Supporting Talented Women—Today and Every Day

womens day - women mentoring women

Supporting Talented Women—Today and Every Day

Menttium honored International Women’s Day on March 8, and we continue to recognize women’s achievements and examine the progress we still must make throughout March for Women’s History Month. As a woman-owned business with a long history of developing key talent through mentoring, we have had many women and men mentor up-and-coming women through the years. We believe the right mentor can accelerate learning, increase confidence, broaden perspectives and help mentees realize their true potential.

I am so proud of the work Menttium has done for almost 30 years to develop and advance women in the workplace, and I’m grateful to have the opportunity to bring my personal passion for growing and supporting women into the work I do. As I reflect on the 2019 International Women’s Day theme, #BalanceforBetter, during Women’s History Month, I pause to reflect on the strong and courageous women who have come before me to pave the way to equal opportunities for future generations of women.

I pause to reflect on the incredible women in my life who lift me up, support me, believe in me, make me laugh, let me cry, and inspire me with their talents and passions. I pause to reflect on the amazing men in my life who walk by my side, remind me to be confident when I need it, and care deeply about creating a better and more inclusive world for our kids and generations to come. I pause to reflect on my own journey as a woman, a daughter, a wife, a mother, a sister, a friend, a professional in the workforce—and I think about all the lessons learned, the wins, the hard times, and how I can harness it all to continue to become the woman I want to be.

I pause to reflect on motherhood and striving to be a role model along with my husband, teaching our children respect, inclusion, love, confidence, strength, hard work, and the importance of dreaming big! I pause to reflect on the progress we have made towards gender parity and the obstacles and barriers we still must overcome. We need to come together as women and men to create a better world for all so this work is a progressive journey and not a destination.

February Highlights

I have several fantastic highlights from the past month to share, featuring Menttium’s work and brand speaking out on the topics of gender parity and women’s development.

TEDxMinneapolis Women’s Event

We were proud to be a sponsor of the February 23 TEDxMinneapolis event, Piece Together, where six dynamic female speakers came together with a diverse and curious group of attendees to engage, connect, and inspire. TEDxMinneapolis is devoted to telling the grand Minneapolis story via the TEDx “Ideas Worth Spreading” platform. The organization hosts several events per year, pulling together all local speakers, performers, influencers, and change agents. All of these elements come together for a truly immersive and engaging event. Each speaker shared a different story, unique perspective, and thought-provoking message.

Here is what some of our mentors who attended the event had to say:

“I had the pleasure of attending the TEDxMinneapolis event with Menttium. This inspiring Saturday morning reminded me of how every person brings a unique and distinct gift to the world. For some, the challenge is embracing our gifts and talents; for others, it may be seeing it. As we celebrate International Women’s Day, may we each embrace our uniqueness and passions. Kudos to Menttium for recognizing the potential of women and forging creative partnerships.”

– Jennifer K. Meyer, MBA, CSSBB

Director, UnitedHealth Group – Center For Clinician Advancement

“Tedx Minneapolis was incredibly rich with diverse perspectives. I appreciated learning about how TEDx produces content by creating a safe environment where speakers can be themselves without fear of making mistakes during the talk delivery. Attending with the Menttium team was a treat!”

– Stefani Tygar Barnes

Strategy and Business Support Leader, Employee Relations – Wells Fargo

OBSERVE Magazine Article Feature: Why Male Leadership is Key to Helping Women Thrive

We were interviewed and featured in the March issue of OBSERVE Magazine, Odgers Berndtson’s global publication. The special issue was dedicated to women, inclusion and diversity! We were featured in an article about why male leadership is key to helping women advance. We know that gender parity is not a goal for women alone to take on, but rather an aspiration that will only become reality when men act as allies and partner with women.

In fact, a 2018 study from Accenture reveals that, at companies that prioritize creating a culture of equality, women are four times more likely to reach senior manager and director levels. And according to BCG, 96% of organizations report progress when men are involved in gender diversity. Take a look at the article to read some of our insights!

International Women’s Day 2019 Video with American Ninja Warrior Competitor Sarah Schoback

We were delighted to recognize International Women’s Day 2019. To celebrate the theme of #BalanceforBetter, we teamed up with our amazing partner, Sarah Schoback, to create a video message that we shared with thousands of Menttium stakeholders on March 8. We launched a partnership with Sarah in 2018 to strengthen our shared mission—helping people reach their full potential with stronger performance! Sarah helps people overcome obstacles in the gym, which then carries over to having the confidence to overcome obstacles in their lives. She is dedicated to enabling women to build both physical and emotional strength. At Menttium, our seasoned mentors help mentees overcome workplace challenges and rise to their full potential. Teaming up to share our inspirational messages has proven to be a great way to reach our global Menttium community.

Peer Group Conversations for Mentees

We have been planning several new pilots for 2019, and our Peer Group Conversations Pilot will launch next month. Currently, we are working with strategic partners to conduct both virtual and face-to-face conversation groups for our mentees. We’re starting small with a couple of pilots to test the concept and will be offering peer group conversations via Zoom to our active Menttium 100 female mentees on the topic of Managing Work & Parenting: Cultural Expectations on Mothers. Local anthropologist and author Dr. Solveig Brown will facilitate these discussions based on her book “All On One Plate: Cultural Expectations on American Mothers.”

But that’s not all—we also plan to test face-to-face conversations in partnership with Sarah Schoback for active mentees local to the Twin Cities, focused on the topic of Overcoming Obstacles: Strength, Resilience, Positivity. Sarah will share her journey as a woman, mother, athlete, business owner, and “Ninja of the North” to inspire mentees to follow their dreams.

We have several other pilots planned in 2019 to continue to innovate and evolve our mentoring programs. More to come soon!