We’re a company built on the understanding that mentorship is more than a goal, it should be woven into the structure of our business. We are intentional in mentoring our teams and amplifying their potential. As we build Tier One Solutions, we are building it together by mentoring each other along the way, mentoring the next generation, and allowing ourselves to learn from them as well.
In late 2023, CEO and Founder, Cynthia Ward won the Path to Purchase Women of Excellence Mentorship Award, and for good reason! Prior to founding Tier One Solutions, Cynthia developed and launched a Peer Mentoring program with the desire to improve peer-to-peer relationships and lend support across different teams. She also created an Aspiring Leaders program, which includes an internal training program curriculum to help those aspiring leaders gain the knowledge and skill sets necessary to grow in their careers.
Cynthia stresses the importance of participating in mentorship programs, “When I first got started it wasn’t that there was no access to mentorship, I didn’t even know that it was something missing in my life because it just didn’t exist. Years later, after eventually finding mentors and seeing the growth acceleration through mentorship programs, I make sure to still dedicate time to help others on their career journey.”
This dedication is on full display with the Tier One Solutions intern program. It became apparent pretty quickly that at the end of the day, mentorship is also about what you aspire your company culture to be, and at Tier One that means a certain nimbleness and transparency that allows us to always stay listening and learning. Similar to how we engage with clients, it’s important we co-create the internship program with our interns to ensure that they are getting the real-life experience needed to launch the career they want. As our time with the interns grows, we grow the program to shape that journey.
We recently spoke with Terri Jordan, Founder & CEO at WizeWebz – a growth strategy company, about the importance of mentorship & amplifying women in leadership. What she had to say perfectly sums up the Tier One ethos for mentorship. “It’s about carving out your own path. It’s important to have strong women in mentorship roles to give permission to go your own way – sometimes as women we need to be reminded that we’re allowed to create our own path.”
Client Strategy Partner for Tier One, Sarah Telgarsky, expanded on this with the idea of a circle of mentorship. “Women in business, of all ages, feel the unique challenges we face as women in both our personal and professional lives. If we consistently lead by example, demonstrate the importance of integrity, resilience and continuous learning, that is how we amplify women in leadership. And this flows both ways. Whether you are the mentee or mentor, if you adopt the idea of creating a circle of mentorship where you both learn and grow from each other then everyone, including the business, becomes stronger.”
To honor both sides of the mentorship experience, we also asked our Tier One intern, Tori Poland, about her experience being mentored under these values. “When I joined Tier One Solutions, I expected the typical internship experience of being given random tasks and told to complete them without really learning why. However, my experience here has been quite the opposite. My mentor, Madison Jordan, ensures that my projects bring real value and insights to the company. She takes the time to understand my interests and career goals and then we actively co-create projects that align with both my professional development and the company’s needs.”
And in response, Madison – Marketing Director for Tier One, had this to say, “Co-creating an internship program in this way helped me become a stronger leader. It’s not just about delegating; it’s about helping each other grow and learning our strengths. I never want my interns to feel ‘under’ me, I see them as my partners. It can be intimidating coming into a professional role at a young age but when we build a path plan together, it makes it easier to gain that confidence and a surer footing post-internship.”
At the end of the day, amplifying each other on both sides of the mentorship coin creates a more holistic approach to success. We are never too old to learn, and we are never too young to contribute to the conversation. By intentionally fostering a circle of mentorship women leaders will continue to build and amplify the next generation of business leaders.
