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Mentorship: Opening doors we didn’t know existed

Mentorship can mean many different things depending on where you’ve begun and your desired destination. For a young person, it may mean an experienced, guiding hand who can help navigate situations and career paths. For another, it might be opening doors to a whole new world.

Such was the case for Freda Tolbert, who experienced the help of numerous people since arriving at Amway, without even realizing that she was being mentored to fully utilize her skills and talents. 

Following years working on developing youth leadership at a faith-based nonprofit, Freda was ready to transition into a new career. With the help of employment agency Manpower, Freda joined Amway’s manufacturing ranks. 

She was working on the third shift at Amway’s production lines when the pandemic struck. While she did not lack job security, as Amway’s manufacturing continued through the pandemic months with small teams working within grids and undergoing rigid safety precautions, she remained tethered to her role, as there was not much contact with others outside her small work team. 

It was during this time that Freda was encouraged by a manager to meet with Amber Snow, Director of Amway’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion team. The reality was that Freda met educational and experience requirements for many open positions within Amway but didn’t know they were available. It didn’t help that after spending time working as a contractor, she gained employment with Amway just as the world began experiencing a global pandemic. 

“I was blown away when she talked about her background and career and how she got into Amway … four years earlier by that point,” said Amber. “She didn’t know what her options were!”

Freda had specific interests, but a shift to a new role was still a time-consuming affair. She applied for a job within a creative department but did not get that position.

“I was bummed when I didn’t get that job,” she said, but she knew her time within manufacturing was not a long-term situation. 

“I knew I wasn’t going to be in manufacturing long … I had different aspirations and goals and a creative side that I needed to use,” said Freda. Her managers were fully supportive of her professional endeavors. They even helped her prepare for interviews and gave her encouragement along the way. “These are people who played a big role to make me comfortable and be my best,” she said.

She did obtain a new role as an event planner and she counts her new manager and co-workers among her current mentors. 

“Freda joined our team with previous knowledge and experience, so our mentorship relationship has focused on effectively applying her skillset and understanding the operations of a large corporation,” said Kelsey Newell, who has now managed Freda for more than a year.

“Our daily tasks are skills we have all had to learn, such as meeting etiquette, understanding reporting relationships, recalling recent company initiatives and more. Freda and I spend time refining these ‘basics’ and looking at the big picture. Her attitude and effort have never required coaching, which makes our mentorship and working relationship very enjoyable.”

Freda has a formal mentor relationship through an Amway program called MentorcliQ and considers experienced teammates as mentors as well, looking to learn from their expertise and gain confidence through their encouragement. 

“I’ve been blessed to have good people around me,” said Freda, noting that her mentors had transitioned to leadership roles because others had challenged them and helped them to grow. “If they can do that, surely I can too,” she said.

This is a sentiment Kelsey agrees with. “I’ve benefited from many mentors throughout my career … I think it’s something Amway does very well. Those with in-depth knowledge or long tenure are always willing to share their experiences and advice. I’ve been fortunate to work with individuals who took extra time with my development and opened doors I didn’t even know existed. We’re a culture of cheerleaders and I hope everyone gets the encouragement and reassurance they need from a mentor throughout their careers.”