The Bay Area Advertising Relief Committee is about to launch our 5th Mentoring Program. We are always looking for people would like to participate either as a mentor (10+years experience in advertising, marketing, agency, digital, interactive or sales) or mentees (2+ years experience in the same fields.) Won’t you consider joining us please?

What’s in it for you: Here’s what past participants have to say:
“The BAARC Mentoring Program helped me not only further my career but also to expand my knowledge to other areas in the advertising industry. I now feel more integrated into the community and made some fantastic connections!” Media Manager – Mentee

“I was honored to be a part of the BAARC mentoring program. Helping my mentee and watching her achieve her goal of being an outside sales pro was inspiring and rewarding!” Digital Sales Manager – Mentor

Time commitment: You will be expected to attend one Group Session per month – these meetings are mandatory. All sessions will be 1.5 hours and will be on Tuesdays. You will also meet at LEAST once per month one-on-one with your mentor or mentee, and to complete a few required elements like a Mentoring Agreement, a Matching Application, and a post-program Survey. The dates for the Spring session are: March 20, April 10, May 8, June 5. Each mentoring pair will be carefully matched according to common objectives and interests.

Next Step: If you’d like to participate, please fill out this quick application to help pair you with a mentor or mentee.

Thank you for your consideration and we hope to have you as a part of this growing community of stellar advertising and media professionals!

Education Outreach Committee, BAARC
mentorprogram@baarc.com

Mentoring has always been an integral part of Goyo’s personal and professional development: “My first mentor asked me how I wanted to feel in 20 years – and it took me at least 20 years to really understand the question,” Goyo recounts. “He wasn’t asking me what I wanted to be doing or what my salary requirements were. Instead, he wanted me to learn how I was going to create and maintain happiness and balance in my personal and professional life.” He takes that approach, too. “I will challenge people with the same question. That sets up a trajectory for their career vs. simply focusing on their title or compensation.”

Goyo understands how important mentors are, how they can help “course correct” along the way, and how many of us don’t explore these possibilities. As he says, “Many of our careers are non-linear, it’s easy to lose your footing, and it’s great to have people around who can provide a hand, a life preserver to help you navigate these situations.” He values mentoring so much that “these days I pay for mentoring with a professional coach. Managers are often not neutral enough to provide the most effective mentoring. I’ve learned to value it and I know the difference.”
When asked why he joined the mentor program, he said, “Curiosity—I wanted to witness different mentoring approaches.” As for what he wanted to get out of it, he said, “Nothing, I’d rather be of service and effectively support and inspire my mentee.” But at the end of the day, he did get something. “We learn by teaching. So, for everything that my mentee and I discussed, it contained a jewel for me as well. In the process of offering something, there’s so much to be gained.”

A former football coach, with first-hand experience with mentoring for achievement, Reza joined the program for different reasons. “I was going through a crisis with my own work, questioning what difference I was making,” he shared. “Over the last 2 or 3 years I lost faith in the business; it seemed like the talent level was shrinking. I saw this as a way to reinvigorate myself and rediscover a passion for the business.” Reza also values mentorship, and stays in contact with his own mentor, Bay Area radio exec Tony Salvadore. “I still go to him to vent and listen. I’ve been lucky.”

Interacting with his mentee (Richard Chua from our previous blog post), helped Reza find that belief in the industry again. “It was great to see someone hungry like Richard.” As he was starting the program, “I wasn’t sure how it was going to work out, but I liked how enthusiastic he was. He asked good questions and really gets after it. It got me excited.”

Reza also appreciated his interactions with other mentors. “I was surprised by the talent level – highly creative people in different jobs and cool companies. It was the best thing: being in the room with the other mentors, you always pick up tidbits of information.”
Get involved!

The BAARC Mentor Program is currently recruiting for its next group session, starting March 13th. If you’d like to participate, please fill out this quick application to help pair you with a mentor or mentee, or contact mentorprogram@baarc.com today!

Richard was surprised to learn about the many branches of the media industry, and as the program progressed, it really helped Kendall focus on what she wanted from her career. “When my mentor and I first started meeting, I was at a crossroads,” said Kendall. “My mentor helped me to further define my goals to better align them with my desires and ambitions. One of the most important things she taught me was the value of asking for more.” From his mentor, Richard learned the valuable lesson that “hard work will always pay off. Never be scared to ask questions!” One of the benefits of the program is the independent advice and perspective. “It’s great to have someone outside of your organization to talk to about problems and issues, thus providing an unbiased opinion,” said Kendall. And Richard offers this pro-tip for people considering joining the program: “Show up to the meetings and try to get to know the other mentees. They are all going through the same thing as you and it’s nice to grow your career with them.”
But it’s not just mentees who benefit from the program, according to Kendall: “While my mentor was able to share her experience and knowledge to further help me grow professionally, I was able to provide a different viewpoint, too.” Both Kendall and Richard stay in touch with their mentors. If you’re interested in joining the BAARC Mentor Program, we’re currently looking for participants for our Winter 2012 session, kicking off in the New Year. Contact Education Outreach Committee Chair Heidi Kraft at heidi@kraftyoursuccess.com.

Photo credit: www.Photoman.com

The mentor program provides participants invaluable industry perspectives beyond the halls of a single company. When asked why she was interested in the program, Jacqueline Cordova, an Assistant Media Planner with Carat said: “I joined the program because I was feeling overwhelmed by the multiple ways I could develop my career in advertising – and at the same time frustrated by my lack of knowledge of how I should begin doing that.  BAARC’s mentorship program is the judgment-free sounding board I needed.”

Meanwhile, mentors value this opportunity to share their experience: “It’s my chance to give back.  I also know the power of having a mentor because I’ve had one,” said Kevin Cox with SAP. “He continues to be a great, objective sounding board for me.  I look forward to being that for my mentee.”

The first Group session focused on introducing the Mentor/Mentee pairs to each other, goal-setting, and how to schedule their one-on-one meetings.  Next up: each pair will meet weekly in-person or by phone to start working the plan.  The remainder of the 90-day program includes 3 more Group sessions, and ends with a Group celebration in December.

Get involved in this exciting program! Contact Education Outreach Committee Chair Heidi Kraft at heidi@kraftyoursuccess.com.

HUGE thanks to Publicis & Hal Riney for their generous donation of meeting space for the Mentoring Program.

The theme of the session was “Celebration” for the 9 pairs of mentors and mentees who completed the program.  Led by BAARC’s Education Outreach Committee Chair Heidi Kraft and Committee Members David Lutz, Dave Kovisto and Rocky Cosgrove, the session also featured “career stories” from mentors about how they grew and continue to grow their successful careers.

“The career stories were fun and came from the heart”, says Heidi, “and demonstrated once again the extraordinary power of the mentoring process.  You could have heard a pin drop in the room as our mentors talked about their experiences and shared their wisdom about how to develop and prosper in this industry”.

Kevin Lee from Razorfish is one of the Graduate Mentees from the Spring ’11 Group, and comments “the program helped me gain a better knowledge and understanding of the industry as well as general career/life advice”.  His sentiments were echoed by all mentees, who also contributed ideas and suggestions for future groups in a graduation survey completed by all participants.

On the Mentor side, David Rowe of Doremus most appreciated, “the opportunity to share my experience and learn from a younger person’s perspective.”

The Spring’11 sessions took place at McCann Erickson, and BAARC gratefully acknowledges ME’s contribution to the Program. Following each session, group members were also invited to join-in for informal networking at The Sailing Ship Saloon, across the street from the McCann building.

The next BAARC Mentoring Group will be Fall 2011, with the first Group Session kicking-off September 30th.  There are still a few spots open for potential mentors and mentees, and anyone interested can contact Committee Chair Heidi Kraft at heidi@kraftyoursuccess.com

- Name withheld for privacy