How The Forum’s Mentorship Programming Helps You Thrive in Business
Starting and building your own business often requires you to fill the roles of multiple people at once. Understandably, that can come with some growing pains. But luckily for many entrepreneurs, mentorship can act as the bridge they need into the often intimidating world of entrepreneurship.
At The Forum, we’re proud to bring you mentorship programming that enables entrepreneurs across Canada to connect with seasoned business owners who help them rise above challenges and lead businesses that align with their values.
The mentorship programming we offer includes:
The Forum Mentor Program Presented by The Scotiabank Women Initiative®:
Open year-round, this program provides access to 12 months of 1:1 guidance and support with a Mentor who knows exactly what it means to operate your own business. Once you apply, The Forum team will review your application and recommend Mentors whose values and vision align with yours. Mentees and Mentors meet on a monthly basis to maintain accountability, overcome roadblocks, discuss next steps, and share real-world insights that help one another thrive.
We’re proud to support Scotiabank’s small business clients through the The Scotiabank Women Initiative® Mentor Program, Powered by The Forum.
“The Scotiabank Women Initiative chose The Forum as its partner for delivering mentorship support because The Forum specializes in providing tailored mentorship that aligns with the unique needs of our participants. Their dedication to matching the right mentors with women entrepreneurs ensures that each participant receives the personalized guidance and expertise needed to achieve success and foster growth in their businesses."
- Christianne McMartin, Small Business National Lead, The Scotiabank Women Initiative®
The Forum Growth Peer Mentoring Program:
We’re now accepting applications for live sessions that begin September 16! This program gives you the opportunity to connect with like-minded entrepreneurs at the growth stage of business so that you can access support while you scale. Each of the live sessions is led by an experienced Mentor, so Mentees can gain actionable learnings to solve programs in real-time.
What Mentees and Mentors Say About Their Experience
Mentees Who’ve Participated in The Forum Mentor Program Presented by The Scotiabank Women Initiative®
“Having a Mentor has allowed me to access a trusted person's point of view, who also understands firsthand what it takes to run and grow a business. She's provided invaluable advice around team dynamics and fundraising in particular, which has given me confidence in hiring and capital raising. However, the thing that my Mentor, Joanna, did that was the most impactful by far was helping me during my surgery.
At the very start of our time together, I was diagnosed with a brain tumor. She was an incredible support system for me and made me feel so much more at ease knowing that the business was going to be okay while I was away. She even graciously allowed us to hire one of her team members during the time that I was off to cover my role on a part-time basis. This ensured that I was able to take the four weeks off to recover that I needed without feeling pressure to jump right back into the business.
She truly went above and beyond to ensure that she was helping me, to the point now that I consider her a friend.”
- Laura Berget of Three Ships
“Participating in The Forum Mentor Program has been a game-changer for me as an entrepreneur. It provided the confidence and validation I needed to trust my business instincts.
Being a solopreneur while juggling a full-time job and parenthood can be stressful, especially when the revenue is not flowing as expected. Having a Mentor to share ideas with and gain fresh perspectives on the business's potential has been invaluable. Now I'm more determined to prioritize tasks that work and can lead to revenue generation despite time constraints.”
- Adobea Foli of Adobea Foli Consulting
Mentors Who’ve Participated in The Forum Mentor Program Presented by The Scotiabank Women Initiative®
“My Mentees often inspire me by learning about their stories, passions, and contributions. It also makes my day by seeing their accomplishments and knowing that I could support them in their journey of growth.”
- Sara Wang of Viv Coaching
“I have been a Mentor with The Forum for many years and love very much how The Forum organizes the collaboration between Mentor and Mentee for maximum support in high efficiency.
Using the online portal for meeting agendas and booking makes the mentoring process easy and enjoyable. As an entrepreneur with decades of experience, I love engaging with aspiring female entrepreneurs and assisting them on their journey.” - Mila Lansdowne of Mila Lansdowne Coaching
Mentees Who’ve Participated in The Forum Growth Peer Mentoring Program
“[The Forum Growth Peer Mentoring Program] truly stood out as one of the most impactful programs I've had the pleasure of participating in. Over the course of nine weeks, it provided an invaluable opportunity for women to forge meaningful connections, nurture relationships, and discuss business in a supportive environment free from any sense of self-promotion. Thank you for facilitating such a conducive space!”
- Deidra Hunter of N1D Sports
“We always think someone is lightyears ahead of where we are because of the confidence they exude when in reality, most of us are facing the same things—just in different ways. [The group I met through The Forum Growth Peer Mentoring Program] taught me to appreciate my own growth, embrace the value of my unique perspective and skills, and acknowledge that not every task has to be completed in a single day. That sort of encouragement and permission to be kind to yourself from your peers is empowering, inspiring and comforting.
The group was incredibly supportive and thoughtful in their suggestions on how I could overcome my business challenges. Being successful in business is often associated with being ultra-confident, competitive, and sometimes ruthless. This wasn't the case with this group. It was a safe space for vulnerability through and through. The group listened and asked questions that made me think more deeply or differently, and also encouraged me to trust in myself more and challenged me to try the things I was hesitant to do in the past due to a lack of confidence.”
- Liz Fillmore of Hey Rebel Creative
How The Forum Helps You Find the Perfect Match
After successfully matching entrepreneurs with amazing Mentors for more than 20 years, we’re confident in our ability to help you find a business leader who really gets you. To ensure the Mentees and Mentors that we pair with one another are able to build productive, inspiring, and genuinely helpful relationships, we also rely on a team of experts.
To help you learn all about what goes on behind the scenes here at The Forum and understand whether our programming is right for you, we chatted with our incredible Mentor Program Manager, Jacqueline Gilchrist.
What do you think has made The Forum’s mentorship programming so successful?
“The fact that success is defined by the Mentee! Everyone’s entrepreneurial journey is different, and each person joins the program with a unique combination of entrepreneurial and lived experiences. We didn’t want to create a program that was a ‘one size fits all’, so we’ve empowered Mentees to create their own definition of success right from the start. Our role is to support them in finding that success.
Whether you’ve just registered your business, are looking to boost your confidence, want to focus on expanding to a new market, or anything in between, it's your individual goals that will guide the Mentor that you're paired with, as well as the conversations that you have with your Mentor. Plus, with over 600 active Mentors in the program, we’re confident that there is a Mentor for everyone, no matter what their goals for the program may be.”
How does The Forum determine which Mentors and Mentees are paired with one another through The Forum Mentor Program Presented by The Scotiabank Women Initiative®?
“Our pairing process takes a holistic approach to connection, with considerations being made for lived experiences, area of expertise, industries, markets, sectors, and more! With that being said, the biggest area of emphasis for our pairings are the specific goals that each Mentee has for themselves and their business. We are focused on more than just industry or geographic location (although those are certainly taken into account!). We want to ensure that Mentees are connected with someone who has proven experience in achieving the goals that they are working towards in their business, and that Mentors are connecting with entrepreneurs who are looking for guidance in their specific areas of expertise.”
Are there any key milestones Mentees may want to reach before applying for The Forum’s mentorship programs?
“Our programs are designed for entrepreneurs who are beyond the idea validation stage of developing their business.
In our experience, a 12-month mentorship yields the best results for entrepreneurs who have completed the idea validation process of their business, and are dedicating significant time and resources to taking their business to the next level.
If you are in the idea validation stage, and are looking for support, we’d recommend reaching out to the The Forum team for short-term connections with some of the incredible entrepreneurs in our community!”
What qualities or experience does The Forum look for when recruiting new Mentors?
“Experience, open-mindedness, and a willingness to share their experiences and support a growing entrepreneur! Mentors can be entrepreneurs or business owners themselves, or business professionals with experience in a relevant field (i.e. marketing, accounting, etc.). All Mentors must have 5+ years of experience as an entrepreneur, or in their field of expertise, and can be from any gender-identity. While professional backgrounds are important, we are also looking for folks who want to be champions for women, transfemme, and non-binary entrepreneurs, and are keen to see them succeed!”
The Impact of Our Mentorship Programming
90% of Mentees surveyed have implemented changes or suggestions in their business as a result of their mentorship.
85% of Mentees surveyed have identified goals and next steps for their business with the help of their mentorship.
Nearly 60% of Mentees saw a positive impact on their financial business health after completing 12-months of mentorship. This includes revenue growth, a stronger cash flow, better margins, and more!