Agency leaders discuss the power of great mentorship

As any former intern (as I once was) can attest, a good mentor can mean the difference between moving on to a long, fulfilling career or a proverbial full stop, especially in an industry as competitive and cutthroat as advertising. The guidance, support and connection the mentor-mentee relationship can offer is invaluable, but requires commitment and investment. 

With January being National Mentorship Month, an initiative advocating for and celebrating these critical figures, we asked leaders from the Amp community to share stories of the mentors and mentees who helped shape the professionals they’ve become.

Read Ad Age’s two-part series on agency mentorship programs: Part one focuses on mentorship programs that address the industry’s DE&I problem. Part two offers tips on finding a mentor and building mentor-mentee relationships.   

Wayne Best, chief creative officer, NY, VML

I have been lucky to learn from some of the best mentors in the business. Creative icon Ralph Ammirati taught me to be meticulous about every little detail. Dan Wieden and Pat Fallon both created agency cultures that influenced every person who worked in their companies. 

That said, at the end of the day it was Cliff Freeman who had the most impact on me. Perhaps it was because I worked with him the longest, early in my career and at a very small agency, but he really was a mad genius. Working for Cliff was amazing because he always pushed the absurd. He was always searching for the unexpected, a fresh take, an unexpected turn. He would never settle for good enough. 

I can still remember asking Cliff how he came up with so many unexpected and wild ideas. His answer: “I come up with the same obvious ideas as everyone else, I just kill them quicker and get to the good stuff.” No matter what you did, Cliff would wonder if it could be more creative and less expected. Even the memos he wrote to the agency were works of art.

His curiosity and genius led him to make creative that not only fit into culture, it created culture, such as ”Pizza Pizza,” “Where’s the beef?” and so many other things we all say every day. Years later his words still influence my judgment every day. I’m not alone in being mentored by him. I’m sure Roger Camp, Michelle Roufa, David Angelo, Greg Bell, Rosie Bardales, Matt Vescovo, Ian Reichenthal, Eric Silver, Steve Dildarian and so many other legends in the business who were lucky to learn under him would give a similar answer.

Tashanee Williams, strategist, Preacher

In the realm of professional growth, it’s often a single mentor who ignites a transformative spark. For me, that mentor was Marika Wiggan, head of strategy at Preacher in Austin, Texas. As a strategy intern under Marika’s wing, I wasn’t handed a playbook. Instead, I was ushered into an arena of self-discovery and experimentation. 

I vividly remember a strategy assignment where my conventional approach hit a dead end. Marika, with her characteristic insight, nudged me toward a path less-trodden. She said, “It’s not about right or wrong. It’s about finding your unique voice in the strategy.” That moment redefined my understanding of strategy: It was no longer a rigid structure but an evolving art form. 

Marika champions a culture of intelligent risk-taking, urging me to embrace the “tinkering” part of learning. This isn’t just about getting strategies right but about understanding the intricate dance of trial, error and breakthroughs. Now the lessons from Marika continue to resonate. Her belief in my potential and her encouragement to pursue unorthodox solutions have been pivotal in my rapid career progression. The courage to experiment, the wisdom to see beyond immediate setbacks and the perseverance to refine strategies are gifts from Marika’s mentorship that have shaped not just my career, but my approach to life’s challenges.

Alison Moser, head of business development, Erich & Kallman

I wouldn’t be where I am without Mike Densmore. When I started in advertising, I was an assistant account executive who had stumbled into the industry. I didn’t know what I wanted beyond a job—any job. 

By a stroke of luck, Mike and I were seated next to one another in our small New York office. After a few months watching my frustration grow at the tedium, he came to me with an offer: Move into business development at a new agency with him. I had never worked on a pitch, I had barely worked with Mike, but he knew I was capable of things before I even knew what those things were. 

His tutelage over the years not only gave me the confidence to take on tasks bigger than I thought I could handle, but also instilled in me the belief that it can be more powerful to play to strengths than attempt to correct weaknesses, and that opportunity shouldn’t be reserved exclusively for those with experience. 

But it didn’t stop with me. I was able to watch so many deserving folks get chances that other leaders thought they didn’t deserve, and then watch them prove their worth because of Mike’s belief in them. That’s priceless in a competitive industry like ours.

Gina Michnowicz, CEO and chief creative officer, The Craftsman Agency

My career is a culmination of what I’ve learned from a line of great mentors that started with my father, who taught me so much about business and helped guide many of my career decisions. His incredible mentorship showed me how important the mentor role is. It’s something I now also love to do. I find great rewards in watching people grow, so of course, I enjoy helping nurture that growth. 

The people you mentor can give you the gift of new perspectives and end up helping you in your development process as much as you help them in theirs. Then the mentee becomes the mentor. While I’ve mentored many wonderful people, one person in particular stands out: Jamie S. She joined my agency as a senior manager, and we spent years together homing in on the big ideas in pitches. We talked through work-life balance, how to say no and how to manage a difficult employee. While I have helped her with many things, I have also learned a lot from working with her. She helped me define what kind of creative I wanted to be. 

She was the first person I talked to about the concept of The Craftsman as a new agency brand and what it meant to be a Craftsman. I still connect with her twice a month. We share stories, talk about what we’re reading, and advise each other on the challenge du jour. Mentorships can surprise you.

Jake Lenze, strategist, Wondersauce

I remember searching for my first job as a strategist but feeling like—despite years of internships, virtual coffee chats and résumé redesigns—I couldn’t get my foot in the door. Then, I stumbled upon an open junior strategist position. During my first interview with the agency’s strategy director, Ben Yarling, my shaky confidence was replaced by the feeling that someone wanted me to succeed. 

His guidance not only helped me become a better strategist, but also to find balance at work and navigate our ever-changing industry. I learned that the most impactful mentorship comes from a mix of uplifting the mentee while pushing them to be at the top of their game. He taught me to look at things from multiple perspectives, to go the extra mile for clients and to believe in myself and the work that I do. He also taught me to look at strategy holistically, not as one single discipline but as the ways in which a brand must interact with people and culture to make an impact. 

As I moved further into my career, I took those lessons into my work at Wondersauce, where I’ve been lucky enough to receive incredible mentorship as well. Strategy Director Casey Null has consistently helped me elevate my work and hone my craft. And our CEO John Sampogna has taught me to push ideas further and find ways to make our work bigger, bolder and more meaningful where it matters. 

I believe my mentorship experiences have taught me the value of learning from the people around me and integrating those learnings into my work, and I look forward to mentoring rising strategists in the future.

Emma Lenhart, director of creative strategy, HireInfluence

When I was a senior in high school, we were required to complete an internship before graduation, and I interned with Kayla Barnes, who ran a public relations and marketing firm. She quickly became my mentor, taking me along to her work meetings, allowing me to share my opinions with her and teaching me the basics of marketing first-hand. 

The initial internship was only required to be two or three weeks, but I was learning so much with her that it extended to me working with her the entire summer before I went off to college. 

That summer inspired me by seeing a powerful woman run a business fueled by hard work and tenacity. When there didn’t seem to be a way forward, she made one. Through working with her, I learned to not be afraid to carve out my own path and never apologize for having a seat at the table.

Adrian Owen Jones, chief growth officer, ThreeSixtyEight

As chief growth officer I’ve had the privilege of mentoring many. One that has impacted me profoundly is Kara Pitre. Starting as a project manager and evolving into a pivotal leadership role, Kara embodies the essence of continuous growth. 

Our journey, from a coaching relationship outside of the company to standing shoulder-to-shoulder on TSE’s leadership team, has been a mutual learning experience. Kara’s fresh perspectives and unwavering pursuit of excellence have not only enriched our company but also reshaped my professional ethos. This reciprocal mentorship highlights the invaluable role of mentors at every level, reaffirming the power of learning and growing together in a dynamic professional landscape.

Erin Quintana, US CEO, UM

Our Global CMO Lynn Lewis has been my mentor for nearly 15 years, and without her I would not be in the role I am in today—or really, in any of the roles I have held since meeting and working for her in 2009.  

I used to joke that she pulled me “up the ladder” at times when I didn’t believe I was ready to take on the next opportunity.  She believed in me when I didn’t believe in me. And that has given me a confidence that stays with me to this day, even when she’s not with me. 

Lynn has shown me what a working mother can accomplish with the right mindset. For example, never apologizing for putting family first, but also never apologizing for loving what you do at work. When I have a problem she is my first phone call, and she always picks up. She probably will never know the depth of my gratitude to her and how much I hope to forever make her proud of me.

Sam Zises, CEO, [L]earned Media

I’ve been lucky enough in my career to have learned from several successful entrepreneurs and mentors. Though their leadership styles were never identical, they shared one key quality that shaped the way I approach my work, mentor others and define a job well done—that is, being radically candid. 

During my first break into the industry I remember being shocked at the sheer “adultification” of my role. My boss was hard on me and held me to a standard that sometimes felt mismatched with where I was at professionally at the time. Transparency is the only way that trust can be fostered in any relationship. In the wrong hands there’s a potential for it to feel harsh but without this skill as a mentor there can be no improvement, only stagnancy. 

In a world where young people are often given a pat on the back for showing up, my mentors did me the favor of taking me seriously. In not allowing me to make careless mistakes they showed me how the devil truly is in the details and expanded my potential. 

Now, even as I have fostered my entrepreneurial drive in creating my own creative agency, I am determined as ever to pay it forward—to lead with the same honesty and directness that was integral to me professionally.

Erin Naterman, VP, growth and operations, Gigasavvy

I always felt the absence of a strong mentor early in my career, so I made it my mission to be a mentor to others as often as possible. I make myself available to those who are starting their career journeys to offer guidance, advice or insights from my own experiences to help solve challenges. 

Part of that mentorship includes establishing long-running internship programs at two agencies where we focused on giving students real hands-on experience, not coffee- and copy-making duties. These programs included strong, consistent mentorship that resulted in full-time employment at those agencies or other reputable organizations. 

The commitment to being available as a mentor is small, but the impact can be huge to those navigating the start of their own journeys, not to mention the positive impact on an agency’s culture.

Marissa Nance, founder and CEO, Native Tongue Communications

They say there are four tenets to mentorships: advice, acceptance, knowledge and encouragement. For someone in advertising who identifies as a woman of color, finding a way to source and keep such a mentor is no easy feat. 

I have found that I need to balance my innate desire to find someone who mirrors me, someone who walks my journey daily, with the reality that we have a continuing lack of that community—my community—in advertising. Where and when I find that someone with a common experience, I make it a point to connect and hold tight. 

While this is fulfilling, it can’t always address my ongoing need for the advice, the encouragement and the knowledge. So, I have been lucky to find additional mentors who make up a diverse community of background and opinion. I know that if someone doesn’t look and sound like me, that doesn’t automatically mean they can’t be there for me. 

I’m honored by those who have made sure I was recognized and rewarded for who I am and the successful work I created.

Arlynn Memsic, strategy director, Motive

I’ve had the benefit of having numerous mentors throughout my career, but there’s one who made an impact early on: Liz Seelye, the head of strategy at one of my first agencies, set the stage for me to develop my voice and working style that have been foundational to my career.

She offered the classic business advice as needed, but what stood out was her take on breaking rules and being yourself. I remember being stressed about each detail for a workshop I was leading. I had spent countless hours mapping everything out perfectly. She reviewed my work, complimented my thoroughness, then told me one of her favorite mantras from the brilliant strategist Mike Tyson: “Everyone has a plan until you get punched in the mouth.” 

She wanted me to let go of my need to be overly structured, the feeling that I should focus on every little detail. She reminded me to bring my own personality to the work, to stay curious, get messy and be nimble. And that those elements are even more essential than the details. 

That same head of strategy eventually encouraged our team to take improv classes, not for comedic timing but to develop the skill of thinking on our feet and adapting to insights as they appear, not trying to calculate them into existence. Sometimes you need a mentor to tell the standard “how to succeed” stories. But mostly, you need a mentor to shake you up and wow you with a quote from Mike Tyson.

Ryan van de Griendt, agency director, RMNG

I lead the incredible experiential marketing team at RMNG, and I’ve been significantly affected by the mentorship of Jill Fitzpatrick, our director of people and culture. Her guidance has helped me hone my managerial skills and has deeply influenced the strategic direction of my team. Her unique blend of empathy, organizational acumen and strategic insight has made her an ideal mentor. 

Under her guidance, I’ve learned to see beyond the immediate challenges that come up in our business and now see the broader impact of our team’s work. Jill helped us integrate metrics tracking and more regular performance reviews to quantify our impact more accurately and adjust accordingly.

Personally, her wisdom and experience has not only profoundly shaped my leadership abilities, but has changed the trajectory of my marketing career. She has fostered a culture of collaboration, creativity, clear communication and delegation that has helped us create a cohesive, dynamic team of individuals. She’s empowered each of us to lead more efficient projects and build experiences that resonate with audiences long after an activation is complete. 

I am beyond grateful for her positive influence on both my mindset and my team’s achievements.