Mentorship has always been a big part of our growth as a company. Our CEO, Ari Krzyzek, began to find a business mentor more than a decade ago when Chykalophia was just a tiny seed in a big garden. And thanks to the amazing mentors Ari encountered, we’ve grown from earning $250 a month to a six-figure agency!
How does mentorship work, especially for women entrepreneurs? How do you find a good mentor and how exactly can you learn from them?
Why is mentorship important for women entrepreneurs?
In general, mentorship provides aspiring entrepreneurs with the knowledge, confidence, networks, and ongoing support necessary to thrive in the business world. It also promotes diversity and inclusion in the entrepreneurial landscape, providing fairer opportunities for everyone and anyone (including women and women of color) who wants to start a business.
Benefits of mentorship for women entrepreneurs
Women entrepreneurs usually try to find a business mentor to help them overcome gender-related obstacles, but that’s not the only advantage you can get from having a business mentor.
- Personalized guidance: You have access to more experienced entrepreneurs who can offer guidance and share their knowledge, different perspectives, experiences, extensive networks, and mistakes they had learned from. All of these are tailored to your personal situations and business needs, so they’re more relevant and effective than the general advice you seek on the internet.
- Beat impostor syndrome: It’s easy to lose confidence and experience self-doubt in male-dominated industries. Your mentor has been helping you set your goals and holding you accountable for your progress, and they can help remind you of what you’ve achieved so far, restoring your faith in your capabilities.
- Overcome gender barriers: It’s unfortunate but true that women entrepreneurs may still face gender-specific challenges and biases. A mentor who has navigated similar challenges can offer guidance on addressing gender-based discrimination, negotiating for fair opportunities, and fostering an inclusive workplace culture.
How to find a business mentor for women entrepreneurs
It’s actually not difficult to find a business mentor. You just need to know where and how to approach them, as well as your goal of having a mentor.
1. Approaching a mentor
True story: our CEO once got rejected right in her face when she asked someone to be her mentor. Ouch! That hurts. But it was probably a bad move from Ari because they hadn’t really connected yet. She found this mentor’s online presence and knowledge admirable and went straight to ask about mentorship.
Don’t repeat her mistake. We recommend that you approach and connect online first with your potential mentors. Be friends with them and see if they’re interested in mentoring. Other than personal LinkedIn profiles or YouTube channels you find interesting, you can also join groups or communities that connect women mentors and mentees, such as:
2. Organic vs. structured mentorship
Define your goal before building a connection with a potential mentor, as it will determine what mentorship approach to take.
Organic mentorship typically happens naturally. You connect with a more seasoned woman entrepreneur, hit it off, and start becoming a mentor and mentee without knowing it. It’s more like building a close relationship and can be great if you’re aiming for a self-development type of mentorship.
However, if you aim to build or grow your business, achieve certain KPIs, and see tangible results, it’s best to opt for a structured, outcome-based mentorship. You and your mentor should start by making a strategy and plan to achieve your business goals, then have regular meetups for training and check-ins to track your progress.
3. Unconventional mentorship
What if you’re still not convinced about one-on-one mentorship? Don’t worry, there are other options for you.
You can approach and learn from multiple mentors simultaneously, taking in only the top insights from each one. Or you can even take the modeling approach where you learn from the mentor’s podcasts, webinars, books, and others. Keep in mind, though, that you won’t be getting unique, personalized guidance if you decide to take this route.
Mentorship for women can open so many doors
Once you find a business mentor who really cares for your growth, you’ll see so many new opportunities laid out in front of you — new knowledge, new skills, new connections, and more.
We truly believe in the power of mentorship for women entrepreneurs. In fact, mentorship has also been a way for us to give back to society. Our CEO mentors young women who aspire to get into business or UX design, and she’s open to new mentoring opportunities as well. Feel free to reach out to her on LinkedIn if you’re interested in having a mentor.
Never miss the latest resources and event updates from us! Subscribe to our bi-weekly newsletter below.
