Discover a mentor in your pocket
We asked Notebook Mentor about their business and their inspiring career journals.
Notebook Mentor are a little team, supported by some awesome freelancers and partners we consider friends. The company was founded in 2017, although we didn’t start selling our notebooks until 2020 (about 2 weeks before the pandemic hit!). Notebook Mentor is sister brand of the management consultancy company ēniteō.
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When and how did the idea come about for Notebook Mentor?
The idea for Notebook Mentor was first seeded on the 20th floor of an office block in the East of Hong Kong Island. I’d already resigned from my role as Chief People Officer of a global healthcare business and knew a new life beckoned. A lover of notebooks and of supporting people to be their best at work, writing and producing beautifully designed, sustainable professional development journals with Graphic Designer @joehalesstudio and Printers the @graphiusgroup felt like a calling rather than a job!
How does your background in the corporate world colour Notebook Mentor's ethos?
I’ve witnessed, experienced, and supported people through a lot of things at work over the last three decades. I’ve seen the best of people and the worst too. I’ve tried to use these experiences to help people overcome common workplace issues, but also seize opportunities that come their way. Every Notebook Mentor is packed full of expert thought-provoking content. They sit somewhere between being non-fiction books, and reflective writing journals. The aim is to help ordinary people manage, develop and be happier at work
A5 New Manager Career Journal
How do your products differ from a standard notebook or journal?
Our products are packed with expert advice, thoughtful questions and challenges, professional development tips, inspiring quotes and ideas for overcoming or making the most of the situation you find yourself in. We offer space to answer key questions throughout the notebook and 40 blank pages at the end of each book for personal reflection and notetaking. We designed our books to be both sustainable (they carry the FSC code) and durable (they are hardbacked, machine stitched and manufactured to the highest quality). This means you can revisit your reflections for years to come!
What is your most popular product and why do you think that is?
Our best seller is “The 1st 90 days in my new job”. It does what it says on the tin! This is a great journal to help you land positively in a new job, get settled in quickly and build positive workplace relationships. There are a lot of people out there now, job hunting, moving between employers or starting their own business. We’re so delighted that this is our most popular book!
What do people find most helpful about your journals?
We use the term “mentor in your pocket” on our website however the phase was coined by one of our customers. We love the idea that we are there for you when you need us. We’re a little supportive voice encouraging and helping you deal with your situation. Our customers tell us that they appreciate the quality time required to unplug and reflect with Notebook Mentor. Reflective writing not only helps to declutter the mind, but it also helps hard wire learning into the long-term memory – it’s a double win!
If you can achieve one significant thing through Notebook Mentor, what would that be?
Happier people at work!
What would you say to anyone considering embarking on a self-reflection journaling journey?
Take your time! Some people want to read everything in one go and answer all the questions and challenges posed in one sitting. While this can work, especially for a more practical book like ‘The 1st 90 days in my new job”, sometimes resolving a complex problem or learning a new skill takes time (and putting things into practice as you go). Reflective journaling isn’t always easy. It requires deep thinking and real soul searching. When you do this, you get to better outcomes more quickly - if that makes sense!
A hotly debated topic. Your personal paper/page preference: ruled, square, dotted or plain? - Any particular reason?
Plain! Always plain! While I like all types, plain just invites creativity!
We love our Notebook Love community. Why do you think there are so many stationery/notebook lovers out there? And what's so special about stationery, in your opinion?
Despite loving tech – nothing replaces the tactile quality of a physical notebook. Sometimes I buy them just to sit them on my notebook shelf (yes, I have notebook shelves rather than bookshelves!) I want to smell, feel and breathe in a real notebook and admire how it’s been created. If the global pandemic has taught me anything, it’s that we need to unplug from technology and let our minds wander. For me this is what notebooks were made for!