INTERVIEW
From previous mentee and mentor feedback, we’ve learned that experiences can differ significantly depending on roles. For instance, a female marketing manager faces different challenges compared to a female working in a technical role like mechanics. This highlighted the need for us to carefully consider the specific contexts and backgrounds when pairing mentors and mentees, and make sure we had a wider spread. We’ve also recognised the limitation that arises when mentorship is only available in English, which restricts accessibility and inclusivity. We take these insights directly into our planning processes.
For instance, we’ve adjusted the structure of the programme - this time assigning each mentee a dedicated mentor to facilitate longer and more in-depth sessions. Not two or three mentors, for shorter sessions like we did in 2024. This change recognises the importance of everyone’s time, aiming for greater value and deeper engagement between mentors and mentees.
to mentor their rising stars, but 1. I wasn’t sure I was the best person 2. I was the only person…
So I went about creating Uplift and talking about all I’d learned from being mentored, pulling all the amazing women I work with together, asking my male allies if they could recommend women to be mentors… the rest is history!
I’m curious about the impact of the mentor/ mentee pairings. How do you, if at all, gauge the effectiveness or progress of these relationships? And, if you do gather feedback, what kind of insights do you gain from the pairs, and how does that inform the ongoing development of Uplift? Our mentees are excellent at proactively sharing feedback, as they’re very aware that the programme relies entirely on individuals volunteering their free time. They regularly express how their experiences are impacting them, which provides us with valuable insights.
12 | April 2025
You’ve had a very interesting career, from advertising to the cycling industry, as well as Founder of Uplift. What personal experiences or observations shaped your understanding of the challenges and opportunities for women in our industry? SO, I actually think my career is quite linear! Started in advertising agencies, working with the likes of the government on their ‘Healthier/5 a day, 10k steps/stop smoking’ campaigns, to working in automotive. During this time, I commuted by bike, rode indoors at the gym, and was a leisure cyclist at the weekend (at the time I would have said I was a cyclist.. But looking back, not sure that’s quite true. But equally I annoy myself with that view, as anyone who rides a bike is a cyclist!) So when I saw the job at SHIFT, an agency doing everything I’d done for six years….but just on cycling brands, I was like ‘SIGN ME UP’. BUT, what I did notice was that the women leaders and clients I’d had in previous years were nowhere to be seen. Well, there was a small handful. But I also saw there was so much opportunity.
Cycling as an industry holds immense opportunities because it is still evolving. The people I met, clients I worked with, were also eager to listen to new perspectives, yet the absence of women, especially compared to other sectors I’d previously worked in highlighted a gap.
What I learnt over five years was that sometimes some women need just a bit more encouragement and guidance to step forward and voice their perspectives confidently. The enthusiasm and openness within cycling mean there’s a willingness to embrace these views. Welcome Uplift. And the rest is history!
www.bikebiz.com
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