I like being a mentor because I want to help women, especially women who are in the process of starting a business.  I hope to help them avoid common pitfalls experienced in the startup phase of a business.  I gain fresh perspectives and ideas from each mentoring conversation.  The MWN virtual mentoring system makes it extremely easy to form mentoring relationships. ---- Sharon 

Mentoring to me is critical in seeking objective views on situations, career path, andeven perceived or real road blocks.   Sometimes it is your mentor who helps you through a tough situation that has upside when over and done.  Without your mentor, you may not have stuck it out.  We all need a reliable and trusted person to engage in such discussions. ---Catherine

Although it is supposed to be and is very much a professional relationship, I often feel like my mentors have guided me not only on the ins and outs of my career but also provided invaluable information on balancing work and family, how to deal (and participate in) office politics, how to dress, etc. My mentors do not sugar coat their advice and are blunt and direct when needing to be without being unprofessional. This has given me the confidence I needed to reach for and obtain a position with more responsibility. This is a prime example of Passing the Torch and I look forward to continued connections to more mentors though WIA Inc. --- Sharonda