Mentorship Amplified Beyond Women's History Month

As we looked ahead to Women’s History Month here at iResponze, we looked around at the talented, diverse women who work here and wondered:

What advice would they give?

What challenges have they faced?

Who has influenced them?

Being the social butterflies that we are here, we put those questions to our team and we were blown away by the responses, many of which we shared in posts during March. (You can see all the posts in our social media feeds.) As for advice they would give, most reflected on the advice they wish they would have received early on, like:

• Ask for help when you need it. There is no shame in asking for help.
• Perseverance and discipline are the two things that I came to know with time that can do wonders.
• Believe in yourself, and If you never ask, the answer will always be no.
• Take risks, as it has rewards too. 
• Let go of perfection
• Never underestimate your capabilities.
• Always know your worth and respect yourself first. You are worth more than you think you are and never let anyone else decide that for you.
• Just because you're the lowest level employee doesn't mean that you can't have high-level/ great ideas. Great ideas can come from anywhere so don't be afraid to speak up.

Of interest, the advice and guidance these women have relied on and learned from over the years have come more from personal connections than professional ones. Many of our women pointed to the women in their own families as some of their strongest influences and advisors.

“My first mentor was my mother - she was a strong-willed woman who made it clear that I could be anything I wanted to be, that I just needed to believe in myself.”

“I have been inspired by the willpower of my maternal grandmother, who was a freedom fighter in pre-independent India, a social worker, and raised three children single-handedly. Her stories of strength are the wind beneath my wings.”

An equal number of women pointed to their fathers as mentors.

“My mentor has always been my father who has always influenced me to work harder and never stop.”

“My only mentor in my life has been my dad who always believes in me and has my back in whatever decisions I make in my life.”

With advice received – and learned – the women of iResponze are facing their challenges with focus, and while they recognize that bias exists, they do not let it stand in their way.

“Fortunately, I am working in an era where many women have already fought for equality in the workplace so that I don't have to face such discrimination in the present time.”

“I believe in working within the system to be able to see the change instead of complaining about it from outside. The quality of one's work should have the power to break the glass ceiling of gender bias or that of any other kind.”

To all the women who work to #BreakTheBias, to mentor others, to share lessons learned, we want you to know that you are appreciated and that we see you leading the way for future generations.

Jill Ellis

Client Success Director
JEllis@iResponze.com
864-434-0482

ABOUT iRESPONZE

Created by hoteliers for hoteliers, iResponze offers tailor-made digital solutions specifically for hotels and resorts to strengthen their online presence and support revenue growth. These solutions include responding to guest reviews and surveys, creating and managing social media posts, and replying to direct messages.