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9 Things We’ve Learned From 9 Years of Walking

Last October, we celebrated our birthday! After nine years and more than 15,000 women mentored around the world, the most powerful lessons have come directly from women like you who show up, ask open questions, and trust the process of walking side by side.

These nine lessons were shaped by you, our mentees.



  1. It Starts By Showing Up

    Across our 17 cities, we’ve seen a familiar pattern: women follow Mentor Walks for months before taking that first step. Once they do, they tell us they wish they’d joined sooner, and the simple act of showing up was their shift. 

    We’ve learned that progress rarely begins with a plan; it begins with presence.

“Mentees can find courage and the mentorship that they’re looking for by just attending a walk. Connections really matter to feel empowered.” — Brittany from Vancouver

  1. Connection Is Empowering


    At our walks, women discover they’re not the only ones navigating their challenges. What starts as a question often turns into recognition: “I thought I was alone in this.” Across hundreds of walks, we’ve seen connection turn doubt into direction.


    We’ve learned that sharing through conversation creates momentum.


“It amazes me how a group of women from regional Newcastle can just come together, mentors and mentees, and just lift each other. It’s beautiful how when we walk together and give each other our time and energy, it builds the collaboration and connection in us.” — Lo from Newcastle

  1. The Power of an Hour 


    Walking has many positives, but walking while in conversation changes everything. Side by side feels less confronting, and the discussion naturally becomes workshopping and brainstorming. Our small walking groups tell us it feels intimate without being intimidating, that’s it’s effective collaboration outside in fresh air.


    We’ve learned that progress doesn’t always need a lot of time, it can happen in just an hour with the right women.

“I work in a male-dominated environment so I enjoy the ability to sanity-check my approaches and responses in a safe and supportive environment. Joining a walk has improved my performance at the executive level and leverages the experiences others have already gained.” Shai from Sydney

  1. Lived Experience Unlocks Action

    Finding ways to meet leaders who will give their time to share their knowledge and experience is a challenge many women tell us they face. Our walks make those connections possible. We intentionally bring in the leaders who’ve done it before and want to pass it on, creating real conversations drawn from real experience. We’ve learned that when lived experience is passed on, it moves women forward. 

“It was a wonderful opportunity to meet women from diverse backgrounds, across different careers and age groups. Hearing their journeys and the paths they’ve taken to reach where they are today was truly inspiring. It motivated me to stay persistent in my own efforts.” - Claire from Christchurch

  1. Surprising Connections Can Be Significant


    When women show up, they don’t just find answers, they find each other. Many share that their biggest breakthrough came from connecting with someone at a different career stage or background, offering a perspective they never would have expected. These unexpected matches are what make our walks work. They remind us that difference can drive insight.

    We’ve learned that new perspectives often come from places you don’t plan to look.


“I got to learn a lot and made very important connections that have the potential to make a huge impact in Tasmania months and years to come. Ultimately, I loved how I made a connection that I never would have had I not attended the walk.” - Veronica from Hobart

  1. Courage Grows Through Messy Steps

    Confidence gets women to the walk, but courage is what keeps them moving forward. We’ve seen mentees return with new questions, new roles, and new decisions sparked by earlier conversations. Showing that progress isn’t always a straight line, and that’s what makes it real.

    We’ve learned that courage builds quietly through the steps you take, not just the ones that go to plan.

“Real strength comes from walking alongside other women, sharing stories, ideas, and encouragement in a space built on trust, generosity and curiosity. Each conversation reveals how confidence and courage grow through connection.” – Sara from Canberra

  1. Good Women Support Good Women

    At Mentor Walks, good has always meant generosity, openness, and action. Finding women who genuinely want to see others succeed can be rare, but here, it’s what we’re built on. Mentees tell us they walk away encouraged and motivated to do the same for others. Role modelling our mentors by paying it forward has created a multiplying effect we didn’t entirely expect, but deeply value.

    We’ve learned that good grows when it’s shown and passed on.


“It was reassuring to hear that our little group of four shared similar challenges and we prop each other up with genuine words of encouragement, and at times raise a mirror onto each other to discover and learn our blind spots—all while clocking 10,000 steps by 8.30 AM!” – Cheena from Singapore

  1. Every Question Has Importance


    Women tell us consistently that they hesitate to walk because they think their question isn’t big enough for a senior leader’s time. On our walks, they quickly realise someone else has asked it too, showing that every type of challenge deserves space to be explored. 

    We’ve learned that every question matters when it’s shared.

“My group helped each other with all of our pressing questions and we all came out with some really great options to try to tackle it.” - Jess from Melbourne

  1. The Value of Intergenerational Conversation Across nine years, we’ve seen the impact of women at different stages learning from each other. Mentors share the perspective that only experience brings, while mentees offer fresh thinking that challenges and broadens what’s known. These conversations remind us that learning never stops, it simply shifts between generations.

    We’ve learned that women move further when generations walk side by side.


I’ve seen so many amazing connections and conversations amongst women over the last nine years. I think one of the things that surprised me the most was how much the mentors get out of it and how much they learn about what’s happening with upcoming leaders. To see their surprise at how good they feel mentoring and learning new things has been beautiful for me. — Adina, Mentor Walks Co-Founder

Nine years in, what we know for sure is this: women move further when they move together.


As we look to the next chapter, we’re grateful for every woman who’s shown up, asked bravely, listened generously, and walked beside someone else. Thank you for showing up for yourself and the community. Here’s to nine more years (and beyond!) that we’ll take together.

 
 
 

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