Bring Out the Talent: A Learning and Development Podcast

Mentorship Matters: Closing the Gap in Professional Development

• Maria Melfa & Jocelyn Allen

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Mentorship has become a top priority for most L&D programs, with studies highlighting its benefits for career growth, self-confidence, and mental health. Despite its clear advantages, a mere 37% of professionals currently engage with a mentor, indicating a vast potential for development. In this episode of ‘Bring Out the Talent’ we’re joined by Stacy Golden, an expert in mentorship and organizational development. Together we explore the significant impact of mentorship in the workplace. Our conversation will also highlight how mentorship programs are not just beneficial for individuals but are crucial for organizational health, aiding talent retention and nurturing leadership — essential components for long-term corporate vitality.

 So, tune in and discover how mentorship is shaping the future of work!

 


SPEAKER_02:

Bring out the talent. Bring out the

SPEAKER_01:

talent.

SPEAKER_00:

Bring out the talent. Welcome to Bring Out the Talent, a podcast featuring learning and development experts discussing innovative approaches and industry insights. Tune in to hear our talent help develop yours. Now here are your hosts, GTA's CEO and President Maria Melfa and Talent Manager Jocelyn Allen.

SPEAKER_02:

I knew our guest today would be a dancer. I could just tell.

SPEAKER_01:

I was just going to say, you know. You made that impression.

SPEAKER_02:

You know it's going to be a good show when you get it started with the intro and people are in rhythm with each other. So even David, once again, stepping in it, contributing to the party. Love it. Yes, I'm very excited. It's going to be a good one today. I'm very excited too. So did you know, Jo, Jocelyn, a recent LinkedIn learning report ranked mentorship as the number one focus area for L&D programs in 2023. I didn't know that, but I mean, I'm glad to hear it. It's important. Countless studies have highlighted the positive effects of mentoring from job success, boosting confidence to improving mental health and so much more. Despite this, though, only about 37% of professionals actually have a mentor, leaving a significant gap to be filled. In this episode, we're joined by our special guest, Stacey Golden, a seasoned expert in mentorship and organizational development as we dive in the transformational power of workplace mentorship. We will discuss common misconceptions and provide practical solutions for overcoming the challenges that sometimes could happen in a mentorship relationship. We will explore the strategic benefits of mentorship programs for both individuals and organizations, including the impact on talent retention, leadership development, and how they can yield tangible benefits for the company's long-term success. So we're very excited to get this started. Welcome, Stacey.

SPEAKER_01:

Thank you, Maria. Thank you for having me. Appreciate it. And I love the stats. You gave the stats up front because it is so important how mentorship, even though some people don't even think about it, considering the fact that only 37% of the organizations show having mentorship programs within their organizations, there is a significant gap. And there's a lot of opportunity there. So I thank you and appreciate you for bringing that statistic up.

SPEAKER_02:

We thank you for being here. And I think TTA does not do such a great job on mentorships. I know one thing that we do, but I don't know if you would consider this the same as a buddy system. What do you think about that?

SPEAKER_01:

Well, buddy systems to me, your buddy is always going to tell you exactly what you want to hear. Because they're your buddy, right? Now I tell you the hard stuff. But when you have someone that is mentoring you, I mean, they bring out perhaps the best in you that you don't even recognize resides within you. So yeah, buddy system is cool. But I think mentoring can take you a little bit further along your career path if you're looking to grow professionally.

SPEAKER_02:

So can you explain what you consider a workplace mentor and what their responsibilities typically involve?

SPEAKER_01:

Absolutely. Yeah. So a workplace mentor is someone who you can establish a relationship with that you get to know one another really, really well. And you start off by establishing what it is that you want to get out of that mentorship, that relationship. And so if it's around career growth and aspirations, things of that nature, a mentor can provide you with that guidance. It can provide you with that necessary feedback that you need in order to successfully grow. You can, as a mentor, direct people to resources that perhaps They didn't even think about because oftentimes when we fall within our roles, we don't think beyond our roles. We don't think beyond what is at our fingertips that we can tap into without that mentor to help support and guide us. So mentorship and having that in a workplace environment can create an environment of many different things. And maybe I'm going a little too far here. But I just think of it from an inclusive perspective because we lack inclusiveness oftentimes when people are so set into their roles. They don't go beyond those roles and think about what else could I be doing? And so it fosters that environment where you've got collaborative workforce where you're tapping into people that you typically don't tap into. It increases workforce engagement when you have a mentorship program. So there's a lot of different benefits and I don't want to jump ahead because I know we got a little bit of time here, but those are just a few of the things that I think about as it relates to having a workplace mentor.

SPEAKER_02:

So

SPEAKER_01:

how would

SPEAKER_02:

you say, because we talked about One of the things being like what Maria brought up is a buddy system kind of thing, having a co-pilot or a partner and then mentoring being different because it's about catapulting you into your professional development a little bit more than rather than having that like person who has your back, that partner. Oftentimes that type of workplace or professional development is also attributed to like a coaching program. So how do those two things differ? What's the difference between mentoring and coaching?

SPEAKER_01:

That's a great question. And so from a coaching perspective, I think of coaching as more of a short-term relationship, if you would. It's a little bit more structured and there is a level of accountability that goes with coaching. And you may not have as a long-term relationship when it comes to coaching. Now, on the other hand, when you think about mentoring, that to me speaks volumes because it's built upon the relationship. It's a little bit more long-term. It helps an employee or an individual, a mentee to grow over time. The mentee is also driving the conversation, whereas in a coaching conversation or a coaching relationship, coaches are typically pulling out the questions or asking questions of the individual and pulling information out of them through self-discovery. Whereas the feedback, or I'm sorry, the mentoring offers that feedback. It could be motivating inspirational. It could be many different things. You could be a sounding board as it relates to being a mentor versus a coach. And so those are some of the differences that I recognize as it relates to coaching and mentoring.

SPEAKER_02:

I see that. And even just the way that you were describing it, a lot of times coaching is based kind of like on a skill. Yeah. And then it maybe evolves into something more and you continue to address skills. And who's to say, I mean, maybe this is a question too. Can a coaching relationship evolve into a mentoring relationship? Is that maybe something foundational about coaching that could change the dynamic as time goes on?

SPEAKER_01:

Sure, I think so, absolutely. Because I know for myself, having been coached through many different situations through or by my leadership, ultimately resulted in a mentorship relationship. So absolutely start off with one and transcend into the next thing, which is a more long-term sustainable relationship around some career growth and aspirations. So yeah, absolutely. Great.

SPEAKER_02:

What about any misconceptions or challenges around mentorship? Is it relationship-based? Is it having a good program? What are some things that you've seen that can be commonalities in the form of kind of like struggles around mentorship?

SPEAKER_01:

Okay, so I'll address the challenges or struggles first. What comes to mind for me is that oftentimes there's a misconception that people can only have one mentor. And that's just not necessarily the case. I think having multiple mentors, perhaps two at minimum, can help support your goals Because you get a little bit out of maybe you get a broader perspective, if you will, if you have more than just one mentor. Another misconception that comes to mind is sometimes people are fearful of mentoring individuals that are younger than them or younger. folks that are older don't necessarily want to mentor someone that is new. The more tenured employees don't want to mentor someone that is relatively new. Or there's a misconception that it takes way too much time. It's taken too much time out of my workday to devote to someone to help support their career growth and aspirations. So those are some misconceptions that I think of that come to mind. But I think if you have what we call maybe an open door policy. Let's say you don't have a formal program in place, okay? And if you are creating an environment where you have an open door policy, where you're actively encouraging mentorship, it can ultimately promote what I consider a friendly type environment. A collaborative environment, an environment where people are actually talking to one another. It increases people's comfort level all the way around when you have an informal program, yet you're encouraging it. Now, there are a lot of programs out there that you can bring in that will help you to kind of put a little bit more structure around mentoring programs. There can be that matching process. It could be holding people accountable to timelines and checking in and all of that and reporting back. But it also can lead to some succession planning, if you would. A lot of organizations use mentoring programs to develop individuals for future roles, future key roles. So there's that formalized process, and then there's that informal process. So either one of them can benefit an organization in so many different ways.

SPEAKER_02:

You typically see that the person that wants a mentor is the one that initiates finding that relationship? Or does the company say, Jocelyn really needs a mentor?

SPEAKER_01:

So I've seen a couple of different ways. And if you don't mind, Maria, I'd like to just share my own personal example. Okay. I know that we, at an organization that I was at, we're going to say a little while ago, just a little while ago. I'm not going to date myself. So I can remember not having a formal mentoring program. However, I really didn't even think about it until there was a gentleman that came into the organization at the time that I was really hungry to do something different. And I got a hold of his resume as he was coming in to take over the organization, take over the operation. And I remember saying to myself, sitting in my desk going, you know what, this guy here has a lot of knowledge and experience. And I think given where I am today, he could be a significant benefit to me and support if he will allow me or if he would be willing to mentor me. So here's what I did. I walked into his office and I was sharing this with him too. And I sat in front of his desk and I said, look, I've gone through your resume. I've seen what you can do. I said, you're going to be my mentor. And he just kind of looked at me and said, excuse me. And he didn't even know me at that moment in time. And do you know that that relationship built over 20 years of mentoring and that relationship actually took in, and I use Jocelyn's word here, it catapulted me into the next level of myself. my career and ultimately I ended up taking over an operation that he was responsible for after he retired and so all of those those years of just it goes back to that mentoring long-term relationship getting to know me hoisting me knowing that I can do more supported my career growth and aspirations so from that perspective not having a formal program in place but going after it proved to be a huge, significant benefit to me. Now, the flip side to that, I've seen it. I don't mean that in a negative way. But the other hand, there are some organizations that do partner you up with individuals that may or may not gel with you. And so I think as individuals, when we're in that spot, that we should be speaking up and say, you know what, this is probably not going to work out. Can I try someone else, somebody different? And that's okay. But then there's also many stories where it does work out because they match up based upon various different things, personality traits, work ethics, all those different things. So it works out in all different aspects.

SPEAKER_02:

That's a great story. So what did you see in this gentleman that made you want him to be your mentor? What characteristics did he have?

SPEAKER_01:

So I saw that there was a lot of things that he accomplished over his career, both working for organizations as well as working for himself, because he also had a business that he started up. And so Those are the things that I thought, you know what, this guy, he knows what he's doing. And I just, I remember talking to him and here's what he said to me. And this is what really drew me in. Rather than saying yes, immediately out the gate, he said, let me give you a few names of individuals that I have mentored in the past. And I want you to call them and you ask them anything about our relationship, and then you come back to me and let me know if you still want me to be your mentor. And that right there really set the stage and the tone for, you know what, he kind of just said yes, and it may not even work out. But I did. I took his suggestion. I called and got nothing but high praises. I was told, be ready, because he's tough. And I most definitely had to prepare myself for what was to come. in the future with that relationship. It was awesome.

SPEAKER_02:

Well, good for you to want to put yourself in that situation and being mentored by somebody that was very tough because a lot of people would not choose that person. They would choose the easy route.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, yeah. I can remember there were many times where I thought, oh, my gosh, what in the world did I get myself into?

SPEAKER_02:

It lasted for so long.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes, and still to this day, actually. And he's retired, so I still call on him. They'll call on them. Oh, that's

SPEAKER_02:

amazing. I love that story. I appreciate you sharing. How would you say... I mean, that's a good example, too, of kind of the next question that I have, which is how... In what ways does mentorship contribute to talent retention and employee engagement? It sounds like when right off the gate, you were very engaged with the example you just shared and even collaborated with some colleagues in order to even get to the first step. So in what other ways does this create a better environment that employees want to stick around in?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah. And I'll use my personal experience just to kind of set the stage for where I'm going. In that relationship, at that point, before I actually had that conversation with him, I was at the point of wanting to leave because I felt like I wasn't getting anywhere. And so it really, really helped to have secure my retention in the organization, just knowing what he was pouring into me and what he was pulling out of me. And so I think it helps to create this environment where you can connect with various different individuals. I think that it provides meaningful dialogue. I think that it also helps to break down silos because Your mentor can get you moving into different directions, tapping into various different parts of the organization that you typically may not have done so in the past. It can also help with retention because it helps to accelerate that career growth if you have those aspirations. I think that it also goes back to the trust aspect of it. Trust is huge in an organization. It's the basic foundation. And so when you have someone that you can trust, with your career path, you can build on that. And it also literally translates to your teams as well, because then you see what the benefits are for you. Then hopefully as leaders, you are hearing that and growing your team in the same manner. And so it creating that environment where you're encouraging, you know what? Grab a mentor. Get someone to help support you. Talk to, whether it can be a buddy-buddy, but I also say make sure you got someone that's going to challenge you and get you to that point where you didn't think you could actually go before. I think that there are experts out there that talked about the mentoring program, how they boost representation in minorities. And so that's an area because I'm a minority and I love inclusive environments and I love diverse environments. And I've got a whole lot of stories relative to that. But I think that when you talk about mentoring, mentoring, sometimes people get a little bit scared or afraid to get a mentor that doesn't look like them or has the same background as them. And I think that there's a significant benefit when you do something like that because it brings awareness to the senior executive level or across the organization that, hey, we've got some talent over here that we didn't even tap into because they're pretty quiet. or they're fearful of saying something and they want that buddy system, but not necessarily get out of their comfort zone. And so we miss out on opportunities to become a more diverse organization when we're not tapping into those resources around mentoring. So those are some of the things I think that contribute to the bottom line. And I know it goes back to what Maria shared earlier, about 37% of employees now report having a mentor in organizations. So there is a significant gap there that exists. And just think about how much, how better organizations can be from a efficiency standpoint, proficiency standpoint, how much more effective, how much more dynamic they can be, how much more innovative they can be when they've got everybody that is communicating, building those relationships. have those mentoring programs, things of that nature. So just a ton of benefit.

SPEAKER_02:

Excellent information. And I like what you're saying as far as having a mentor that you can relate to or somebody that you could look up to and feel that you guys share a lot in common in many ways. How long do you think a typical mentorship takes? relationship needs to exist in order to achieve change. Could it be two weeks? Does it have to be six months? Does it have to be a year? Forever?

SPEAKER_01:

In my case, it's been forever. It seems like. So I don't think that there's any set time limit unless you have a formal program that you have designed internally that is built around succession planning. So if you've got some ideal roles because you've got folks that are going to be leaving, retiring, whatever the case, may be and you're setting people up for success, then maybe there is some timeline around that mentoring program. But for me, I think that mentorship can go as long as you want it to go. And as long as you see that there is growth. Now, we don't want it to be one of those situations where it's just now we friends. And we just talking to be talking and we're really not developing. And so I think once it gets to that point, you can say to yourself, okay, maybe this is no longer a mentoring program or a mentorship partnership here. It's just more of a friendship. So I think it could go either way. So

SPEAKER_02:

Stacey, what do you feel the challenges are mentoring and a remote environment? Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

That's an excellent question, simply because we've got a lot of that now post-COVID, right? And so some of the challenges, it's one of those things where it's hard to build informal relationships when you're not passing people in the hallway. Seeing them in the lunchroom, in the conference room. You don't see them like that, right? You're just on a screen. And so you just, you miss out on that opportunity. However, there are some benefits to that hybrid or remote environment because you become free of not, and this is just some people's thoughts. I'm not suggesting everyone feels this way. But individuals become free of those biases that exist in organizations because you're not seeing someone face to face. And for me, let me just say this. I was pregnant at one time. Well, okay, a couple of times. But trying to grow myself in an organization while pregnant presented many challenges. And so when you're behind the screen, no one can see that. And so you can have the conversations that aren't really around some of the personal things that you've got going on in your life. But then there's some benefits to the hybrid. I mean, there's some things that you've got to be very strategic in how you create an environment around mentoring when it is a hybrid model. You've got to have the ability to create it. You've got to set the tone, expectations up front. Hey, this is what we're going to be focusing on. I want to partner you up with someone. Be intentional about how you're going to move forward with the mentoring program when you don't have individuals that you see face-to-face every day that you're passing or that you can actually sit down in an office with. So you have to be very intentional with that. It requires a huge commitment and follow through, follow up, because that's that's key, too. So when you're when you're committed to creating that environment for the hybrid model, you got to be intentional about following up on that commitment as well. See how people are doing. Circle back to them.

SPEAKER_02:

That's a really good point, because it is I mean, it's commitment in general. When we're talking about mentoring, it's not a word that is taken lightly like everybody does. who has one speak so highly of this person. They made me who I am. I mean, we see it in celebrity statuses, sports statuses, fame, one-on-one. People always attribute their growth and success to somebody that they may have had in that capacity. So it's almost even though 100% of the time, regardless of the modality, it is full-on commitment or you're not going to get what you need out of it, but it almost takes... an extra layer of that commitment in that more hybrid or remote setting to ensure that because you're not getting body language or live FaceTime, that you are in tune still to the nuances that can come across on a screen and being able to follow through, commit to that plan and ensure that if this person needs their mentoring remotely, they're getting just as much out of it as somebody who has the ability to see their mentor face-to-face.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, I love that. And I want to add, if you don't mind, it helps us when we are also in this environment where we are global. We are operating globally. And let me just share this. A lot of new people are individuals that haven't really traveled abroad. Here's where mentorship can also support you. having not been across the pond, if you will, you don't know what the culture is like over there, right? And so you take what you're familiar with over to, let's say, Asia, and you think that what you're doing, what you're saying, how you're responding is okay because that's what you're used to. Mentorship can help you understand All right. And prepare you as you are now about to travel abroad. Here's some of the things that you can expect. Things that you don't typically hear when you're setting up time to go and visit your colleagues overseas or whatnot. So as perfect example, let me share. I remember early on again in my career, I was in Mexico one week. And when I go to Mexico, it's all about the food. It's about embracing one another. We're kissing each other on the cheek. That's how we receive people, even if I've never seen you face to face. Well, the following week, I ended up having to go to Asia and not a touchy-feely. And I remember going up to the president of the organization at that time, and I was about to kiss him on the cheek. And oh my God, I'm like, they don't really want to even shake hands. It's more of a bow. And so I, although I was prepared for that, I think I just kind of got caught up in all the travel over the two weeks, but I actually thought about it after I did it. And I'm sorry, didn't want to cross that line or anything, but in it, but I could have taken offense to that. But I didn't because I was prepared for that by my mentor who shared with me, here's some of the things that you can expect. Even from the food, when you're having meetings and all of that, mentorship can help you identify a lot of those small little things that we don't think about when we're in our roles and we're trying to grow and build relationships even abroad. I

SPEAKER_02:

like that example. It's because you're right. And then who better to... get that information from than your mentor the person that you've built that trust and rapport with so i mean it's yeah it's a valuable example now what about less formal kind of mentorship right like we're talking about mentorship programs and the implementation of that the importance of your follow-through and your intent and you know your intention but Water cooler talk has been around for a while. I know that it's important to have your peers kind of like Maria said, we keep going back to this buddy system. And I think that's where we're coming from is like there's this informal kind of mentoring that occurs with the relationships that you have. So what is... I guess, well, that's why I hang out at the water cooler and sit on the pitching falter the entire day. You should try to get hydrated. Maria is like, it's out of this world. To hopefully try to... mentor somebody. She's just waving. Somebody comes to me and they all avoid me. Oh my goodness. What's

SPEAKER_03:

the

SPEAKER_02:

scuttlebutt? Like from the office. No, but like, do you remember that episode of The Office when Dwight literally moves the water cooler to his desk so that he can get like the office closet? It's so funny. Anyway, so but what about that? Like, is there a place for Marie to sit by the water cooler and informally mentor like her team base? Or does that does that hold any weight when we're talking about mentoring in the workplace?

UNKNOWN:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Absolutely, because it could be as simple as just giving feedback. Someone's just looking for someone to guide them through a situation. And absolutely, I think that those conversations are invaluable. And as long as leaders in the organization are creating that environment where people are openly sharing and talking, you can learn a lot from different people in that water cooler discussion. And you can also learn about other areas because even though we're operating in different areas, some of the challenges are still the same, but how we respond to them may be a little bit different. And so I can get out of my own perspective, my own head, by maybe getting into a resource like Maria at the water cooler and say, hey, Maria, think about this, and she can give me her perspective.

SPEAKER_03:

So what do you guys hear? Scuttlebutt.

SPEAKER_01:

What's the scuttlebutt? What's

SPEAKER_02:

the scuttlebutt?

SPEAKER_01:

Favorite. So good. Yeah, learn a great deal from those water cooler discussions. I encourage it.

SPEAKER_02:

Okay, so as we are wrapping up and we have executives on the phone saying, do I really want to invest in mentorship programs? What can we say to them?

SPEAKER_01:

Well, I would say yes. simply because it opens up opportunities for underrepresented employees, if you will, that we can tap into. Many that are not represented in the C-suite area or the senior executive, the executive level area, boardrooms, there is a significant under-representation there. And we can really tap into a lot of great resources if we have a formalized mentoring program. We can also, from a C-suite level, executive level, is perhaps even tap into other organizations outside of our own or mentoring programs and seeing what they're doing. And so there's definitely a benefit there. And let's see, what else? Did I answer your question? I want to make sure I answered the question.

SPEAKER_02:

Absolutely. I think oftentimes, too, they want to know, is it going to increase the bottom line and long-term success?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, absolutely. I think you'll see a totally different dynamics within your organization through mentoring programs. I go back to breaking down those silos because even to this day with all the training classes I do, I still hear, A lot of silos, a lot of walls that are put up and internal competitions that are going on that aren't necessarily moving the organization forward, but really holding them in a space that really is not truly growing in the way in which they want to grow. And so I go back to that trust and building upon that and how mentoring can support building that trust. It can boost the representation of various different groups of folks around the organization, or I should say minorities, a lot of different things. You can also lessen how much you're paying to train people, new hires, because I think it creates an environment where people want to stay. your retention numbers are much higher when you have people that feel like they're being valued, that their voices are being heard. And when you offer a mentorship program for some folks, especially in this hybrid environment, People feel like, yeah, the company really does care about me because they matched me up with someone or I'm able to talk to someone about some of the challenges that I face. How can I grow myself? And so those resources are there to support them.

SPEAKER_02:

Excellent. Really good stuff, Stacey. Thank you so much for sharing it. It's good to hear the difference between kind of all of the things that we've brought to the table, buddy systems, coaching, mentoring. What does it all mean? Why is it all important? And I think one of the biggest things that you said wrapping up that I believe wholeheartedly attributes to how an organization maintains their talent and how they grow is trust and allowing somebody to be themselves, bring themselves to the table, their ideas, and use themselves to propel forward and the organization forward and maintaining that level of trust, giving them the tools to do so will always be a standout when you're comparing organizations to each other. Yeah, absolutely. Awesome. Well, speaking of trust. Uh-oh. I don't know. That wasn't, that's not my best segue. I'll be honest. I kind of fell flat, but it's the TTA 10.

SPEAKER_00:

It's the TTA 10. 10 final questions for

SPEAKER_02:

our guest. It's fun music again, Stacy. Nothing to be scared of. This is all in good fun. It's, you know, it is a really fun part of the show. We gave you the rundown in the beginning, but this is the TTA 10. where I have 10 more playful questions to ask you. You've got to answer them in 90 seconds or less. Whatever the outcome, David's going to be ready for you and it'll be a blast. Okay.

SPEAKER_01:

So if I mess up, can we like edit and can it start all over again? No, that's not allowed in this part. Dang. Okay. Nope.

SPEAKER_02:

Your time has run out. No more redos. No mulligans. Okay. All right. All right, Stacey. Are you ready? I think so. All right. David, 90 seconds, please. I'm going to get a timer on the screen, too. Yes. No, not on the screen. We don't put it on the screen. We do have a countdown.

SPEAKER_00:

We do have 90 seconds on the TTA 10 o'clock, Jocelyn, starting now.

SPEAKER_02:

All right, Stacey, where did you go on your last vacation?

SPEAKER_01:

Antigua.

SPEAKER_02:

What's your favorite movie? Oh,

SPEAKER_01:

Finding Forrester.

SPEAKER_02:

What is six minus three?

SPEAKER_01:

Three.

SPEAKER_02:

Would you consider a hot dog to be a sandwich? Yeah, I guess I could. Which one of the seven dwarves do you most relate to? No,

SPEAKER_01:

I don't know.

UNKNOWN:

Okay.

SPEAKER_01:

has a great personality.

SPEAKER_02:

Happy. Oh, yeah, sure. There we go. There. If you're a vegetarian, can you eat animal crackers? Yes. What are you going to be for Halloween? Woo!

SPEAKER_01:

My grandbaby wants me to be part of Disney, a Disney character. Love it.

SPEAKER_02:

Who was your first celebrity crush? Oh, Sean Connery. What experience do you wish you could relive for the first time again?

SPEAKER_01:

My marriage, my wedding day. How

SPEAKER_02:

many push-ups can you do?

SPEAKER_01:

Maybe four, five?

SPEAKER_02:

That's ten questions, Stacey. That's the

SPEAKER_01:

girl way, not the regular way, the girl way.

SPEAKER_02:

That's four, maybe five more than I can do, so way to go, Stacey. David, what's the verdict, please?

SPEAKER_00:

The verdict is as follows. Can we have a drum roll here, please? With the time of... 58 seconds, Stacey, is well under the

SPEAKER_02:

threshold. Oh, that's like one of the champions of the champions. Boom, boom, out of the water.

SPEAKER_00:

Absolutely. I see that mentor of yours. I'm doing

SPEAKER_01:

the happy dance now.

SPEAKER_00:

We do have a special treat for you here. We take you now to the TTA news desk where we bring you this breaking news.

SPEAKER_01:

I love it.

SPEAKER_03:

all

SPEAKER_00:

right good evening everyone we are sorry to interrupt that Taylor Swift, Travis Kelsey commercial, but we need to bring you the following bit of breaking news. A Dallas area executive has successfully triumphed a series of nonsensical, silly questions posed by a Massachusetts woman. Yes. Stacey Golden, a leader in the industry of mentoring, leadership and coaching, has survived the gauntlet style questioning of a woman named Jocelyn, posing questions that in the past We'll be right back. The topic of mentoring, meanwhile, is now a national hot topic, undoubtedly thanks to the work of Stacey Golden. She has been honored in the past by the likes of the YWCA and many other organizations, and a national think tank has determined that mentoring is critical to professional development, essential to basic human fulfillment, and America's favorite vending machine candy. Mentors are crunchy. Sweet. And hold on a sec. I'm being told those are Mentos. TTA News Desk regrets this error. Nevertheless, America salutes Stacey Golden and her win today on the TTA 10.

SPEAKER_03:

Although

SPEAKER_02:

it was really great for you, Stacey, I take a lot of personal events to it. Good job, David. Another creative ending. Yes. Look at that screen flash and all those nice things about you in the background, Stacey. I mean, it doesn't

SPEAKER_01:

get better than that. It does not. I love it. This has been awesome. Thank

SPEAKER_02:

you so much. You were a fantastic guest, Stacey. So thank you for spending your time with us and giving us all this insight, really great examples. And you know, I adore you. I look forward to continuing to work with you. It was a true pleasure. And thank you for being such a great partner. That was wonderful. Thank

SPEAKER_01:

you. I appreciate it, you guys. You know, if there's anything else I can do, let me know. That was a lot of fun.

SPEAKER_02:

Always. For more information on Stacey and bringing a mentor program into your organization, visit us at thetrainingassociates.com. We'll see you later.