Today we’d like to introduce you to Quinton James.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I am unashamed and abundantly proud to say that I was born and raised on the Southside of Chicago, IL in the Roseland Community. While there are significant challenges with growing up in this community like crime, gangs, poverty, etc. There are more roses in the concrete of that area then you can ever imagine. I really believe I am a ROSE from ROSELAND.
I grew up in a single parent home with my grandma, mom, and brother. It was a real humble beginning. My grandfather, who is my first real father figure, has always reminded me of two things: 1) The only person who controls his time and money is an entrepreneur and 2) YOU are a product of YOUR environment. I vividly can picture guns drawn and shots fired at my next door neighbors home which was a drug house. I remember associating with certain people to “fit in” only later realizing they were about to do a drop off, and a drive by. The society I was raised in taught a lot of people the wrong way to live, but it instilled in me a character and showed me what I didn’t want to be. It taught me street smarts, and common sense. The pain of where I came from helped me realize the purpose of why I am here. I started to observe the masses and do the opposite.
I went to college at Florida A&M University to develop more business and social skills. After College, I became a top staffing associate for Bank of America, and eventually got to a position where I felt stagnant. I decided to look for outside mentorship. While speaking at a non-profit about career development in the corporate world, I came across an amazing business leader; he fought against the odds, never attended college and became incredibly successful. He had a passion for paving drive-ways, and now paves the most parking lots across the United States, which made him a multi-millionaire. I asked if he would mentor me, and after a year of doing so, and Gary and I started True Mentors.
Has it been a smooth road?
Absolutely, not! What we have created especially in the mentorship industry is unique and inclusive. We are not a program like everyone else. We are a platform that has strategic methods to give business owners and business leaders results.
There were many struggles and still are. One major struggle for any start-up is proof of concept. I firmly believe all you need is one person after another to believe in your vision. Soon an abundance of people can’t believe that this NEVER existed. That is where we are now. People within True Mentors praise and appreciate the platform because of the value it offers.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the True Mentors story. Tell us more about the business.
True Mentors’ mission is to connect aspiring and ambitious business professionals and business owners with today’s successful leaders in a mutually beneficial Mentor/Mentee relationship. We provide an environment where a mentor can create a legacy and mentees can reach their full potential. A TRUE Network: Transformative Resources Unavailable Elsewhere. We have been around for 4 years and are creating amazing value for our mentors and mentees.
What makes me proud is to have an amazing team to help execute True Mentors’ mission. Our board and junior board give quality input, honestly, I never would have come up with on my own. It’s true if you are the smartest person in the room, you are in the wrong room. We say proudly that Your Network = Your Net worth and we do our very best to give people quality connections.
I am blessed with the ability to have local and national business leaders that I can now contact at any time.
We are known for giving TRUE Mentorship in 4 ways ( 1 on 1, Forums, Advisory Boards, and Events)
We have worked extremely hard to give an inclusive environment that produces real results. As an example, below are some stats of our True Mentors Leadership Forums. Our True Mentors Leadership Forum consists of monthly roundtables with moderators, members and CEO guests exclusively sharing personal experiences and best practices to match the specific and real-time needs of the members.
Incredible results:
100% of Mentees have grown in the Area of Emotional Intelligence.
100% of Mentees have grown in the Area of Creating a Better Network for Oneself.
93% of Mentees have grown in the Area of Leadership Skills/Training.
89% of Mentees have received more quality connections with the True Mentors Leadership Forum.
80% of Mentees annual gross have grown when being in a True Mentors Leadership Forum for a year.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
Mentorship is the foundation of any successful person success. It will always be around. The quality of the mentor/mentee relationship gives out the quality outcome they are looking for. We create an experience, which is the reason we are a platform and NOT a program. It’s not what we do, but how we do it. The professional development industry is on the grow and will continue.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.Truementors.com
- Phone: 888-722-4633
- Email: contact@truementors.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truementors/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TruementorsNetwork/?ref=bookmarks
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/True_Mentors
- Other: www.Truenetwork.co
Getting in touch: VoyageChicago is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
