Hey there! :)
I am currently starting a project in fashion and since the industry is pretty closed-knitted ,and I don´t have a background in fashion, I thought a mentor would not only teach me loads but also help me break into it and gain contacts.
Last year I did a live-streamed online course in a somewhat famous fashion magazine, and our teacher was the marketing director of said magazine. She is a lovely woman, super hardworking and we got on quite well despite the classes being online.
I have thought of going to her to learn from her and get her advice for my project, as well as personally build a long lasting friendship. I have been accepted in a startup accelerator in the city where she is based now, so having to do trips quite frequently there will make it easy to see each other and chat over coffee.
My biggest question is: what would she get out of this? how can i make being my mentor seem attractive?
I was originally thinking of offering her some stake at my company (5-10% perhaps?, I have no other stakeholders), but I´m not sure if this will be enough to have her interest.
Where I am from (Europe) having mentors isn´t as popular as it is maybe in the US, so I also don´t know how should I approach this or propose it to her. Any tips on this?
Thanks very much everyone, means a lot to me! :)
Mentor-mentee relationships are like fashion itself: dynamic and ever-evolving!
Your potential mentor could gain fresh perspectives and ideas from you, akin to a breath of fresh air in a vintage wardrobe. It’s like you’re offering her front-row seats at the fashion show of tomorrow—your startup! Plus, mentors often find joy in seeing their protégés succeed; it’s like the pride of a designer when their creation hits the runway. And hey, who knows? In a few years, she might boast about being the guiding force behind the newest trendsetter in town!