A friend of mine wants to a mentor to help him transition into a consulting position.  There are a few people he has in mind, but he hasn’t approached them yet.

“What are you waiting for?” I asked him.

“I don’t know how to approach them about it,” he replied.

“Just ask. ‘Would you be willing to be my mentor?’ ”

He told me, “I knew you’d say that.”

Finding a mentor really is as easy as just asking.  Find someone who’s work and experience you admire - who’s successfully done what you want to do.  Tell them you admire their work and career and ask if they would be willing to mentor you.  Really, it is that easy - it’s a 2 sentence request.

Here are two ways you can find mentors to help guide you:

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With friends’ parties and office parties (however scaled back this year) on your calendar, this is the perfect time to take inventory of your networking toolbox. Successful navigation of a holiday party means not only avoiding the tipsy coworker at the copy machine but also discovering what you have in common with the other people in the room.  And when you find that something in common, you should stay in touch.  So how do you do that?

Exchange cards.

What?  You don’t have a card?

Don’t be the person scribbling your contact info on the back of a cocktail napkin.  We’ve all been guilty of it from time to time, but it does come across as sloppy and unprepared - never a good look.  Didn’t you know you’d be attending this event and meeting folks?  Of course you did.  Come prepared.

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Hi. I’m Kendall, designer/owner of Hi, Society! Design Studio. Welcome to Social Tools for the Socially Inclined, or “Social Tools” for short. What’s a social tool, you ask?  Social tools are the devices and strategies we use to interact with people and navigate the world in which we live.

The social tools you use speak volumes about your personal style and attitude about life.  They’re what you use and do to help make life the best it can be.

So what can you expect to find here?  Well, I’ll tell ya:

• Updates about Hi, Society! (especially when we launch new designs and products);
• Nifty tidbits about people, places, and things I run across in travels both local and far-flung;
• Tips to operate better in our [un]civilized society;
• and mentions about noteworthy design and fashion.

I’ll also write about the good things in life, like 5-star food and service (especially if it doesn’t carry a 5-star price tag).

I look forward to hearing from you about Social Tools and everything you find here.  Don’t be shy.  Be sociable.

Cheers -
Kendall