A year ago, we launched Mentora LIFE with the goal of creating a space where people who wished to pursue a meaningful, purpose-driven life, could come together to inspire, support, and guide each other in growth partner circles and gain access to a scientific, structured path to success.

Today, in celebration of Mentora LIFE’s one year anniversary, I will share with you a few reflections from Mentora LIFE members.

I’m so grateful to these members for the journey they’ve opened themselves up to taking, for the inspiration they’ve drawn from and given to their fellow members, and for the testimony they offer to the untapped possibilities each of our lives hold for being more joyful, purposeful, and successful.

Josh Lindland
Private Wealth Advisor, IronBridge Wealth Counsel
CBS EMBA ’10

“For decades I had avoided discussing the experience of working at the World Trade Center on 9/11. The event is usually discussed in reference to the tragedies of a single day, but there’s another story that’s completely missed. It was an experience that hit where people worked, and then they had to go back to work days after. 

“Many years later I started to understand how the experience had collapsed the boundary between work and personal life for me. It shaped the way I engage with the world. This version of the experience connects to Mentora’s philosophy, which dissolves distinctions between personal and professional life.

“In my Mentora LIFE circle meetings, two people shared personal experiences that, while completely different on the surface, resonated deeply with me. Some experiences can affect both those who were directly involved and those who weren’t, but in profoundly different ways. In listening to their stories, I saw how they had found ways to allow for this and use it for creating greater connection. 

“This has been tremendously helpful in my transition to working as a financial planner and private wealth manager. I’ve spent much of my professional life steeped in the functional skill set of my role, and now feel the greater impact of what it’s really about — life planning. Even estate planning, which can feel to some like death planning, is really life planning. It’s about people’s hopes becoming intentions that become plans, and for me it means being there to play a part through the good and the bad. 

“In a Mentora LIFE circle there is a strong and mutually-felt trust in the positive intentions Hitendra has infused through his work. When we have discussed the most interesting life situations, where there are gray areas and contradictions, it is always brought back to one fundamental thing: intention. Without this the deeper work we do in our circle would not be possible.”

Patricia K. Gathers
President and CEO, The Carmelite System, Inc. and Carith Ministries
Villanova MBA ’97

“I have been plowing through the Mentora course material. Purpose, Self-realization, and Growth. It has quite literally made me a more effective leader, is driving my outer impact… and OMG it works.

“This spring, I met a random person, and had a conversation about a few things. In a restaurant no doubt, in Palm Beach. Neither of us had this location as the place to have dinner, but we both landed in the same place at the same time. This person heard my story — I had honed my purpose speech — and it landed. He was the Personal Assistant to a high-level PR executive. He arranged a breakfast meeting between her and me the following week, and I discovered that we are very similar — our core energies are so aligned.

“Just like that, I am going from Trish with a good heart and dream to Trish, aligned with a media mogul (who is amazing). Now it appears I will be joining a power list of Palm Beach and likely Manhattan. It’s so amazing to see this unfold, and I intentionally used the tools I’ve learned at Mentora on Purpose, Love, and Self-realization.”

Bharat Manglani
Principal Product Manager, Chalice AI
CBS MBA ’19

“As a technology professional, I have often found myself drowning in headlines about layoffs. The negativity has weighed me down.

“Then, I discovered Mentora LIFE’s daily Core Review — a simple practice that has shifted my focus. Each day, it guided me to take a moment to fill my cup with positivity. The vibrant Mentora LIFE community supported me on this journey. Suddenly, I started to take more notice of the joy around me, including my exuberant toddler and the anticipation of welcoming a baby girl into our lives. This made all the difference — and further increased my dedication towards my career in artificial intelligence technology.”

Claudina Bonetti
President and Founder, Quinta Esencia Wellness
CBS MBA ’96

“I joined Mentora’s Group Partnership Circle in-person cohort after learning about it from my dear friend and former classmate at Columbia Business School.

“While my background is in Finance, my life took an unexpected turn in 2005 when my middle daughter was diagnosed with a rare and usually fatal genetic disorder. That journey has fundamentally altered the course of my life.

“I was at a crucial junction last Summer when I decided to join Mentora. I was about to let go of what had seemingly become my life’s calling: fighting for my daughter’s life.

“How would I be able to set her free after the journey we had taken together? It had become my norm to spend the bulk of my days managing her medical care and her educational trajectory. It was essentially a miracle that she could be independent after a bone marrow transplant, corneal transplants, cervical spine fusion, and a kidney transplant… and I was scared to death. Was caring for her my life’s purpose? What else did I come here to do? What would my life look like now? Should I focus my energies on strictly pursuing my financial goals or should I apply what I had learned on this journey with her to what I wanted to do professionally?

“I was asking myself these questions last Spring just before Mentora landed on my radar. Since joining, my daughter has been living independently in college. I have found the time and energy to recommit to goals I had been working on but were always on the side burner — both on the creative and business front. A skincare line I had been developing is launching in May, nine months after joining Mentora. I have recommitted to writing a book about my journey as a mother.

“At Mentora LIFE, I have found a group of like-minded seekers who support my deepest questions about
life and why I am here. Together we are asking similar questions and holding one another accountable, while learning valuable leadership tools that are serving us both personally and professionally.”

Mentora LIFE is an invitation for you to go on a rewarding journey of self-discovery, lifelong growth, and the pursuit of a purpose-driven life. If you are considering joining Mentora LIFE, you may want to:

• Explore getting your membership sponsored by your employer. 
• Attend our next Mentora LIFE Information Session on Thursday, June 20th at noon ET (Register here). 
  • By attending a Mentora LIFE Information Session, you will become eligible for attending the M.LIFE Experiential event.

Warmly,
Hitendra

Note: In my newsletter dated October 5, 2023 titled ‘What should one do when the future road looms ominous, and the road back uninviting?‘, the ‘Mrs. Annie Johnson’ mentioned in the story refers to Maya Angelou’s grandmother after whom she was named, and not Maya Angelou herself. I value accuracy in the content I share with you, and apologize for the mistake. Thank you to the reader who pointed this out!

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