What Actually Happens in a Mentoring Session? (And Why It’s Not What You Think)
- Fran Ash
- Apr 8
- 4 min read
If you’ve ever thought about working with a mentor, chances are you’ve also had that question in the back of your mind: “But what actually happens in a session?”
And it’s a completely fair question, because if you’ve never experienced it before, it can feel a bit unknown.
A lot of people assume it’s going to be quite formal. That you’ll turn up, sit down, and be told what you should be doing in your business, or that you need to come prepared with everything mapped out in advance.
But honestly, it’s not like that at all.
It’s Much More of a Conversation Than People Expect
The way I work, there’s no rigid structure or script that we have to follow.
You don’t walk into a session and get “taught” how to run your business, and you’re definitely not being judged or assessed. It’s not about ticking boxes or getting things “right”.
It’s simply a conversation - a proper human to human one - where you can talk things through openly, without feeling like you need to filter or have everything figured out first.
You Don’t Need to Have It All Figured Out Before You Come
This is something that holds a lot of people back.
They think they need to have a clear plan, or know exactly what they want help with before they reach out. Almost like they need to be “ready” first.
But in reality, most people come to me because they don’t feel clear.
They’ve got ideas, they’ve got thoughts, and they’ve got that constant feeling that something needs to change… they’re just not quite sure what or where to start.
And that’s exactly what the session is there for.
We Start With Where You Actually Are
There’s no expectation to show up as the version of yourself you think you should be. We start with what’s really going on.
What’s been on your mind lately, what you keep going back to, and what’s starting to feel messy or stuck. From there, we begin to unpick it together and make sense of what’s actually important.
Quite often, just saying things out loud is the first shift.
Getting Everything Out of Your Head Changes More Than You Think
One thing I see time and time again is how much people are carrying around mentally.
All the ideas, all the “I should be doing this”, all the half-finished plans… it builds up.
When it’s all sat in your head, it’s really hard to see things clearly, let alone decide what to focus on next.
But once it’s out in the open, everything starts to feel more manageable. You can see what matters, what doesn’t, and what actually needs your attention right now.
We Focus on What Will Actually Move Things Forward
A lot of the time, business owners are already doing a lot - they don’t need more to add to their list.
What they need is to strip things back and focus on the things that are actually going to make a difference.
So rather than piling more on, we simplify it. We look at what’s going to move your business forward, and we centre things around that.
That’s where the clarity starts to come in (without it feeling overwhelming).
And Most Importantly… We Follow It Through
This is the bit that really changes things.
It’s easy to have a good conversation, feel motivated, and then go back into your week and fall into the same patterns.
But knowing what to do and actually doing it are two very different things.
Having someone alongside you - someone who understands what you’re trying to build, who checks in, keeps you accountable, and helps you stay on track - is often the difference between things staying as ideas and things actually moving forward.
There’s No Judgement - Just Honest Support
You don’t have to have everything together.
You don’t have to pretend things are going better than they are.
And you’re not going to be made to feel like you’re behind.
It’s simply a space where you can be honest about what’s really going on in your business, and work through it without pressure.
So… What Do You Actually Leave With?
Most people leave a session feeling different in a way that’s quite hard to explain until you’ve experienced it.
Things feel clearer, decisions feel easier, and there’s a sense of direction that wasn’t there before. More importantly, there’s usually a clear next step - something that feels doable, rather than overwhelming.
And that’s where things start to shift.
If You’ve Been Wondering Whether Mentoring Is Right for You
You don’t need to have it all figured out before you reach out.
You just need to be open to having a conversation and seeing where it takes you.
If that feels like the next right step, you can find out more about working with me here: Work With Me
Or if you’re still exploring things, this might help:
