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In gratitude.

In 2004’ish we connected through a comment I left on your blog. You called and we chatted. You had a lot to say and I was hungry to learn. You shared stories, highlighted people and ideas I should be aware, plus taught me to explore ‘better questions.’

At the time I had just come out of working in the public sector and failing at my first business in the youth work and corporate social responsibility space.

In 2005 during one of our long phone conversations, we were discussing the intersection of my youth work and growing interest in the new media landscape. I referenced young people as ‘media snackers’ and on the call you purchased the domain and challenged me to do something with it.

It took another 6-9 months but in June 2006 mediasnackers.com was launched focussed on ‘how young people create and consume new media.’

Five years later it would have a supporting staff of seven, over a hundred podcasts, dozens of video podcasts, authored a book, have worked with a vast array of clients from local /national government, UNICEF, executive leadership bodies, Ubisoft, marketing agencies, charities etc. plus have delivered on multiple countries on five continents… all because you bought a domain!

Throughout the years since, you have continued to champion and challenge, commend and berate—our long discussions about tepid and sigh-worthy institutions plus traditional business models / thinking always igniting my creativity and amplifying my intentions—and I delighted in how you uncover insights utilising superb lyrics to make a point:

There is a crack, a crack in everything
That’s how the light gets in

Leonard Cohen, Anthem

Thank you g for all that you have revealed and amplified for me.

For being my mentor.

For being a friend.

Mentors matter.

Good ones listen then uncover. Help you move forward or pause to think through a tough decision. They highlight pathways based on experience and intuition, revealing pitfalls and dangers along the way which more untested souls wouldn’t have understood existed.

I’ve been lucky enough to both have wonderful mentors in my life as well as also being mentor for 3 years on the Culture Hive Digital Marketing Academy plus on many occasions with new TEDx license holders in New Zealand.

Mentors can be friends, bosses, colleagues, family. Sessions can be structured or not. Often or little. What matters is that they add value. Reveal and compliment.

Mentors matter.