You’re Not Stuck—You Just Need a Mentor to Help You Grow

Looking back on my younger years, one thing stands out more clearly than ever:

I really could have used a mentor.

As a teenager and young adult, I had no shortage of ideas. I was creative, ambitious, and full of passion. But I didn’t always know what to do with it all. I had dreams—but no direction. Drive—but no roadmap. And while I was doing my best with what I had, I often felt overwhelmed, stuck, or misunderstood.

I remember sitting in my bedroom as a teenager, writing down business ideas in a notebook—so excited about the things I wanted to create, but completely unsure how to make any of it real. I didn’t know who to talk to. I didn’t know where to start. I just knew there was something in me that felt bigger than the box I was living in.

One of the biggest dreams I had was to become a fashion designer. I took fashion design in high school. I wasn’t the best sketcher, or even the best at sewing but I really had fun designing! However, I’ll never forget how I slowly started to give up on that dream—not because I didn’t love it, but because deep down, I believed it would be too hard for me. That lie didn’t just come from nowhere. It came from years of subtle messaging—comments from adults, the way I was treated in school, and a lack of encouragement that led me to believe I wasn’t capable.

Instead of being built up, I was quietly broken down.

Instead of being told “you can,” I heard “you shouldn’t.”

And little by little, I let go of what once lit me up.

Because of all that discouragement, I found it hard to pick a career at all.

I felt so overwhelmed and scared of landing in the wrong place. I changed my mind constantly—week after week, I wanted to do something different with my life. I just couldn’t seem to find a path that made sense.

Back then, I wasn’t walking with Christ. I didn’t really know Him—I only knew that He died on the cross.

But even without a relationship with Him yet, I did know who I was at my core. That’s what made school so hard. I wasn’t confused about me—I was frustrated that no one else seemed to see it. I wasn’t willing to shrink myself or try to fit in just to belong. And because of that, I often felt completely alone. Christ was my driving force because He was always walking with me, protecting me.

Deep down, I knew I was created for something greater than the small-minded thinking I saw around me. But when everyone else is telling you the opposite—it hurts. It made me angry. So I kept to myself, guarded, withdrawn, and carrying dreams I didn’t know what to do with.

That’s exactly why I believe God has placed mentorship so strongly on my heart.

Because I know what it feels like to wander without direction.

I know what it’s like to be full of passion, but paralyzed by fear and confusion.

I know what it’s like to be a kid who was too overwhelmed to move forward—and how that can follow you into adulthood.

I don’t want that for the next generation. If I can help it, I will.

That’s one of the many reasons I founded Don’t Miss Your Turn.

Because young people today need mentors—not to control them or give them all the answers—but to remind them of who they are in Christ and help them walk in purpose with confidence and clarity.

Whether that’s helping a young person discover their passion…

Funding their desire to learn a new instrument or develop a skill…

Helping them earn a certification to grow their potential…

Or simply being a voice of encouragement who will listen, create a doable roadmap, business or career plan, and hold them accountable…

That kind of support matters.

It can change a life.

I think of the younger me often—and now, I get to be who I needed.

If you're someone who feels called to speak into the next generation, I encourage you to say yes to Him.

And if you're someone who still needs guidance, don’t be afraid to ask.

Mentorship is not a weakness—it’s a strength.

It’s something that can further you to where you need to be.

You don’t have to figure it all out alone.

God places people in our lives for a reason—and when we listen, learn, and grow together, we don’t just move forward…

We thrive.