Justin Lortie’s daily life was going well, except that he often felt overwhelmed by the many headaches of his business. “It was literally my psychologist who pushed me to find another reference person to accompany me in a dead end, because my business was taking over everything,” says the founder and creative director of Wedge , a creative studio based in Montreal. Mentorship was his lifebuoy .

"The questions my mentor asked me, no one had asked me before. In my entourage, he was the only one who had the perspective and distance necessary to enlighten me. Our relationship had an effect not only on the growth of my business, but on my personal growth, since the business is me!"

Bubble out of time

Mentoring for entrepreneurs, as defined by Réseau Mentorat , effectively focuses on the interpersonal skills of individuals and focuses on the person rather than the company. “The approach can be compared to humanistic psychology in that the person being mentored draws on what they already have within them to act,” explains Dominic Sicotte, speaker, coach and trainer for Réseau Mentorat. A mentoring session should be a bubble outside of time, a period of relaxation that allows you to be in the best conditions to reflect and take a step back. This is why there should never be any emotional or financial connection in order to protect the mentor-mentee relationship from any stress.”

As such, technical and practical advice should ideally be avoided in the mentoring relationship, explains Dominic Sicotte, a psychology graduate who has been offering mentoring for five years after being mentored himself for 12 years. “Advice can be useful in the moment, but will not help the mentee gain confidence in their decision-making. It’s all about asking the right questions. Ideally, the mentor will help the mentee become aware of the vibration felt when they take action and will help them develop confidence in their intuition.”

Moral support

A mentor will obviously never replace the advice of a health professional to help a person in need, but it can be one of the solutions to reduce isolation and distress, suggests the Regroupement des jeunes chambres de commerce du Québec in a survey on the mental health of entrepreneurs . According to this study, 71.5% of business leaders say they experience moments of psychological distress.

In addition to the confidential relationship, free of judgment and conflicts of interest, there is the sharing of experiences as equals between the experienced entrepreneur (mentor) and the young entrepreneur (mentee). “I always come away from my meetings with thousands of notes in my journal and thoughts to fill the month separating me from the next meeting,” continues Justin Lortie, who has called upon two different mentors over the past three years. “Sometimes, there are questions that I am not ready to answer and that will resurface later.”

“It’s rare that you come out of a mentoring session heavier than you went in,” acknowledges Dominic Sicotte. “You come out with a brighter light in your eyes. However, you have to have confidence in the process and open your mind. The bond of trust is built over time.”