SheMentors Spotlight: Alana & Amanda
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The YWiB Toronto team is happy to announce that SheMentors 2021 graduation is set for July 31st. As we wrap up another successful program, we asked our mentor/mentee to pair a few questions to learn how they’ve evolved and successes. Despite the global pandemic’s challenges, we sought out duos who took control and used the virtual resources that we offered to learn new skills, feel empowered, and inspired to plan their futures. Read on to learn more.
“I believe we all know more than we think we know, and we need to share that wisdom and experience with others in a compassionate way.”
- Alana
Getting to Know the Mentor - Alana
Hey Alana! Tell us a bit about yourself and what motivated you to start mentoring?
I’m a Career Coach, Brand Expert, Art Director, and Graphic Designer. I’ve had a diverse, eclectic career having worked in many industries, including Packaging, Book Publishing, Advertising, Media, Beauty, and even Government. At times, I have also lived the self-employed hustler life running my own creative studio. I’m a polymath who likes to try new things and jump into random projects to see what happens!
What do you hope to gain from your involvement with SheMentors?
What motivated me to start mentoring was a genuine desire to help other women who wanted that extra piece of support they couldn’t find from friends, family, or their workplace. It’s so valuable to have someone else to talk to and bounce ideas off of or provide a new perspective on a challenging situation. I find myself fuelled and rejuvenated when I can mentor someone, especially during this time when so many of us feel disconnected, myself included.
What advice would you give to someone looking to get a mentor?
For those considering becoming a mentor, don’t wait until you think you have more experience or more to offer. I believe we all know more than we think we know, and we need to share that wisdom and experience with others in a compassionate way. Even if you are only one or two steps ahead of your mentee in terms of career or experience, that’s more than enough to be able to provide strong mentor support.
You recently became a success-driven and executive leadership coach, adding to your already impressive wide range of roles (A creative leader, musician, speaker, teacher, and entrepreneur!). How is that helping you in your role as a mentor with SheMentors?
Well, I’m not a musician - yet! Lol. But yes, a few years ago I became a certified Life & Executive Coach and have since been working with clients who deep down know they can do better but keep falling short of where they want to go. I am deeply committed to seeing others succeed and helping them navigate their own success story with ease and grace. Before coach training, I was too often in “fix-it” mode - with both myself and others. Now I’m simply more curious about people and situations and less concerned with outcomes or what I need to happen to make something work out. This release of control and reduction in judgment has made me a better mentor for sure. I think my mentee can sense I don’t have an agenda and truly want what she thinks is best for her at any given moment.
This is your second time being a mentor with SheMentors! What keeps you coming back?
The reason why I am a SheMentors mentor again for a second time is simple - it is deeply fulfilling. I think every Mentor will agree that the experience is as beneficial (if not more so!) to the Mentor as the Mentee. As the Mentee is learning from the Mentor, the Mentor is also getting inspired, educated, and learning new skills. It is a win/win situation that empowers both participants in meaningful ways. I’m so grateful to YWiB for providing this wonderful program!
“Working with Alana through SheMentors has given me some new perspectives and new ideas to consider. She's also helped me to identify some of the reasons why I want these things, which has really helped me to understand myself better.”
- Amanda
Getting to Know the Mentee - Amanda
Amanda, tell us a bit about yourself and what made you decide to become a mentee?
I am a self-employed goldsmith, with a few different jewellery businesses. I've been fully self-employed for about 7 years, though for most of those years I was a freelance goldsmith making jewellery for other stores. I love running my own business, but since I don't have a boss or anyone to go to when I need help, I sometimes find I get stuck trying to figure out how to move forward. So far, I feel pretty good about what I've accomplished, but I've started to feel like I've done as much as I could on my own and that I could use some guidance and advice from someone that has experienced some of the challenges I am facing in my business and personal life.
You have a couple of jewellery brands and a jewellery studio. Tell us about them!
Yes! I have two jewellery brands that allow me to make different types of jewellery to satisfy the different parts of my personality. Through Jewelust, I focus on artful and refined designs inspired by nature and some of my favourite artistic movements – Art Deco and Art Nouveau. All of the decisions I make are strongly influenced by my personal values of social equity and justice, environmental sustainability, and creativity. With Fandom Regalia, I make fun video game, science fiction, and fantasy-inspired pieces. I get to geek out with customers and make good quality fandom jewellery, which is something that has been missing from the community for a long time; a lot of fandom jewellery is costume jewellery made with inexpensive, and often not skin-friendly materials. I make all of my jewellery in my studio, Goldspell. I co-own Goldspell with a long-time jewellery pal, Sasha Oda of Archerade. Goldspell is a fully equipped jewellery studio, and there are currently 4 goldsmiths sharing the space to create our unique designs.
How do you hope to be different at the end of this experience? What will you have gained from it?
I hope to be more confident in my decision-making, have a better understanding of myself, and be on my way to developing the skills to be a more effective businessperson, friend, and community leader.
The Mentor & Mentee Relationship
How is virtual mentorship going so far? How are you able to connect on a deeper level to create that mentor-mentee relationship?
Alana: The virtual mentorship is going really well, although I will admit I do wish I could grab a real coffee in a real cafe with my Mentee. Having done SheMentors in person and now virtually, I prefer in-person chats mainly because my days are already saturated with screen time. But we are all becoming used to the Zoom life, and it’s still possible to have strong connections virtually. Ultimately, I’m grateful we have the technology to make SheMentors still happen during this crazy time!
Amanda: We've done all of our meetings through video calls so far, and it has been pretty good! It isn't quite the same as meeting in person, but it is still really helpful to see Alana's expressions and reactions (compared to talking on the phone).
What are your short-term goals? How is SheMentors helping to support those?
Alana: My main goal is to help Amanda gain clarity and traction on her goals. Her goals are my goals! I’m also working to be an even better listener. Active listening is a skill I have worked really hard on over the last few years and continue to make it a priority. Sometimes you got to pretend you have duct tape over your mouth and just listen to others speak, even when you want to jump in and say something. Everyone deserves the gift of being heard. It makes us feel valued and supported.
Amanda: My goals are to improve my communication skills, to find clarity and incorporate my personal values into my business in a way that feels comfortable for me, and to work on my elevator pitch/gain confidence talking about myself. I'm also trying to improve my work/life balance. Working with Alana through SheMentors has given me some new perspectives and new ideas to consider. She's also helped me to identify some of the reasons why I want these things, which has really helped me to understand myself better.
We’re about one month into the program. What have you learned from each other so far?
Alana: What I have learned from Amanda so far is that creativity, integrity, and courage are traits I really admire in others, and she demonstrates them all. It’s not easy being an entrepreneur and Amanda is stepping up to the plate with incredible strength. As a creative and entrepreneur, myself, this inspires me so much. See, I told you the Mentor benefits from this whole mentor thing! How lucky are we?
Amanda: The perspective and objective point of view that Alana shares with me has been invaluable! It has helped me ask more of the right questions, and I've learned a lot about myself! Alana is also a great listener and thoughtful with her advice, so I’ve also learned from her actions, as well as her advice.