Writing

Mentor Love.

A startup report asked founders to name their favourite mentor. The results were predictable - the same overrepresented faces, the same familiar names.

The better question would have been: what qualities made them great?

So I stopped complaining and started celebrating. One mentor a week, for a year. People who shaped my 25+ year career - many you've never heard of, and probably should.

Read what started it →

Annie Parker
#1

Annie Parker

Amidst the twists of the mentor ‘conversation’, I found inspiration to commit to a weekly series, shedding light on thos...

1 December 2023

Megan Flamer
#2

Megan Flamer

Week two of my Series, and this one's all about celebrating Megan Flamer—the extraordinary force of brilliance, equitabl...

7 December 2023

Sybil Williams
#3

Sybil Williams

For the third mentor in series, I'm excited to shine the spotlight on another extraordinary mentor and friend, Sybil Wil...

14 December 2023

Lotte Weiss
#4

Lotte Weiss

Often, the most impactful mentors and role models are those who don't realise they're serving in such a vital role.

21 December 2023

Julie Demsey
#5

Julie Demsey

Today's Post is for fellow mentor and friend, another American Julie, living here in Sydney. Celebrating Julie Demsey 🎉 ...

5 January 2024

Andrew Everingham
#6

Andrew Everingham

Behind every transformative journey, there's a mentor like Andrew Everingham, who blends heart and creativity to redefin...

11 January 2024

Mikaela Jade
#7

Mikaela Jade

Breaking barriers & blending worlds: Mikaela Jade FTSE's mentorship & leadership redefined my understanding of leadershi...

17 January 2024

Rebecca Stockley
#8

Rebecca Stockley

In 1998, at Camp Apple, a diverse group of creative minds - teachers, technophiles and yes, even kite-flying nuns - gath...

23 January 2024

Kaz Brecher
#9

Kaz Brecher

Ever imagined rewriting a song, donning a wig and a boa, and performing in front of your class? Thanks to Kaz Brecher, a...

31 January 2024

Shira Levine
#10

Shira Levine

🎼'If you get confused, listen to the music play.' 🎶 That's the Grateful Dead, folks, but it's also Shira Levine for you.

7 February 2024

Dixie Crawford
#11

Dixie Crawford

Ever met someone whose resilience not only challenges the status quo but reshapes it? Meet Dixie Crawford, a Barkindji w...

14 February 2024

Marcy Scott Lynn
#12

Marcy Scott Lynn

Organising hip-hop birthdays, debating the merits of boas and gefilte fish at Passover, and deep-diving into democracy h...

21 February 2024

Marco Torres
#13

Marco Torres

Before there were tech gurus and gadget geeks, there was Marco Torres—turning the 'impossible' into 'I'm possible' in cl...

28 February 2024

Danielle Seymour
#14

Danielle Seymour

One hand on the stroller, the other steering an event of 500 attendees that involved even more moving parts. Who says yo...

8 March 2024

Susan McPherson
#15

Susan McPherson

Who says fan clubs are just for celebrities? After meeting Susan McPherson well over a decade ago, I was inspired to cre...

14 March 2024

Oonagh MacEldowny
#16

Oonagh MacEldowny

Before ChatGPT 🤖 entered the scene, I discovered my own Human Legal AI: an Irish legal genius who made legalese understa...

21 March 2024

Tracy Wang
#17

Tracy Wang

Who would have guessed that leading BizAcademy 18 years ago would open my eyes to unexpected lessons? Spoiler alert: my ...

26 March 2024

Mary-Anne Anderson
#18

Mary-Anne Anderson

As I write my 18th tribute, I celebrate the concept of 'Chai'—the Hebrew word for life— AND the life-enriching support M...

3 April 2024

Monica Bradley
#19

Monica Bradley

When an unstoppable force meets groundbreaking financial solutions for women, you get the story of Monica Bradley, featu...

10 April 2024

Kennedy Odede
#20

Kennedy Odede

Imagine your friend redefining leadership, transforming his slum in Kenya AND being named one of the Time 100 influencer...

19 April 2024

Maxine Sherrin
#21

Maxine Sherrin

Imagine a startup world where RELATIONSHIPS trump transactions. Maxine Sherrin doesn’t just imagine it; she’s constantly...

26 April 2024

Gary Ware
#22

Gary Ware

Some people light 💡 up a room, some inspire ⚡ a crowd , and then there's Gary Ware, who does both while teaching you to ...

2 May 2024

HerShee
#23

HerShee

Who says mentors must walk on two legs? My four-legged mentor, Hershee, teaches me about life’s greatest lessons, from t...

10 May 2024

Vicki Ehrens
#24

Vicki Ehrens

How many of you can say your second-grade teacher inspired your entire career? I can, thanks to Ms. Ehrens. episode 24

17 May 2024

Nicole Wyne
#25

Nicole Wyne

Ever found found yourself sandboarding in Brazil with a marketing wizard?

24 May 2024

Holly Ransom
#26

Holly Ransom

From a chance meeting at a gala in 2017 to a lasting mentorship and friendship, Holly Ransom has been a playful upliftin...

30 May 2024

Elliott Moore
#27

Elliott Moore

What happens when passion, creativity, and resilience converge? You get Elliot Moore

4 June 2024

ANTIMENTOR 1
#28

ANTIMENTOR 1

Reflecting on my encounters with toxic mentors, this post is titled “How Bad Leadership Taught Me What True Mentorship S...

14 June 2024

Yas Grigaliunas
#29

Yas Grigaliunas

In 2017, in a room full of startup founders at River City Labs, Yas Grigaliunas's authenticity and passion immediately s...

19 June 2024

Lee Schofield
#30

Lee Schofield

When improv meets tech, magic happens. Here’s how Lee and I inspired each other through our respective love of the AIs!

28 June 2024

ANTIMENTOR 2
#31

ANTIMENTOR 2

My Lessons Learned from Managing Challenging Behaviours of Direct Reports

5 July 2024

Kylie Jones
#32

Kylie Jones

When curiosity and compassion collide, you get a mentor like Kylie Jones.

12 July 2024

Audrey Jean-Baptiste
#33

Audrey Jean-Baptiste

Younger yet wiser: An "informal" mentor (and colleague) reshaped my leadership style.

19 July 2024

Gail Trell
#34

Gail Trell

Not getting into the 'gifted' program taught me one of the greatest lessons, thanks to mom.

27 July 2024

Heidi Isern
#35

Heidi Isern

🌟 **Celebrating Heidi: A True Chameleon and Storyteller** 🌟

11 August 2024

Moira Were
#36

Moira Were

Improv as a leadership and community building tool? Moira Were AM is living proof that it works and my feature of episod...

19 August 2024

Jamie Camidge
#37

Jamie Camidge

Jamie Camidge's personal touch—always opting for a call over a text—has shown me the power of genuine connection and why...

30 August 2024

Poppy Rouse
#38

Poppy Rouse

Want to lower cortisol & spark creativity? Hug a lemur 🐒 ! Or, better yet, spend time brainstorming with someone like Po...

6 September 2024

Layne Beachley
#39

Layne Beachley

How do you know you’ve found a true mentor? When they not only inspire you to grow but join you for a hippie-style murde...

13 September 2024

Tara Heathcoate
#40

Tara Heathcoate

After skipping last week, I’m doubling up—because if Jodie Passwell & Tara Heathcote taught me anything, it’s how powerf...

27 September 2024

Jodie Passwell
#41

Jodie Passwell

After skipping last week, I’m doubling up—because if Jodie Passwell & Tara Heathcote taught me anything, it’s how powerf...

27 September 2024

Joanne Jacobs
#42

Joanne Jacobs

When your mentor believes in you more than you do yourself, that’s when real growth happens—thank you, Joanne Jacobs

4 October 2024

Vinisha Rathod
#43

Vinisha Rathod

It all started with a post on Slack seeking a flatmate for my second bedroom, and 💼🧚‍♂️ Vinisha Rathod responded as I wa...

11 October 2024

Hermione Way
#44

Hermione Way

In 2010, I found myself on one of the first The ICE Network trips for entrepreneurs in Croatia—complete with a pirate th...

21 October 2024

Ryan Pachasadram
#45

Ryan Pachasadram

Did you know there’s a bowling alley at the White House? Proud to say the former Deputy CTO of the USA is my next post e...

24 October 2024

Emille Paille
#46

Emille Paille

In 1993, fresh out of university and stepping into a fast-paced master’s program at Georgia State University, I had the ...

4 November 2024

Kamala Harris
#47

Kamala Harris

Sometimes, hope means standing up, even when the outcome isn’t what you’d wished, campaigned, or voted for.

11 November 2024

Patricia Ryan Madson
#48

Patricia Ryan Madson

What if being 'average' was the secret to your success?

18 November 2024

Alllie Covarubius
#49

Alllie Covarubius

Sometimes the people who intimidate you the most end up being your greatest Allies [sic]. 😍

26 November 2024

Elaine Stead
#50

Elaine Stead

Sometimes, the most impactful mentors are the ones who don't just teach—they share space, listen deeply, and inspire wit...

4 December 2024

Courtney Blackman
#51

Courtney Blackman

Storytelling, connections, and snacks—Courtney Blackman masters it all with grace.

10 December 2024

Holly Ruxin
#52

Holly Ruxin

52 weeks, 52 posts—this week, I’m celebrating Holly Ziegel Ruxin my woo-woo abundance advisor.

17 December 2024