MENTORING BRIGHT MINDS

Jessica Sarkis has gone from a high school dropout to successful entrepreneur in just a few years.

The Hills resident left home at 17, worked three jobs to pay her way and then gained her HSC at TAFE so that she could study marketing at university. By the age of 25 she had created and sold two companies.

Two years later she is busy with numerous enterprises including her new company, Jessica Sarkis which is teaching people, through the lessons she has learned, to take control of their own life using their mind. “Every day I am still learning, growing and working towards achieving the goals I set for myself, “she says.

Jessica is part of a mentoring program established by Norwest Developer Mulpha to help develop the next generation of business leaders through the NorwestLearn initiative.

Her mentor is Hills businesswoman Stephanie Dale, Managing Director of the DMC Advertising Group.

Jessica says the she is delighted with the match. “I have so many ideas, I need to be pulled in line to focus.”

Stephanie Dale says her young mentee has given her so much energy.

“Jess has a very entrepreneurial mind.

“When you have been in business for 40 years like me you have a risk of being jaded but youthful exuberance is like a tonic.

“I have always enjoyed mentoring and it’s a real joy mentoring Jess.”

Mulpha Developments Executive General Manager, Tim Spencer, said: “Fostering lifelong learning is the key to driving business innovation and creating the vibrant entrepreneurial economy of the future.“

“Norwest already has the key attributes for an innovative workplace culture as we have a high proportion of university educated people and a growing number of small-to-medium business start-ups, with over 800 great businesses employing over 30,000 people.

“If we can harness that expertise and energy, the future of Norwest as an economic hub is very bright indeed.”