Mentoring - "It's a Good Thing"

I was looking over some old photos the
other day and came across a photo of my
good friend Jane who came down to help
Griff and I get the bakery open.

What a crazy week that was and I am so
thankful that she was there to show me
the ropes. I was clueless about so many
things and she quickly whipped me into
shape as she worked like a whirlybird
around the kitchen. I was exhausted,
but I was like a sponge holding on to
every word. After all, she would only
be with me a week.

My favorite Jane-ism is "if you wash your
hands you might as well wash some dishes
while your over there”. It was Jane boot-
camp that week, but I literally cried when
she left and said I was ready to run the
bakery on my own. Jane is my mentor. She
is the most talented baker I know.

She used to own “Mondo” the best bakery
and coffeehouse in Atlanta and sort of
passed the torch to me when she decided
to move on. She gave me great recipes and
taught me so many things that help me
tremendously to this day. She did more than
teach me, but showed me just how hard it
is to run a small bakery. Then as if that
was not enough, she pimped out the bathroom
(a detail that may have been overlooked),
and surprised Griff and I with a gourmet
feast dinner which was of course another
lesson about eating right especially when
you are working the kind of crazy hours
we do.

I believe it is all of the little details
that have made me a much better baker today.
Every day when I crank up that big
ol’Hobart mixer, I think of Jane. Not a
day goes by that I don’t think of something
she taught me and thankfully I listened
to every word of it.

I remember the first time she came back
into town and in to the bakery after we
opened. I was so nervous. I wanted to
impress my teacher. I wanted her to see
that I listened and I got it. I wanted her
to know that I appreciated everything that
she had taught me. She admired everything
and asked me for a couple of recipes and
then I knew she was proud of me.

I had passed! I had arrived! It was a good
thing. Mentoring is a good thing. I highly
recommend it.

Mentor or womanentor as the case may be.
n. A wise and trusted counselor advisor or
teacher.