Pauleanna Reid Dishes On The Magic In Mentorship
Many ambitious women have put finding a mentor on their to-do list for 2020.
With many successful people mentioning mentorship as a vital part of their growth, we know ambitious women wanted to find out exactly how to go about making mentorship happen. But finding a mentor isn’t as easy as it seems.
Beyond finding a mentor, developing a meaningful and beneficial relationship for both parties is also key. With so many items on the mentorship to-do list, Her Agenda found an expert in the area to give our INSIDERS advice when it comes to finding the mentoring relationship that will work for you.
Pauleanna Reid joined us to discuss the magic in mentorship. The author, journalist, and celebrity ghostwriter shared with us quite a bit about having meaningful mentorship and discussing her mentorship program, New Girl on the Block.
Pauleanna on why every woman should have a mentor:
“Women have a tendency to shrink, over-think, and doubt ourselves out of opportunities we want and deserve. Having a sounding board helps overcome those seeds of doubt in our minds. There’s nothing like having someone in your corner to celebrate you and remind you that you are the shit and on the flip side, can give you sound advice on days you want to throw in the towel..”
On first steps when finding a mentor:
“First and foremost, you have to earn someone’s time and attention so before you seek out mentorship you should exhaust all your resources [like] Google and YouTube university. Educate yourself as much as possible, tap into your network and build a portfolio first. Do what you can. A mentor is likely to invest in you if you can demonstrate that you’ve already invested in yourself..”
On working on self before seeking mentorship:
“When you have checked those boxes, you are better equipped with the tools to approach someone with confidence and handle yourself if they question you or investigate why you think this partnership will be valuable. Mentors are not a life jacket.”
On don’ts of mentorship:
“Some common mistakes include 1) not establishing expectations at the start such as best method of communication or frequency of meetings 2) Not coming prepared with thoughtful questions and expecting your mentor to do all the heavy lifting and 3) No follow through. That’s like a slap in the face. The best gift or thank you, you can give your mentor is to actually complete what is asked of you and never do “just enough.” Always go above and beyond.”
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On encouraging others to mentor:
“I also encourage y’all to be a support and mentor to others. Once you can stand on your own two feet then you should reach back and help the next gen or your sister standing right beside you.”
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