According to Lynn Drake of Compass Commercial, 2020 was the perfect time to refocus and work on her business rather than in the business. For her, that meant participating in Mentor We, sponsored by GLWBC.

Drake revealed, “at the beginning of the year, my first quarter sales were up significantly, and my pipeline indicated I would double my income for the coming year. I was very excited, but the Gods must have been laughing at me for such a thought!”

“I left for a cruise in mid-March and returned home to a world in panic. All of my clients in progress said that they couldn’t move forward with any projects. Little did I know then that it would be an entire year before business would resume.”

Time for a change

With her business basically on hold, Drake decided it was time to change tack and take the time to increase her expertise.

Coached by Anne Martinelli and Michelle Aristeo Barton from Aristeo, Drake’s Mentor We cohort spent a lot of time on capability statements. Drake reported that “Each of them spent a great deal of time reviewing these for all of us, which was extremely helpful.” Anne’s advice proved to be the most helpful, as she regularly reminded participants that outsiders often struggle to understand industry jargon. Therefore, for a successful business, it’s critical to remember that clients are rarely experts, and they often require different explanations than those immersed in the same business.

Summarizing her experience, Drake said, “I’m very proud of my new capability statement, because I know it hits all the important points and is easy to read and understand. My Mentor We cohort also supported me by providing input on my 60-second introduction. I remember the day I shared my 10th rewrite and Ann said, ‘You got it! Did you see Lori Wesby of GLWBC smiling throughout that introduction?’ That is the one I use today.”

Growth

Furthermore, Drake identified the most impactful feature of her Mentor WE experience to be “Michelle and Anne’s time and dedication to our team. Both of these women have important roles within their business, and it was amazing that they took so much of their personal time to spend with us to help us grow our businesses.”

“My favorite part of Mentor WE besides the learning was the friendships we developed in our cohort. I want to thank Michelle Richards, Shawntay Dixon, Lori Wesby, and Sherry Cummins, along with the entire team at GLWBC, for their time and dedication in setting up this successful program and helping all of the Mentor We participants!” Drake exclaimed.

In March 2021, Drake’s business went from 30% capacity to 130%. With a little luck, the gods won’t be laughing so hard this year, as the sales in the pipeline indicate that this will be Compass Commercial’s best year since starting in 2010.