Over the past few years, I’ve mentored people who were older and more experienced than me, and in some cases, far more technically advanced in their fields. Oddly enough, those relationships taught me something important about modern day mentorship, which is that it’s no longer hierarchical, but contextual. I’ve come to learn that what I offer is not “more experience”, but rather relevance, and in return, I get perspective I wouldn’t find on my own.

For the past few years, every room that I’ve stepped into professionally, I’ve been surrounded by those with fancy titles, credentials, and decades of experience. Being the youngest, the least experienced, and frankly, the quietest, finding my voice was the last thing that came to mind, when the question of “do I even belong here?” echoed loudly in the background.

As someone who grows from trying (and failing) and learning from others who try (and fail), I figured - what better way to give back than by sharing about what I’ve learned from my triumphs and failures? So - friendly warning - this journey will not be clear skies and calm seas. As with the ups and downs life brings, these posts will reflect the same.