Category Archives: Inspiration

The Magic of “Giving”

20 Tuesday Dec 2016

Posted by in Giving Back, Holiday, Inspiration, Uncategorized

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The holiday season sparkles with promise. A mystical quality tempts us to peerDisneyland fireworks, Rivers of America beyond the veil into a place brimming with never-ending happiness…like living at Disneyland.

As children we embraced that joy with our whole heart. But as we grew older and more jaded, we lost the connection with the magic, some turning into die-hard cynics because it never reappeared.

The good news is, the magic is still there any time you want it.

The bad news is, you’ve had the key all along and didn’t know it.

The Key to Happiness is Helping Others

Yeah, I know. It sounds like watered down fortune-cookie wisdom. Still, it happens to be true. I’m talking from personal experience too, not reciting something from a Fast-Pass-to-Enlightenment guide. Giving is the focus of many faiths at this time of year, and for good reason.

As a teenager, I was suffered the same angst and self-doubt as everyone else. I was a nerdy overachiever with a side of art-geek, who thought happiness lay in chasing a goal. Funny how when I finally got “there”, happiness had already left the building. Sadly, this delusion lasted for years.

opendoor2Finally, I had the good sense to volunteer at The Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, after moving to San Francisco. I thought it would be a good way to meet people with the same interests, which it was. But more important, the experience opened me up to the secret of happiness. There’s a wonderful energy that comes from giving selflessly. Our Sunday Night Crew signed in at 5:00 pm, and in an El Nino winter, we often didn’t leave until sunrise. And we had a GREAT time on our shift too! I’d get home in time to shower and head to work. Magically, the energy carried me through the day…with a smile on my face.

A QuickStart Guide to Giving

If you’re one of the many who don’t have time to volunteer for a non-profit organization on a regular basis, you can do something to “give” everyday. And you’ll be surprised by the happiness you receive in return.

  • Give gently used clothes to local shelters or non-profit organizations.
  • Give towels and bedding to local animal shelters and rescue organizations.
  • For more options for giving to local animal shelters, see my It’s Hard to Be a (Grumpy) Cat at Christmas post.
  • Smile and say something nice to the checkout person at the grocery store. Your kind words will make their day.
  • At the end of a conversation with a Customer Service representative, when they ask you if there’s anything else they can do for you? Say, “Yes. Have a Happy Holiday!” Or, “Have wonderful day!” depending on the season.
  • Perform random acts of kindness, helping strangers in unexpected ways.
  • Leave a copy of a favorite book on a table or bench with a “This is yours to enjoy!” note inside to whoever finds it. There’s a Teen Book Drop event called Rock the Drop I’ve participated in for several years now. Why not spread the reading love all year long?!
  • Use a special talent, such as calligraphy, design, or organizational skills to help a non-profit organization promote an event.

The truth is, the more you give the happier you are…and the more you realize you have to give…in ways you never thought possible. It costs so little and the reward is priceless.

Here’s to magically Happy Holidays, and a Happy New Year too!

Fireworks hearts

Spread Light with Stories that Empower

13 Sunday Nov 2016

Posted by in Inspiration, Story, Writing

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Literature Lights the Way

I’ve stayed clear of politics on this blog, until now. The results of the recent Presidential election cast our nation into darkness. Many now live in fear for their safety and the safety and well-being of family and friends. This is not OK! Especially not in a nation formed on the ideals of freedom, equality, human and civil rights, “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” for all.

Love light

But as bad as it is, I finally realized these aren’t the worst times our country has faced…and survived. We are not in a Civil War.

Not to minimize the difficulties and rough road ahead, just giving it a little perspective.

Serendipity bestowed an emotional pick-me-up the other night that helped me to see things in a new way. The Yogi Tea I drink in the evening comes with wisdom-y quotes. This one was spot on:

Spread the light. Be a lighthouse.

How perfect is that?

We each have special skills to draw from that can help to turn the tide of discrimination and hate to one of acceptance and love. Writers wage the of power influence through their words, with their stories. Meg Cabot tweeted as much the very next day.

empower_mc

Words of Power

Honesty hour. I hit a wall on my current YA project two-thirds of the way through the first draft. Self-doubt and an internal editor, who’s more like a death eater, put the skids on my progress. Until now. The election results were my call to arms—or maybe hands, since I’m a writer. Suddenly, something is way more important than my ego.

Creating stories that infuse young readers with courage, dignity, inclusion, love, and hope is my mission. My new mantra, compliments of an author I admire:

Write that, write that hard. –Martha Brockenbrough

Writers in previous generations used their words to dispel the darkness, when faced with criminal injustice and the atrocities of war.

C.S. Lewis wrote The Chronicles of Narnia after returning from World War I. Likewise, J.R.R. Tolkien penned The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy in the aftermath of World War I.

We don’t have to attain the greatness of Tolkien or C.S. Lewis to make a difference today. We just have to craft well-told stories that empower minds of all ages.

Now to writing that, writing that hard.

Grumpy Cat Helps #GiveFriskies to Cats in Need

02 Wednesday Dec 2015

Posted by in Animals, Cats, Holiday, Inspiration

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Grumpy … with a Heart of Gold

Once again, Grumpy Cat (Tardar Sauce) has stepped up to help cats who are far less fortunate than herself.  She’s championing a cause with Friskies to give 150,000 (!!) meals to cats in need, now through December 25th. Here’s how it works:

Each time you use the hashtag #GiveFriskies on Twitter or Instagram Friskies will donate a meal to cats in need across the nation.

It’s hard to be a cat at Christmas and all cats deserve a good meal. A couple of years ago Grumpy Cat, Oskar the Blind Cat, Nala Cat, Colonel Meow, and Hamilton the Hipster Cat starred in the following video that helped to feed over 500,000 homeless cats.

Grumpy Cat at Christmas

Kindness Comes in Many Flavors

Grumpy Cat and I both have a soft spot in our hearts for cats that have been left to fend for themselves under harsh conditions. If you don’t use Twitter or Instagram, you can help homeless animals in your community in lots of other ways. Here’s a few small things you can do that are not “small” at all:

  • Donate a bag of cat/dog food to your local Humane Society or animal shelter.
  • Give those old towels you were about to throw away to your local animal shelter. They always need towels and other types of bedding material.
  • Shelters always need disinfectant cleaners, bleach, newspapers, and paper towels. Next time you’re at Costco, buy extra and donate some to your local shelter.
  • Donate your time. Shelters need volunteers in all capacities.
  • Best of all, open your heart and home to a homeless or rescue animal. They will return the love one hundred-fold.

MJ Wright did a post on The Missing Spirit of Christmas that caused me to reflect on what the holiday season really means. For me, it’s kindness and generosity—but not the commercial-consumption kind—giving from the heart with random acts of inspired kindness. At the end of the day, true joy comes from helping one another…animals included.

It’s Hard to Be a Cat at Christmas…

Disneyland’s Matterhorn Bobsleds ~ Icon of Imagination & Innovention

23 Thursday Jul 2015

Posted by in Disneyland, Inspiration, Roller Coasters

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The Man Behind the Mountain

I admire a guy with the audacity to build a replica of the most iconic mountain in the Swiss Alps amidst the (then) orange groves of Southern California, within in sight of the Santa Ana Freeway … then “plussing it” with imagination and innovention (innovation + invention = innovention).

Matterhorn, Disneyland

Walt Disney was that man. But what most people don’t realize is that Disneyland’s Matterhorn wasn’t a glimmer in Walt’s eye when the park opened in 1955. A pile of dirt occupied that spot–from the excavation of  the moat for Sleeping Beauty’s castle–called Holiday Hill.

Opening Coincided with Anniversary of 1st Successful Ascent

June 14, 2015 marked the 150th anniversary of the first successful ascent to the peak of the Matterhorn, Switzerland’s most famous mountain. It also marked the anniversary of the opening of Disneyland’s Matterhorn Bobsleds. Walt Disney was known for his meticulous attention to detail, so I’m sure he planned the coincidence.

Walt Disney and his wife Lillian loved to spend their summer vacations in Switzerland. However, it Matterhorn, Switzerlandwasn’t until Walt was in Zermatt, Switzerland filming the live action movie “Third Man on the Mountain” that he got the idea to build a to-scale (1/100) replica of the Matterhorn. Walt sent a postcard of the Matterhorn to Imagineer Vic Greene with the message “Build this!” written on the back.

Construction on the Matterhorn Bobsleds began in 1958 and the attraction opened on July 14, 1959, along with the Disneyland Monorail and Submarine Voyage. [PCs: Wikipedia]

Note: “Third Man on the Mountain” was based on the 1955 Newberry Honor book Banner In The Sky by James Ramsey Ullman.

A Roller Coaster “Inside” a Mountain?

I often wondered how Walt came up with idea for a roller coaster inside a mountain, until I read the history of the early railways in the Alps. Remember, Walt Disney was a huge railroad enthusiast–why there’s a railroad circling the park–and he and his wife spent many summers in Switzerland.

Glacier Express

A direct railway route through the Alps was considered as early as 1848. But it wasn’t until the latter half of the 19th Century that four great tunnels were constructed. Because the change in elevation from one side of a mountain to the other was too drastic for a direct route, spiral tunnels (helicoidal) were constructed to gain the necessary altitude and maintain the required grade for safe passage. You can read more here.

I spoke with Diane Disney Miller a few years ago while visiting the Walt Disney Family Museum, and asked if her father got the idea for the “bobsleds running through the mountain” from the spiral railway tunnels in the Swiss Alps? She smiled and replied, “I don’t know, but that certainly sounds like him.

The previous image is of the Glacier Express, Switzerland. [PC: Wikipedia]

Icon of Innovention

The new attraction had to twist and turn far beyond anything done before, and still remain safe. Bringing Walt’s idea into reality required innovention.

Hollow steel pipe track was used, instead of the flat tracks of traditional roller coasters. The tubular track had bracing welded to the outside of the rails, which allowed for contact with the bobsled on the top surface (with load bearing polyurethane wheels), on the inside to control horizontal movement, and on the bottom to restrict vertical movement. The tubular track was pressurized so sensors could alert when there was wear on the rails.

The bobsled cars are every bit as revolutionary as the track, as is the Ride Control System developed to operate and monitored the ride. The following illustration shows the intertwined tracks of the two bobsled routes, as featured in The “E” Ticket magazine (Number 42) — Disneyland’s Matterhorn Bobsleds.

Disneyland's Matterhorn Bobsleds, E Ticket Magazine

Note: A selection of “E” Ticket back issues are available through the Walt Disney Family Museum online shop.

I could go on and on, but I won’t. The following video is much more fun. Lederhosen aren’t required, but screaming is encouraged.

Matterhorn Bobsleds ~ Fantasyland Course (Right)

This video shows the 2015 refurbishment for Disneyland’s 60th Celebration, including a revitalized Abominable Snowman, updated special effects, and new props for staging.

Calling All Railfans (Train Buffs)!

I read (somewhere a while back) that the Matterhorn Bobsleds tubular track rail system was later used by some narrow gauge railroads, incorporating a third (tubular) rail at the center of the track. I don’t remember where I read this, and can’t find a reference. Would love to know if this is true. Thanks!

The Mystical Power of Music

19 Tuesday May 2015

Posted by in Inspiration, Music

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Musical butterflies

Quantum physics has proved that everything is made up of energy. Everything vibrates, just at different frequencies.

Sound is energy. And the wavelength of a sound determines its pitch, whether the human ear can hear it, and whether it’s pleasant or not. Some say music is the universal language.

Music is precise, like mathematics, and follows strict rules. Yet we’re able to appreciate music, whether we comprehend the rules or not. We “feel” music. The vibrations of one piece of music can affect us in a way no other piece of music will. Music speaks to us intuitively as well as physically. Image by Center for Visual Music.

A Mystical Force

The intrinsic power of music was understood by the American Indians, as well as the AustraliaMoviePoster_Australian aborigines.

In the movie Australia, the aboriginal Shaman used music to guide and direct people and things. The Shaman and his grandson Nullah (a shaman in the making) “sing” things to them, or use the power of music to push things away.

In one scene Nullah changes the course of a stampeding herd of cattle with song. In another scene, he brings his beloved adoptive family back together.

In the 21st century, that might seem a bit far-fetched to some. Especially since the story is a product of Hollywood. But the story rings true, because it’s based on truth. Music is sound waves, sound that connects all life.

In the following scene, Nullah “sings” Sarah (Nicole Kidman) back to him and Drover (Hugh Jackman).

 

Emotion Without Borders

If you need first-hand proof of the universal power of music, follow a popular musician or band as they play in different cities around the world. You might be surprised to witness concert halls filled with smiling and/or dancing people at every performance. It doesn’t matter what country, or the native language.

I first noticed this phenomena a few years ago while watching DVDs of Andre Rieu concerts that were filmed in various countries around the world. The music elicited the same emotional response from the crowds, no matter where they were in the world. The amazing thing is, the phenomena is not limited to a particular type or style of music.

Most of us have felt the mystical power of music at one time or another.

Do you have an experience you’d like to share?

Fanning the Creative Flame ~ Why Conferences Matter

28 Saturday Mar 2015

Posted by in Conferences, Inspiration, SCBWI, Writing

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Asilomar Conference Grounds, Pacific Grove, CAThe SCBWI San Francisco/South Golden Gate Conference (at Asilomar) was earlier this month, my first conference in over a year. Such an amazing conference! I can’t believe I was so short-sighted, to go that long without attending a writing conference.

Oh sure, I had the standard rational excuses, that made perfect sense. Taking a year off from writing conferences would save time, money, and effort that would further my work in progress.

What I totally forgot, was how invaluable it is to connect with people who share the same passion. Writing can be such a solitary journey. I always come away from a conference with my creative energy renewed, and a feeling of deep kinship with others who are called to the writing journey.

Motivational Milestones & Inspiring Insights

Initially, I think of  conferences as motivational milestones for my current work in progress (WIP). I admit I am motivated by fear. So when I sign up for a professional critique, I am dangling a figurative hatchet over my head. I will work harder than ever to deliver the best possible pages by the submission deadline, out of fear of public humiliation. I put my self through this trial, because feedback from the editor of a major publishing house is invaluable. I always come away from such a critique with tools for improving my craft, and a clear path for strengthening my story.

Just as important as professional level feedback though, are the insights that arise from the talks and workshops given by the conference’s faculty.

Award winning illustrator E.B. Lewis reminded us all, writers and illustrators alike that:

We’re in the business of amazement.

Jodell Sadler, of Sadler Children’s Literary, invited us to see:

Language is music  … music is language.

E.B. Lewis delivered the most profound insight (for me) with his presentation on the language of pictures. He explained the components of an image that make it a story: narrative (plot), emotion, and anticipation (what’s next). A light bulb went on in my head when I realized that these are the same elements that comprise a well crafted scene in fiction.

Stories aren’t bound by format or medium. E.B. Lewis told us of a young boy who said he “writes the pictures”. We writers, paint with words.

E.B. Lewis, profile picture and quote

Synergy Happens

Creativity is contagious, and the Golden Gate Conference Brochure cover synergy at conferences is nothing short of miraculous. Sparkly new ideas dart about like fireflies, lighting new pathways of possibility.

I learn something from everyone I meet at a conference, and the connections forged can blossom into friendships that last years. 

If you’ve ever thought about writing for young readers, join SCBWI now. SCBWI provides extensive professional resources to its members. You won’t find a more welcoming and supportive group.  And they’re super fun.

I feel fortunate to have found the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). They are my tribe, my people.

[All images are my own]

Grumpy Cat says: Watch funny videos and feed cats in need!

21 Wednesday Jan 2015

Posted by in Cats, Giving Back, Inspiration

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Grumpy for a Purr-fectly Wonderful Cause

Grumpy Cat can try to hide her true nature behind that frown, but she doesn’t fool me. Not one bit. Her recent Instagram shout out about the new Friskies YouTube channel that’s helping to feed hungry cats proves that she’s got a heart of gold.

Friskies will give 1 can of wet food to charity for every new video view and 2 cans of food for every new YouTube subscriber during the month of January (up to 100,000 cans).

Grumpy Cat on a pillow

Watch Friskies Videos to Feed Cats in Need

It’s easy! And so much fun!

Here’s all you have to do (before January 31, 2015):

  1. Click this link: YouTube.com/user/PurinaFriskies
  2. Click the Subscribe button in the upper right corner of the window, follow the prompts (if you haven’t already subscribed to this Friskies YouTube channel), and 2 cans of wet food will be given to feed needy cats.
  3. Click a video, laugh as you watch through to completion, and 1 can of wet food will be given to feed needy cats—for EVERY video you watch through to completion.
  4. Watch as many as you can before January 31st! Feeding needy cats couldn’t be more fun!

My Fav ~ Cat’s Knocking Things Down (in slow-mo)

Joshua Bell ~ Incognito Busker to Subway Station Superstar

13 Monday Oct 2014

Posted by in Classical, Inspiration, Music

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Even if you’re not into classical music, you’ve probably heard of Joshua Bell. Meg Cabot mentions him in her Princess Diaries series and Vanished series. Or maybe you heard about that guy—the famous musician who played in a train station and no one noticed him. That Guy, was Joshua Bell.

The Urban Legend That Isn’t a Legend

In 2007, Joshua Bell posed as a common busker in a Washington D.C. metro station bell.joshua2012(during morning rush hour) as part of an experiment initiated by Gene Weingarten of The Washington Post. Only seven people, out of thousands, stopped to listen to him. Only one person recognized him. ONE. You can read the full story here.

Since then, Joshua Bell became known as “that guy” who played in a train station. Some people actually told him the story about that guy, not realizing he was that guy. He commented on Twitter that he felt he was in danger of being best known (in his career) as that-guy-who-played-in-the-train-station, and his tombstone would read: “Here he is, underground again.”

The Encore that Packed the Train Station

Union Station Washington DCA cavernous train station is not the usual venue for a classical music superstar. Joshua Bell has played in all the major concert halls around the world. So why would he want to go back to a train station where he was blatantly ignored in 2007?

You can let a situation define you, or you change the situation to reinvent the definition.

That’s just what Joshua Bell did. On September 30, 2014, Joshua Bell turned the tables on DC’s Union Station and created a the ultimate public experience for classical music. This time, his performance at DC’s Union Station was highly publicized and people came out in droves. People who knew the story, but may not have known anything about classical music, packed the gigantic space, pressed shoulder to shoulder, 1500 strong. [image: morguefile.com]

Joshua Bell Encore Concert at Union Station Washington DC Sept 30, 2014

Joshua Bell played the same music he did as an incognito busker (2007), except this time he held a capacity crowd spellbound. You can listen to the entire concert on YouTube Here.

The sheer size of the crowd that greeted him, and the warmth of their reception, made this encore a fitting compliment to his first train station experience. More important, he and the young artists who accompanied him brought beautiful music to the masses. I can’t think of a better ending to the story.

Honesty Hour: I feel compelled to write about Joshua Bell’s encore performance, because I’ve referenced his 2007 busking stint in two other blog posts. I never referred to him as That Guy. Not once. Honest.

PBS NewsHour Interview with Joshua Bell

The following PBS NewsHour video shows footage from Joshua Bell’s first busking experience and clips from his recent encore performance. In the personal interview that follows, Joshua Bell talks about the fate of classical music and the importance of keeping music in schools.

 

Encouraging and Instructing Young Artists

Joshua Bell puts action behind his words, contributing time and energy to the Education Through Music (ETM) program, among other philanthropic endeavors.

Most recently, he taught a Young Arts Master Class—some of his students accompanied him in his Union Station encore performance—which was the basis for a HBO documentary. See the following trailer for details.

11 Year-Old Busking Violinist ~ Fifth Avenue’s Newest Star

14 Sunday Sep 2014

Posted by in Inspiration, Music, New York City

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Pint-Size Prodigy Surprised by His Idol on National TV

There’s a new star on New York’s Fifth—Dylan Hamme, an 11 year-old busking violinist. But Dylan isn’t just any ol’ busker. No. He’s a child prodigy on the fast-track to becoming a concert violinist. He’s busking to raise money for conservatory training.

But wait. It gets  better.

Dylan has a sign propped up in his open violin case for passerby donations that states he’s following in the footsteps of his idol, Joshua Bell.

So far it’s true…

11 year-old Dylan Hamme playing his violin on 5th Ave NYC

Joshua Bell started playing the violin at the age of three, the same age Dylan picked up the instrument. Joshua Bell went on to become a world-renowned violin soloist. So far, Dylan is heading in that direction as well. His expert musicianship (along with his sign), caught the attention of NBC News, and they featured him on the Today Show, complete with a surprise visit from his idol. If you don’t cry watching the video clip below, I don’t want to hear about it.

Going out of his way to encourage a young musician is not uncommon for Joshua Bell. He regularly supports projects that teach and encourage young musicians around the world. His philanthropic work with the National YoungArts Foundation over the years has been recognized nationally with high acclaim.

 

Joshua Bell’s Busking Experiment & Sensational Reprise

Joshua Bell is at home in a concert hall, but he’s no stranger to playing on the street. Or a metro station to be exact. In 2007, Joshua Bell posed as a common busker in a Washington D.C. metro station (during morning rush hour) as part of an experiment initiated by Gene Weingarten of The Washington Post. The purpose of the experiment was to see how many commuters would stop and listen to one of the nation’s greatest violinist in an everyday setting. Only one person recognized him. ONE. You can read the full story here.

You can let a situation define you, or you change the situation to reinvent the definition.

That’s just what Joshua Bell did. On September 30, 2014, Joshua Bell turned the tables on DC’s Union Station and created a the ultimate public experience for classical music.

Joshua Bell Encore Concert at Union Station Washington DC Sept 30, 2014

Joshua Bell played the same music he did as an incognito busker (2007), except this time he held a capacity crowd spellbound. You can read about the performance here, and listen to the entire concert on YouTube Here.

Who’s Your Yoda?

05 Thursday Jun 2014

Posted by in Animation, Inspiration, Writing

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The Magic of a Mentor

YodaI used to believe that I had do everything on my own. If I didn’t, then I couldn’t take credit for the results. Luckily, I met someone who clued me in on an insider secret of the successful:

If you want to be successful at anything, apprentice yourself to someone who’s mastered the art.

Kind of like Yoda, the little green guy from Stars Wars with the pointy ears. Without Yoda mentoring him, Luke Skywalker never would’ve become a Jedi.

I’ll be straight up honest. I didn’t go looking for a mentor. I kinda sorta just bumped into him. By accident. It was one of those serendipitous meetings that changed your life. I wish I could say  that over a few short months I became a shining success in my area of study. But that would be a flat out lie.

The reality took a whole lot longer, and turned out to be better than anything I ever could have imagined. At the time, I wanted to become a computer animator—back when the industry was in its infancy. Along the way, I discovered my passion for writing for young people. Sometimes the wrong path brings you to the right place. And it was my mentor who paved the way for that transition through the (snail mail) letters we exchanged over the years.

The magic of the written word ~ Letters from Frank

I met my mentor, Frank Thomas, in 1983 at a glitzy computer graphics symposium at UCLA. I wandered up to the tradeshow area after one of the panel discussions, and ended up standing next to an old man. I overheard him telling the young woman demonstrating one product that he’d worked at Walt Disney Studios as an animator. He looked pretty old (ancient to a twenty-something-year-old), so I asked, “Did you know Walt?”

“Yes,” he replied. “If he were alive today this is where he’d be”

Me, to myself: You’re my new best friend.

At the time, I didn’t know that Frank Thomas had joined The Walt Disney Company in 1934 as employee number 224. Or that he had animated dozens of animated Frank and Jeanette Thomasfeatures and shorts, including The Brave Little Taylor, Bambi, Lady and the Tramp, Sleeping Beauty, 101 Dalmatians, to name a few. I knew he worked with Walt, and that was good enough for me. Our 21 year conversation started with a single handwritten letter that I sent to Frank, care of the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank.

Over the years, I continued to pursue computer animation, and worked on projects with Silicon Graphics and Dreamworks. Through it all, I  exchanged letters with Frank, and came to  meet his lovely, and amazing wife Jeanette. In a sense, they became like family.

Frank was generous in his letters with his expertise in traditional animation, as well as what he was learning about applying that knowledge to new technology. But it was the “storytelling style” of Frank’s letters that made the biggest impact on me. Early on, I realized I couldn’t write just anything in a letter to him. I had to write a story. I worked to make my letters as entertaining as the ones Frank always sent. He was teaching me about story structure and humor, without realizing it.

Tips on stalking a mentor

If you think “a successful person would never want to help me”, you’re wrong. Not everyone may be as accommodating as Frank Thomas, but if you have a genuine passion for their field and show an enthusiasm for learning, your mentor-of-choice will most likely take you under their wing.

FACT: People like to talk about their passion with others who share their enthusiasm.

Here are a few guidelines you might want to follow:

  • Call to ask for an “informational interview”. This works especially well for high school and college students.
  • Or, write a letter (yes, on paper) stating your purpose and why you chose them a your hero. You can include an email address as a convenience for a return reply.
  • Always be polite and courteous of their time.
  • Be professional (in accordance with industry standards) in dress and speech.
  • If they do meet with you, follow-up with a thank you letter (on paper) expressing an appreciation for their time.
  • If you want to continue working with a mentor, always bring something of interest, such as information about the industry they might not know. Anything that *shows them* you are actively working toward attaining your goal.

Have you Ever worked with a mentor?