No one can do much on their own without help from others, family, friends, associates, etc.  However, there are a very special group of people we are privileged to have shown up in our lives and they are our Mentors.  Yes, there are mentors we have in our lives, like my father and mother, my 3 aunts and 2 uncles, my wife and my children, but our Mentors change our lives for the better even when we are not looking for change.

I am privileged to have had 8 such people in my life!  Now some may become your best friend and some you may not even like, (2 on this list I did not like) but they helped transform my life. 

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George Fejer –

Mentor – My first employer, who hired me right out of furniture college.  He was a famous furniture designer at the top of his career and hired me as an assistant designer.  Years later I found out that I was the only student from my graduating class who found a job in furniture design within the first year of graduating.

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Tom Hanson –

Mentor – President of Herman Miller of Canada, hired me after I answered a newspaper ad.  My college thesis on furniture design in the United States and Sweden featured Herman Miller furniture.  I was hired as the furniture designer for Herman Miller of Canada, Ltd, an absolute dream job for designer of 23 with only 2 years out of college.

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Gene Kyle –

Life Changer – Was the Director of Design for GTE Sylvania, in Batavia NY.  He hired me as a “pair of hands” he needed, he took me to lunch in the company cafeteria, (I thought I was going to have to pay for my lunch, but he picked up the tab).  At HR I was told that they would get me immigration papers and let me know a starting date.  I drove back to Toronto, thinking right that’s not going to happen any time soon if at all, and I really did not want to be just a pair of hands.  6 months went by and then I got the call, can I start in 2 weeks?  My life changed, this time I would drive into the USA and stay there!  I dreaded starting to work for Gene but when I got to HR I found out that Gene had left and I would have a new boss, Bruce Anderson.

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Paul Bush –

Life Changer – Paul was the owner of Bush Industries.  I knew Paul because Bush was a supplier to Sylvania of TV stands and products.  He hired me to design a line of computer furniture.  Paul was a hardheaded businessman and was the hardest person to work for he always wanted more and always wanted to pay less, my designs took Bush Industries from $24M to $50M in 6 months.  Every day he arrived at work he checked what orders came in overnight before he did anything else.  20 years go by and his company grew fast and large to over $200M but along the way he stopped checking the incoming orders and his company went bankrupt and he lost his company.  Paul taught me many things especially, always spend less than your incoming orders.

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Ed Moeger –

Mentor – Ed, like Paul, was part owner of a company that supplied GTE Sylvania.  His company was in Toronto, Canada and specialized in laminated cabinetry.  I had a client that manufactured metal cabinetry, and they hired me to design a line of movable and lockable computer cabinetry for the Federal Government; my designs required both specialized cabinetries.  I had Ed do the wood product and my client do the metal product.  Ed became a great friend and gave me advice and helped me as I grew my own business.    

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Bill Wiersma –

Mentor – Bill was President of RUTT Custom Cabinetry, and he hired me to design a line of custom cabinetry in 1982.  As soon as he hired me, he asked me what deposit I would like.  No one had ever asked me such a question, so I said the first thing that came into my head, $1,000.  He immediately called his secretary in and told her to cut a check for $1,000. to take with me!  For 20 years I worked with Bill, during those years I designed 50 product lines, many show booths and showrooms in most of the Design Centers in the USA.  Bill was always there for me, we travelled together we were so close that when he was considering retiring, he wanted my advice.

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Mike Calimeri –

Mentor – Mike is President of Artone Manufacturing in Jamestown, NY.  A family business started by his father an immigrant from Sicilia.  I have been consultant to Artone for the past 20+ years.  We have travelled to Europe and China together and worked on furniture products for health care, hospitality, casinos, college dorms, show booths, installations etc.  In the process I have learned all the ups and downs that a small furniture business must endure; maintaining a family business is a major responsibility.  Mike is one of the most honest and stable gentlemen I have had the honor to work with.

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Anthony Monda –

Life Changer – I met Anthony when I was 80 years old and he was 57 years younger than I.  We met at the Gym, and he became my trainer in Muscle Mass Training.  Anthony reminded me of when I was 23 and emigrated to Canada not because of the differences but because of the similarities.  Talking with Anthony is like talking to someone who has the smarts and experience of someone twice his age.  He challenged me and I grew in strength and intellect.  What I learned from Anthony is that anything is possible at any age so long as you put your mind to it.  There is a saying “People come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime – either as a blessing or a lesson.”  Anthony came into my life for a reason, a season, a blessing and a lesson.

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Yes, a person can change your life around even if you are over 80!  My lesson to you is to write down the names of people who mentored or changed the direction of your life; you may have 2 or 22 people.  The process of this is to fire up your brain and it will expand your life and maybe even extend it; brain exercises are essential!

The image is of the great wall of China.  This wall was a life changer built by the Chinese 2,300 years ago and is over 13,000 miles long.  The wall changed their lives, stopping bandits from the north, It can be seen from space.