Mom and Mentor

Let’s talk about mentorship. Have you had mentors? Who have been the most influential mentors in your life? And why?

So, it’s always such an interesting question for me because I say I didn’t have any formal or informal mentors coming along. But I had people who didn’t even know I was watching, which I remember a lot now, right? People who I watched, how they shut off their computer to go to a soccer game. I watched how they said to someone, “Have you taken vacation? You seem tired. That’s what it’s for. Take vacation,” or make really challenging decisions without a lot of information.

And so I say that, you know, I think my mentors have been senior people, colleagues and junior people who just exhibited skills that I thought I could learn from, and I thought, “You know what, that’s something I really admire. I’m going to try to incorporate that into how I show up.”

And so not as much specific. My biggest sort of supporter and mentor really was my mom. And that’s because she just… no matter what, if I was changing jobs, if I was in a job, if I was promoted, if I was thinking about changing, one, she’s the person who always knew those things. But then she also just gave me such sage advice about my strengths and being really brutally honest with myself about what I want. Like, what do you want? And what are you good at? And do these opportunities, marry those two. And so I think I still have those conversations with myself. And it was really important to have the chance to have this conversation.