This year’s International Women’s Day centres around the theme Give to Gain.
There are so many ways to give in the workplace. You can give time. You can give encouragement. You can give perspective, feedback, honesty or support.
At STRAT7, one of the ways we’re already doing this is through mentoring.
Mentoring creates intentional space to share experiences, build confidence and learn from one another. And in doing so, it strengthens not just individuals, but our wider culture too.
And as both our mentor, Sarah Woodeson, and mentee, Francesca Casaburi, shared with us, when you give in this way, you gain just as much in return.
Mentoring is a two-way relationship
For Sarah, the Give to Gain theme perfectly captures what mentoring actually is.
“Mentoring is a two-way relationship,” she explains. “It’s about seeing things from multiple perspectives and being able to learn and be inspired by each other.”
Volunteering to mentor hasn’t just been about sharing experience. It’s helped her better understand her own motivations and ways of working. “It’s been emotional and thought-provoking,” she says. “It’s inspired me to practise what I preach.”
Francesca echoes this sense of mutual growth. For her, mentoring reflects a broader shift in how women can support each other at work.
“For far too long women had to compete for the few spots left at the table. Whilst this is changing, there is so much work we actively need to do to help women thrive. The mentorship programme is a brilliant example of Give to Gain in action. Carving out time to share knowledge, experience and encouragement, because when everyone thrives, we all win.”
Mentoring, in other words, isn’t transactional. It’s collective.
Making space to think bigger
One of the biggest barriers to growth at work is time (or lack of it).
“When we’re managing the day to day, it’s hard to stop and think about the bigger picture,” Francesca says. “Mentoring gives you that opportunity to think about where you are, where you’d like to be and to get guidance from someone who’s already been there.”
For Sarah, joining the mentoring programme was also about connection. Although relatively new to STRAT7, she brings years of experience in client services. The programme offered a way to build new relationships, understand different perspectives and contribute meaningfully to colleagues’ development.
Both perspectives highlight something simple but powerful: mentoring creates intentional pause in busy careers.
Confidence, perspective and culture
When asked about the impact mentoring has had, both spoke about something deeper than skills or progression.
Sarah reflected on how many talented women underestimate themselves. “I have mentored some incredible women who have a totally unjustified low opinion of their abilities,” she notes. “They’re their own worst critic.”
Francesca found reassurance in discovering that many challenges aren’t unique. “It’s been a reminder that most challenges you face, others have faced too and found a way around,” she says. “There is so much we can learn from other people’s stories.”
Beyond individual growth, mentoring strengthens workplace culture.
“Conversations between women of different ages and career stages are incredibly valuable,” Sarah explains. “It makes the working environment more empathetic and builds a more supportive culture.”
Francesca agrees, especially when the mentor brings an experienced but detached perspective. “That clarity helps brainstorm solutions and stretch your thinking.”
When we create space for honest conversations, everyone benefits.
The courage to show up
Both Sarah and Francesca shared advice for anyone considering mentoring.
Sarah emphasises clarity and listening: “As a mentee, think about what you want to get out of it. As a mentor, be prepared to listen and not jump in with immediate solutions.”
Francesca’s advice is simpler: “Just go for it.”
She almost didn’t join the programme. It didn’t feel like the right time. She worried she wasn’t “there yet”. But showing up (even imperfectly) made all the difference.
“Growth and learning only happen when you’re ready to have open discussions,” she says.
Sometimes, the biggest step is starting.
Staying authentic along the way
Career growth doesn’t have to mean losing who you are.
Sarah shares a reminder she often returns to: “Don’t be the rescuer. Don’t try and fix everything for everyone.”
Francesca reflects on a quote from Michela Murgia that resonates deeply:
“I’m not what I do, but I want to be myself in everything I do.”
Her wish for women in the workplace centres on authenticity. “Too often we’re told how to behave – to be loud, but not too loud; assertive, but not aggressive. My hope is that we continue creating space for everyone to show up as they are.”
When we give, we all gain
Mentoring is one of the clearest examples of Give to Gain in action.
We give time.
We give perspective.
We give encouragement.
And in return, we gain confidence, clarity, empathy and connection.
This International Women’s Day, mentoring reminds us that investing in each other doesn’t divide opportunity. It multiplies it.
And when women support women, everyone moves forward.
Meet the voices behind this story
Sarah Woodeson
Client Director
Sarah joined STRAT7 Researchbods with extensive experience in client services and brings a thoughtful, people-first approach to leadership. As a mentor, she is passionate about creating space for open conversations, sharing perspective and encouraging others to recognise their strengths.
Through mentoring, Sarah continues to reflect on her own ways of working while helping to build a more connected and supportive workplace culture.
Francesca Casaburi
Insight Manager
Francesca is an Insight Manager at STRAT7 Researchbods, with a strong interest in personal growth, collaboration and building meaningful connections at work. As a mentee, she values the opportunity to step back from the day-to-day, reflect on her career direction and learn from others’ experiences.
She believes growth comes from openness, curiosity and having the courage to show up. Even when it feels uncomfortable.
