“You never know how your unique gifts will speak to someone’s story.”

These are wise words from Kim Gibson, professional photographer, content creator, integrative health coach, and two-time mentor for Village Launch’s Business Entrepreneur Academy (BEA). 

When Village Launch staff invited Kim to mentor, she felt unqualified. “I’m not part of a Fortune 500 company. I haven't done a million dollars in sales. Why me?” But with a little encouragement, Kim joined as a summer 2022 cohort mentor, guiding her mentee Natalie Burrer of Sweet June Floral Co., and returning in the fall to support Lena Rosemond of Pop Up Plates. 

Kim quickly found that every BEA participant is at a different place with different needs and the Village Launch team works hard to pair them with a mentor that can best help them along the way. Some entrepreneurs need guidance with marketing or sales, others are figuring out work-life balance, and regardless of where they are in the process, they can all benefit from the experience of someone who has been in their shoes. Kim was able to help her mentees navigate the “real life” of owning a business. 

“We worked through things like maintaining professionalism when canceling or rescheduling with a client because your child is sick. These are things that happen all the time in real life but aren’t what you see on a business’s Instagram page. You can’t compare yourself to that curated Instagram version of things.” The BEA course curriculum provides a guide for mentors to help entrepreneurs understand their work style and navigate the ups and downs of business. As Kim can attest, “It’s not linear, at times you’ll find yourself spreading wide and at other times scaling back in.”

Kim’s approach is one of humility. She believes strongly that as a mentor she is not there to tell the entrepreneur what to do, but rather to guide them in figuring out what they need to do. She imparted to her mentees that they are the experts on their business and they are the ones who can bring light to their vision. She considers being a BEA mentor an honor, reflecting that she enjoyed seeing everything begin to click for the entrepreneurs about two weeks before graduation. “I loved watching their pitches change and evolve. It was great to see success and increased confidence. I am grateful that the Village Launch team would see the capacity to be a meaningful mentor in me and for the opportunity to help others launch and nurture their businesses.”

The BEA is a 10-week, cohort-based program that equips entrepreneurs of all backgrounds with the insights, relationships, and tools needed to turn ideas into action. Having dedicated mentors like Kim during those 10 weeks provides entrepreneurs with the preparation to launch their businesses. Mentorship creates a higher rate of success and confidence. The mentor is responsible for one-on-one coaching with the program participants, both in and out of the classroom. It is expected that mentors spend around three hours per week with their mentees in class and in one-on-one interactions for the 10 weeks of the cohort. 

In 2022, this equated to over 1,100 hours of BEA mentorship, as many volunteer hours as a half-time employee. In 2023, we anticipate these numbers will double, meaning Village Launch will be looking for twice as many mentors to support twice as many entrepreneurs!

We are extremely grateful for Kim and all of our other BEA mentors! If you are interested in becoming a mentor, please visit the Village Launch website to learn more and fill out our interest form. In addition to BEA mentor roles, Mill Village Ministries offers a variety of ways to get involved, including youth mentoring, classroom facilitation, and many other hands-on opportunities. Visit our website or email volunteer@millcommunity.org to connect. You can also learn more by attending our next Volunteer Orientation on January 31st! It truly takes a village for our community to flourish. Like Kim, you may discover meaningful purpose volunteering at Mill Village. “You never know how your unique gifts will speak to someone’s story.”