Eleni Mitakos and Kate Tribe have participated in the Australian Businesswomen's Network MentorNet program. For more information on MentorNet, please click here.

The Mentoree: Eleni Mitakos, Galmatic

Why did you become a mentoree?

I was working from home with a 2 yr old and 2 day old when I started the MentorNet program - I had no colleagues to bounce ideas off and was very uncomfortable networking with technology. I much preferred the good old way of face to face - but knew that I had to embrace social media, especially since my market was social media savvy.

What were you hoping to get from the experience?

I wanted to be more comfortable making new contacts and using my years of business experience to reach new markets - put simply I wanted to network my ideas and learn from others.

What is the biggest challenge of being a mentoree?

The hardest thing I found was to pinpoint my weaknesses and challenge myself. Kate, my mentor, helped me to identify the strengths I had that could be applied to what I felt uncomfortable with. For example - I am very confident speaking on the phone and face to face, but very nervous making contacts via email/cold call letters. I solved this by using things such as twitter and Skype - which allowed me a more casual way of making connections which in turn has led to phone calls and face to face meetings!

What is the most powerful thing you've learned?

Plan, plan, plan! Yes it sounds so clichéd, but the program really helped me focus on what my long term goal was, which in turn helped me to prepare action steps.

What would you say to anyone considering being a mentoree in the MentorNet program?

The program will work really well for you if you attend the sessions and know what you want to achieve from it. The more you put in, the more you will get out.

How did the technology used for the program help your experience of MentorNet?

Absolutely. Some sessions I was breastfeeding the baby and entertaining my 2 year old with a movie!

It allowed me to participate from home and I could do my work in the evenings (more like the wee hours of the morning).

How did the technology used for MentorNet help you and your business?

Before the program, I had set up my blog and forum - however I was not dedicating enough time to the social media side of my business. I still thought of it as another job to do, rather than as another tool of making new connections.

The program helped me to feel more comfortable with the technology.

Any additional comments?

Don't be too overwhelmed by social media. Start with a blog or a YouTube site and start chatting and showing people what makes your business unique. Social media has not replaced traditional networking - it has expanded our ways of communication. Jump onto Twitter and start making new connections - remember what Elvis said "A little less conversation - a little more action."

Galmatic runs fun and interactive Car Care Workshops for women - they think of themselves as an old fashioned garage: where you know your customers and provide them with second to none service. Galmatic is a gals one stop shop for car care products and information - to keep them cruising in style and feeling confident when driving.

Name: Eleni Mitakos
Company: Galmatic
Website: www.galmatic.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/galmatic
Blog: www.galmatic.blogspot.com
YouTube: www.youtube.com/galmatic

The Mentor: Kate Tribe, Tribe Research

Why did you become a mentor? I had two main motivators for being a mentor. Firstly, without mentors my own business wouldn't have had the success it has had, so I wanted to give back. Secondly, mentoring gives you as much as you provide - by discussing ideas and forcing you to step out from your own business, you gain insights for your own business' development.

What were you hoping to get from the experience?

You don't know what you don't know So, I was hoping to find a few of those "I didn't know that!" moments.

What is the biggest challenge of being a mentor?

Managing time.

What is the most powerful thing you've learned?

That moment when you have a bad day and think you have no business insights for your own business, then step into the mentor role and say "have you tried...?" and realise that in your own business you are just stuck, but you will look at the next day afresh and solve the problems.

What would you say to anyone considering being a Mentor in the MentorNet program?

You will feel you've learned more than you gave, at the end of the program.

How did the technology used for the program help your experience of MentorNet?

When all the pod uses the MentorNet software it greatly adds to the experience. A pod I mentored also used Skype to have short 'chats' and ask questions which was great. It also connects you to mentorees in the future.

How did the technology used for MentorNet help you and your business?

The first time I was a mentor for MentorNet was when I started flickr and delicious accounts. We now have Flickr integrated on our site (www.knowyourtribe.com.au/work). The program was well timed with other business forces at the time leading me to use social media more; and it made that process much easier.

Any additional comments

MentorNet is a great program. As a mentor you have a mix of businesses to mentor at the same time. It brings business down to the basics - they all generally have the same problems and aspects they have to solve. It is easy to think each is a silo, but that's often not the case.

Tribe Research is a market and social research company helping organisations get to know their tribe. They host workshops on survey design and data collection. Their software, Tribal Tool-Kit, allows creative quick snap shots of views for marketing and business planning. They also help organisations get to know their tribe with surveys; telephone, postal and online surveys; and data analysis and reporting. You need to explore your tribe, uncover their views, and drive change in your business.

Name: Kate Tribe
Company: Tribe Research
Phone: 02 9264 4432
Email: ask@triberesearch.com.au
Websites: www.knowyourtribe.com.au, and www.tribaltoolkit.com
Facebook: Tribe Research
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/katetribe
Twitter: @katetribe, @triberesearch, @tribaltoolkit