Dr. Adriane Johnson-Williams

Mentorship lets you know that you're not alone.

Sponsorship is the thing that really helps you get down the path.

You know, one of the things is in my experience, and I've talked to a lot of black women about this actually, because many of us who've managed to make it very far, our sponsors have been white men, which is fascinating because

that's where a lot of power is.

Like, just be real.

And that you can't ask for, I don't know anyone who's asked for a sponsor.

I feel like in order to really get sponsorship, which is also an inequitable process, you really have to perform.

So you have to have had the kind of mentorship

the kind of drive to show up and perform.

But when that opportunity comes, when someone says, I see you, I wanna do something to help you really take this next step.

I wanna take you to this meeting.

I want you to go in this room and talk to these people.

You have to do it, right?

You have to do it.

You can't hem and haw about it because much like the way that I approach guiding folks, I give them an assignment, right?

And I would have to say, this is the first time I've put those two things together that I've been given assignments.

And when someone says, I want to help you, this is what you need to do.

I go do it.

Yeah.

Right?