Giving Tuesday is 1 week away! Our #PayItForward campaign celebrates the mentors in our own lives, and challenges us to provide a similar life-changing opportunity to another young entrepreneur.
Below we shed light on the special mentor-mentee relationship between Bobby Henebry and Kaveto Tjatjara (“KV”). Please join us on our mission to provide another deserving young leader with our transformational leadership support. A $2,500 gift to The Global Good Fund provides 5 months of executive mentorship!
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Q&A WITH BOBBY & KV
Q: Why is it important for you to mentor others?
Helping others is one of my core values, so the opportunity to mentor with The Global Good Fund is a perfect fit. I’ve always done a lot of international work, so being able to mentor and connect with leaders from different parts of the world is really fun. Mentoring people from different cultures feeds my curiosity, and I’m able to learn things that I can directly apply to my life and work in real time. Finally, so many people have paid it forward by mentoring me, helping me grow and achieve so many things, so I feel a responsibility to do the same for others. -Bobby Henebry
Q: Why is having a mentor important to you?
Having Bobby as a mentor has been so meaningful not only so I can learn from his tremendous life experiences, but also being able to expose him to what life was like for me growing up in Namibia post apartheid. -KV
Q: What was your first impression of KV?
KV is a delightful young man and there is a really unique sincerity about him; he just really goes above and beyond to express gratitude and appreciation for the mentor relationship. He is also someone who has had a very difficult upbringing; he went through the foster care system, so in my role as his mentor I care a lot about providing stability for him in a way that is healthy for him. He is a hard-working special person who is passionate about his work and his people; I feel truly honored to be connected with him through The Global Good Fund. -Bobby Henebry
Q: What is the best piece of advice you’ve received from your GGF mentor?
The way that Bobby shows up every other week to have a 30 minute chat about my business or just to talk about how I’m doing has been transformational. He so clearly and deeply cares about me as an individual, and that has made me feel more secure in myself especially when I’m feeling low. -KV
Q: What is one thing you have learned about yourself from mentoring KV?
It’s really amazing how simple things you do like virtual mentorship can make such an impact across the world. My tendency to be persistent, which some people don’t like because they think I’m invasive and ask too many questions, is so powerful and well received by the right person. I learned that just showing up can be really powerful; there were times when KV was too preoccupied by one thing or another, but I just showed up for him and that was all he needed. I’ve learned how to be polite and available without being overwhelming or coming on too strong. It’s a skill to know when to push and when to just fall back. -Bobby Henebry
Q: How has your GGF mentor impacted your leadership?
Over the past two years I’ve been working on developing effective communication skills. It is an area that I struggle with as a leader, and together with Bobby, we’ve explored different methods and tools to support my growth so I can be a more impactful leader. -KV
Q: What is your favorite thing about being a part of the global good fund community?
The GGF network is made up of really cool and fundamentally good people; Carrie is a solid person and the culture of the organization just flows from her. It says something really amazing about an organization that has 4,000 applicants for 12 spots a year. So you know you are working with quality people where there is work ethic and kindness in the culture of the people you are working with. Seeing the positive international implications of the time you give back keeps me coming back for more. -Bobby Henebry
Q: How has your GGF mentor impacted your business?
Bobby’s mentorship directly helped my organization navigate the negative impact of COVID-19, giving me timely advice on how to go lean during the tough lockdowns. He also helped me focus; to scale we really needed to double down on the 3 pillars of our theory of change. Without him we most certainly would not be where we are today. -KV
Q: If someone was thinking about being a mentor in the global good fund what qualities do you think they need to have to make them successful?
Being a great mentor requires a good balance between selflessness and selfishness. Selflessly you need to listen to what the problem is and figure out how to help without jumping in to try and solve the problems too quickly. Always ask the 5 w’s and don’t think you have the answer. If you’re in it to look good or feel right and powerful you could end up steering a young person in the wrong direction because they see you as a wealth of knowledge and accomplishment. -Bobby Henebry