27 Feb Meet the mentee passionate about empowering others
From a young age, Brisbane mentee Bel Yorston had a strong passion for the creative world. After studying musical theatre and commercial dance, she started working in the performance industry. Then she hit 18. The age where you start seeking answers to those big questions: who am I? What do I care about? Who do I want to be?
During this contemplation phase, she realised the dance industry, while very important to her, was too challenging to be part of. So she started working with her mum in real estate.
“I thought that success might be earning some good money, putting on some nice clothes every day and working with people in a different capacity. I worked with my mum for seven years. We ran a really successful business and it was something I really enjoyed. I loved that mum and I could partner together and share our skills and assets, and be such a great team,” she says.
The travel bug soon found its way into Bel’s life and she jetted off to Tanzania. Here, she had another one of those all important contemplation moments.
“I was standing in this beautiful orphanage holding hands with some Tanzanian children and I had a big, life-changing moment. I thought, “Bel, what do you actually want to do with your life?”
“I wanted my life to be filled with more moments like this. And that moment was my instigator for change.”
The Tanzania trip was run by yLead, an organisation that helps young people across Australia and New Zealand.
“I started doing lots of volunteering with them, then I was trained to be a contractor and today I celebrate working with them for nine years.” For the last (almost) two years, she has been the organisation’s CEO.
“We really believe that when young people are empowered, they’ll solve problems and create things beyond our imagination. We work with them to build strong connections in the community and the skills and confidence to be great leaders in our world today. We run leadership and development programs, and professional/personal development with schools, universities and community partners.”
Building each other up
Bel has come to three Mentor Walks now, each time honing a different skill in her leadership toolkit. But the best part of attending a walk, says Bel, is the network it exposes you to.
In general life, not everyone you bump into will be empowering and inspiring, but Bel says all the women she’s met at Mentor Walks (other mentees included) have been just that.
“It’s very unique and special,” she says. “It offers that opportunity to vocalise your challenges as well as your successes. It makes you feel so much more real and like you’re part of something bigger, and empowered.”
Bel’s first walk stands out most to her. Her mentor was Christine Peterson, Managing Director at Time Technology.
“The first thing that struck me about Christine was her experience and her openness to share some of her stories. She was a brilliant storyteller.”
Bel’s burning question was about time management. It’s something we all struggle with but as a leader, it’s all that more important to manage. You have to start learning how to prioritise strategically and make the most of each hour in the day.
“Christine has this incredible philosophy on time and how we need to value it more and take control of it. She has some really great programs that she’s created and I was lucky enough to experience a little bit of what she offers in regards to managing your technology and managing your time. I was really grateful for that.”
While the storytelling and time management tools were extremely valuable, the key piece of advice that Bel took from her walk with Christine was very, very simple.
“I was talking about staff and a meeting coming up, or something like that, and Christine stopped me and said, “They’re not staff, they’re your team, and you should always use the word team.” That has had a huge impact on my everyday professional life.”
It’s not just her mentors who have provided value to Bel, the experiences of her fellow mentees have been validating too. Most mentee’s experiences are fairly universal, she says, and if someone isn’t going through the same thing you are, chances are they have or they soon will.
The power of mentorship
A conversation with an experienced mentor reminds you to believe in the woman standing next to you, says Bel.
“Without knowing it, you then go on to influence someone else to chase their dreams. There’s a huge ripple effect that can’t be measured.”
“We live in a world where everyone talks about females needing to empower each other, and encourage each other, and back each other, and build each other up. But, unfortunately, in some communities and networks, it’s something that’s only said and not actually done,” she says. “That’s the best part about the Mentor Walks community. It’s actually following up on that with action.”
Bel is incredibly grateful for the mentors who give up their time to set off that ripple effect.
“They are the kind of women who are really brilliant role models because they’re positive, they’re affirming, they’re genuine, they’re open and honest, and they share. It is the kind of community that I believe so many people are out there trying to create. I really feel that within Mentor Walks, which is really special.”
Do you have a burning question that you’d like to ask one of our mentors? Then sign up to our next Brisbane walk on Friday 17th of April.
No Comments