew as more home care agencies and senior service businesses realized the undeniable value of being found online.
