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Mentee Spotlight: Amanda Stalbaum, Entrepreneur + CORE Mentee

Starting a mentoring program or signing up for one can be an exciting experience, however, it can also be intimidating. You are not sure what to expect, you may be nervous to meet new people, or just be hesitant on the mentoring process. A CORE mentee, Amanda, felt similar and was hesitant on what to expect. Let’s look at how she overcame her fear and used W2WM to help her navigate and thrive in her passion! 

Amanda Stalbaum became familiar with W2WM in 2018. She had been doing hair for a while and was looking to make a career out of it; however, she did not know the path to take and needed some guidance and perspective. Amanda was initially hesitant about W2WM’s program because she was not particular about being a part of a group or connecting with others. Yet, she pushed through, applied for our CORE program, becoming a CORE mentee.  

Amanda realized quickly that this was going to be a fulfilling experience providing the guidance she was looking for. The one-on-one mentoring impacted her path, but the workshops were just as important. One of Amanda’s favorite workshops was our Strengths workshop. She identified her top five strengths through the Clifton Strengths Finder 2.0 assessment. Amanda’s top strength in the assessment was “empathy.” At first, Amanda was surprised… empathy? Once the workshop elaborated on the details of the 32 strengths and empathy was explained, she felt empowered with her strengths. It also allowed her to understand where and when to ask for help on things that may not be her natural strength. 

“I think having other people’s ideas in the group gave you a different perspective… and not that my idea was bad, but just a different perspective, and the different discussions were very impactful. Sometimes, women can be very competitive or confrontational, and I think that the strength finder exercise took that out of it. While one person is great at this task, another person is good at something else, and we can all work together to make something even better” 

Bethany, Amanda’s mentor in the CORE program, and Amanda continued to develop their relationship and worked to address Amanda’s main goals. When Amanda started going in a different direction for her career, Bethany was by her side to weigh out the options and keep Amanda focused on her end goal. Bethany also reminded Amanda of her top strengths to create clarity around her decisions. 

“I never thought I was someone cut out to be an owner, manager, a boss; but with all the knowledge I got from W2WM and Bethany, I absolutely knew my strengths, went in that direction and found out when and where to gather help when I needed it.” 

What Amanda initially thought would be a mentoring program for her career driven needs, ended up being a great space to provide her with different perspectives, emotional development, and personal development. 

“ I grew up pretty privileged, so being in a group with all different backgrounds, hearing stories and hearing people open up was really impactful.”

When asked what advice Amanda would give to someone who is looking to become a mentee and maybe on the fence or doubting themselves, Amanda didn’t hesitate.  

“Be open to the thought of being in a woman’s group. And once you find out your strengths, take it and run with it and focus on it… Gosh! It’s so hard to describe how amazing this program has been because you just get so much from this program! Take notes! Lastly, don’t be afraid to really dive in mentally and emotionally to the program because it will make everything more clear in the end!” 

Amanda now owns her own salon in Mt Airy, MD and has become the boss that she never imagined she could be! Bethany is a frequent client of Amanda’s, and they stay in touch regularly.

Keep using those strengths, Amanda!  

 

 

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