As VIBE Agency enters its 20th year, our founder, Valerie Bihet says she owes much of its success to her mentors’ advice.
To help celebrate this milestone, Valerie is going behind-the-scenes to share what helped make this company (and team) the one you know today.
Mentorship, she says, has been her North Star through a career spanning decades and continents. It provided her the courage to start VIBE on her own after moving from France to the United States.
“He made me who I am today,” Valerie said. “He was willing to say the tough things I needed to hear, even if I didn’t want to at the time. I learned the hard way, but he was right about everything.”
A good mentor can be the fuel to a person reaching their professional goals. Research shows that the effect continues throughout the rest of a person’s career.
Speaking to Valerie’s experience, a study from Visage found that 86% of surveyed CEOs said that mentors have been a critical part of their career accomplishments.
Here at VIBE, Valerie sees her tutelage of our staff as a way of paying it forward after her own mentor had such a major influence on her professional success.
That passion she pores into guiding our staff translates into the events we put on. The care and consideration that go into every single detail is what sets VIBE apart, and what makes Valerie an admired leader.
Here are some of the lessons Valerie has learned through mentorship to inspire our team to bring out the best for our clients.
1. You Are More Than a Job
Many people have jobs that pay the bills but don’t bring out the passion. Valerie was never one who was going to settle for that sort of experience. Her mentor helped bring that crucial aspect out of her.
“I remember he said, ‘Don’t just learn the job—learn yourself through the job.’ That hit me deeply.”
Valerie became a premier event planner because that’s who she was meant to be. She sees it as a calling, not as just a career. That’s the “why” behind VIBE and it carries into how Valerie works and lives.
2. Fueling the Flames
Valerie sees mentoring lighting a torch for the next generation to carry on. “You fuel the fire,” she says.
Just as she learned from her mentors, Valerie doesn’t see her team as ordinary workers. They are a true team with rising leaders, and she is the coach pushing them to reach their potential.
She encourages them and, when needed, shares hard lessons just as she learned. The goal is to become their best selves, just as VIBE’s goal is to make each event as impactful as possible.
3. Perfection Can Be the Enemy
When she was young, Valerie poured her energy and emotions into making everything perfect. Even to this day, VIBE prides itself on creating flawless experiences for its clients. But she learned the best way to create that mesmerizing event was to stop fretting about making a mistake.
“My mentors pushed me to stop obsessing over everything having to be perfect before moving forward. You can make one mistake, but don’t make it again,” she says of turning missteps into important stops on a path toward success.
That ability to learn is essential to growing as a person and leader. It is also a key part of mentorship.
4. You Learn Together
An interesting aspect of the mentor-mentee relationship is that it’s not one-sided. With the right pairing, a mentor can gain just as much as the person he or she is guiding.
“Every conversation I have with a mentee renews my purpose. It reminds me why I started and gives me hope for the future.”
Indeed, as a mentor, you see the big picture, just like when planning a series of events for a client. Each session, training, and activity takes a young person one step closer to becoming the person or leader they are going to be.
That same motivation is why VIBE partners with local schools and hospitality programs to open doors for underrepresented young professionals looking to enter the world of luxury events. We believe in paying it forward.
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Should you work for the same company or organization as your mentor, that relationship won’t suddenly disappear. Valerie still seeks out advice and motivation. It’s not often you find a person you can trust enough to share your vulnerability. Cherish it.
No matter how many top-notch events VIBE produces or awards we win, our legacy is that our people rise to any occasion.
