Jennifer Griffin, Vice President of Customer Success at TrustRadius
Jennifer is Vice President of Customer Success at TrustRadius. Over the years, she has worked in a variety of customer-centric roles and has grown from an individual contributor to the VP level, thanks to some great formal and informal mentoring along the way. Jennifer is very process-oriented and has a track record for helping to grow and scale teams. She has informally coached several people throughout her career and constantly works to maintain a good work/life balance with two kiddos at home. Jennifer is passionate about helping women navigate the corporate ladder while maintaining work/life balance with kids.
Q: Why do you choose to spend your time mentoring others?
A: Looking back over my career, I feel lucky I had people who took a chance on me, even if I really should have failed a typical resume screening process. I was in the right place at the right time, and I feel like I owe it to other people because there's a lot more to establishing a career track than: "I went to college, I got a degree, I got my first job.” There are these leaps of faith people have to take.
For that reason, I'm always willing to help and be a sounding board for anybody, but in particular, that young female trying to make it work. It’s not easy having a strong career as a woman, and when you add in the struggles of balancing family, it can almost feel impossible. I think successful women have a duty to lend a hand and help other women climb the ladder. Studies show businesses do better with females not just in the workforce, but in positions of leadership. By helping others get that little boost, I feel like I’m paying it forward. It’s worth the time, and it feels like good karma, too.
Q: What do you personally gain from mentoring?
A: I'm an extrovert at heart, so I always love meeting people, learning about them, and digging in. I talk to my kids a lot about finding the things that fill their bucket, and this is one of those things that fills my bucket. When I get off a call with a mentee, I'm more revitalized in my own work.
I liken it to a similar feeling I get when going to a big conference where you attend seminars or workshops. When you leave, you get this feeling of, "I can't wait to get back to the office and use what I’ve learned." I get that similar feeling with one-on-one mentoring sessions. It reinvigorates my work process and recharges me.
Q: To what do you attribute your success?
A: I attribute my success to a strong work ethic and a mentality of always wanting to be better. There is no “done”; I've never finished any job I've been in because you can always make it a little bit better. Over the years, employees will come to me with the standard question of "Jen, what's my career path? Do I do two years, and then I get promoted to a senior level?" And what I've always told folks is that there is no set path. If you look at the career “path” of successful people, they are zigzagging and all over the board. What I always tell them is, "Do the best job you can do in the job you are doing and put yourself out there to stretch a little bit."
Some people will say, "Well, I'm not going to do that because that's not my job description; I only want to do this core thing." But really, “that thing” that isn’t in your job description is what you should be leaning into. Lean into it and stretch a little bit so your job gets bigger. People notice this and you will soon find that you are one of the handful of true rockstars in the organization. And rock stars don’t need a defined career path – they just attract new opportunities to them organically.
It’s this mentality – not stressing over a career “path”, but just knocking it out of the park – that has certainly led me to grow and climb the ranks.
Q: How has mentoring impacted your own journey?
A: I've had many informal mentors over the years, and I’m also super fortunate that my husband is my biggest mentor. A mentor to me is a sounding board, someone who can play devil’s advocate and say, “What happens if you do this instead of that?”
I think females, in general, are much more negative about themselves; they see the flaws and are quick to say they aren’t ready to take something on. Having that mentor who can also be your cheerleader and help you see things from a fresh perspective can be career-changing. They can help you see your own strengths which builds your confidence and lets you step into bigger roles.
I have been fortunate to have had several cheerleaders in my career and they always give me that shot of confidence I need.
Q: What does good mentoring look like to you?
A: Good mentoring is a two-way street: there’s work from the mentee and the mentor. For the mentor, they've got to be willing to probe a bit. Sometimes the issue the mentee is presenting is really surface level – you need to dig a bit to get to the root of the issue.
And from the mentee's side, I normally see these relationships fail when the mentee shows up expecting to just absorb wisdom. They need to come to the table with specific issues or challenges they are working on.
That’s why I like the structure of the Ceresa program where there are some upfront evaluations and assessments. These are super informative to help kick off that first conversation. The mentor has data they can dig into and help pull out some themes that will likely lead to some really good mentoring conversations.
Q: What advice would you give to someone interested in mentoring?
A: Biggest tip, which seems obvious but is surprisingly hard to adhere to is: listen. Often as a mentor, you start to think that you know where the conversation is going and you want to jump in and start giving answers. But, don’t assume you know where it’s going – ask clarifying questions and really listen to the answers you’re getting back.
I had a big “aha moment” this year when I realized that you’re better off to not be afraid of being vulnerable. Being a mentor does not mean you have solved all the world’s problems and that you have mastered how to have the perfect work/life balance. It’s perfectly okay to say, "I don't have all the answers, but we can certainly talk through it. Here are some things I'm trying... the jury's out if it's working or not, and here are the pros and the cons. What are you trying?"
It’s helpful for a mentee to know that these struggles are natural for everyone. And, if they see that someone who is successful in their career is able to juggle similar issues, it doesn’t feel as daunting that they haven’t mastered it yet either.
Q: Why do you choose to mentor with Ceresa?
A: I like the structure of the Ceresa program and the framework provided for Mentors. The assessments are super powerful, and the dashboard is great. I also like that there is a defined mentoring timeline so you don’t feel like it’s a lifetime commitment. After going through my first mentoring engagement with Ceresa and seeing the quality of interaction and people in the program, I'm definitely looking forward to the next one!
Mentorship: integral to the Ceresa whole-person approach
At Ceresa, mentorship is an integral part of our leadership development process. The mentor-mentee relationship is a key component in providing the structure, and at the same time fluidity, necessary to facilitate pointed leadership and career growth for both the participant and the mentor.