Guided by Grace

I still remember the day I almost quit.

It was a rainy Tuesday afternoon, and I sat in my car after a long, frustrating meeting, gripping the steering wheel as if it were the only thing holding me together. My boss had just told me—again—that I lacked leadership qualities. I was twenty-six, two years into my first “real job” at a marketing firm, and I was drowning in self-doubt.

I wanted to scream, to run, to hand in my resignation and disappear. It felt like I had no one in my corner.

But then I got a text.

“Come by my office. Let’s talk. –Grace”

Grace was the department’s senior strategist. She had this calming presence—firm, but kind. We weren’t close, not yet. I didn’t know what she wanted, but I figured I had nothing left to lose.

I walked into her office, still soaked from the rain.

She smiled. “Sit.”

And just like that, everything changed.

The First Step: Someone Who Sees You

Grace didn’t ask why I looked like I’d just walked through a thunderstorm—she already knew. Instead, she asked me a question I hadn’t heard in years:

“What do you want, Maya?”

Not what did my boss expect, not what did the company need. What did I want?

I was so taken aback, I just stared at her.

She leaned in. “You’re smart. You have ideas worth hearing. But you let fear hold your tongue. I see you. I used to be you.”

In that moment, something inside me shifted. Grace saw a version of me I hadn’t dared to believe in. It wasn’t pity—it was belief. And it changed everything.

Over the next year, Grace became more than a colleague—she became my mentor. Not officially. There was no paperwork, no formal program. It started with coffee chats and grew into weekly check-ins. She would challenge me, listen to me, and most importantly, teach me.

She taught me how to speak with confidence, how to present an idea like I believed in it, how to bounce back from failure without letting it define me. She didn’t just show me how to be better at my job—she showed me how to believe that I could be.

Mentorship Isn’t Magic—It’s Connection

There’s a myth that mentorship is some formal, corporate arrangement—a senior leader assigned to you, guiding you like a coach. And while that can happen, the real magic of mentorship lies in connection.

Grace didn’t fix my problems. She didn’t pave the road for me. What she did was much more powerful: she walked beside me. She asked questions no one else bothered to ask. She offered stories from her own journey—not to impress, but to relate.

One day, I asked her why she’d taken an interest in me.

She smiled and said, “Because someone once took a chance on me, and I’ve never forgotten what it meant.”

That’s the heartbeat of mentorship—it’s generational generosity. One person lifts another, and that person, in turn, lifts someone else.

Growing Into the Role

With Grace’s guidance, I began to grow. Slowly, I stopped second-guessing myself. I led a project for the first time. I gave a presentation to senior leadership—and nailed it. When I got promoted, Grace was the first to hug me.

But the most powerful moment came a year later, when a new junior hire joined our team. Her name was Lexi. She reminded me so much of myself—eager, unsure, quiet in meetings. I saw the fear in her eyes that once lived in mine.

So I asked her to coffee.

We talked. And we kept talking. Every week. Before I knew it, I had become what Grace had been to me.

The Ripple Effect

Mentorship doesn’t end with one person. It’s a ripple effect.

What Grace gave me—confidence, tools, belief—I passed on to Lexi. And someday, Lexi will pass it on to someone else. The chain keeps going.

It’s not about having all the answers. It’s about being willing to show up. To listen. To believe in someone even before they believe in themselves.

I often think back to that rainy Tuesday—the day I almost quit. What if Grace hadn’t reached out? What if she’d stayed silent, assuming I’d be fine?

Where would I be?

A Quiet Legacy

Mentorship doesn’t always come with recognition. There are no trophies for it, no bonus points in your performance review. But the legacy it leaves is deep, lasting, and profoundly human.

We live in a world obsessed with independence—”pull yourself up,” “make your own way,” “hustle hard.” But none of us gets anywhere alone. Behind every success story is someone who offered a hand, a word, a nudge.

Behind mine was Grace.

And now, I get to be that for someone else.

The Lesson: The Power of One Person

If you’re feeling lost in your career, unsure of your next step, I encourage you to find a mentor. Look for someone who listens, who sees your potential, who asks the hard questions with kindness.

And if you’ve walked the road a little longer, be someone’s Grace. Offer your time, your experience, your belief. You don’t need a title. You just need heart.

Because sometimes, the only difference between giving up and rising up is one person who says, “I see you. I believe in you.”

Be that person.