01.17.23
In celebration of International Mentoring Day, Kérastase, a leading professional luxury haircare brand, has launched Power Talks in the US, in partnership with mentorship nonprofit Step Up.
Step Up works to provide structure for girls (and those who identify with girlhood) to define their unique vision of success and offers support and a safe space for them as they navigate along the way. The initiative aims to ensure more young women have the confidence to define and achieve success on their own terms. According to a global study by the brand, women consider themselves less confident than men, making it harder to self-advocate for higher pay, promotions or equal opportunities. More than 1 in 2 women also confess they have been held back because of limiting beliefs and 74% of women report that they think they lack confidence in crucial, career-defining moments.
Power Talks aims at closing this confidence gap between men and women through mentorship, education and inspiring discussions. The "Power Talks" program consists of "flash mentoring" sessions hosted for women, by women and is based on the idea that just one powerful interaction between a mentor and mentee can make a lasting impact. The program pairs mentors and mentees together for short-term, targeted, skills-based mentoring session(s) to help boost their confidence during the crucial moments in the beginning of their career. This format encourages brief, but impactful knowledge-sharing.
"I am delighted to finally be debuting Power Talks by Kérastase in the United States. So much of the spirit of the Kérastase brand is about inspiring confidence in women, which is why we wanted to dedicate our time to conducting research on this topic," said Guillaume Duez, Kérastase general manager. "It was then that we learned what a prevalent issue this is for women across the globe, and our new philanthropic mission became clear. We're very proud to be partnering with Step Up on this work."
The Powerful Impact of Mentorship on Women
Women who have had a mentor are 74% more likely to be very self-confident and youth with a mentor are 130% more likely to hold leadership positions. Following Step Up's mentorship program, participants self-reported they having experienced an 84% growth in confidence; 80% growth in self-awareness; and 73% growth in skills.
Join the conversation by following @kerastase_official, @stepupwomensnetwork and hashtag #PowerTalks.