We are excited to team up with YouTube Music to launch she.grows France & Italy, a virtual mentoring programme designed to support the careers of women and gender minorities in the music business.
The 2020 mentoring scheme has recruited 12 local mentees in France and 12 mentees in Italy, who were paired with a local or international mentor according to their choice. Mentors or mentees were able to submit their applications between May 25 - June 14 2020 in order to be considered. Once selected, the 48 participants took part in a series of private 1to1 mentor/mentee meetings as well as monthly coaching sessions between July and November 2020, in addition to gaining access to the global shesaid.so community.
Expert studies, alongside our own experience running mentorship schemes over the last three years, have demonstrated the sizable impact mentorship has on individuals as well as organisations. What’s more, we know mentorship is particularly significant in music - an industry that relies so heavily on networking and building strong relationships. The need for this networking and support to continue during this time is particularly important now, with people's mental health suffering and so many businesses in precarious situations. As a community, we are coming together to learn from and support each other.
How it works
If you want to take part in the mentoring scheme as a mentor or mentee, applications are being accepted via our open call between May 25 - June 14. Please note, mentors can be located anywhere in the world, while mentee slots are only open to women and gender minorities located in Italy or France.
Mentees will be asked to select whether they want to be paired with an international or a local mentor. If you’re a local mentor based in Italy or France, and wish to submit yourself as a local mentor, please click on “she.grows France” or “she.grows Italy” below in order to submit your application in your local language. If you’re a mentor located elsewhere in the world, please click on “Apply as an international mentor” below.
What
she.grows is a custom mentoring scheme we created in 2017. Since then, we’ve worked with more than 400 mentors and mentees as part of various she.grows programmes. Each edition of she.grows is different and aims to empower mentors and mentees alike.
she.grows France & Italy is a virtual mentoring programme for women and gender minorities in the music industry, taking place between July and November 2020. A total of 48 mentors and mentees will take part in virtual mentor-mentee meetings and monthly online events & training, as part of a custom semi-structured mentoring framework designed by our team. Past editions included events and masterclasses that covered topics such as public speaking, impostor syndrome, the art of negotiation and more.
Who
This programme is aimed at women and gender minorities in the music industry.
Mentees must be at least 18 of age in order to participate and must also be residents in Italy or France, respectively. The programme is best suited for women and gender minorities already working or have worked in the music industry. The she.grows scheme is not tailored for artists/musicians/composers/producers/etc. who need creative help with their music. If you are a music creator applying for this programme in regards to a non-music project, your application will be taken into consideration. If you are applying to get support for your music release or other creative output, your application will not be taken into consideration.
Mentors must have at least 7 years of music industry experience in order to be considered.
she.grows is aimed at individuals working across the entire music business, regardless of sector. The open call questions are designed to help our team with finding the perfect mentor-mentee match. Please take your time to answer as accurately as possible and increase your chances of getting selected.
Where
Mentees must be based in Italy or France (all residents are able to apply, you do not need to be an Italian or French national). Aspiring mentees who are located in Italy click here to apply. Those located in France please click here. You will have to indicate whether you prefer a local or an international mentor as part of your application.
Mentors can be located anywhere in the world. Depending on the mentees’ preference, they will be paired with a local or an international mentor.
Once the 48 participants are selected, the mentoring programme will take place virtually over the course of 6 months, between July and November, plus evaluation in December. Depending on how COVID-19 regulations evolve towards the end of the year, some virtual activities, such as the private mentor-mentee meetings, may move offline.
When
Applications are open for two weeks, between May 25 - June 14. The selected participants will be announced on the week of July 6th.
Why
We strongly believe in the power of mentorship and paying it forward. Our community thrives on each of our members’ successes. If you grow, we grow. That’s why we developed she.grows - to encourage our members to share information, resources and experiences with one another.
In 2019 we teamed up with YouTube Music to launch she.grows at MEETSSS, a mini-mentoring programme we custom-designed for our inaugural summit exploring the future of the music business through female lens. Five mentees were selected via an open call who were then paired with five mentors selected from the speaker lineup. Mentees had the chance to attend MEETSSS as part of an all-expenses paid trip and take part in the mini-mentoring activities we designed throughout the event.
Your positive feedback was overwhelmingly encouraging so we decided to bring it back in 2020 - bigger and, most importantly, COVID-19 proof. Why France and Italy? Our shesaid.so community has sister chapters all over the world, with shesaid.so France & shesaid.so Italy growing into two of our biggest hubs in Europe.
Mentee requirements
+ You must be 18 or over
+ You must be a resident of France or Italy
+ Digest Mentoring Handbooks prior to the introduction webinar.
+ Commit to taking part in at least 50% of the scheduled events/webinars. Attending the mentee training webinar is compulsory.
+ Commit to spending a minimum of 2h per month in 1to1 meetings with your mentor between July and November 2020 (phone call or video conferencing is preferable when meeting in person is not possible). This can be done in one or multiple sittings. Our requirement is that you “meet” your mentor at least once a month.
+ Commit to monthly Mentorship Manager check-ins (email, call or video conferencing) and provide feedback where needed.
+ Commit to at least one follow-up call/meeting with their mentor and the mentorship manager within 30 days after the programme completion.
+ Complete the Evaluation form at the end of the programme.
Mentee benefits
+ All participants, both mentors and mentees, will be granted lifelong Alice membership to access the global shesaid.so community (should current members be selected to participate in the programme, their membership fees will be waived)
+ 1to1 mentoring via their personal mentor
+ Practical support from their mentorship manager
+ Access to a minimum of 6 events (online or offline), one of which will provide networking opportunities. Additional activities may be added with optional attendance.
+ Mentee support network
+ Career development opportunities are expanded
+ Improvement in the motivation of both mentors and mentees
+ Enhanced organisational performance
+ Improved communication at all levels
+ Increased confidence in both mentors and mentees
+ Cultivating a culture of teamwork and mutual support that mentees can carry with them in their careers
Mentor requirements
+ Minimum of 7 years of experience in the music industry
+ Digest Mentoring Handbooks prior to the introduction event (virtual)
+ Take part in the introduction event, mentor training webinar and closing meeting. All other events (online or offline) are optional for mentors.
+ Spend a minimum of 2h per month in 1to1 meetings with your mentee between July and November 2020 (virtual unless otherwise specified). This can be done in one or multiple sittings. Our requirement is that you “meet” your mentee at least once a month.
+ Monthly check-ins with the Mentorship Manager (email or call) and provide feedback/info where needed
+ Commit to at least one follow-up call/meeting with their mentee and the mentorship manager within 30 days after the programme completion.
+ Complete the Evaluation form at the end of the programme (December 2020).
Mentor benefits
+ All participants, both mentors and mentees, will be granted lifelong Alice membership to access the global shesaid.so community (should current members be selected to participate in the programme, their membership fees will be waived)
+ Practical support from their mentoring manager
+ Optional access to a minimum of 6 mentoring events/activities. These are practical sessions designed to equip participants with additional skills that will boost their career development. Additional activities may be added with optional attendance.
+ Career development opportunities are expanded
+ Enhancement of leadership skills
+ Improvement in the motivation of both mentors and mentees
+ Enhanced organisational performance
+ Improved communication at all levels
+ Increased confidence in both mentors and mentees
+ Cultivating a culture of teamwork and mutual support that mentors can bring into their own companies/jobs
Expert studies link mentoring to improved career outcomes for both mentor and mentees [Allen et al., 2004], higher employee engagement [Sange and Srivasatave, 2012] and reduced turnover [Payne & Huffman, 2005].
Mentoring is particularly effective for gender and racial minorities, helping to drive a company’s D&I efforts and improve workplace culture in a long lasting way.
According to Deloitte, millennials who intend to stay with their organization for more than 5 years are twice as likely to have a mentor (68%) than not (32%).
