Learning and Lifting.
How a Mentorship Journey Revealed the Profound Connection Between Learning and Lifting Others
I Came to Inspired Women Lead! to Learn. I Became a Mentor to Lift. I Discovered They Are Deeply Connected.
I first heard about Inspired Women Lead (IWL) through my colleague, Francesca Morgera, and was intrigued enough to apply. After reflecting on my vision and values, I was accepted into IWL and paired with my mentor, Alix Leon. One of the most meaningful parts of the program is being paired with women from around the world. Equally powerful was the opportunity to pause, reflect, and ask: What is my vision? What are my values? What kind of leader am I becoming?
Over six months as a mentee, I clarified a vision that I realized had been quietly forming for years. Sometimes vision begins as something fuzzy and vague—a dream, a pull, a sense that there is more to build. Pieces of it had already been showing up in the conversations that energized me, the people I wanted to support, and the work to which I felt drawn.
The most rewarding part of IWL came when I became a mentor and was paired with my mentee, Micaela Gutierrez. As her mentor, I walked alongside her through the same process I had experienced. I quickly learned that mentoring is not about giving someone the answers. It is about creating space for discovery through presence, active listening, thoughtful questions, and the belief that another person already possesses wisdom within them.
The most powerful moment came during our final session when we discussed vision. It is difficult to describe how moving it is to watch another person discover something that had been buried beneath responsibility, uncertainty, or expectations. Through reflection, that vision came to light. That moment changed how I think about mentoring.
This experience helped me understand that mentoring is a cycle. There are times when we are learning and times when we are lifting—often simultaneously.
I am continuing to build on my IWL vision and am thrilled to remain engaged with IWL as a Pair Guide.
This Program Left Me with a Few Lessons
- Leadership grows from the inside out: Authentic leadership begins with our roots—our values, strengths, lived experiences, and deeper "why."
- Mentoring is listening before advising: The best mentoring creates space where someone can hear themselves think, identify what matters most, and trust their own voice.
- When we grow, we are called to lift: Encouraging another person to step into their leadership creates ripples—in our workplaces, communities, and throughout the world.
Bonnie Fatio founded IWL around a powerful guiding idea: "Transforming the world, one woman at a time." Transformation does not always begin with a grand gesture. Sometimes it begins with a 45-minute conversation, a thoughtful question, a moment of encouragement, or one person helping another see the leader they are becoming.
Who has helped you see the leader you are becoming—and who might you be called to lift next?
