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Many years ago, fortunately, someone
believed in me too. When I was fresh out
of college and looking for a job in pub-
lishing, the baby-faced editor of a local
start-up magazine took a leap of faith and
hired me as part of his team. We were all
really young and quite inexperienced—
and yet, we were this happy little band of
people working hard against all odds to
launch a new consumer magazine.
My mentors, the editor and manag-
ing editor, were only three years older
and had little publishing experience
themselves, but they taught me a great
deal about what was possible when you
believed you could not fail.
I think about the gift they gave me
in those early years and wonder where
I’d be if they hadn’t been willing to teach
and coach me. Mentors are an incredibly
important piece of life’s puzzle—without
them, there’s an empty space where
experience should be.
At the PPAI Women’s Leadership
Conference in New Orleans in July, I
enjoyed listening to a panel of industry
women talk about mentoring in the ses-
sion, Women Mentoring Women:
Creating Connections Through
Leadership. It was moderated by Jessica
Hutwelker, MAS, of Sunrise Identity,
and panelists were Pat Dugan, MAS,
BUDGETCARD, Inc.; Teresa Moisant,
MAS, Moisant Promotional Products;
Kate Plummer, Clearmount Plastics
Limited and Carrie Sabo, CAS,
American Ad Bag Co.
For 60 minutes, they shared their
personal experiences of being mentored
and mentoring others. I thought their
comments were too rich to keep within
those four walls of the Westin hotel
ballroom, so here you go:
1. Mentoring is like a candle: if you
light someone else’s light, it does not
diminish yours.
2. When looking for a mentor, look for
a work horse, not a show horse.
3. Take the time to “open the door” for
someone else, especially someone
new in their career.
4. If someone does a great job for you,
pick up the phone and call that per-
son’s boss and report how amazing
that person is. That five minutes will
go a long way.
5. If someone has mentored you, even
informally years ago, take the time
now to call and thank that person.
6. Take care of yourself first. That’s not
the most popular thing to say but take
the time to do what you want to do
and reward yourself so you can be bet-
ter for everyone else. If you are happy,
it reflects in all aspects of your life.
7. It’s ok to say “No” when asked to
mentor someone. If you are depleted,
you are not going to be effective.
8. Mentoring does not have to be
ongoing. Practice “spot mentorship.”
Ask a newcomer to sit at your table
at a regional association meeting or
help someone out at a trade show.
9. What should you ask of a mentor?
Think about what you lack and what
someone else can do to help you find
abundance. The onus is on the
mentee. They need to say what they
need. Maybe they need someone to
call and ask: “How did your week go?
What did you learn? What’s on your
plan for next week?”
10. If you are going to be a mentor or
mentee, put the time in to develop
your relationship.
During the session, Pat Dugan told a
quick story that has stayed with me. She
remembered an early-career boss and
mentor who, when asked for the meaning
of success, boldly replied: “When Pat is
better than I’ve ever been, I’ll know that
I’ve been very successful. And I know that
down the road she’s going to pass me by.”
What a powerful statement from a
man with a great deal of confidence. I’m
sure it filled Pat with confidence then, too.
Mentoring others or being mentored
might be scary or uncomfortable but the
results outweigh the risks.These two quotes
mentioned during the session sum it up:
Life shrinks or expands based on one’s
courage. Fear is excitement without breath.
Who was your mentor and what was
your experience? I’d love to hear from you
at
TinaF@ppai.org.Paying It Forward
PERSPECTIVES
4 •
PPB
• OCTOBER 2015
DOUBT THERE’S ANYONE WHO HAS
gotten to their current place in life without someone
else’s help. Somewhere along life’s path, someone with more experience gave them a bit of advice,
shared good ideas, provided a job lead or a reference, or offered them an opportunity they wouldn’t
otherwise have had. And it made all the difference.
Tina Berres Filipski
Editor
PERSPECTIVES
I