Mentorship in Action: Empowering Women to Communicate Their Value
Does networking with new people still feel uncomfortable? Are you unsure how to confidently introduce and pitch yourself at events, job interviews, or coffee chats? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you are not alone. Many women in our network struggle to clearly articulate their value, despite having strong skills and experiences. Recognizing this gap, we set out to address it by creating a Mentorship-in-Action Toolkit paired with a live, interactive workshop for NYWICI mentees and mentors. Our goal was to equip women with practical tools that can help them communicate their value, pitch themselves effectively, and use storytelling as a powerful mechanism for visibility and professional growth. And ultimately, who wouldn’t want that?
Carla Zahrte and I met in the NYWICI Mentorship program and in our conversations we noticed that making the first step is the hardest part, yet crucial in order to pursue a successful career and build a professional network. Therefore, we wanted to take the conversation one step further and create something practical that applies to real-world situations. In one of our cohort sessions, we approached our mentor, Elizabeth Cornish, with the idea for this project. She immediately saw its value and introduced us to other NYWICI mentors and stakeholders who helped us turn the idea into reality.
We developed a structured, user-friendly toolkit designed to be both practical and scalable. The toolkit includes storytelling templates, pitch frameworks, networking strategies, guided reflection sheets, LinkedIn optimization tips, and all of the exercises used during the workshop itself. To further extend its impact, the toolkit also included a dedicated section with a link to additional resources, such as free online courses and other practical tools, enabling participants to continue developing their skills beyond the workshop. Our objective was to create a resource that could be easily replicated, built upon and reused across NYWICI circles and beyond.
The workshop, held on November 24th, was designed as an interactive experience based on this toolkit. Rather than a one-directional presentation, it incorporated breakout rooms where participants practiced their pitches and received real-time feedback from peers and mentors. Women were encouraged to actively share their reflections, questions, and insights, creating a collaborative and supportive learning environment.
To evaluate the project’s impact, we relied on a combination of post-event surveys, mentor evaluations, attendance tracking, and personal reflection. The feedback and survey responses demonstrated that the workshop was a strong pilot and a successful proof of concept, validating both the need for and effectiveness of this type of intervention.
Looking ahead, we hope to continue developing this initiative within NYWICI by training future mentees and evolving it into an ongoing workshop series that can support even more women. Ultimately, this project was a meaningful way to give back to a community that has enabled so much growth and empowerment for us, while also empowering others to communicate their value with clarity, confidence, and purpose.
Take the first step today by reviewing the toolkit and webinar recording. Most exercises take less than 10 minutes a day, making it easy to get started, no matter where you are in your career!
Link Webinar: https://vimeo.com/1140181851/b2857962fd
Link Toolkit: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uQUrwlxJdQnUR2Sss6BNwkgTLFgsblcM/view
