Wonderworks Communications talks to Jane Bulankina

How did you find out about the mentoring opportunity with WW? Was mentoring something you’ve done before or were you new to it?

I found out about it via a private message from Wonderworks asking if there is anyone within my network who I’d like to put forward. As soon as I started thinking about it, I immediately realised that’s me. Mentoring isn’t something I ever thought about doing as my attitude in life is generally just to “crack on with it”, but no one in my family or immediate friendship group does what I do, so there weren’t very many opportunities for me to share and get valuable insight elsewhere.

What attracted you to mentoring & what made you want to apply to take part in the 1-2-1 programme with WW?

I feel that this is a key time in my career and I need to develop and grow. I felt a little strange applying for mentoring after being in the business for almost 15 years, but I put these worries aside as I’ve never had anyone focusing on me for an hour a week! There are plenty of people who will give you unsolicited  “advice”, but only a few that I would take seriously. The Wonderworks team have always come highly recommended by my network and I just couldn’t believe my luck when I was selected. I also know that Wonderworks have always been very open about helping other women in the industry and generally have achieved so much that we could all learn from.

What were your expectations of mentoring? How did this develop as your mentoring journey went on?

My friends tell me that if they ever want an honest opinion (no matter how hard it is to hear) they come to me. So I expected some harsh truths when signing up for this experience, I know I really needed it to hear it. I think both mentors offer a slightly different perspective on your “issues” which is fantastic as it’s definitely nothing you could ever do yourself. Some comments honestly were hard to swallow, but I know that the more I opened up, the more I was getting from the sessions so there was no turning back. I was worried that sessions would be a bit more formal and I wasn’t sure what exactly I wanted to “work on”, but to my great relief the hours we spent together were always very easy flowing and of course, the ladies have a set of questions that definitely help you open up.

What did surprise me as the time went on is that some instinctive behaviours I was trying to fight were actually helpful to me, but some other habits that I picked up along the way weren’t doing me any favours. I also thought it would be more like “therapy” sessions without much specific guidance, but I have received so much valuable practical advice, including exercises and some work framework that I will be using for many years to come.

As I said above, the more vulnerable I was being, the quicker we could get to the root of the issue and I was given more than enough tools to overcome some insecurities.

How would you describe your individual mentoring journey? What was it like (particularly as a woman working in the drinks industry) and what did you find most helpful about the sessions? Was there anything in particular that stood out had or had an impact on you?

I think first of all I really appreciated that there wasn’t any bitterness about being a woman working in the industry. I find it very tiring when women in my field of work (or any other male dominated professions) complain about the lack of opportunities and how they are treated without doing much about it. In fact, the sessions clearly highlighted to me how strong both mentors are as people and I definitely want to be the like them. Having spent my childhood in Russia, asking for help was often considered a sign of weakness, and although I haven’t lived there since I was 17, that mentality was hidden deep in my subconscious. For example, when I told my mother I was chosen for mentoring sessions she was horrified and asked if I was okay and why on earth would I ever want anyone to tell me what I’m doing wrong. I just laughed, obviously. 

As mentioned above, I also felt like both mentors were very different in their approach and they truly complimented each other. What stood out to me is the sincerity and the depth of our conversations. You honestly get the feeling they want to help. Although I was hearing some hard truths, I never felt judged and having them both sharing some of their own experiences made me feel much better. At the same time, because there is never any doubt of whether the mentors are honest with you, when they were telling me that I am very good at something (that I doubted whether I was) it left no doubt in my mind! I specifically remember one concern that I’ve had for maybe 5 years disappeared after their comment and I haven’t thought of it since… It’s truly incredible to be free of it.

How has 1-2-1 mentoring made a difference to you? In your career, your goals and to you personally? 

One of the key differences is that I am able to look at my career and be proud. One of my biggest struggles was me undermining my own achievements and skills (something that I think so many women do)! It felt like I was always adding a “but” when I talked about myself, such as “I have almost 15 years experience in marketing BUT I am this or BUT I am that”. Wonderworks mentoring sessions have practically restructured the way I talk about myself (I am still working on believing it when I say it hehe). I’m amazed of the amount of practical exercises I’m taking away from this, I’m much better equipped to communicate my messages to colleagues. I realised that the network of people ready to support me is much wider than I ever thought.

Following mentoring, where are you at now? Is there anything you plan to do (or to do differently) going forwards? Are there any key learnings from mentoring that you’ve brought into your life? And if so, what are they?

I’ve taken on some projects that I wouldn’t normally have. I’ve had a few “Champagne moments” and generally feel very excited about what the future holds. I have since become the Head of Marketing and also been able to share some of those wisdoms that I learned with other women around me.

You mentioned you are now overseeing an employee for the first time. Has mentoring impacted the way in which you work (or plan to work) with them? If so, how?

I really enjoyed being a manager and definitely feel like working with people and guiding them is something I definitely want to do in the future. However, unfortunately, due to some unforeseen circumstances the person who we hired could no longer work with us, so I am on a lookout for a new Trade Marketing Manager who will absolutely be benefiting from the work Wonderworks has done with me.

Overall, how valuable was mentoring to you?

Out of any course I’ve ever taken this was by far the most challenging and rewarding experience I’ve ever received. I think that all of us should find someone we trust to spend an hour a week talking about things that really matter. The mentoring wasn’t just about my career, but also helping to work on the things that really matter to me and make life better.

Do you see mentoring as something that you’d continue in your career & life going forwards? Either for yourself or mentoring others?

I 100% would love to continue passing on the wisdom, positivity and ignite change for those who need it. To be honest, I think sometimes we don’t even realise that we become an informal mentor for people and I would love to think that this is something I can offer occasionally to my network. I know so many incredible women who are all fighting the same battels and it’s very sad to see them doubting themselves or thinking they are “alone in this”.

Would you recommend the WW programme to other women in drinks?

I would strongly encourage it regardless of where you are in life: whether you are an assistant or director. You have everything to gain and nothing to lose!

For women who work or want to work in the drinks industry the Wonder Women mentoring programmeproves that there is a place where each of us can find and share super powers.