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Mentoring Is About Self-Discovery, Not Advice

True mentoring happens when a mentor helps someone discover their own answers rather than telling them what to do.

connected chain

Relationships Create Transformational Impact

The deepest mentoring influence comes not from one conversation, but from long-term connection, follow-up, and genuine care over time.

butterflies

A Mentor Mindset Begins with Joy in Lifting Others

Effective mentors are driven not by recognition or authority, but by the internal fulfillment that comes from helping others grow and thrive.

About Lifting Up: The Transformative Joy of Providing Guidance

This short novel will take an average reader approximately 72 minutes to read. Reflection question response time will depend on the depth of your responses. Lifting Up: The Transformative Joy of Providing Guidance is a reflective and deeply human exploration of what it truly means to mentor. Told through a series of conversations between Jodie and Jake, a seasoned “master mentor”, the book moves beyond techniques and scripts to uncover the mindset behind meaningful guidance. Rather than presenting mentoring as a formal program or professional strategy, it reveals it as a way of living; one rooted in curiosity, attentiveness, and genuine care. Through real-life inspired stories, Jake demonstrates that mentoring is not about giving advice or directing others toward predetermined outcomes. Instead, it is about helping people discover their own answers. By asking thoughtful questions, observing carefully, and creating safe space for reflection, a mentor empowers others to grow in confidence and clarity. The book highlights how even small, intentional moments—silence, follow-up notes, birthday messages—can create lasting impact when sustained over time. At its heart, Lifting Up argues that mentoring is transformational not only for those receiving guidance, but also for those providing it. The true reward is not recognition or professional advancement, but the quiet joy of knowing you have helped someone move forward. In the end, the book suggests that a life spent lifting others becomes a collection of meaningful stories, memories, that endure long after titles and achievements fade.

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Table of Contents

8 Chapters · 29 Lessons

  1. 1

    Get Started

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      A Note

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Introduction

  2. 2

    Part 1

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Interview One

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Interview Two

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Interview Three

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      What Do You Think?

  3. 3

    Part 2

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Interview Four

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Interview Five

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Interview Six

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      What Do You Think? Part 2

  4. 4

    Part 3

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Interview Seven

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Interview Eight

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Interview Nine

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      What Do You Think? Part 3

  5. 5

    Part 4

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Interview Ten

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Interview Eleven

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Interview Twelve

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      What Do You Think? Part 4

  6. 6

    Part 5

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Interview Thirteen

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Interview Fourteen

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Interview Fifteen

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      What Do You Think? Part 5

  7. 7

    Part 6

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Interview Sixteenth

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Interview Seventeen

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Interview Eighteen

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      What Do You Think? Part 6

  8. 8

    Part Seven

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Interview Nineteen

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Interview Twenty

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Interview Twenty-One

About the Creator

Jack Byrd, Jr. Rather than present my background in a traditional academic format, I would like to share my career journey, since that is what this course is about. I came to West Virginia University (WVU) from Fairmont, WV. My first memory as a child was being told by my parents that I needed to do well in school because I would be going to WVU. I chose engineering as a major because I liked math. I have never been a social person, and the thought of giving presentations was very frightening. I didn’t want a career where I would be asked to do presentations. I had an internship with Eastman Kodak. The plant employed more people than lived in my hometown (22,000). I loved the work but was disappointed by how little of an impact my work had at this massive site. I decided to continue in school to get my Master’s, largely because our basketball team was going to be great. After finishing my Master’s, I decided to continue on to get a PhD. I never gave much thought to my career decisions. A turning point in my life was when a classmate of mine lost his father unexpectedly. He asked me to take his classes. Although I had a real fear of public speaking, I agreed. I found out that I loved teaching. I was given an opportunity to stay at WVU when I graduated with my PhD, and accepted. I’ve always been very creative, so developing research proposals was something that was easy for me. I was awarded one of NSF’s top awards for young scholars. When I presented my work at a research conference, I had another career epiphany. I just couldn’t imagine a career where the scope of my work was limited to a ballroom of people. Early in my career, I was awarded the first Faculty Merit Foundation honor of being the best college professor in the state. This gave me some freedom to focus my career on teaching. Now in my 7th decade of teaching, I believe I have taught more students at WVU than any other professor. In April of 2019, I found out that I had cancer. Originally, I thought I could resume classes after a summer of treatment, but the treatment was too challenging. Reluctantly, I had to retire. But I couldn’t stop teaching. I taught online classes during the one year of treatment. When my surgeon came to see me the morning after a six-hour surgery, I was grading papers. I told him, “I love what I do.” He just shook his head. I hope that you will find an equally satisfying career and that this course will give you the ability to find your own purpose as I have done.

Build a legacy of meaningful influence.

Learn the art of transformative mentoring.

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