The SAY Women discuss their Dream Mentors #IWD2021
An Introduction from Debra Yudolph, Founder and Partner
As a female business leader I am proud to support International Women’s Day and Choose to Challenge.
We have been thinking about mentors following SAY supporting the launch of Mentoring Circle founded by Vanessa Murray – a free cross sector mentoring scheme designed to connect senior female professionals within the property industry with young women with 18 months or less experience. I wanted to hear from the women in SAY who they would pick as their dream mentor.
I have had so much support and challenge from many incredible women (and men) and now I also have two daughters to hold me to account and challenge me to stay in touch with todays society and keep an open mind.
If I could have any mentor, it would be Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook and founder of LeanIn.org. As well as being a pioneering business leader, she has also been a great advocate for women in business, encouraging them to be aggressive in seeking success.
Dolly Parton chosen by Kiara Long
Dolly Parton is an amazing philanthropist. Her Imagination Library has gifted 150 million books to children across America, Canada, UK, Ireland and Australia since 2003. She gave $10,000 each to 900 families who lost their homes in wildfires in Tennessee and part of her Dollywood park has been kept aside as a sanctuary for the American Bald Eagle. Most recently, she donated $1 million to assist with research behind the Moderna Covid vaccine. She is also an outspoken advocate for those who have been discriminated against whilst managing to stay out of political name calling and division.
When everyone wanted to write her off as a “dumb blonde” at the start of her career, she proved them all wrong. She wrote the songs she wanted to sing and didn’t change her look and style to please anyone. She even turned it to her advantage by writing a song about it (“Dumb Blonde”) and famously saying “I’m not offended by all the dumb blonde jokes because I know I’m not dumb… and I also know that I’m not blonde.”
And she wrote four of the best songs of all time (Jolene, 9-5, Here You Come Again and I Will Always Love You).
Michella Obama chosen by Laura Faid
I would chose Michelle Obama as my mentor. Having recently read her book I am even more in awe of her grace and strength of character. Her ability to juggle her own career, a family and being First Lady whilst fighting social issues is such an inspiration.
Helen Sharman chosen by Jennifer Gibson
If I could chose any mentor it would be Helen Sharman who was the first British person in space in 1991. I would love to find out more about the mental resilience and skills needed for going into space (which sounds both exciting and terrifying) and what life was like on the Mir space station. I would also ask about how she has found being the only woman in so many varied situations, what she learnt from this and what she thinks and hopes will change for women and gender equality in the future.
Carmen Munroe OBE, Moira Stuart OBE and Kemi Badenoch MP chosen by Kemi Oguntoye
Carmen Munroe OBE is a British actress who played an instrumental role in the development of black British theatre and representation on the small screen. She is best known for playing Shirley Ambrose in Desmonds. Moira Stuart OBE is a British presenter and was the first African-Caribbean female newsreader on British national television when she began presenting BBC News in 1981. When I was younger these two women were leaders in their field and pushing visibility nationally.
Kemi Badenoch is MP for Saffron Waldon. I’d pick her because of what she has done for race relations in politics – she speaks up and takes a stand.
Sharmadean Reid MBE chosen by Esme Webb
Sharmadean Reid MBE is a British Jamaican founder and CEO who I greatly admire for her focus on economic, social and cultural empowerment for women through media and technology. She has founded several business’ with the ethos that female financial independence is essential in giving women control and reducing inequality.
Sharmadean founded WAH Nails in 2009 as a side project and was awarded an MBE in 2015 for services to Beauty and Women. In 2018, she founded Beautystack, on the belief that beauty services are the ideal avenue for a new creative class of empowered, female entrepreneurs. In 2021 she launched The Stack World, a media platform for women in business.
Diana, Princess of Wales chosen by Emma Darch
I would choose Diana, Princess of Wales because she was outspoken and never went by the rules. Everything she did was led by her heart and she was unafraid to bring to the forefront all the difficult things that society wanted to sweep under the carpet.
Serena Williams chosen by Anna MacDonald
I have chosen Serena as she is passionate, dedicated and a leader in her field. She has had to deal with body shaming and racism throughout her career and continues to be resilient.
She has been playing professionally for 26 years, being able to maintain that level of fitness and dedication through injury and everything that life throws at you is incredibly impressive. She has won 23 grand slams titles one of which she won whilst she was pregnant. She uses her success and profile not only to benefit herself but also donating to charity and being an ambassador for UNICEF.
Baroness Karren Brady of Knightsbridge CBE chosen by Gaynor Whiting
Known more widely for appearing on the Apprentice, Karren Brady is an infamous and accomplished businesswoman who started her life in Edmonton. She has achieved a successful career in the male dominated football industry, and has also been awarded Small Business Ambassador by the British Government. She always comes across as a person who is respectful to others, and is known for championing women in business.
Dame Stephanie Shirley chosen by Shilpa Wymer
I’ve always loved the story of how Dame Stephanie Shirley used her wit in breaking through in the male dominated world of STEM, even allowing people to believe she was Steve and not Stephanie. She set about creating a company that created jobs for women.
Katharine Hepburn chosen by Louise Bell
I’ve picked Katharine Hepburn because she challenged typical ideas of what femininity is and showed that women could be independent and equal to men.
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