By Abby Eckard
Having a mentor should be a life requirement for everyone. Each and every person needs a mentor whether it’s the CEO of a Fortune 500 or a new graduate just setting out in their industry; regardless of how much experience someone has, there’s always something new to be learned and growth to be had.
This is particularly relevant when it comes to the hospitality industry. Whether you’re an owner, designer, operator or any role in between, this field comes with long hours, careful planning and around-the-clock focus that can quickly lead to burnout. In these instances, it’s crucial to have a mentor to lean on, providing guidance through all of the growing pains of the job and offering support that shapes the vision of who you are personally and professionally. A focus on intentional mentor/mentee relationships can result in both personal career development as well as a larger push to advance the overall profession, encouraging the industry as a whole to evolve based on the professionals who keep it running day to day.
Being intentional
To be as beneficial as possible, every mentor/mentee pairing should be built intentionally, ensuring that both individuals have backgrounds, goals and knowledge that are similar enough to be relatable but different enough to allow exposure to new ideas and perspectives. This is a delicate balance; being intentional when choosing a mentor or mentee is what makes the experience special. If you have a duo that has nothing in common or doesn’t align in terms of career aspirations, you risk losing the opportunity to develop a deeper, more enriching connection. Additionally, mentors should come from both within and outside of a mentee’s organization or company. External mentors provide a different unbiased perspective than one may find on their team.
Throughout the process, it’s also crucial to be your own advocate. Don’t expect opportunities or mentors to be handed over; it’s important to be diligent and intentional about career goals, seeking out different expertise to help grow and elevate professionally.
For example, if you’re organizing a mentorship program such as NEWH’s Martha’s Mentors, it’s both the responsibility of applicants to be thoughtful about completing forms with intention as well as the organizers to create pairs that are designed to outlast the program itself. NEWH does this well, creating valuable connections by pairing individuals based on a variety of impactful factors from geographic location to personal and professional interests to cultivate bonds that continue to impact the overall organization and individual career trajectories well past the program’s end date.
Leaning on mentorship through transitional periods
Being able to relate to someone who has similar experiences to your own is a game-changer when it comes to being comfortable and confident in a position—there’s a reason that 91% of workers with a mentor are satisfied with their jobs.
Periods of transition can be one of the hardest situations to tackle professionally; there’s exposure to unfamiliar experiences, decisions to make and new responsibilities to take on. Having a mentor to lean on during these transitions can be a lifesaver in navigating uncharted waters. No matter the company you work at, the general highs and lows of a career path are similar across an industry. Mentors can relate to these struggles, providing perspective on how they handled situations whether it’s delayed construction on a hotel project, newly managing a staff of your own or the first big presentation to a potential project partner, making these challenges less intimidating and providing the confidence needed to make tackling them even a bit easier.
This is also underscored by the importance of peer-to-peer relationships, a foundational element of the District Design Collaborative (DDC), which aims to bring people together, share ideas and challenge convention to create a stronger design community. While mentors are a key component to success, being able to connect with others in similar positions provides additional community support and understanding to enrich the professional journey.
Investing in mentorship not only benefits individuals but also extends its reach much farther to impact industries as a whole. Sharing knowledge between the experienced and the novice creates a more well-rounded look at the profession, highlighting what makes it great while identifying where change is necessary to propel it forward.
Building upon lifelong connections is invaluable, putting aspirations into focus and mapping out a clear path forward for individuals and broader industries in tandem. The convergence of championing emerging talent and absorbing lessons learned from seasoned professionals carries the next generation of ideas and disruptors forward; even leaders of the nation’s largest hospitality brands had to start somewhere!
As a senior interior designer at //3877, Abby Eckard leads interior design efforts across hospitality-focused architecture and design projects. Her passion for cultivating relationships with other like-minded designers led her to start District Design Collaborative (DDC) alongside fellow //3877 designer Shannon English. DDC allows designers to have a casual yet intimate setting to come together and challenge one another, build each other up and cultivate a young and empowered group of designers in the DC metro area. Beyond DDC, Abby is actively involved in the local NEWH chapter including her participation in the organization’s inaugural Martha’s Mentors program in 2024 and is invested in her local community.
This is a contributed piece to Hotel Business, authored by an industry professional. The thoughts expressed are the perspective of the bylined individual.
