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Mentorship Program Spotlight with Kelly Teenor and Alicia Anzis

This is the second of three articles featuring a mentor and protégé who took part in the 2020-2021 Mentorship Program sponsored by SMPS Orange County through the Professional Development Committee.

Mentor Kelly Teenor, CPSM, is a proposal specialist for Michael Baker International with 20 years of experience in marketing, business development, and strategic communications in the AEC industry. She has held numerous leadership roles for SMPS and is a recent past president for SMPS OC.

Protégé Alicia Anzis is the director of marketing at JOA Group. She had a decade of experience in marketing before joining the AEC industry in 2019.

Interested in mentorship?Click here for more information and an application! 

Our approach to the process:

Kelly: We met every other week, remaining flexible with deadlines and proposal schedules. Due to the pandemic, we met virtually via Teams, although we did manage to meet in-person for coffee on two occasions (observing social distancing protocols, of course). We began the relationship exchanging goals of what we each wanted from the experience. To keep us on track in the beginning, we documented action items using the Session Action Plan provided by the Chapter Mentorship Program Chair. A few meetings into the relationship, we moved away from the Session Action Plan, but continued to focus on goals and holding each other accountable based on individual notes from past meetings. Our meeting agendas focused on success sharing, strategies for moving goals forward, lessons learned from actions taken, and overall check-ins as a result of life during a pandemic.

What from this experience do you consider a key takeaway that you’ll incorporate into your career?

Kelly: One of the highlights of the mentorship experience for me was learning about Alicia’s accomplishments and successes. She had something to celebrate at each meeting. It was exciting to congratulate her! This experience reminded me of the value of celebrating milestones. So often, we move from one project to the next without pausing to acknowledge our achievement. Instead, celebrating accomplishments along the way creates motivation for what’s next and it acknowledges our progress. Intentionally planning celebrations is something I will be incorporating into my schedule going forward. Whether taking a scenic drive, enjoying a nice dinner, or watching a movie, formalize that victory!

Alicia: A key takeaway from this experience for me has been the value of sharing experiences, whether they are successes or failures, with others. Being able to process what went right, or what went wrong, has been extremely valuable. I’ve learned that both formal and informal mentoring is something that is beneficial at every stage of my career in order to keep learning, growing, and improving. Another key takeaway is the value of accountability. It can be so easy to put things on a to-do list or a “someday” list, but when you have someone checking in on the progress of those goals, it helps ensure that action is made toward achieving them.

What was Alicia’s greatest contribution to you, Kelly?

My interactions with Alicia affirmed that the AEC marketing community is a special and unique niche within the marketing profession. Our time together reinforced the value of supporting each other as we navigate the roles we fulfill within our firms. I’m grateful for the formal and informal mentoring I’ve received during my career from my SMPS network. Though I served in the mentor role, I grew and benefitted from the experience. This mentorship program allowed me to pay it forward. The opportunity to play a role in Alicia’s career and success in the industry was an honor. Thank you, Alicia, for bringing your talents, enthusiasm, and energy to the AEC industry. You are building a stronger industry. 

What was Kelly’s greatest contribution to you, Alicia?

Kelly’s greatest contribution has been her support and encouragement as I learn to navigate all the nuances of marketing for the AEC industry. Being so new to such a diverse and complex industry, being a one-woman marketing team, and working remotely can easily get overwhelming, so having someone there to remind me I’m not alone has been extremely helpful. In addition, the experience and knowledge that Kelly brings to the table is one-of-a-kind. Thank you, Kelly, for being willing to share your insight and expertise with me!

What was something that surprised you about the experience?

Kelly: This experience confirmed the power of making small but consistent steps towards goals. During our discussions, we reviewed action items and goals. I was very impressed to see the cumulative progress achieved at the end of just a few months. This validated one of my favorite mantras – A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Mentorship is designed to encourage those steps and guide travel along the correct path.

Alicia: The biggest surprise for me has been how quickly the time has gone! It seems like just yesterday we were meeting for the first time. Looking back and seeing how far I have come, and the accomplishments Kelly has contributed to is really motivating to keep me moving forward, one day and one step at a time.