Illana Raia - The Epic Mentor Guide: Insider Advice for Girls Eyeing the Workforce from 180 Boss Women Who Know

For every girl building a bold, brave futurethis is the book you need.

Reshma Saujani, Founder of Girls Who Code and The Marshall Plan for Moms

The Epic Mentor Guide

Insider Advice for Girls Eyeing the Workforce from 180 Boss Women Who Know

Illana Raia Founder of tre

Worth

The Epic Mentor Guide

Insider Advice for Girls Eyeing the Workforce from 180 Boss Women Who Know

2022 Illana Raia

All Rights Reserved.

No part of this book shall be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, magnetic, and photographic, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior written permission of the publisher.

No patent liability is assumed with respect to the use of the information contained herein. Although every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the publisher and author assume no responsibility for errors or omissions. Neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein.

Published by Forefront Books.

Cover Design by Bruce Gore, Gore Studio, Inc.

Back Cover Design by Jennifer Vance, Books Forward

Interior Design by Linda Bourdeaux, thedesigndesk.com

ISBN: 978-1-63763-049-5 print

ISBN: 978-1-63763-050-1 e-book

Mentors have helped me throughout my career and life, and Ive been blessed to have many who continue to offer me advice, encouragement, and guidance. So when Illana told me about The Epic Mentor Guide and the 180 boss women who contributed, I was intrigued and excited.

As CEO at Worth, knowing your self-worth was something we talked about a lot with the Women and Worth Community. I saw firsthand from the girls at tre the impact mentoring had on their confidence, energy, and growth. They developed by just being in the same room, asking questions and listening to inspiring female leaders share their storiesmany of whom are featured in this book. What did those girls and the female leaders have in common? Determination and the courage to go after their dreams and make a positive impact in the world.

Illanas book shows how, by simply asking questions and being curious, you can provide an epic guide to life that, quite frankly, anyone looking for career advice and wisdom should read.

J ULIET S COTT -C ROXFORD

President, North America, Brompton Bicycle, Former CEO of Worth

Five years ago, when I launched a mentorship platform for girls called tre, my idea was to bring girls face-to-face with female leaders where they worked. As the French name suggests, I wanted to help girls figure out who they wanted to be.

Immediately after tres first visit inside a company (cue the cheering for Spotify), girls who heard about the event started asking: Wait, what did everyone in the room ask? What did the women answer? Whats one thing the execs wanted girls to know?

The more we relayed the answers, the faster new questions came in. If you go to NBC and visit Saturday Night Live, please ask this! If you meet women on Wall Street, Ive always wondered

So we kept asking.

And during every visitwhether onstage at YouTube, in the cafeteria at Google, in front of Geena Davis, or on the floor of the New York Stock Exchangegirls shot their hands up to ask smart questions. Theyd confidently look icons like Tyra Banks straight in the eye, or chat casually with execs from Disney or Billboard over Zoom, and let their curiosity run wild:

How did you know youd be good at your job? Whats more important in your role: passion or persistence? Is it weird to be the only woman on your team? Is this your dream job? No? What would be?

And watching from the back of the room or Zoom, I inevitably had the same thought: How could girls everywhere get to ask these questions? Quickly followed by: Because every woman would probably answer.

Thats how this book came about. Because of your questions.

As girls like you moved through high school and college, eyeing internships and finding first jobs, the questions grew more specific:

How do I land an internship at SpaceX? What makes a LinkedIn profile stand out? What can I actually ask in an interview? Can I use TikTok to network?

You asked, so we asked.

And 180 phenomenal women answered.

Wondering what its like to be the first female coach or general manager of any mens professional sports team? Ask Nancy Lieberman or Kim Ng.

Want to know what Veronica Beard thinks you should wear to work, how Dawn Porter went from practicing law to making movies with Oprah, or what Bobbi Brown wants you to do when you hear the word no at work? We did too.

Listen to what Hoda Kotb thinks about resilience, why Dylan Lauren opened a candy store, how the CEO of Headspace can help you stay mindful, and what TheSkimms founders want to tell you about transcending the trap of expectations. Concerned about negotiating your first salary raise? Who better to ask than The Fair Pay Acts Lilly Ledbetter?

Answering girls questions about diversity and inclusion, raising hands, speaking up and standing out, The Epic Mentor Guide is your inside track to the workforce before you get there. Because sometimes its better to know whats coming even before you start.

Its your career path, so drive the guide any way you wantmove through the Table of Mentors alphabetically, search for companies and industries you love in the index, or open randomly to a brand-new role model or question that resonates.

A word about the questions youll see: Some appear in their original form (exactly as they were asked in a boardroom or slid into our DMs), and some represent a compilation of different, but related, inquiries. Where we saw a topic trending, we condensed multiple questions into one to be able to ask the right mentor. The names of

the girls who contributed questions are noted at the end of

the book, and they rule.

A word about the mentors youll meet: Oh, these women. Role models, champions, and rock stars one and all. If we define a mentor as someone who takes an active interest in your future, someone who invests her time and energy to bolster your confidence, challenge your assumptions, and inspire next steps, then you hold in your hands 180 gold star mentors.

All of these women were once in your shoes, seeking advice as theyentered the workforce. And all of them have epic wisdom to share. Most of them, when they responded to our questions, said Oh my God, I wish I had this when I was starting out.

I look at this book as just the beginning. Its called The Epic Mentor Guidenot The Ultimate Mentor Guidebecause there are so many more mentors to meet, industries to investigate, and questions to ask.

So jump in, read up, and keep those hands raised. Every leader in this book gave us her favorite social media handle, so you can keep learning from these role models in real time. Want mentors who not only walk the walk, but want you to follow in their footsteps?

Theyre right here.

Keep your questions coming and well keep asking todays leaders for answers. Because the workforce is changing. And mentorswhether they are in your office, across the globe, or on the pagematter right now.