Be a Mentor

Six years ago I was fortunate to cross paths with a man named Kevin Edgerton. I was working as the editor of a small magazine in Collegedale, Tennessee. I was three years out of school and my wife and I were eager to seek out on our own and find our fortune.

Kevin was the Director of Corporate Communications for a large healthcare company in Winter Park, Florida, and he offered me a job. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I learned quickly that Kevin was a true creative genius. A great designer, a wonderful writer, and a confidant presenter, Kevin was the complete package with all the tools for success.

For two years I worked under Kevin’s tutelage. Of the many lessons I learned from Kevin, two stand out.
1. Shortly after I came to work for Kevin, he told me that in order to flourish as a creative individual, it was important to allow oneself time to grow. He called this exercise “professional grazing.” And he encouraged me to take at least an hour each week to put work away and “graze.” Sometimes it meant playing with Photoshop. Sometimes it meant surfing the internet. And other times it meant going to the bookstore and reading.
2. The second lesson was how to walk the fine line between high-power corporate executives and renegade creative artists. Kevin was good at diplomacy. In fact, it was a big part of his job. And in the time since Kevin and I parted ways, I’ve seen many of my contemporaries miss out on amazing jobs and fantastic opportunities because of their lack of diplomacy and their renegade attitudes.

Today I look back on my time working with Kevin and I’m grateful for what he taught me. I’m continually on the look-out for opportunities to “graze” and when I’m presented with a difficult situation or opposing viewpoint, I try to see things from the other perspective and then seek to find common ground.

Even though we live 500 miles away, Kevin and I occasionally get together for lunch and the chance to catch up. Each time he inspires me.

Who are you inspiring and what skills do you have to share?
Someone needs you. Be a mentor.