Today we’d like to introduce you to Lori Crever.
Thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I am a lifelong performing artist. I grew up on a dirt road in the country, acting in neighborhood and school plays, then out of college working in television, subsequently moving to New York City to pursue stardom. I had many adventures in The Big Apple where I did a range of jobs to support myself. These included restaurant work, aspiring Wall Street mogul’s assistant, speaking coach, and administrative director of a fitness studio.
When I returned to my home state of Minnesota, I switched my career to international banking. I retained an appetite to do work of scope and magnitude; also, I found myself exiting a brief marriage with a son to raise. I needed, as an honest friend told me, “A real job.” Tailoring my style as one coming from the arts to operating in a conservative corporation required patient, engaged managers who were excellent mentors. When my role morphed from marketing communications to communications and employee engagement, I was tasked with starting and operating a mentor program. The practice of effective mentoring was a match for me.
I was keenly aware of the benefits I received from quality mentoring, and my conscious choice— so important in a mentoring relationship—to be coachable. This professional trait may be a carry-over from performing arts where you avail yourself of classes and coaching throughout your career. A term from the Japanese is kaizen, change for the better, or continuous improvement. I worked for two decades inside a Fortune 50 corporation, managing communications and employee engagement programs for its international division, along with designing and managing global philanthropic activities.
When my division was dismantled and my role and team eliminated, I had the opportunity to finish a book I had started. Many people had encouraged me to write this book on the value of finding and working with a great mentor who can help you understand the field in which you are playing (or performing). The book is titled “Protégé Power: A Roadmap to Mentorship.” Several of the stories and case studies stem from my eleven years of operating a formal mentor program, where I worked ultimately with 900 program participants.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
For me, my career and life journey have been a mixture. I had many benefits growing up in a loving, nurturing family; access to a good education, and opportunities to explore and expand my horizons. However, like anyone operating on this Planet Earth, I have experienced my share of unexpected obstacles, including economically where one can easily find themselves in a “boom and bust” cycle.
For instance, when I was laid off from my job and working on my book, try though I may to land freelance work, this was not in the cards. My annual income for a couple of years was a tenth of what I was making in the full-time job that I had exited. In addition,I keep my fingers in performing arts activities: dance, comedy, storytelling, and poetry. Those fields of endeavor remain as brutal as ever—laden with steady rejection and letdowns.
My steady favorite now for over 15 years is comedy improvisation. Improvisation is a team sport. You only succeed if you help everyone else on the team to succeed and shine. I enjoy engaging in this art form a lot. Sometimes, like dance class, I refer to it as ‘my inexpensive therapy.’ You improve your understanding of human nature, including your own quirks and complexities, by engaging in artistic endeavors.
As you know, we’re big fans of Protégé Power LLC. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Someone once observed that I am a fusion professional. I spend about as much time in the arts as I do in business and organizational development.
I routinely challenge myself to bridge these two worlds. I work to help others cross-collaborate to broaden their skills and understanding. A popular workshop offering of mine is “Improv Skills Applied to…” then fill in the blank at the end. I do the application of comedy improvisation principles to selling, teaching, listening, parenting, and mentoring relationships.
My book, “Protégé Power,” distills my experiences and knowledge around, not just succeeding in a mentoring relationship, but other career-accelerating actions as well, such as how to find and work with a career sponsor. The book is 288 pages long, has over 100 illustrations and diagrams and over 30 stories and case studies —all delivered with humor and humanity.
The book is available in hardcover, eReader, and audiobook. I work frequently with the Center for Mentoring Excellence out of Seattle where I consult and coach clients across the world. Anywhere you go, people desire to be seen and understood, and have opportunities to advance and improve. Mentors are individuals who generously offer their wisdom and experience to help someone else.
What makes you happy?
I love gently opening someone’s mind to a new point of view. I say “gently” because most of us do not respond well to having something forced on us.
There is so much constancy in change (at risk of sounding oxymoronic), that it behooves each of us to remain as flexible and open to new ideas as possible. This is survival. This reflects the Darwinian principle of “Adaptation” to survive and flourish.
Pricing:
- $28.95 price of Lori hardcover book
- $9.99 audiobook and eBook versions available on Amazon and other platforms such as Apple, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Thalia, Bol.de, Angus & Robertson, and Vivlio
Contact Info:
- Website: protegepower.com
- Instagram: @protege_power
- Facebook: facebook.com/prpower
- Linkedin: linkedin.com/showcase/protégé-power-mentoring-wisdom
- X (formerly Twitter): @Protege_Power
Image Credits
Illustrations by Betsy Conway
