Champion of Mentoring - A Conversation with Norm Grey

Are you searching for a competitive advantage? Or ... maybe your organization is looking for better ways of transferring valuable information and knowledge to others. Have you looked at setting up a structured Mentorship Program? READ ON because this POST and the links provided should be very helpful to you!

Mentorship truly does provide participants with a terrific advantage over those who haven't yet tapped into this type of supportive developmental relationship. In our experience, we've seen that there can be great value gained, not only by the Mentees and the Mentors within the Mentorship Program (something that you might expect), but also for the Organizations that host or sponsor. In having worked with entrepreneurs and those who are growing their businesses, we've found that Mentorship can be an outstanding vehicle to improve the potential success of those ventures. Why wouldn't someone seeking success, tap into the experience of others who have faced and overcome similar challenges in the past!

When researching various Mentorship programs a number of years ago, we didn't have to go far in my search to discover one of the very BEST Mentorship programs for young entrepreneurs in Canada! Since then, it's been one that we've been very pleased to recommend to those who qualify for their various program offerings.

Futurpreneur Canada, previously known as Canadian Youth Business Foundation, is recognized as the only Canadian, non-profit organization that makes financing, mentoring and additional support tools available to aspiring young entrepreneurs. With an impressive menu of programs for business owners between the ages of 18-39, they've evolved over time to meet the challenges and changes of their target audience.

Their internationally recognized mentoring program matches young entrepreneurs from a pool of more than 2,800 business experts who volunteer from the business community. And while Mentorship and Funding frequently work hand-in-hand within their programs, we've known of participants who've said that for them, the mentorship component proved to be of even greater value to them over time. (For more details on Futurpreneur Canada, please visit their website that we've listed below.)

Norm Grey

More recently, we had opportunity to speak with Norm Grey, one of the pioneers who helped establish this program. Norm has an impressive career and provided his biography which can be seen at the end of this post. We enjoyed our telephone conversation with Norm, and with his permission, we're pleased to make that interview available for you on our YouTube Channel. A link is provided below.

Starting and growing a business can be a real challenge. Having a Mentor as a part of your circle of professionals to help guide you can save endless frustration and help you safely navigate your way to success!

* To hear the Interview we had with Norm Grey, CLICK HERE.

For those interested, here's the link to the Futurpreneur Canada website: http://www.futurpreneur.ca

Biography, W. Norman Grey 

Norm is a retired banker, spanning a 35 year career with CIBC, retiring in 2000 as GM, Ontario Southwest Region. 

He has held several volunteer positions with the Canadian Cancer Society. He became Regional President and a Director of the Ontario Division Board of the Canadian Cancer Society in 2006, serving in this capacity until April 2009. In 2012, Norm was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee medal for his leadership volunteer work with the Canadian Cancer Society. 

Norm played a key role in building the Canadian Youth Business Foundation's Mentorship program from August 2004 – April 2013. Today it is one of the most extensive business mentorship programs in the world. A significant success factor was leading the mentoring team through progressive growth in recruiting and matching mentors, which resulted in reaching and exceeding organizational objectives year over year. 

Norm owns W Norman Grey Consulting and his objective is to offer Business Coaching and mentoring. Norm's passion today is to mentor and coach business leaders to grow and develop their organizations. Providing one on one mentoring and business coaching, and consulting on growing a business through relationship-based sales management, are some of his key interests today. 

Norm is also active in his church and is a lay minister of the Dawn Christadelphians.

Norm lives in Hamilton with his wife Donna and has two adult children Rachel and her husband Dave Green living in Mississauga and Paul in Victoria. 

(Provided by Norm Grey - July 14, 2015)