5 Ways to Keep a Mentor Engaged

Keep a Mentor Engaged
Listen

In the world of entrepreneurship, consistent evidence demonstrates the importance of mentors to entrepreneurial success. Mentors provide coaching, guidance, and can even be champions at critical moments during the entrepreneur’s journey. In fact, according to an article by Lisa Calhoun of Valor Ventures, almost half of female founders (48 percent) cite a lack of available mentors or advisers as holding them back.

SCORE, the nation’s largest network of volunteer expert business mentors, released a report earlier this year that looked at the impact of mentoring on business success and found that:

  1. Mentorship increases the likelihood of a business opening and staying open.
  2. Working with a mentor for five or more hours greatly increases an entrepreneur’s likelihood of business success.
  3. Women entrepreneurs experience greater success when they are mentored, regardless of their mentor’s gender.

There are plenty of articles on the importance of mentorship, but how do founders find and keep engaged mentors? It takes a lot more effort than scheduling a monthly meeting after finding a startup supernova at a local networking event or conference. A meaningful relationship, where the mentor provides sound business advice and coaching, requires that the entrepreneur be both prepared and committed in order to keep the mentor interested in continuing that support. Here are five pieces of advice for entrepreneurs who want to find, and keep, a mentor.

Respect Their Time

The number one way entrepreneurs kill their chances to build solid relationships with good mentors is by not being prepared. Schedule meetings ahead of time and send an agenda—in addition to any major updates, give enough notice that mentors can review and prepare. Good mentors who are interested in an entrepreneur’s success will review an agenda and do their research, including asking their network for advice if there is a challenge their specific skill sets do not address.

Ask for Help and Be Specific

When a mentor reports that they are unsure whether they have been helpful to an entrepreneur, it is typically a polite way of saying that the entrepreneur did not ask questions specific to their area of expertise. Mentors want to help, so ask for it—but ask them for guidance and information around challenges that they have a depth of knowledge around. Do not simply ask them to retell their startup stories.

Send Updates Regularly

Keeping important people in the loop without inundating them with emails is easy. At the beginning of each month, send stakeholders a company update—note the milestones and the successes—identify challenges mentors might be able to help with. These simple, regular email updates give an opportunity to reconnect and keep mentors in the loop on how a business is growing. They also can chime in and provide support if an entrepreneur is facing a challenge that they might be able to help with.

Respect Their Network

Even when mentors do not have the answers to a problem, they may be willing to open up their Rolodexes and make introductions to people who can help. When this happens, entrepreneurs must respond quickly to set up a time to talk at their convenience. Then they must do the homework to understand who this person is and how they can help. That way, entrepreneurs are not only utilizing this new contact’s time effectively, they also are not wasting their own. Once the meeting takes place, let the mentor know and identify how the new contact was helpful.

Follow Up

A handwritten thank you note may not always be necessary, but an email certainly is. After meetings, especially if in person, send a quick note thanking mentors for their time and expertise. Later on, after successfully implementing specific advice from a mentor, tell them. These individuals want to know that they are being helpful—it also never feels bad to have someone tell you that you were right.

Posted in Insights

More from Insights »

Latest Stories

Students walk on Babson's sunny campus.
Leading the Way: Babson Wellness Chief Elevates Well-Being Priorities in Higher Education Ryan Travia, associate vice president for student success at Babson, issues a call to embrace well-being as central to student success in an upcoming book that offers a roadmap to leadership in student health.
By
Hillary Chabot
Writer
Hillary Chabot
Hillary Chabot is a writer for Babson Thought & Action and Babson Magazine. An award-winning journalist, she is known for her insightful reporting and dedication to detailed storytelling. With a career spanning over two decades, she has covered a wide range of topics, from presidential campaigns and government policy to neighborhood issues and investigative series. As a reporter for The Boston Herald, Hillary earned a reputation for tenacity and integrity. Her work at Babson College fuels her passions—to learn something new every day and conduct thoughtful, empathic interviews. She’s thrilled to be at Babson College, where students, faculty, staff members and classes provide compelling copy daily.
October 8, 2025

Posted in Community, Insights

7 women standing on stage holding awards
Six Visionary Leaders Honored by the Frank & Eileen™ Center for Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership As part of its 25th anniversary celebration, the Frank & Eileen™ Center for Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership presented Legacy & Impact Awards to six women whose vision and leadership continue to shape Babson and the world.
By
October 8, 2025

Posted in Community, Entrepreneurial Leadership

A woman points to a presentation in a meeting
Why Analytical Thinking Is the Cornerstone of Strategic Business Decisions Business decisions are rarely simple. Analytical thinking is critical for leaders to identify and navigate the options in front of an organization, so it’s important to develop analytical thinking skills in order to make smart decisions.
By
October 7, 2025

Posted in Insights