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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!

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.

Mentorship Program Spotlight with Keelin Cox and Katie Marcell

This is the first 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 Katie Marcell is a marketing coordinator with Hensel Phelps and current SMPS OC social media chair.

Mentor Keelin Cox is a senior marketing specialist with Stantec, past SMPS OC president, and creator and host of the very popular AEC Marketeer podcast.

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

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

Katie: I was mainly curious about two things – the direction of potential growth opportunities in marketing departments across various firms in the industry and their marketing processes, whether they be related to internal or external marketing. I wanted to learn about processes other firms were using that may have been more efficient, streamlined, and even fun compared to the processes I was following.

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

Katie: The most valuable thing I have learned throughout this relationship is the importance of self-marketing. For me to be proud and successful in my job, I learned I have to know my worth and be able to back it up. Keelin provided me with tools beyond an up-to-date resume to turn my work experiences into visual representations that can serve as proof of accomplishments.

What surprised you most about the mentor-protégé program?

Katie: I came into this program with no agenda or game plan, so I was surprised to see other protégés with clear ideas of what they wanted to get out of their mentor-protégé relationship from the start. While that intimidated me at first, Keelin asked all the right questions to get me to really think about my current work situation and what I wanted that to evolve into in the future.

Keelin: To Katie’s point, I do think there’s a bit of a misconception that if you want to be a protégé or have a mentor, you need to know exactly what you want out of the relationship. I don’t think that has to be true all the time. I’m so proud Katie took the leap of faith into this mentorship program and was able to say, “I don’t know what I don’t know”. That’s a huge strength in my opinion and I hope it inspires more marketers who are new to this industry to sign up for mentorship programs even if they aren’t sure what their own end goal is.

Were you part of the mentorship program as a protégé?

Keelin: I wasn’t! I started the mentorship program when I was president of our chapter in 2018 because I knew there was a need and knew the value of mentorship through my own informal mentorships. I talk about Sue Pender (a 35-year industry veteran and founding member of SMPS OC) all the time and she really was my mentor. Sue helped me navigate my career in this industry when I didn’t know what direction to go in or what my options were. Everyone needs a Sue and I hope this program continues to make those connections for other marketers.

From creating the mentorship program to now being a part of it, has it met your expectations or what you thought it might be like?

Keelin: It has completely exceeded my expectations. I always mean it when I tell people who are new to this industry to reach out if they have any questions, and some do, but a lot don’t. I think this formal mentor-protégé relationship has allowed me to focus all my energy on one person who is equally as committed to learning as I am. Also, it’s really nice to form a relationship with someone this way. I have loved getting to know Katie and seeing her grow in her career. I’ve also learned a lot from her - that’s probably my favorite thing about this whole process. The learning goes both ways, we’ve both come out better, smarter professionals.