Meet Pam Scott of MentorLoft.com in Northeast Atlanta

Today we’d like to introduce you to Pam Scott.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Pam. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Twenty years ago, life presented me with a choice. I was laid off. I didn’t know what my next step should be. I had been an award-winning newspaper editor, spending 13 years in a business I loved. I was a stay-at- home mom for a few years. Then I joined GAO (U.S. Government Accountability Office), where I wrote and edited investigative reports for Congress. It was my job at GAO that was cut. “What’s next?” I thought. I realized I had options. I didn’t have to go back to the newspaper or take a corporate job. I wanted to take control of what I was doing. After consulting with my husband, I decided to start my own business.

At that point, I had enough experience behind me that I had the confidence to step out. I had always coached young people and interns at the newspaper. I had been training people on writing and communications at GAO. I was working on my master’s in education and human development. I knew starting my own business was something I could do, something that I would be good at, and, most importantly, something I would really enjoy. Becoming an entrepreneur isn’t easy, because you have to learn as you go. But it was the best decision I could have ever made.

Thus Armstrong Scott® Inc. was born. Our tagline is “Numbers may drive the business, but people drive the numbers.”® The first few years I taught business communication courses for major corporations. It was great, but I wanted to do more. I didn’t just want to teach people what to do; I wanted to coach them through that growth.

That’s when I transitioned to executive coaching. I niched myself on coaching owners and managers of engineering consulting firms. I am blessed to have coached some of the best people I’ve ever met. In 2015, we launched MentorLoft. MentorLoft.com aims to reach young professionals where they are, using delivery methods they’re familiar with. To do this, I’ve had to learn:
• how to physically build a website
• what SEO is and how to use it
•how to turn classroom courses into online courses

I’ve often said building MentorLoft is the equivalent of getting another master’s degree. I’ve spent two years learning, applying, and continuing to learn how to build a web-based business.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Has it been a smooth road? Absolutely not. As a small business owner, I wear all the hats: marketing, accounting, coaching, etc. And like everyone else, I had to rebuild after the recession.

The recession left many people fearful for their future. People are afraid to spend what they’re earning because the next recession could be right around the corner. My challenge is to help business owners understand that they need to invest in training their young professionals. My challenge is also to engage the current generation who wants to grow and is very career focused. It’s up to them, not their employers, to take charge of their careers. MentorLoft is here to help them do that.

MentorLoft.com – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
WITH MENTORLOFT, I take people from where they are in their careers to where they need or want to be. That mentoring can occur through a company-funded program or individuals can  hire me to mentor them to reach their goals. And sometimes, through working with me, those goals change because they need to. For example, one young woman kept applying for jobs similar to the one she was in. She’d make it to the final round of interviews, then not get the job. After some digging, I realized she didn’t want another job like the one she had; she wanted something different. With my help, she reframed what she truly wanted and was able to go find that.

MentorLoft gives me a chance to use what I’ve taught CEOs and pass that along to young professionals. I help the YoPros close the gap between what they know and what they need to know to further their careers.

The “need to know” can include communication, managing oneself and others, dealing with conflict, understanding business, presentation skills, and so much more. It depends on the person’s needs.

In a company-funded project, I’ve been mentoring a group of project managers on how to become business leaders. With so many Boomers retiring, we are realizing how unprepared the next generations are to lead businesses. Some young professionals will receive training in the workplace but for those who don’t – MentorLoft can close that gap individually.

I AM KNOWN FOR my authenticity, my commitment to my clients, and my sense of humor. Ask any of my coaching clients and they will tell you that I tell them the truth, even if they don’t want to hear it.

AS A COMPANY, I’m most proud that we’re still in business after 20 years and the recession. During that time, I’ve also been privileged to guide others through
· Azalea Village Ministry
· Toastmasters
· Wealthy Habits
· Engineers Without Borders
· Junior Achievement

WHAT SETS ME APART from others is I’m a woman who has most often worked in a man’s world. When I started out as an editor, the newspaper business employed mostly men. That was particularly true in sports, where it was me and 42 guys. For the last 15 years, my niche has been working with engineers. The engineering business is still predominantly men, although I’m happy to see more women moving into the field. One client told me the reason he’d learned so much from me was because I had been in the trenches. I’ve been there, done that; I’m not just teaching it.

What is “success” or “successful” for you?
My #1 teammate is and always has been my husband, Jay. He has total confidence in me and the business and never wavers. Without Jay and the support of my kids, my business wouldn’t be here.

I had a mentor early on who “adopted” me because, in his words, he saw so much potential that wasn’t being developed. I worked closely with Larry, an executive coach himself. Through him, I gained a behind-the- scenes look at running businesses and insights into the world CEOs live in.

Through Larry, I joined Vistage (formerly TEC), an international organization of CEOs focused on their personal and professional development. Jansen, my Vistage chair, specialized in questioning my assumptions and challenging me to think differently. Vistage and its members added immense quality to my life and my own growth. In all things, every day, I strive to use my God-given gifts to serve his purposes and help others.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.MentorLoft.com
• Phone: 404-520- 0197
• Email: pam@MentorLoft.com
• Facebook: www.Facebook.com/MentorLoft
• Other: www.linkedin.com/in/pamelascott

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