SCORE Denver Chapter Chair Mentioned in Newsweek Article

SCORE Denver's Chapter Chair, Jim Vernon, received glowing praise from Newsweek writer and SCORE Client Maddy Osman. 

"Regardless, I filled out the application to request a SCORE mentor and was quickly matched with Jim Vernon. With no shortage of educational and professional accomplishments, Jim's background and business experience stood out to me.

He started volunteering with SCORE while transitioning out of a heavy work schedule, looking for a way to give back. These days, Jim acts as the Denver SCORE Chapter Chair.

Together with a team of other chairpeople and volunteer mentors, Jim handles the ongoing operations and needs for managing SCORE from Denver to Castle Rock and Fort Collins, Colorado. The chapter fields 5-7 mentor requests daily and runs multiple online workshops and in-person networking events.

Jim and I first started meeting many years ago when I was a freelancer experimenting with various business ideas. Specifically, I reached out wanting a sounding board for my e-commerce venture, Tanks that Get Around.

While Jim wasn't focused on the e-commerce space in his professional life, he gave me a lot to think about from a business perspective, and his insights helped me build the brand and make sales.

Ultimately, I decided to move away from growing this particular brand. However, I continued to consult with Jim after deciding to invest more time into transitioning my freelance writing business into an agency model.

SCORE mentees can request to meet with their mentors as needed. At this point in my entrepreneurship journey, I typically set meetings with Jim a few times a year during pivotal times when I want input from someone who has my best interests at heart (and a lot more practical experience than I do).

While many SCORE mentors consider themselves to be more generalist in the guidance they provide, they also collaborate with subject matter experts depending on the mentee's specific needs. In other words, you have the opportunity to work with multiple professionals throughout your SCORE mentorship journey." 

The article was not just an excellent recommendation of Jim and his talents, but of SCORE as well. 

"SCORE, or "Service Corps of Retired Executives," is, unintentionally, the best-kept secret from American business owners. Whenever I talk about it with people in my network, people seem surprised about its existence.

That, in turn, astonishes me—especially considering it's the nation's largest volunteer organization that helps small businesses. SCORE operates 250+ chapters in major U.S. locations, supported by 10,000+ volunteers." 

Read the full article here.