Last year, I decided I wanted to do something else. I was craving for meeting new people and exploring new ideas. One day, I saw an article about a mentor community and how that community has been helping a lot of people from a variety of fields, and I decided to give it a try. Why? Well, I thought I’ve gained so much knowledge from the internet and so many content creators that I wanted to give back a little bit. So, I applied to become a mentor on that platform, adplist.org, after submitting my portfolio, resume, and answering a bunch of questions, I got approved as a mentor. Great!
Now what? Well, patience. I left the ball to start moving, and after a few weeks, I got my first mentorship! Sanghamitra Das, a girl located in Germany. I remember being so nervous, but the moment we started to talk, I felt calm, and I was able to answer her questions and provide some insights about what is working as a senior designer and product designer, and what has been my journey in the industry.
Then another mentorship came and a few more, and after a few mentorships, I was getting a steady amount of weekly sessions. So cool! I was helping them to navigate some of the most common issues when it comes to changing careers or starting in a new field. It’s incredible to see how people thrive and can overcome what is called impostor syndrome. Everybody faces that at one point in their lives, whether it’s in the professional field or personal field. It’s something we need to understand and appreciate. Like I say, embrace yourself as a newbie and allow yourself to make mistakes, because you’re learning. Soon enough, that feeling of not being enough will cease to exist.
Fast forward a year, I have mentored people in 13 countries. Most of my mentees are in the United States and in Canada. 1380 minutes of conversations, insights, and joy, and connecting with people around the globe make you think that even though there is a lot going on in the world, there is hope. People are trying to be their best, and they are succeeding.
The cherry on top? Being recognized as a Top 1% Mentor in Design and earning the title of an ADPList Super Mentor. It was validation that my efforts were making a difference. People are enjoying the conversations we’re having, and that’s simply amazing.
Some people asked me why I’m doing this. My answer is always: I love to spread knowledge. I love to teach, and that’s my motto. Whenever you’re able to teach something, that means you’re growing in that skill, and you’re becoming better, and you learn even more because that person you’re explaining something to asks questions that make you think and reorganize your ideas, and you also are learning.
I decided to start this journey with another goal in mind: to practice my conversational skills. Yes, I love to talk, but as you may know, it’s never enough. The more you practice, the better you become, and being able to have sessions with such an amazing community is just priceless. It’s not only design; sometimes, we discuss topics related to design, of course, but also personal life, business, growth, and that is great. That reinforces what I know and drives me to keep learning, to keep looking for more knowledge.
I want to express my gratitude to ADPlist.org for creating such an amazing environment for people either to know new things and thank all the mentors that are giving their time to the community; that’s an invaluable resource.
I’ve had mentors throughout my life, and it’s something that gives you so eye-opening view. That is why I can’t express how grateful I feel of being a mentor and I want to say thanks to all my mentees for believing in me, I hope every single one of you get what you desire!
If you want to check it out here is my ADPList profile feel free to join the community!
http://adplist.org/mentors/ronald-rosales
So… what are you doing during lunchtime?