Making Mentors PART 1: Waiting on a Lightsaber

In honor of Women’s History Month, we're celebrating the women who lead with empathy, tenacity, and goodness. We're paying tribute to the mentors, colleagues, teachers, and friends who found time to listen and see something that often escaped us in the mirror. We are better, wiser, and stronger because of you. 

Making Mentors is a compilation of stories, love notes, and personal reflections—all written by individuals who've had the good fortune of experiencing female mentorship at its finest. First up, we have Charisse, Jeff, and Erin—three of Coven's talented friends who graciously shared their experiences with us. All marketers in a broader sense, each of them has been uniquely influenced by the remarkable women we're honoring. Take it away, friends.

Charisse Nichols

Director of Engagement, The Leadership • She/Her

I will never forget my first mentor, Irene Lewis. She was the Artistic Director of Center Stage. A brash, incredibly emotionally intelligent, Upper East Side Terror…thick NY accent, crazy conviction, and talented AF. She saw the same in me and knew that people like us can be easily misunderstood at work because…we DGAF…or at least that’s what people believe. We, actually, give too many fucks.  

Passion for work is a very special experience. And as a woman, she took the time to help me become a strong creative project manager—letting me sit in rehearsals and take part in design meetings, from stage to costumes. I even got to audition the actors! In the early 2000’s she was one of three women running a regional theater in America, so I know how special these experiences were. 

Before she retired, she wrote me a letter and it said, in part, “I’m proud of you kiddo. You’ve learned how to get things done with class and charisma. You started out smart and now you are wise.”

I’m still letting that sink in some 15 years later.

Jeff Long

Marketing Director, Taco Bell International • He/Him

When I hire people I look for four characteristics: Courage, Passion, Tenacity, and Curiosity. And I learned the importance of each from a female mentor, coach, friend, or colleague.

✨ Early in my career, I witnessed strong female leaders showcase the courage to stand up for what they believe in—fighting for something important, even when everyone else in the room is against them. In the end, the work was invariably better for them having fought for a different perspective or approach.

✨ Working in a creative field, passion is mandatory. Loving what you do, what you can make, how you can impact a business—that's where great ideas come from. It was the female creative leaders in my life that taught me the game-changing power of harnessing that passion.

✨ Over time I've come to realize the importance of tenacity, a willingness to pick yourself up and take another swing at it after failure, and how many women in my life have embodied it. Women, more so than men in my experience, get knocked down, overlooked, questioned, debated, and ignored—and yet I've learned from so many female leaders who persevered through sheer force of will.

✨ As for curiosity, it's the easiest and maybe most critical of the four. Early in my career, there were a handful of female leaders—unafraid to not know the answer and determined to figure it out. To explore new areas, turn over every stone, and consider new viewpoints or arguments. Gracious in their humility and confident in their own capability, curiosity was a superpower that helped them grow, learn, and adapt.

I’ve been so fortunate to have great female role models and mentors in my life. I can count at least a dozen women, including my current boss Amy Durini, who have made a remarkable impact in my professional life. And I’m better for it.

Erin Huff

Senior Manager Marketing Operations, The North Face • She/Her

I have never considered myself to be a mentor.

……

Why is that?

I've been in the workforce for twelve years now, having managed people both directly and indirectly. People have shared that they respect me, look up to me, and learn so much from me.

……

So, why can't I accept that?

Do I need someone "official" to bestow a mentor title on me? Is there a set of criteria I need to meet? Do I need to earn a lightsaber or some shit?

……

When I think about female mentors in my circle, I see wisdom.

I see an assertive presence.

I see empathy.

I see mothers and DINKS.

I see integrity.

……

These women make me feel empowered.

Make me want to grow and challenge myself.

Make me want to speak up, even when a small voice tells me to stay quiet.

Make me want to lift up others.

But, do they think they're mentors?

……

It's time I shut down my insecurities to inspire others.

Regardless if someone hands me a lightsaber or tells me I'm their mentor, I need to believe that for myself...

I choose to believe I'm making a difference in the professional lives of those I work with.

I choose to believe I don't need to have to "have it all"—title or "x" years of experience—to guide others.

I choose to believe I got to where I am for a fucking reason.

I choose to lead with compassion.

Won't you join me?

——

Do you feel that? Those goosebumps are proof that RGB is, in fact, smiling upon us, and that women supporting women can be pretty damn powerful. Just ask our next guests, stay tuned for Part 2 of Making Mentors. ✌️