The AMADC Marketing Mentors Network provides marketers an opportunity to share knowledge and ideas, and helps those who are new to the field—or looking to get into marketing—gain expertise and build a healthy professional network. Mentors and protégés are matched based on common interests and goals. For protégés, the Mentor Program is open to AMADC members only.
“Power Up” 2022/2023 AMADC Marketing Mentor Network Opens Soon!
Apply to become a protégé I Apply to become a mentor
The Marketing Mentors Network is a six-month program matching marketing mentors and protégés in the DC area who are looking to connect and grow their careers. The foundation of this goals-oriented program is built on mentoring best practices, research, and over 15 years of experience hosting the program.
Engagement is at the core of the Marketing Mentors Network with six group sessions, several supplemental learning opportunities and additional happy hours for protégés and mentors to connect. All of these serve to create long-lasting relationships and professional connections lasting well beyond the six-month program.
Learn about previous events below.
End of Year Celebration (2020/2021)
April 7th marked the end of the Marketing Mentors Network 2020-2021 session. It seems like October was just yesterday, even more so because we are on pandemic time. We’ve enjoyed being on this journey with you over the last six months and we hope you found value in the program and made some friends along the way. To celebrate the close of the session, our protégés submitted videos for a compilation produced by Patrick King, President of AMADC and Founder of Imagine.
Thank you for being part of the Marketing Mentors Network.
Don’t Believe Everything You Think
The Marketing Mentors Network hosted an event with our own Certified Chief Happiness Officer Joanna Brandi on March 10, 2021. We jumped into breakouts pretty early on to discuss what habits, attitudes, feelings or actions—things that are in YOUR voluntary control—that can impact happiness for the better? We also shared positive thoughts and talked about whether we view ourselves as the victim or victor. One of many nuggets of wisdom dropped by JoAnna: “Your body hears everything you say.” We ended the event by putting together a “get up and move” playlist, curated by MMN participants.
Group Happy Hour and Speed Networking with a Mentoring Twist!
On March 25th we found out that speed networking works just as well online as it does in person. We created short mini breakouts with discussion prompts like “what do you geek out about”, “what inspired you to get into marketing” and “are you a Mac or PC person?” We also challenged participants to share their virtual business cards in the LinkedIn app by holding their QR code up to the camera. It worked! Sort of. But everyone had a great time getting to know each other better.
AMADC Mentor Spotlight – March
Would you like to know what it takes to be a mentor?
Check out our March 2021 Mentor Spotlight with Kimberly Mikec, Contracted Marketing and Communications Manager at Accenture.
Digital Marketing and Entrepreneurship
The Marketing Mentors Network hosted a Fireside Chat on Digital Marketing and Entrepreneurship on February 10, 2021. The event was moderated by Da’Les Allen—a former MMN protégé from the 2019 cohort. Da’Les interviewed Whitney Parker Mitchell, CEO and Founder of Beacon Digital Marketing who spoke about what led her to start her agency, how she did it, and how she managed to adapt during COVID-19.
When asked how she combats the perception of low pay/high stress and the many hours agencies typically require of their employees, Whitney said, “For me, when I said, ‘alright I’m really going to throw everything into this,’ I wanted to create an agency I would want to work for and if it existed, I would quit my job to go work there.”
Leading Creativity and Innovation
The Marketing Mentors Network hosted an interactive session with Rita Santelli, Chief Marketing Officer, Center for Workforce Inclusion & Chief Strategist, CWI Labs, on January 13th, 2021. During the event, Rita said that the foundation for strong creative teams is actually a bit surprising. “Creative teams must have conflict to develop innovation,” she said as she talked through two approaches to conflict: the advocacy approach—which stifles creativity—and the inquiry approach—which leads to creativity and inclusion.
The event was sponsored by Georgetown University School of Continuing Studies. Wendy Zajack, Faculty Director for the Integrated Marketing Communications Program, joined the call and shared some of her mentoring tips.
AMADC Mentor Spotlight – January
Would you like to know what it takes to be a mentor? 
Check out our January 2021 Mentor Spotlight with Stefan R. Bradham, Senior Director, Marketing and Communications at American Health Law Association.
Epic Holiday Trivia
The Marketing Mentors Network Holiday Happy Hour & Trivia Night was held on December 9th, 2020. According to AMADC President Patrick King, “AMADC trivia nights are epic,” and this one was no exception. Hosted by Angela Long with questions created by Joy Levin, team “Santa Elves” took home top prize. We also awarded prizes for “best holiday background” and “most original holiday outfit.”
Thanks to Imagine for generously sponsoring the prizes.
AMADC Mentor Spotlight – December
Would you like to know what it takes to be a mentor?
Check out our December 2020 Mentor Spotlight with Monica Malave, Marketing Strategist and CEO at Elevate It Now.
Shark Tank: Recruiting Edition
Perhaps the most unique event we’ve ever done! Our Shark Tank event on November 18th, 2020 included panelists sharing their diverse perspectives on the current state of recruiting in today’s environment. It was followed by a session in which program participants were interviewed by the “sharks” and were given feedback they can use in the real world.
Mentor and Protégé Happy Hours
On October 21st, 2020 we held separate mentor and protégé happy hours. Angela Long and Julia Wilton hosted the protégé’s while Cathy Johnson and Wendy Price hosted the mentors. We had a few icebreakers and then broke out into smaller groups for targeted talks.
Mentor Happy Hour
Protégé Happy Hour
Never Miss an Important Milestone
The Marketing Mentors Network has introduced SMS to program participants. Mentors and protégés now get important notifications about events, surveys, and other critical program issues via text messaging.
We are also reigniting our Marketing Mentors Network LinkedIn Group. If you have ever been a part of the program, ask to join. We are sharing information about the current program but we’d also like to leverage the experience of former participants. It’s a win/win for everyone.
Program Kick-off
AMADC’s Marketing Mentors Network (MMN) kicked off the 2020/2021 season on October 7th, 2020. Angela Long, VP of the MMN, introduced this year’s program, which is all virtual due to the pandemic. She then handed it over to JoAnna Brandi, our Happiness Advisor! We figured our program participants would appreciate a focus on happiness, especially this year. During the event, this year’s protégés and mentors got an introduction to Joanna through her presentation “When Happiness Comes First.” We will be seeing much more of JoAnna during the course of the program.
The last hour of the event our mentors and protégés paired off and went into virtual breakout rooms to discuss their goals for the program.
The leadership team for the Marketing Mentors Network 2019-20 includes Angela Long, Cathy Johnson, Julia Wilton and Wendy Price. We are excited this year to be joined by Chief Happiness Officer JoAnna Brandi.
Survey Says…
The 2019/2020 session of the AMADC Marketing Mentors Network was a valuable experience for mentors and protégés alike. Everyone who participated in last year’s program responded to a recent end-of-year survey, and the numbers speak for themselves.
Among both mentors and protégés:
- 94% indicated that the program met or exceeded their expectations.
- 90% agreed that the program was a valuable use of their time.
- 78% rated the program excellent or very good.
- 74% said they would be very likely to recommend the AMADC Marketing Mentors Network to others.
Thanks to Wendy Price and WHP Research, Inc. for creating the survey.
Interested in Learning More? Watch this Page!
“Power Up” 2022/2023 AMADC Marketing Mentor Network Opens Soon! Click here to go to the Marketing Mentors Network main page.
Questions? Reach out to Giuseppe Laviano at Giuseppe.Laviano@amadc.org.