Abstract

JOURNAL OF PUBLIC RELATIONS RESEARCH 2021, VOL. 33, NO. 2, 59–62 https://doi.org/10.1080/1062726X.2021.2015972 EDITOR’S ESSAY Sometimes, when one gets to a certain age or stage in life, some people want to know the history behind the present, perhaps to glean insights for their own evolution, or possibly to craft conjectures on the possible evolutions of others. As I reflect on my own journey into a more-authentic self, I think about how hard I’ve worked, how lucky I’ve been to have strong family and employer support, and how grateful I feel to all my mentors. Without question, no one gets to where they are without lots of help from lots of people. By definition, a mentor is someone who has more experience than you, that you trust to give you advice. In my personal and professional lives, I’ve been the recipient of tons and tons of advice, usually from people with more experience (or at least more opinions) than myself in a given area. Typically, the advice is well intentioned, and very often, the input is helpful. Sometimes, I’m also asked for advice or to be a mentor to others, which can be tricky. Because, really, a person can only become