Lori: I love this phrase, "Mentors talk to you, coaches talk with you,
and sponsors talk about you." And all three of those are needed to advance women,
regardless of the profession, we need all three of those. And you all live this every single day. So,
Queen, you said in the past that you've had this significant mentor and could you talk a
little bit, how did they guide you and when did they step into the coaching space? And when did
they step into that sponsorship space for you? Queen: So my mentor was not even aware that I was
watching her. She was the very first female on a job. Period. In the history, 100-year history.
And she constantly just kept telling me ... she was not generous at all. She was rough
on me. "If you want to do what I'm doing, you better go back and put some work in." So
with that being said, the only thing I've added with my mentorship and the program that I'm in,
is letting women understand that we will be as knowledgeable,
but we will not change who we are in essence. Queen: When we have to fight this battle by
ourselves so much, we get territorial. We don't know how to work with each other sometimes. So
in this mentor group, it's like, "Don't step on your sister. Stop reacting to what they've
subjected you to, isolation. Join hands. Learn not to talk over one another. Learn how to expand on
what's in the room." We can't treat ourselves like we're already being treated.
And I think this is going to build a generation of women that will be prepared. They will have the
numbers. They will have the backing. So you won't be the only one walking in doing a great job.
Lori: Beautiful. Adrienne. Adrienne: I was isolated in an industry
surrounded by nothing but people that didn't ... and they told me for 25 years to my face,
"We don't want you here. You don't belong here." They did everything they could to deter me. I
finally found one person, one person, that was going to support me. And he did not look like me.
He was not my gender. He was not even my race. I was like a sponge. "Feed me,
feed me, feed me." And every time ... if he moved back will he step on me?
And he gave me a chance. And so now what I can do as a mentor is that I will make sure nobody
will have to go through what I went through. Raquel: I quote my mentor almost every day. He
created this space for introspection all the time. Well, one time after a project, he said, "How do
you feel about the project?" And I remember I was like, "It was good." And he goes ... He looked at
me and I said, "It was okay." And I said, "This is the moment for me to be really honest with myself.
I could have worked harder." And so I'm trying to create those spaces where we can create a lot of
introspection and honesty, right, with each other, but with ourselves, most importantly. And I think
that's like, what is it look to self-coach? Lori: Right.
Raquel: Can you create the space to look in the mirror and to, before someone tells you, to admit
to yourself, like, "I could have done better." Lori: I love that. Sandy, what about you?
Sandy: When a young person comes to meet up and says, "Well, I want your job
one day." And then you realize, again, that I'm standing on the shoulders of many other women
and I'm going to keep moving forward so that other pathways are open and hopefully open in
much more free ways, I would say. Lori: Well, all I can say is thank
you all for inspiring countless girls. Now you can add my daughter to that mix
because it's making the difference, making the difference for the current generation,
the next generation and the communities in which you serve. So thank you.