Uploaded March 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 days ago
Melinda French Gates has spent her life navigating pivotal career moments and using her influence to empower others. In today’s episode of Hello Monday, Jessi Hempel sits down with Melinda to dive into how we can summon and own our power, both professionally and personally.
Stay tuned for Melinda’s take on:
- The role of trusted advisors to guide you throughout your career
- The difference between a mentor and a sponsor, and why having a sponsor is crucial to your success
- How to ask questions and admit when you don’t have all the answers
Subscribe to the #HelloMonday newsletter for more on building a work life on your own terms. bit.ly/HelloMondayNewsletter
#linkedinnews
#HelloMonday
#MelindaFrenchGates
0:00 Intro
3:02 Trusting yourself during a career transition
4:06 How Melinda learned to trust herself as she transitoned to her next job
6:00 Shifting your ’trusted advisors” over the course of your career
6:30 The difference between a mentor and a sponsor
7:44 How to find a sponsor
7:58 How to be a good sponsor for someone else
9:04 Whether the cost of failure is smaller for men
11:12 How to cultivate your confidence
12:41 Member question: What have been some of the most important lessons you've learned about balancing personal growth with the responsibility of leading others?
14:34 How to keep equity at the center of our work
15:39 Melinda’s suggestions for overcoming gender bias
16:47 Member question: What advice do you give women who've left the workforce for more than a year to take care of little ones and now they're looking to get back in?
18:40 Member question: What advice do you give us girl dads to inspire those girls to meet challenges that they encounter?
20:36 Member question: What are the most effective strategies for women to use if they really want to get ahead when they're in organizations that are not just dominated by men, but mostly men in their physical space?
21:43 Member question: What are the most effective ways that leaders can create sustainable opportunities for women in underrepresented professionals beyond mentorship?
23:21 The scariest risk Melinda has taken in her career
25:06 How Melinda learned to cultivating relationships in her career
27:07 Conclusion
Melinda French Gates has spent her life navigating pivotal career moments and using her influence to empower others. In today’s episode of Hello Monday, Jessi Hempel sits down with Melinda to dive into how we can summon and own our power, both professionally and personally.
Stay tuned for Melinda’s take on:
- The role of trusted advisors to guide you throughout your career
- The difference between a mentor and a sponsor, and why having a sponsor is crucial to your success
- How to ask questions and admit when you don’t have all the answers
Subscribe to the #HelloMonday newsletter for more on building a work life on your own terms. bit.ly/HelloMondayNewsletter
#linkedinnews
#HelloMonday
#MelindaFrenchGates
0:00 Intro
3:02 Trusting yourself during a career transition
4:06 How Melinda learned to trust herself as she transitoned to her next job
6:00 Shifting your ’trusted advisors” over the course of your career
6:30 The difference between a mentor and a sponsor
7:44 How to find a sponsor
7:58 How to be a good sponsor for someone else
9:04 Whether the cost of failure is smaller for men
11:12 How to cultivate your confidence
12:41 Member question: What have been some of the most important lessons you've learned about balancing personal growth with the responsibility of leading others?
14:34 How to keep equity at the center of our work
15:39 Melinda’s suggestions for overcoming gender bias
16:47 Member question: What advice do you give women who've left the workforce for more than a year to take care of little ones and now they're looking to get back in?
18:40 Member question: What advice do you give us girl dads to inspire those girls to meet challenges that they encounter?
20:36 Member question: What are the most effective strategies for women to use if they really want to get ahead when they're in organizations that are not just dominated by men, but mostly men in their physical space?
21:43 Member question: What are the most effective ways that leaders can create sustainable opportunities for women in underrepresented professionals beyond mentorship?
23:21 The scariest risk Melinda has taken in her career
25:06 How Melinda learned to cultivating relationships in her career
27:07 Conclusion
