March 8 is International Women's Day, so it's the perfect time to remember how we can all support women's professional success. Women's presence and success in professional communities and leadership has only grown in recent decades, and that increase of women in leadership positions has countless benefits for both businesses and individuals: improved workplace retention, improved profits, more skillful staff, not to mention the greater success every woman deserves. An important factor of that continued success is women professionally uplifting and supporting one another through mentorship. Here at Creative Solutions we love mentoring so weve put together an overview of how we’ve seen mentorship help women succeed and professionally flourish.
Mentorship is Imperitive for Women’s Professional Success
Mentorship programs are invaluable for both mentors’ and mentees’ professional success. 87% feel more empowered and confident in their careers as a result of mentorship programs, and mentors are 6 and mentees 5 times more likely to be promoted. Mentorship programs have also created significantly higher retention rates. Clearly people prefer to work in places where they feel supported. These programs are especially important for women. Over the span of 2020 to 2022, the number of women for every 100 men in leadership positions grew from 72 to 86. That was primarily due to female mentorship.
Female entrepreneurs and professionals possess the unique career and business insight that make them great mentors for other women. Who can you think of right now that would be an awesome mentor for you? Consider what kind of qualitiues you are looking for in a mentor. Also consider what outcome you are looking for as well. If it is difficult to find a mentor or mentee, there are also networking services specifically for female mentorship, like Monday Girl. Together, all these efforts create a powerful ethos for uplifting women’s careers.
What does mentorship offer?
Mentorship provides three essential things:
professional guidance
a support system/ professional community
confidence enhancement
By its very nature, mentoring is all about professional guidance and insight. It passes on knowledge and experience to others so that the next group of women professionals starts another step forward and has a slight advantage. It’s a continuous cycle of support. That cycle creates strong professional connections among a network of mentors and mentees, who then go on to be mentors themselves. This leads to a vibrant and strong community of women professionals who are invested in supporting and celebrating each other’s continued success.
That sense of community and advocacy gives a safe space for open discussions, such as about wages, the value of their work, and the need for accommodative workspaces. Creating open spaces to discuss these matters allow every woman to get a better sense of what they actually want and deserve. These discussions along with a support network offer an invaluable confidence booster that allow professional women to advocate for themselves and their success in any professional environment. They get a better sense of when and how to ask for that next raise or promotion while knowing they have earned it. And they know they have a cheerleader behind them every step of the way.
Mentorship at Creative Solutions
With how important women mentorship support is, it shouldn’t be a surprise that it is ingrained into the fabric of Creative Solutions. We work with a lot of awesome clints and numerous clients led by some incredible and motivating women. When women collaborate, the world opens up to infinite possibilities. Here are just a few of our women-led organozations that we work with:
· Kingston Co.
· Remap
Our own founder, Hollie has been a mentor for women business along with women who work at various companies since the inception of Creative Solutions back in 2014. In 2022 alone, Hollie has put in over 200 mentorship hours. Here are just a few of some of those she’s mentored in 2022:
· Jacquie - Café Alexandra
· Mona - Auntie M's Closet
· Alex - Wine on Main
· Kaitlyn Severin - Socialize & Co.
Hollie has also surrounded herself with countless other incredible female business owners, who all co-mentor each other. This group of selfless, amazing women are the definition of Brilliant. If it wasn’t for these women, CS would not be where it is today. Big thank you to:
· Deanna Simone - Rosewood
· Carole Parsons - Sugar C Media
· Karen Richards - Karen Natasha Coaching
· Tamika Auwai - Orisha Creative
· Gloria Pierre - Clearly Speaking
· Elena Fordham - Beveridge Marketing
· Maryam Golabgir - Digital Marketing Experts
· Sandra Stewart - Firefly Junction PR
· Maria Papadakis - Dakis and Associates
· Kimberly Swenk - Swenk Social
· Tash Jefferies - Your Tash
· Sharni-Marie Barney - Forj
· Tricia Belmonte - Like Us Communication
In some ways, being a mentee and mentor and benefitting from the insight and support of a female professional community and network, is limitless. There is no stopping us!
No Day Better than International Women’s Day
We should be striving every day to support women’s professional success, but there is no better day to start than International Women’s Day. If you’re already mentoring or a part of a women’s professional community, then you’re providing an invaluable service to fellow female professionals and business owners. If you’re looking for a mentor, consider the list of impressive women above. Hollie is always eager to provide some of her own insight and experience as well. Feel free to email Hollie about one-on-one mentoring if you’re looking for a cheerleader that will steer you in the right direction and build the confidence that you are on the right path.
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