National Mentoring Month is dedicated to raising mindfulness around the importance of mentorship—a practice we embrace whole-heartedly at Version 2.0. Mentorship can be a powerful differentiator for employers and employees, which is why V2 has a formal mentorship program in place to empower our employees with the skills and support they need to grow as professionals. As part of this program, each junior employee is paired with a manager with whom they meet once a month to set goals and outline the steps needed to achieve them.
In the spirit of National Mentoring Month, we asked the V2 team who their most impactful mentors have been—from childhood, school or their careers—and what advice they were given that shaped their professional journeys. Here are their stories:
“One of my first managers was the best mentor I’ve ever had. She taught me the value of working smart, not just hard. Watching her handle a million deliverables, plus a full life outside of work, made me evaluate my working style with an eye toward efficiency and productivity, which has been key to my success.” – Victoria
“I’ve been lucky enough to have many mentors guiding me through school and helping to shape the start of my career, but my sister Rachel has proven to be the most important. Being six years older than me, she’s always been a few steps ahead, learning from her own mistakes and handing down her wisdom to me (requested or not). To this day, I live by her advice: ‘Be your own best advocate,’ not because others won’t support you, but because you should be proud of your hard work and know your worth, professionally and personally.” – Shannon
“Mrs. Peggy Silva, my fifth grade English teacher, was one of my earliest mentors. She had a big banner (the kind made of paper strung together out of an old dot-matrix printer) that read ‘YOUGOTTAWANNA.’ It’s a simple piece of advice that remains my mantra decades later. When there’s a goal I want to achieve, it’s a good reminder that reaching it starts with me!” – Katelyn
“I would consider my journalism department adviser a mentor of mine. Whenever I felt nervous about taking an opportunity, she would essentially give me permission to just go for it and listen to my gut feeling. Sometimes when you’re nervous about jumping into something, you just need a mentor to step in and tell you yes.” – Debora
“One of my teachers from way back told all her students to always ‘care.’ It seems like a simple thing, but it’s how I try to approach my work, the way I treat people and the decisions I make.” – Kristen
“One of my first bosses was a great mentor to me. As someone in PR who is savvy and smart, she taught me a lot just by leading by example. She pushed me to think creatively, to stay on my toes, and to own my ideas. This has helped me both with media and clients. Seeing the way she worked has taught me to be resourceful, more confident and persistent.” – Megan
“My dad has always been an important mentor in my life, and I’ve looked up to him ever since I was a little kid. The best piece of advice he’s ever given me is to follow your passions and love what you do. If that’s the case, you’ll not only enjoy going to work every day, but you’ll be better at it.” – Liam
“I have two important mentors in my life. My father, Michael, has taught me so much as I have started my career. One of the main pieces of advice he gave me is to persevere and stay determined even when the road ahead looks long and treacherous. My grandmother, Mimi, was my biggest cheerleader in all that I did and has taught me to always look on the bright side of life. Between these two incredibly influential people, I have felt unstoppable and extremely fortunate to be where I am today!” – Rachel