Some Thoughts at Sunset: A guide to Mentoring the Next Generation

by Steve Harper

Mentoring, once the primary method of transferring knowledge from one generation to the next, is practically a lost art today. Now we see classrooms, books, and internet courses as the preferred means of transferring knowledge. Although these methods have their place, they do not and cannot replace mentoring. When an older person walks alongside a younger person through the ups and downs of life and shares with them from their own experience and wisdom, something magical happens. All the words and thoughts so carefully taught in the books and classroom now begin to sink in and take root in the young person’s heart and mind as they are mentored through life with a friend rather than just being taught by an instructor. This book captures the essence of my experience and thoughts as a mentor and, I hope, will serve as a guide to those who will carry the torch into the future in faithfully mentoring the next generation.

208 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 1, 2022

About the author

Steve Harper has become one of the most sought after speakers and business strategists on the power of deepening and strengthening the power of connections through a process he calls “Rippling.” Steve’s unique and refreshing approach to how and why individuals, organizations and even our society can and must reach outside the box to connect, is literally changing lives and impacting corporate bottom line dollars.

A serial entrepreneur, professional speaker, author and leading business strategist, Steve has successfully uncovered the secret to creating powerful long-lasting connections and their impact on one’s personal and professional life. Steve has transitioned his years of business experience and unyielding customer focus into a successful consulting practice appropriately named The Ripple Effect after his successful first book by the same title.

Born in Albuquerque, New Mexico Steve credits his passion and fiery personality with the green chili that is an apparent part of his DNA makeup. Steve attended the University of New Mexico on a DECA Marketing Scholarship, where his studies focused on marketing and business management. Through his early involvement with a startup while going to school, Steve developed a strong interest in entrepreneurship and vowed to own his own company one day.

That dream became a reality when Steve was selected by Xerox Corporation to be their Austin, Texas sales and service agent in 1993 starting Innovative Office Solutions, Inc. Steve, the youngest Xerox agent in the country, successfully ran I.O.S. for the next five years amassing numerous corporate recognitions from Xerox and serving on several agent advisory boards. In 1996 Steve and his team were recognized by the Austin Business Journal as one of Austin’s 50 Fastest Growing Companies and award that still holds a special place in Steve’s office today.

In 1998, Steve decided to leave the Xerox agent program in pursuit of new, more challenging opportunities. He opened a new company called Complete Digital Solutions, Inc. and successfully used the new company and its unique platform be an early market leader in the emerging digital imaging and scanning field. It was through this new venture that Steve began to define his unique approach to building his client base and utilizing the power of the Ripple to his advantage. C.D.S. quickly grew almost entirely from referral, because of Steve’s respected resource mentality to helping all people that crossed his path in life or business. His efforts were capped off by his recognition by Office Dealer Magazine selecting C.D.S. as their Elite Dealer for 2003.

Steve has always maintained a unique focus on developing strong, long-lasting relationships with his clients, prospects and employees. By building a strong network of referrals and repeat customers, Steve has honed his ability to foster client relationships into a leveraged system for achieving solid business success. That system is represented in his book The Ripple Effect and through his speaking engagements, customized training, ongoing coaching and impressive line up of customizable training programs that he and his team offer today.

Steve enjoys helping companies and business leaders recognize the importance of building strong relationships with their clients, prospects and employees. He speaks professionally to a variety of groups, both corporate and civic, about creating a Ripple-centric strategy and the power it can bring to one’s personal and professional life.

Steve resides in Austin with his wife Kathy and their two boys Zachary and Joshua. He maintains that his children are his greatest teachers and his wife his biggest inspiration.