One of the things that I’m learning as I take my writing career to a new level is the importance of having like-minded, passionate and literary people in my life. In almost all aspects of moving forward and creating something, it seems to be easier to do if we don’t feel isolated or alone. In many aspects of my daily life, I have found strength in numbers- friends, family, those who have been successful and who would lend me support. I have grown to know that I can’t do this alone.

In many ways, I’ve collected mentors. When I examine each of my friendships I realize that each person has strengths within them that I admire. The people closest to me in my life exhibit talent, bravery, caring and the ability to stand up for what’s right. I decided long ago that these were the types of people who I would surround myself with. I decided long ago to fill my life with positivity. Each person that I spend time with is someone who has dreams, goals, aspirations and a desire to move forward, but not only that, each person is someone who cares for others. In a lot of ways, selflessness is as important as passion- I don’t have time for those who move forward at the expense of others.

A mentor, by definition is someone who is wise, influential, and also trustworthy. Because to truly be comfortable with someone, you need to be able to trust them completely with your fears and your failures so that they can better prepare you for your triumphs. Not everyone is comfortable being a mentor, and not everyone is comfortable seeking one, but the benefits of this role in another person’s life can be extremely rewarding.

Bloggers are often talking about monetizing; after all, money makes the world go round and it only makes sense that we would want to create a market for our personal brand, There are conferences, workshops, seminars, webinars, newsletters, twitter accounts and message boards dedicated to this one aspect of web content- Sure you like to write, but how are you ever going to make MONEY? And we’ve all got mouths to feed- I get it. We’re looking for a way to capitalize on what we already love, and do. At least, some of us are.

See, in an effort to monetize my own personal brand, long long ago, I ended up on some of the best mailing lists for Canadian companies, PR groups, Vancouver based events and some American PR outreach efforts as well. Working with companies makes my blogging take on a different tone sometimes, but it also brings in a certain kind of perk. Sometimes it’s monetary, sometimes it’s in goods or services so that I can tell you, the reader, all about new and fun things on the market and whether I liked them or not.
I love writing. I love expression. I was a blogger long before I ever became a reviewer because I had a love of these things. And in that love of writing I met other people who love it, too.

Enter my mentor.

On one of the mailing lists that I’m on, we were sent an email today about the very first incentive to blog for a cause, without compensation for our words or our time. This effort encourages Canadian bloggers to talk a bit about their mentor in order to promote the idea of working together in mentorship. It’s all very huggy, touchy, lovey kind of stuff, and it made me look at myself a little bit. What I found there made me smile, because I’ve been so blessed in my life to have so many friends who fit the bill of being a mentor. My mother, of course, has always been a great mentor to me- especially when it comes to being a parent myself. I look at the way I was parented and I am in awe of her patience, strength and general ability to overcome difficult situations.
My friends, especially those who are older than me, have shown me what can happen when a person dedicates their life to a dream and refuses to give up- greatness. These are the people who inspire me daily and excite me about moving forward.

But those weren’t the people that my heart told me to write about today. Today my heart told me to write about my mentor in blogging, writing, and in business today. I wanted to send a big virtual hug and shout out to my mentor, Tara Robertson.

Tara & Lindsay at Blissdom 2012

Tara is a fellow blogger who runs Tara’s View Of The World and a trillion other things that are on a list in my brain too lengthy to mention. Originally from my neck of the woods, but currently living what feels like a million years away in Ontario. Still, when it comes to people within this industry who I’ve chosen to work with in the past, my decisions haven’t always turned out to be winners. Tara is different from anyone else within this world that I’ve ever met- and yes, we’ve met. I won’t bore you with details about how similar we are, from sharing a birthday to both having sassy six year old daughters. What I will tell you is that when I think of someone who has shown amazing strength, reliability, dedication, passion and a love for writing? I think of Tara. I look up to her, I trust her, I want to be just like her when I grow up, and I basically count my lucky stars that we found another on this crazy globe.

And we both LOVE being photographed. Really.