To preserve her anonymity, I’ll call her Chingum, and I bet she’s laughing her head off as she reads this name, I’ve given her! I met her several years ago in Haiti, during a school entrepreneurship program I had created. I’ve always believed that entrepreneurial skills don’t just build businesses, they shape better professionals: people who are solution-driven and adaptable in the face of challenges.
Back then, Chingum was in high school. She already stood out for her energy, curiosity, and big dreams. Not long ago, less than a year, in fact, she earned her bachelor’s degree in Human Resources from the University of Montreal. My wife and I have had the privilege of following her journey over the years and supporting her through her choices.
Like many new graduates, Chingum felt intense anxiety at the idea of starting her career. She dreamed of joining a major corporation, convinced that it would be the ultimate mark of success. I completely understood that anxiety, I see it in my own children too, as they wonder how to find their place in an increasingly competitive and demanding job market. In a world where everything moves too fast and success seems expected overnight, the pressure can be overwhelming.
My wife and I shared a simple but essential piece of advice with her: volunteer while job hunting. Why? Because that time is a precious opportunity to:
- Learn: Discover the realities of the professional world beyond theory.
- Explore: Observe, experiment, and understand real-world dynamics.
- Be humble: Accept that beginnings matter, and every step counts.
- Find your purpose: Reflect on the kind of impact you want to have in your community.
Chingum followed that advice and the results exceeded our expectations. Through volunteering, she gained perspective, found calm, and approached her entry into the workforce with renewed confidence. In the end, she didn’t join a large firm as she had initially hoped, but rather a small to mid-sized company. What seemed at first like a compromise turned out to be a blessing. By wearing many hats, she quickly built rich, hands-on experience and almost without realizing it, grew into a management role. Today, she’s happy, grateful, and optimistic, confident that this experience is a solid springboard for her future.
As La Fontaine’s fable The Tortoise and the Hare reminds us: “ Slow and steady wins the race.”.
That lesson applies just as much to students as it does to new entrepreneurs. When launching their ventures, entrepreneurs often experience a similar phase: their “baby,” the result of months or even years of hard work, is finally ready. They dream of quick success but often collide with market realities, entering their own form of entrepreneurial crisis:
- Learning never stops: every stage brings discoveries and challenges.
- Humility is key: progress requires accepting failure as part of growth.
- Underpromising and overdelivering builds long-term credibility.
- And above all: knowing your “why.” Understanding your personal mission and the impact you want to create in your community fuels perseverance.
It’s in these moments that guidance makes all the difference. Mentorship may sound like a modern idea, but it actually dates back to ancient Greece. In Homer’s Odyssey, more than 3,000 years ago, Ulysses entrusted his son Telemachus to his trusted friend Mentor. Since then, the word has come to mean a wise and caring guide, someone who lights the way.
So, it’s no surprise that all over the world, organizations supporting entrepreneurs place mentorship at the heart of what they do. I saw it firsthand when I worked with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Rennes, France, the connections we created between mentors and entrepreneurs were priceless. And I see the same truth today in Canada, with Futurpreneur , a national organization I work with that has made mentorship a foundational pillar of its support model.
For a new entrepreneur, a mentor is more than just an advisor — they’re a compass. A mentor helps you stay focused on what truly matters, maintain balance, and move forward with confidence despite the pressure. They bring you back to your core purpose and help you anchor your “why” in every decision you make. Whether you’re a student or an entrepreneur, that initial anxiety is inevitable. But it can be transformed into strength — through learning, humility, the guidance of a mentor, and above all, a clear sense of purpose.
So I leave you with this question as you prepare to take your next big step:
Do you truly know your “why”? Are you ready to let it guide each of your steps as you build your future with confidence and calm — and maybe even laugh at your early beginnings the way Chingum probably would today?
