Entrepeer: Meet CYBF Mentor Fi Dastoor!

Former business consultant, and an entrepreneur herself as owner of Dastoor Consulting, Fi Dastoor says she’s very glad she was approached to be a CYBF mentor three years ago. Not only is she able to support and guide the next generation of entrepreneurial leaders, but through her work with CYBF, Fi is able to maintain connections within the business community, which was a concern when she moved into semi-retirement.

As CYBF’s 2009 British Columbia Outstanding Mentor Award winner, Fi is a strong believer in the value of mentoring, and says the idea of guiding new entrepreneurs needs to be encouraged among business owners.

“Mentors need to speak up and talk about the benefits of mentorship for all involved,” Fi says, adding she talks about her experiences as a mentor to colleagues.  “I have gained from my relationship just as my protégée has.  Seeing their success, and knowing that they did it on their own, they took their idea, and achieved so much is incredibly rewarding. There needs to be more awareness of the value of these programs.”

Having helped young entrepreneurs learn the ropes of running a business, Fi says she wishes she’d had the same resources available to her.

“I definitively could have benefited from having a mentor during my early years as an entrepreneur.

To have access to the experience and the wisdom of someone who had gone through a business start-up would have been incredibly valuable.”

In addition to ensuring future mentors know about the opportunities offered through organizations like CYBF, Fi adds that entrepreneurship needs to be promoted on an ongoing basis to children as well.

“Children should be taught that they can be a doctor, go into law, or become an entrepreneur.  It is a completely valid career choice, and I don’t think they know that.”

But they will…

Entrepeer Weekly is an online newsletter for CYBF entrepreneurs, mentors and community partners.  For more information on Entrepeer Weekly, please contact marketing@cybf.ca.