Latest / The Career Mentor Podcast with Fexingo: Finding Mentors, Sponsors, and Career Advisors / How to Turn a Mentor Into a Sponsor
Transcript
- Lucas: You know, one of the most common questions I get from listeners is, 'I have a great mentor, I meet with them every month, they give me solid advice — but I'm still not getting promoted. What am I missing?' And the answer, more often than not, is that they've confused a mentor with a sponsor. Luna: Yeah, that distinction is huge, and I don't think most people realize how different the two really are. A mentor talks to you. A sponsor talks about you — when you're not in the room. Lucas: Exactly. And that difference is everything. A mentor is someone who shares their experience, gives you feedback, helps you think through decisions. A sponsor is someone with organizational power who puts their own reputation on the line to advocate for your next promotion, your next stretch assignment, your seat at the table. Luna: So how do you actually make that transition? Because you can't just ask someone, 'Will you be my sponsor?' That would be weird. Lucas: It would be. And frankly, it wouldn't work. Sponsorship is earned, not requested. But there's a playbook for it. I want to walk through a real example — a woman I'll call Sarah, who was a mid-level marketing manager at Procter & Gamble about six years ago. Luna: Okay, I'm listening. Lucas: Sarah had a mentor, a senior director in a different division, who she'd been meeting with quarterly for about a year. Good mentor, gave her useful feedback on presentations, helped her navigate internal politics. But she noticed that other people with similar tenure were getting tapped for high-visibility projects, and she wasn't. Luna: Right — the classic sign that you have advice but not advocacy. Lucas: Exactly. So Sarah did something deliberate. She identified that her mentor was well-respected, had a seat on the brand's innovation committee, and was known for championing talent. That's the first step — you need to identify someone who actually has the power to sponsor you. Not all mentors can be sponsors. Luna: That's a key point. Just because someone is senior doesn't mean they have political capital to spend on you. Lucas: Right. So Sarah then looked for a specific opportunity where she could deliver results that would make her mentor look good. She found it — a struggling product launch in a minor market that the committee was about to kill. She volunteered to lead a six-month turnaround project, and she asked her mentor for advice on how to structure it. Luna: So she used the mentorship to get guidance on a project that would prove her value. Smart. Lucas: And here's the crucial part — she kept her mentor updated on progress, but she didn't ask for anything beyond advice. After six months, she had turned around the launch. Sales were up 18 percent year-over-year. And when the innovation committee reviewed the results, her mentor was the one who said, 'Sarah led this. She should be the one presenting to the VP.' Luna: And that's the sponsorship moment. He put his name behind hers. Lucas: Yeah. She got the VP meeting, got a promotion six months later, and her mentor — now sponsor — continued to advocate for her. The key is she never asked for sponsorship. She created the conditions where it was natural for him to offer it. Luna: I love that. So what are the signals that a mentor is ready to become a sponsor? Because not every mentor will make that leap. Lucas: Three signals I'd watch for. First, they proactively mention your name in meetings where you're not present. You'll hear about it from a colleague. Second, they give you visibility — they ask you to present to senior leaders or put you on a cross-functional team. Third, they start giving you feedback that's less about fixing weaknesses and more about positioning you for the next role. That shift from 'here's how to improve' to 'here's how to be seen' is huge. Luna: And what about the flip side? Are there red flags that a mentor will never sponsor you? Lucas: Big one: if they're risk-averse. Sponsorship requires them to put their reputation on the line. If your mentor constantly plays it safe, avoids conflict, never challenges the status quo — they're unlikely to be a sponsor. Another red flag is if they only talk about your current role. If every conversation is about your current job performance, not your future potential, they're thinking of you as a resource, not a protégé. Luna: That's brutal but true. So if you've identified a potential sponsor, what's the one question you should never ask? Lucas: Never ask, 'Can you be my sponsor?' It puts them on the spot and makes it transactional. Instead, ask a question like, 'What would it take for someone at my level to be considered for the next director role?' That invites them to think about you in that context without demanding a commitment. Luna: That's really practical. Before we move on, I want to mention something that keeps this show going. A lot of you have asked how we keep the podcast ad-free and freely available to everyone. Lucas: Yeah, it's a good question. We don't run ads — that's a deliberate choice. If you want to support that, buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo is the place. It's a small way to keep these conversations accessible. Luna: Even a couple of dollars a month helps. Thanks to everyone who's already chipped in. Now, back to sponsors — what about the risk for the sponsor? Why would someone take that on? Lucas: Sponsorship is a two-way street. A sponsor gets loyalty, a trusted ally who can execute on their priorities, and someone who makes them look good. Sarah's sponsor, for example, got credit for developing talent — that's a big deal in a company like P&G where leadership development is part of your performance review. So it's not altruism. It's a strategic investment. Luna: That makes it sound more achievable. If you can frame it as a mutually beneficial relationship, it's less intimidating. Lucas: Exactly. And that's why the best way to attract a sponsor is to be excellent at something they care about. Sarah didn't just do good work — she solved a problem her mentor's committee was struggling with. She made his life easier. Luna: So let's talk about timing. How long should you wait before trying to convert a mentor into a sponsor? Lucas: I'd say at least six months of a solid mentoring relationship before you even think about it. You need to build trust, demonstrate competence, and understand their priorities. If you rush it, you'll seem opportunistic. Luna: And what if you don't have a mentor at all? Is it possible to go straight to finding a sponsor? Lucas: It's possible but harder. Sponsorship usually grows out of a mentoring relationship because trust takes time. If you don't have a mentor, I'd start by finding one with sponsorship potential — someone senior, respected, and with a track record of promoting people. Then use the mentorship to prove yourself. Luna: What about people in flat organizations where there aren't many senior leaders? How do you find a sponsor there? Lucas: Look outside your immediate team. Sponsors can come from other departments, clients, even industry peers. The key is they need to have influence over decisions that affect your career. For example, a senior client who loves your work can advocate for you internally. Luna: That's a good point. I've seen that happen — a client says, 'I want to work with Jane again,' and suddenly Jane's boss takes notice. Lucas: Exactly. So to wrap up, here's the three-step process: First, identify someone with power and a willingness to use it. Second, deliver results that solve a problem they care about. Third, let the sponsorship emerge naturally by giving them opportunities to advocate for you. Luna: And never ask directly. Got it. I think this episode is going to help a lot of people who feel stuck. Lucas: I hope so. Next time, we'll talk about something I get asked about just as often — how to handle a mentor who's holding you back. Luna: Looking forward to that.