On this Thanksgiving holiday - What mentor or advisor do you want to give recognition to?

Question

We all had people in our lives who supported us, provided advice or took a chance on us. Time to show them some recognition by naming them and telling a very short story about something they did or said that made a big difference in your life

Victor Burke · Accepted Answer

For me, the one person that really guided my life/career was my early drama teacher – the late Betty Ann Norton in Dublin.  She was an incredible drama teacher, very much ‘old school’ in her classical style and technique.  As a mentor, she could be cutting with her honesty but it always came from the heart.

She genuinely changed my life both personally and professionally.  She made me believe in my ability and that I could have a career as an actor and I also met my wife in her class so I owe her quite a lot!

She was always available ‘for a chat’ and her advice was never vague, never half-assed – she was a strong individual who was not afraid to share her true opinion if you asked for it.  Most of my classmates were afraid of her because of her old-school ‘front’ but she was also a very caring woman who on more than one occasion put her arm around me and told me that I needed to pursue ‘the dream’.

I think that having a mentor or having access to people who can give you real, genuine advice is a valuable thing.  This has made me think that I need to make more of an effort to share my experiences and to support others who may need a lift every now and then.