Keith Aikens, the power of mentoring, and “each one, teach one”

"I learned early the lesson you get from different people outside the family—chance interactions with others. I believe 'each one teach one.'"

Meet Keith Aikens.👋🏾 Keith is a Communications professional from Georgia and believes in the power of mentoring relationships. We asked him a few questions about his experience being a backr:

Q: What drew you to Backrs?

A: When I saw the Backrs opportunity on LinkedIn, it was funny—I saw that it was a Memphis-based company and said, "I wish I had this here." My contact said, "it’s online and you can participate anywhere." I was sparked by the idea of building a team around a young person. It takes different perspectives to get a well-rounded experience from mentoring. I have 4-5 mentors myself from different backgrounds. It seemed a great idea to bring these people together for a young person. I was all in.

Q: What does it mean to be a backr?

A: I try to step in to the relationship with purpose. Backing makes you think about how you cultivate, grow, and care for relationships and people—how that happens and what it means.

Q: How has being a backr impacted you?

A: It’s helped me think about my own relationship with my mentors. Am I getting the best value from the relationship? Am I giving the best value in the relationship? I want to make sure they show up for me and me for them.

Q: What advice do you have for those new to Backrs?

A: Be patient. Proteges are trying to do A LOT. Give some grace. Realize there is a whole life that they are living and that this is one small piece they are trying to juggle. Give a young person some space and don’t expect rapid engagement always.