From Advice-Seeking to Collaborative Growth: Lorena Moreno Aguilera's Mentorship Experience

"I used to think mentorship was mostly about receiving advice. Now I see it as a collaborative, evolving relationship, one that helps you grow through shared dialogue and reflection."

The most powerful transformations begin with understanding yourself better. For Lorena Moreno Aguilera, who works in Commercial Operations focusing on business insights, sales reporting, and performance analysis in Madrid's employee benefits industry, the Women In Tech mentorship program provided exactly that—a structured journey of self-discovery that changed how she communicates, negotiates, and envisions her international career path.

Seeking Structure for International Growth

Lorena entered the mentorship program with clear professional goals. Working in Commercial Operations in Spain, she wanted guidance in areas like leadership, communication, and positioning herself for international career opportunities.

"I joined as a mentee, motivated by the desire to grow both professionally and personally. I wanted to learn from someone with more experience, especially in areas like leadership, communication, and positioning myself for international career opportunities."

Her approach was intentional from the start—not just seeking general career advice, but looking for specific guidance that could help her expand beyond her current professional landscape.

The Power of Thoughtful Preparation

What set Lorena's mentorship experience apart was the intentional structure her mentor, Daria Chaika, brought to their relationship. This wasn't casual coffee chat mentorship—it was purposeful, prepared, and deeply thoughtful.

"My mentor, Daria Chaika, brought incredible structure and intention to each session. She always provided thoughtful materials and created a safe space where I could explore challenges and ideas openly. Her ability to guide without ever imposing made our conversations empowering and insightful. I´ve been really lucky."

This combination of structure and safety created the ideal environment for genuine exploration and growth—where Lorena could be vulnerable about her challenges while receiving concrete tools to address them.

Personality Insights as Foundation for Growth

A pivotal moment came when Daria introduced Lorena to resources for understanding her personality type. This wasn't just an interesting exercise—it became the foundation for more intentional professional development.

"One key moment was when Daria shared resources to help me better understand my personality type. It gave me clarity on my strengths and weaknesses, and helped me from the bottom to take more intentional action in both my communication and career development."

This self-awareness became a launching pad for targeted improvement. Understanding her natural tendencies allowed Lorena to be more strategic about how she communicated and where she focused her development efforts.

Rethinking Negotiation and Presentation

Beyond self-discovery, the mentorship provided practical skill development in critical areas. Two experiences particularly stood out in Lorena's journey.

"Another big shift came during our first session on negotiation, which helped me rethink how I approach conversations and express my value."

This reframing of negotiation—not as confrontation but as value expression—represents a crucial mindset shift for career advancement.

The mentorship also pushed Lorena outside her comfort zone through action:

"Later, preparing and delivering a short presentation pushing me to structure my ideas clearly and present them with more confidence."

This practical application of developing skills reinforced her learning in ways that theory alone never could.

The Qualities That Made the Difference

When asked what made the biggest impact, Lorena points to three interconnected qualities: clarity, generosity, and professionalism.

"Daria's clarity, generosity, and professionalism made a huge impact. She was always prepared, deeply attentive, and genuinely invested in my development, not just as a professional, but as a person."

This holistic approach—seeing Lorena as a complete person rather than just a professional seeking advancement—created the depth that made the relationship truly transformational.

Redefining Mentorship Itself

Perhaps the most significant shift was in how Lorena now understands mentorship. Her experience fundamentally changed her perception of what these relationships can be.

"Absolutely. I used to think mentorship was mostly about receiving advice. Now I see it as a collaborative, evolving relationship, one that helps you grow through shared dialogue and reflection."

This evolution from viewing mentorship as one-directional advice-giving to understanding it as collaborative dialogue represents a mature appreciation for how professional growth actually happens. It's not about absorbing wisdom from above—it's about co-creating insights through genuine conversation.

The experience also inspired Lorena to pay it forward:

"It's also made me realize I'd love to give back by becoming a mentor in the future."

This shows how transformational mentorship creates a desire to extend that transformation to others.

Tools for Intentional Living and Career Design

Lorena's resource recommendations reflect her appreciation for both inner purpose and practical action. She suggests "The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari" by Robin Sharma as "a great reminder of the importance of balance, inner purpose, and self-leadership."

For practical application, she recommends:

"Designing Your Life" by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans "offers a refreshing, creative approach to career development and life design, based on design thinking principles. It's practical, empowering, and full of tools to help you take action."

These recommendations align with her mentorship experience—combining self-awareness with concrete tools for intentional progress.

Her Message: Approach with Openness and Curiosity

Lorena's advice for potential mentees emphasizes the mindset that makes mentorship most effective.

"Go for it with an open mind and a curious heart. This program is a rare chance to connect deeply with someone who's been where you are and who can help you get to where you want to be. It's truly transformational."

Her emphasis on both openness and curiosity speaks to what made her own experience so valuable—being receptive to new perspectives while actively engaging with the learning process.

The Value of Structure and Safety

Lorena's story demonstrates how effective mentorship combines several key elements: thoughtful structure, psychological safety, practical tools, and genuine investment in the whole person. Her journey from seeking advice to embracing collaborative dialogue shows how mentorship relationships can evolve into something deeper and more impactful than simple knowledge transfer.

Her experience also highlights how self-awareness—understanding your personality, strengths, and communication style—can become the foundation for targeted professional development. When you know yourself better, you can act more intentionally.

Most importantly, Lorena's transformation illustrates how the right mentorship relationship doesn't just help you advance in your current trajectory—it helps you reimagine what's possible, whether that's international opportunities, improved negotiation skills, or eventually becoming a mentor yourself.

Ready to experience collaborative growth through structured mentorship?

The Women In Tech mentorship program connects professionals like Lorena who understand that transformation happens through dialogue, reflection, and intentional action.

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