Building the Future Through Mentoring

For notary and business owner Veronique Semexant, the impact of an entrepreneur goes beyond creating a business. “Our businesses have a social impact; they contribute to a society and a community,” she explains. To pave the way for the next generation, entrepreneurs need to collaborate and pass on their knowledge.

“We need to make a difference and stop telling ourselves that we have nothing to bring to the table or that other people can do it instead. That ‘other’ is you. Even if we think we have not reached our potential, or that our experience isn’t that different,” says Semexant. In her opinion, sharing our experiences is what matters. By doing so, we influence others, who will, in turn, have an impact on those crossing their path.

Mentoring has allowed Semexant to do just that. After having, gone through Futurpreneur’s mentorship program herself, she shares: “Maybe, I’m at the stage of paying it forward.”

The notary brings along her experience, keeping one thing in mind: openness — an approach fostered by her own mentor, who taught her to think big and look at challenges with a fresh pair of eyes.

The mentoring relationship is compelling because of the conversations about roadblocks and new directions, among other things. She shares how her coaching style focuses on engaging in discussions and getting to know people and their projects. Semexant wants to know “what drives them, what can reduce the time it takes to achieve better results.”

In this spirit, Semexant invites us to get out of our offices and be open to the future: “Let’s make a change.” By seeing entrepreneurs who look like us and, even better, entrepreneurs who are supportive of us, perspectives and possibilities start to open. “Then one can see that someone did it, that it’s possible,” the notary asserts. Then, we can envision more for ourselves: “It gives a vision of hope because when you start, you can feel uncertain. When looking at statistics, it can be bleak. However, we should remind ourselves that yes, it can be done.”