In this transcript, business coach Clay Clark (US SBA Entrepreneur of the Year) discusses with Chef Remmi (“teen-preneur”) what mentors mean to her and why they’re important on Thrive15.com, one of the most practical business schools in Florida!
Clay Clark: Now really, Forbes magazine have spent a massive amount of money and time researching successful people and successful business coach. What they continually find, is that successful people, all successful people, basically they learn from mentors or mistakes.
Chef Remmi: Mm-hmm (affirmative)-
Clay Clark: In fact, there was an article written called, “Why entrepreneurs need good mentors.” This thing came out November 14 of 2013. They wrote, “A Good Mentor… Is Direct Yet Supportive. It’s no use if a mentor softens his or her language to make you feel good about yourself. A good mentor is direct yet supportive. Even difficult messages can be delivered in a supportive way. The best mentors offer practical, timely advice and encourage you to take action.” Who have been your mentors so far for your company, Cook Time With Remmi?
Chef Remmi: I think I have had a lot of mentors as well. I have my mom, she is probably one of the most effective and important mentor that I have had. She has been on this roller-coaster ride with me the whole entire time.
Clay Clark: Does your mom ever tell you stuff you don’t want to hear, but you need to hear?
Chef Remmi: Yeah. I mean, that’s what a mentor has to do. You can’t omit the information that you need to know.
Clay Clark: Yeah.
Chef Remmi: So, it’s like telling someone you don’t need to drink water. That’s like, what’s the point of that?
Clay Clark: Yeah.
Chef Remmi: My mom had been really a great mentor. Also I’ve also found a network, I’ve met [inaudible 00:01:31] network. I’ve met these kind of teens, I mean, they’re only a few years older than me, but they’ve learned from their journey of being an entrepreneur. I think they have also been great mentors. As well in the kitchen, I’ve learned a lot from a lot of the chefs I’ve met.
Clay Clark: Now, your mom was in the business world for years. She kind of is interesting because she understands business, but, she also understands being a mom, and she also understands cooking. I think it’s a neat, neat fit. For someone watching this that doesn’t have a mentor, my advice for you would be, one, go on to these Thrive episodes and watch as much as you can from people who are doing what you want to do. If somebody’s already been there, and it’s a great, you mentioned these teen entrepreneurs, they’ve already been there, so they can show you how they got up the mountain. I think that’s really exciting. As far as mentors and the power of these mentors, it seems like you’ve set up some strategic partnerships there. Can you go through those real quick? You have Whole Foods right?
Chef Remmi: Yes.
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Clay Clark: You sell your products in their stores. You have Sodexo that you’re partnered with. Walk me through some of these groups you’re partnered with, and why you’re doing that.
Chef Remmi: Whenever I did my culinary kid, I had partners, I partnered with Thermador, because I used their kitchen, I used their appliances.
Clay Clark: Thermador? Really? I did not know that.
Chef Remmi: Also, I work with Metro Appliances & More, they’re the place that housed my set basically for the show.
Clay Clark: Yeah.
Chef Remmi: That’s where my kitchen was.
Clay Clark: Yeah.
Chef Remmi: I had a partnership with them, so I promoted them, I did commercials for them, and I did commercials with Thermador. With partnership you have to both gain something from it, or else, it’s not a partnership with a business coach.
Clay Clark: Can you repeat that again? With a partnership, you have to what?
Chef Remmi: You have to both gain. It has to be a win/win situation.
Clay Clark: I want to make sure if you’re watching this, I think we have a culture right now, it’s not just now, it’s been forever, but, the idea as a human right, we want to take. We want to, “Hey, can I borrow your shirt, hey can I borrow your pants, hey can I borrow your car, hey can I borrow your pen, your paper, can I borrow, can I borrow, can I take, can I take.” We never think about building a win/win. You have these sustainable relationships where you are making a commercial, for this company, and they’re letting you use their kitchen.
Chef Remmi: Mm-hmm (affirmative)-
Clay Clark: It is like a win/win. Have you always decided as a business coach to make it a win/win? Have you and your mom decided, “Hey we’re going to make this a win/win?”
Chef Remmi: The thing is, with partners, basically, they’re interested in your success. So, you both are aiming toward the same thing. I mean, there’s not really, you both want to get something from a business coach.
Clay Clark: Napoleon Hill, my favorite success author and business coach talks a lot about this, and I know growing up, without a lot of money, I know a lot of people who thought, “The key to being successful is just to be a hard negotiator and to try to take as much as you can.” You’re saying that you want to build these win/win partnerships.
Chef Remmi: If you build partnerships, and they will last a long time, then they can help you for a long time. They’re going to help you get stronger, and also, your partner can also be a mentor for you. They can help you grow as an entrepreneur, and they can help your business grow.