The nicest problem I've had in a while
Panel talk at Motion North 2026 (Photography: Natalie Argent)
Earlier this week, I officially became a mentor. I say “official” because, over the past two decades, I’ve already been helping people out on the side. Just never as anything formal. I don’t know. Call it a quiet summer and a chance to finally pull my finger out. But I announced on LinkedIn that I was looking for mentees, and the response was incredible.
By Friday lunchtime the next day, I had 15 emails from founders, freelancers and people building brilliant things, and eight meetings booked. They came from Los Angeles and Stockholm. New York and London. Belfast and Berlin. Some in design, others in startups. I even chatted with a woman specialising in merchandising.
I’ll admit, I had a wobble, thinking whether I was actually up for the job. But as I started to chat with these people over Zoom, I realised I enjoyed it. And, reassuringly, had some decent skills and experience to share.
I spotted a pattern. Yes, people wanted guidance on websites and which way to focus their work next. But the overriding theme was one of invisibility. These were successful creatives, some turning over millions, who had all felt the impact of AI, and they needed help figuring out next steps.
To be honest, I’m navigating the same challenges as everyone else. But I’ve been down this road before. The internet and the subsequent death of traditional media, the global economic crisis of 2008, the global pandemic and WFH phenomenon, and now AI – my career has forever ebbed and flowed. Yet here I am. Still surviving and, dare I say it, thriving.
I’ve learned a lot through many storms. And now I want to help others. It’s why my mentoring page asks people for their ‘3am questions’ – the things keeping them up at night. We work through those dilemmas, and it feels so rewarding to know I’m making a difference.
But I’m a busy woman. I only intend to work with five mentees at any given time. Those initial spots are already taken, so I won’t be taking on anyone else now until at least early 2027.
The five people I’m working with are on my founding rate, which is only fair given this is new territory for me. After that, my rates will go up. I run a magazine, podcast, community, and now social meetups across fourteen chapters worldwide. There’s only so much I can do, so I’m making it worthwhile.
So there you go. I launched a mentoring service and had an overwhelming response. My first sessions are booked in. I’ve done my research on each mentee. And I’m looking forward to offering my support. With a bit of luck, I might also learn something myself.
