How mentoring helped Bettina pivot her business, and keep more women in the room where AI gets built

Bettina Guirkinger works with global organizations on a problem many of them don't talk about openly: 59% of women consider leaving their job within a year of returning from maternity leave. Her work is aimed at changing that number, and lately she's been focusing specifically on tech companies, so the women shaping how AI gets built and shaped stay in the room.

Earlier this year, Bettina joined the Femme Palette mentoring program while pivoting her own business from a B2C to a B2B model, a shift that meant relearning how to sell into large multinational corporations. She was matched with Zuzana from MSD. Here's what came out of it.

What made you realize you needed a mentor at that moment?

I was looking for someone who would give me advice regarding the internal approval and procurement processes so I would know how to sell my program to large multinational companies. I was very lucky to get matched with Zuzana from MSD who could provide me with valuable insight and knowledge. Not to mention, she has been absolutely incredible at reflecting back my thinking process and bringing clarity to my hyperactive brain, allowing me to be super clear on what I needed to focus on at a given time.

What goals or challenges did you hope to work on?

As I mentioned earlier, I was pivoting my business from B2C to B2B and wanted to figure out what would be the best way to sell my programs to large multinational corporations, which I have done in the past, but it was in a different context. Now that I've switched to motherhood and career, the focus was in new territory, and therefore the mentoring help I needed was a bit different.

Which goals did you achieve, and what are you most proud of?

Under Zuzana's guidance, I was able to not only clarify my vision but also clarify my next steps and be clear on the kind of audience I wanted to work with (hence the tech angle) and also building my network so that I could do more keynote engagements.

How did mentoring impact your career or confidence?

Very positively, I think it's absolutely amazing to have had a mentor like Zuzana who provided such grounded and grounding advice and kept my confidence high as I navigate this new territory while also navigating my own motherhood with two young boys.

Could you share a specific breakthrough or meaningful moment from the program?

I think something that really stayed with me, that I can think of now, is that I had a moment of doubt. I shared with Zuzana that maybe I should just take a 9-to-5 job like everybody else and complain about it like everybody else, because to me it sounded like the easy option to go for. She reminded me that each of us chose "our kind of hard," and that according to my own criteria, a 9 to 5 would not be the most fulfilling path for me :)

Was there any unexpected benefit from the mentoring experience?

My mentor sharing about her own mothering and career balancing experience was very enriching and a great perspective to integrate into my work.

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If Bettina's story resonates with you, whether you're rebuilding a business around a new model, finding your footing again after maternity leave, or just want someone to reflect your thinking back with more clarity than your own head can manage on its own, that's exactly what mentoring is for.

Your story could be the next one we tell. Explore the Femme Palette mentoring program and take the first step today.