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Mentorship Program Spotlight with Laurie Parris and Tenille Bettenhausen

This is the third 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.

 Protégé Tenille Bettenhausen is a structural steel specialist for the American Institute of Steel Construction, recovering design-a-holic, and creator and host of the Death By Architecture podcast, producing new episodes monthly.

 Mentor Laurie Parris, MBA, is a business development associate for Michael Baker International and president-elect for SMPS OC.

 Q: What were you originally looking for when you signed up to be a protégé?

 Tenille:  A wish to progress in my career and to develop a bigger network.  I had been in SMPS for several years but never really jumped in. I realized that it is very much a "you get out of it what you put in" situation.  However, right when I decided to get more involved and attend more events, COVID hit.  But I am glad the mentorship program started to keep me involved and engaged.  

 What was it like meeting your Protégé?  

Laurie: It was fun to meet Tenille. She brings high energy and laughter to every conversation. She is a go-getter, self-driven, knowledgeable, and a person we should all get to know.   

 What would you say was your major contribution to the relationship?  

Laurie: As with most mentorships, I offered a safe, confidential space to allow her to express her thoughts, feelings, and ideas. We shared stories, bounced ideas, and offered each other guidance. I think the major contribution to the relationship was a confidence boost to move her ideas forward, and maybe this was more like a nudge.  

Early on, Tenille had expressed an interest in podcasts. This led me to listen to my first one by Keelin Cox, CPSM, ENV SP, AEC Marketeer. We discussed the topic and were enlightened. Not long after, Tenille moved forward with her own podcast, Death by Architecture; since then, she has produced eight episodes.

 Q: What would you say was the most valuable part of your mentorship experience?

Tenille: I went into the mentorship program looking for just a mentor to give me career advice, but definitely walked away with a friend.  I loved having Laurie as a sounding board and major supporter as I was walking through a tough time in my career (pandemic, crazy work expectations, family and parenting balancing), so I would say the most valuable part of this experience was gaining Laurie as a cheerleader.  She didn't have any vested interest, so all of her advice was objective and right on time.  :)

What was something that surprised you about the experience?  

Laurie: From the very beginning, it was extremely easy to have conversations with Tenille, I never felt like a mentor, I felt like a colleague. After about six months of mentoring, Tenille invited me to become Facebook friends. I of course accepted. Within minutes, I received a text message from her, “How do we have so many mutual friends on Facebook? Did you go to St. Anthony High School?” We were both shocked that not only did we go to the same high school, but also played on the softball team together for a year!  

Tenille: Definitely realizing we went to high school together was a major surprise. LOL! Another surprise was how easy it was to connect. Originally I thought, “Oh, great, another zoom thing I have to do during this pandemic; it’s going to be hard to create a rapport or connection over the internet.” But I think the timing was perfect. Laurie and I connected right away, and I always looked forward to our scheduled calls.

Any final thoughts? 

Laurie: I would highly recommend this mentorship program to all our members at any stage in their careers. I’ve gained so much from this experience, and I hope to continue our conversations and meet-ups after the program ends. Most importantly, I gained a new friend.  

Tenille: I definitely recommend the mentorship program. I think we all need to have people in our lives supporting us and cheering us on along the way—someone to just listen when you need it. I mean, I talk to my husband about stuff all the time, but he has a biased opinion (obviously) and so it’s nice to hear a voice from within our industry. AEC marketing and BD is a beast of its very own and only we know the ins and outs, so it’s often hard for someone outside this field to speak into your career and offer advice. I gained not only a mentor but was reintroduced to an old friend out of this experience. I would tell anyone to do it, you never know who you are supposed to meet or re-meet. LOL!