Sigauke is a Paradigm Shift entrepreneur whose husband was struggling with alcoholism last year. He hit bottom when he was taken to a jail after being arrested for driving drunk. His bail was set at $390. Sigauke went to visit her husband in jail and prayed with him, even though he wasn’t a Christian.

After praying together, the bail was miraculously reduced to $13! He was then open to prayer and to the things of God for the first time.
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All of us have gaps in our life that need filling. And that is why God made us interdependent on one another. We need others to pour into us and help fill the gaps in our lives.

George is an electrician who is mentoring an entrepreneur also named George, who is a handyman. They are developing a meaningful friendship while George (mentor) is coaching George (entrepreneur) in valuable skills such as how to collect payment from his clients and paying attention to details in his paperwork.

George (entrepreneur) was contracted to do a handyman job at his mentor’s home. The entrepreneur did an excellent job preparing a quote for the job, emailed it to his client and then texted to say it was in their inbox.

George completed the job and even followed up a week later to ask how his new customers felt about the job in terms of quality and timeliness. This follow-up demonstrated excellent customer service and a desire to improve his business.

With the help of his mentor, George is more and more confident in his work as he learns the details needed to retain repeat customers as well as gain new customers.

Even the most hardworking, diligent entrepreneur sometimes faces very unfortunate circumstances.

Mwiza opened a small shop as a stepping stone to what she truly wants to do, which is hairdressing. Mwiza started her shop because she saw it as a vital need in her community. It nearly devastated her when her shop was robbed and everything but around $10 of merchandise was taken.
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Walk into a variety of coffee shops in Johannesburg and chances are, you just might be sitting next to a middle-to-upper class businessman or businesswoman sharing an hour or two with an hard-working entrepreneur from a poor community. As their conversation unfolds, you would overhear them talking about a broad range of subjects––from business to family to faith.

Surprisingly, their conversation flows very naturally… just two people sharing life together, the mentor gently coaching on difficult topics, sometimes sharing a word of wisdom or a helpful idea. Each of them is inspired, challenged and sharpened by the experience.
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One meaningful way to build and grow a relationship is to share memorable experiences together.

While this is true for any relationship, it is particularly pertinent in Paradigm Shift Mentors. Finding a hobby, or some mutually enjoyable activity is a great way to ‘break the ice’ and create a relaxed and fun environment in which they can share life together.

A recent example of this is when Jenny, who is a Paradigm Shift Mentor at a partner church, invited her mentee to a crafter’s workshop which she attends twice a month. Jenny’s entrepreneur owns a small convenience shop, but she also crochets in her spare time.

The Mentor said that they had a wonderful time together as they spent over two hours of the morning learning to quilt and talking together about life, family and business.

The entrepreneur not only enjoyed the morning, but was also thrilled at having learnt a new skill. She will be attending the workshop again with her mentor next month, where she will teach the ladies how to crochet! What a beautiful example of sharing.