WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY: Ken Poirot, Author and Mentor

Ken Poirot, Author and Mentor
MENTOR ME

Ken Poirot’s MENTOR ME “will give readers direction to help them reach their greatest life’s goal,” according to reviewers. Described as a motivational book, it is based on Poirot's own extensive experience and success in the financial services industry and his degree and studies in microbiology. In the following interview, he clarifies that success is not restricted to financial gain, but to “getting to the next level in life” or “improving... life” depending on our own individual definition of success.

Poirot has a broad list of things he likes to do when he’s not writing or motivating people, which include history, science, travel, and meeting new people. His favorite traveling experience occurred while staying in the Belize jungle and making a day trip to the Mayan ruins of Tikal in Guatemala. He is currently working on a new book to offer a leadership and management model.

Q: Why did you write MENTOR ME? Your life seems quite full without the need to produce a book!

Ken Poirot: I have a deep desire to help people and to influence others in a positive way. You can only touch so many people’s lives directly on a daily basis, even as a manager sometimes interacting with hundreds.

In contrast, a book is a medium you can use to leverage yourself and potentially positively affect many, many more lives. Additionally, a book is permanent. We all face the fact we are mortal; as I wrote in MENTOR ME, “Time (T) is our most valuable commodity. None of us knows how much Time (T) we have on this earth, and no matter how much money we have, we cannot buy any more of it.” Writing this book was a way to leverage my time to potentially help more people presently and even after I am long gone from this earth.

Q: Why did you divert your life from a career in microbiology to financial services? How did you learn financial management when your background was in microbiology?

Ken Poirot: Moving to Houston from New York and attending graduate school made it necessary for me to take on student loans in order to continue my studies. I decided economically that didn’t make sense for me.

For this reason, I began an internship with American Express Financial Advisors, Inc. during the second year of my graduate studies. I learned financial management during this internship and later made the leap to work as a financial advisor.

I will also say the scientific process is directly applicable to business. I joke with people all the time how microbiology and cancer research are very similar to business….as I pause and enjoy how people look at me with a blank stare, all speechless, not knowing what to say.

I then explain: science is a process. In science, you design an experiment (plan) in order to achieve a stated result (a hypothesis). It is very similar to business, except in business most of the variables are known, whereas in science very often you are dealing with the unknown. The thought process, designing an experiment/plan, then executing that experiment/plan to achieve a goal/stated result is the exact same process in science and business.

Q: What makes your book unique from other mentoring books?

Ken Poirot: MENTOR ME has many different layers and levels. Differences on the surface: this book is interactive and will provide the reader with an individualized experience. It is focused on the reader to help them reach their goal(s)/life purpose based upon their individual goals/dreams/desires. On this level it functions as a personal success, self-help, and self-improvement book.

Another major difference is this book is based upon proven, time tested, real-world practical experience. So many books of this genre are written from an ivory tower as theory, and/or are difficult for the reader to figure out how to adapt the information to their own real life experiences. In contrast, with MENTOR ME the reader can literally walk through a book written in a practical, conversational tone, implement its ideas, and readily use them for their own individual, real-world circumstances as they read.

On the next level, MENTOR ME is a coaching, mentoring, leadership, management, and business book. There are stories and examples from my own personal experiences that provide anecdotal lessons on these topics.

On the deepest level, MENTOR ME has a plethora of subtle and some not so subtle themes. What I find interesting is only one reviewer so far has seemingly discovered just one of these deeper themes (“Know Thyself”) intentionally scattered throughout MENTOR ME.

In the Preface of the book I provide an answer for what I believe to be the meaning of life and introduce other deeply philosophical themes. This should alert readers there is so much more to this book than a “typical, self-help or business book.” It has so many different themes and layers purposefully placed throughout its pages.

 I recently described it in my blog as, “...the crossroads and convergence of where science, metaphysics, religion, and utopian society intersect.” There is a lot more complexity written into this seemingly “simple, real-world, practical self-help and business book.” As these themes are revealed by readers, it will give them a great deal to think about and ponder. In this sense, it is a bit of a “literary chameleon.”

Q: What are the 3-5 most important tips to motivate people to succeed?

Ken Poirot: Motivation begins with a fire inside the individual; I spark this fire and continue to feed it with a few carefully constructed psychological/emotional exercises in MENTOR ME. These tips summarized are:

1) Defining goals/dreams/desires

2) Visualizing the emotions/experience of achieving those stated goals/dreams/desires

3) Designing a plan to make these goals/dreams/desires a reality

4) Taking action based upon that plan

5) Keeping focused by continually reviewing those goals/dreams/desires while surrounding yourself with like-minded people who will give you support along the way

In MENTOR ME I provide tools to help the reader accomplish this and more effectively communicate with others to help the reader with their relationships.

All of these steps are designed to kindle the fire of motivation, feed it, and keep the fire going over time.

Q: Who should read your book? Are you targeting people who want to be financially successful?

Ken Poirot: Anyone who wants to get to the next level in life should read this book. I am targeting anyone who has the desire to improve their life. Unfortunately, not everyone is willing to take the steps necessary to improve their lives, so I am specifically targeting those who have goals/dreams/desires and who are willing to make the commitment to turn their goals/dreams/desires into reality.

Everyone’s definition of success is different, for some it is financial success, for others it may be helping others, having more time with family, happiness, etc… Readers can use MENTOR ME to achieve whatever their personal definition is of success. It is not necessarily financial success, as this is dependent on each person to define what success is for them; this book will help the reader achieve their personal definition of success.

Reviewers tout the book as both motivational and also helpful in terms of offering tips on how to succeed. Do you believe one is a higher priority than the other? Is motivation more important than planning? How important is balance?

Motivation and planning/tips to succeed are equally important. You can have all the motivation in the world, but without a well-constructed, defined, plan to focus this motivation, someone will meander with no direction or ultimate goal for their motivation, therefore, accomplishing very little.

Conversely, having a plan but lacking the motivation to begin it, implement it, and continue with the execution of that plan will not lead to success. So it is important to have both: a carefully constructed plan to lead to success and the motivation to take the steps necessary to consistently execute that plan.

Q: Did you do any research to confirm your instruction or is your book based on your own experience?

Ken Poirot: MENTOR ME is based upon not only my personal and professional experiences, but my hands on experience working with hundreds of professionals one-on-one. This is what makes MENTOR ME so practical and easy-to-implement; it is written based upon proven, time tested strategies that actually work in the real world.

Q: Would you say your advice applies to a broad variety of careers and positions? Or is it geared to financial services? Management careers? Or to financial success?

Ken Poirot: I wrote MENTOR ME to help people in any career or position. Also, it is not necessarily only applicable to careers as someone may decide their Greatest Achievement (GA) or goal(s) may have nothing to do with their career.

It is applicable for any goal someone may have for their life. I draw analogies and experiences from my time in financial services in the book, but these anecdotal stories have lessons that can be applied to any goal or career.

Q: What’s next?

Ken Poirot: I recently outlined a leadership and management model based upon the elements that made me a successful manager. I developed an easy way to relay this information to other managers/leaders so they have a framework to increase their effectiveness as leaders/managers. I will be working on turning this into a book in the future.

Q: Tell us about Ken Poirot. What do you like to do when you are not writing or motivating?

Ken Poirot: I have many interests: meeting new people, traveling, history, science, and a curiosity about the world around me. I also have a love for animals; right around Christmas Day a stray kitten showed up on my back porch, so lately I am spending more time at home with my new friend, who is now a very spoiled and happy indoor cat.

As an example of my diverse interests, on a given day I may be reading a story about string theory, watching a television program about some historical event on the History Channel, or researching a story about hunting for an ancient legend or some mythical beast.

I am also a bit adventurous. My favorite experiences from traveling were taking a day trip to the Mayan ruins of Tikal in Guatemala while staying in the jungle in Belize, swimming in huge waves in the Pacific Ocean at Lover’s Beach after kayaking/snorkeling in Cabo San Lucas, and swimming with sharks in The Bahamas.

I am sure my future will include more travel and additional exciting adventures.

About Ken Poirot

Ken Poirot grew up on Long Island, New York in the quaint village of Northport. After graduating from Cornell University with a B.S. in Microbiology, he moved to Houston, Texas to pursue his Ph.D. studies in Cancer Research at MD Anderson Cancer Center through UT Health Science Center. Upon receiving a US Patent for his research, Lipid Complexed Topoisomerase I Inhibitors, he left graduate school for a career in financial services.

Over the last two decades, he worked for many of the top financial services firms—some better known New York Stock Exchange-listed companies like American Express, Charles Schwab, Merrill Lynch (now part of Bank of America), JP Morgan Chase, as well as some smaller New York Stock Exchange-listed companies like Cullen/Frost Bankers (NYSE: CFR) and Guaranty Bank (now part of BBVA, NYSE: BBVA).

As the Senior Vice President and Sales Manager for Frost Investment Services, the brokerage division of Frost Bank (NYSE:CFR), he led his department to four consecutive years of double- digit revenue growth, increasing revenue by over 83% while substantially increasing the profit margin from approximately 27% to 37%. During this same time period, his financial advisors increased their individual production from an average of less than $25,000 in revenue per month to over $41,000. He achieved similar results at various other firms, including Guaranty Bank and JPMorgan Chase, consistently increasing the sales of his territories/producers by double-digits as a regional manager and personal/professional coach.

About MENTOR ME

Happiness. Success. Motivation. Influence. Inspiration.

Groundbreaking Practical Self-Help, Mentoring, Coaching, Personal Success, Business Guide

We all want to have success and happiness in every area of our lives, as well as be a positive influence and inspiration to other people. But too often, we get lost in our resolutions to do just that, having no idea where to start or how to get there. 

This book is the perfect guide! Fun, Concise, Succinct, Proven, and Filled with Wisdom! 

Successful mentor and coach Ken Poirot provides answers and walks you through in this groundbreaking book, Mentor Me: GA=T+E—A Formula to Fulfill Your Greatest Achievement! 

Finally a Real-World Practical Self-Help, Mentoring, Coaching, Personal Success, Business Book!

In MENTOR ME, you will discover: 

- How to formulate a plan to achieve your dreams 
- Your personality style and how it relates to the personality styles of other people 
- How to most effectively learn new information, motivate yourself, and others 
- The two most powerful words in the English language and how to put them to work for you 
- The best and most effective way to handle any conflict in life 
- And so much more... 

MENTOR ME delivers what other books only promise: real-world strategies, techniques, and information that produces effective, tested, and proven results! 

Easy-to-implement directives and personal life illustrations combine to provide readers with the pathway to success they have only previously dreamed about. 

Including some fun "smile" moments included along the way... 

Begin reading and following the plan found in Mentor Me today and step-by-step, you will transform your life! 

A Fun and Simple Self-Help, Mentoring, Coaching, Personal Success, Business Book!

Excerpt

Preface

What do you want out of life? When you look back on your life, what do you want to see?

              What do you want to accomplish…to achieve for yourself…or to give to others? What do you dream that people will say about you and your life?

Maybe you seek happiness. Maybe your desire is to help other people, or to lead a life that motivates, inspires, and influences others to accomplish things they never thought they could achieve. I don’t know what you want in life or where you are in your current situation. Maybe you are in the Abyss of Emotional Bankruptcy looking for a way out, looking for the next rung in the ladder on your climb to the Peak of Happiness, or you may even be at the Peak of Happiness already, looking for a way to stay there. Wherever you are in life, this book is designed to give you the tools necessary to help you achieve your goals.

My Greatest Achievement (GA) in life is spending my Time (T) and Energy (E) helping, motivating, inspiring, and influencing others to create their own Greatest Achievement (GA). (GA = T + E: Greatest Achievement = Time + Energy).

My hope is, in turn, these individuals will also motivate, inspire, and influence others to do the same. Through this medium, writing, I can leverage my Time (T) and Energy (E) in a focused and methodical way to create a chain reaction that positively affects the world.

It is my dream to be the GATE, the conduit, to help someone from where they are today, to where they want to be in the future. It is also my dream to have a society of people who will be that GATE for someone else. Imagine if we lived in a world where everyone utilized their Time (T) and Energy (E) to positively affect others’ lives?

I have been a success and I have been a failure. I have experienced the greatest joys life has to offer (the Peak of Happiness), and I have experienced the seemingly endless Abyss of Emotional Bankruptcy. I can say, having been there, the greatest transformations in my life, the most personal development, and ultimately my greatest breakthroughs, all came on the back of complete Emotional Bankruptcy.

Sometimes we get so busy with our daily lives we do not take the steps and the Time (T) necessary to be introspective—to analyze where we are and where we want to go; to decide what is working well for us and what is not going well; and to make the appropriate adjustments so we can get to where we want to be in life.

As I see it, the meaning of life is each other, and we are all we have in this world. I will even go so far as to say that this world we live in, in my humble opinion, may, in fact, be hell.

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