By Nicole S. Laiho, P.E., and Holly Jergens

The TILT Mentor Program, part of the Tilt-Up Industry Leaders of Tomorrow (TILT) initiative, is more than just a leadership development tool—it’s a testament to the power of connection. Designed to pair emerging professionals with seasoned mentors in the tilt-up industry, the program invites honest dialogue, thoughtful exchange, and mutual growth. Sometimes, these pairings lead to something extraordinary. What follows are two unedited reflections—one from the mentor, one from the mentee—on a relationship that blossomed beyond the structure of the program into something deeply meaningful.

Nicole’s Perspective

Nicole entered the program eager to give back, not knowing just how much she, too, would gain. Her experience speaks to the surprising reciprocity of mentorship.

When I signed up to be a TCA mentor, I wasn’t sure how much value I could provide the young members. Because of my gender, I knew I would probably get a lot of questions about balancing work and life. I felt more than qualified to provide that kind of input. On the engineering side my expertise is a little different. I’ve been told by at least one general contractor that I am the “least engineer-like engineer” he knew—and he meant that as a compliment. I have an innate skill for working through difficult problems and team dynamics to come up with simple and elegant solutions. I live and die by the KISS (“keep it simple stupid”) philosophy and try not to overcomplicate things like engineers often do. My employees have often asked me to teach them these skills so I thought others might benefit from my experiences too.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from the mentorship program. When I attended the mentors meeting at the TCA conference and saw all the amazing people who were volunteering, I wanted to sign up as a mentee myself. I would have killed to have any one of the esteemed people in that room be my mentor. I felt honored to even be in the same room with them! Overall, I found the program to be well organized and well put together. I really appreciated all the helpful startup guides TILT provides. It makes being the mentor a little less daunting. It’s not all up to us to direct the program or come up with topics to discuss.

During my first year as a mentor, I actually mentored two people. I had very different experiences with the women I worked with, which made it all the more interesting for me. There were times when I felt like maybe they were mentoring me more than I was mentoring them. I hope they both felt like they benefited from the experience. I know I felt like I got a lot out of the experience on so many levels.

Holly was one of the women I worked with that first year. Because Holly is a chemical engineer, we knew we weren’t going to focus on technical things. We started out talking about managing people and how to deal with all the joys of having direct reports. Eventually, our focus became much more personal. For whatever reason, she and I just bonded. We became each other’s safe space for all sorts of topics. Honestly, at this point nothing is off limits. We listen and we don’t judge, as the saying goes.

Holly is like the little sister I always wanted. We talk daily about everything and anything. We both have gone out of our way to be there and support one another over the past year and a half. When Holly had a less than stellar birthday, I hopped on a plane and took her out for a birthday lunch and cake. When I ran a bunch of races at Disney World, she hopped on a plane and came to cheer me on at five o’clock in the morning in the freezing cold. I know not every mentor match will turn into a lifelong friendship, but I’d volunteer a thousand times over if it meant just one match like this would happen.

Holly’s Perspective

Holly joined the program in search of guidance. What she found was a trusted voice, a champion, and a friend.

I have been extremely lucky in my short career to have found various mentors through either company-established programs or simply by networking within my own company. They have come in all shapes and sizes, with varying levels of experience and a wide range of knowledge on topics from leadership to technical expertise to personal growth. So, when I was struggling with being a young female leader of more life-experienced direct reports, I did not hesitate to jump into the TILT mentoring program when recommended by my boss. I was ready for my next mentor, and the universe (or TILT) provided that and then some.

When I saw the mentor profiles come through, I knew what I needed at this point in my career was a strong female voice—something I felt I had been missing over the years of mentorship in my current company. As funny as it sounds, the first thing that stood out to me about Nicole’s profile was that she was a triathlete, and I was embarking on my first ever triathlon-training program. I figured if conversation ever stalled or I didn’t know what to discuss, I could always ask her about how not to die while paying to swim, bike, and run silly distances.

What started out as typical mentoring sessions discussing work-life balance, managing direct reports, and fighting imposter syndrome quickly morphed into a free-for-all where we discussed life, relationships, and personal goals. As a mentor, Nicole created an atmosphere for me where I felt I could truly open up and discuss more than just technical, tilt-related questions or professional goals. If she felt there were things I needed to talk about but sensed that I wasn’t sure if I could, she encouraged me to share, and she withheld judgement and never stopped listening. 

I knew the TILT mentoring program would help me and that it would be good for me, but I didn’t know it would have the ability to change my life by providing me with not only a powerful, female influence but a deeply cherished, lifelong friend and support system. Not every mentor-mentee relationship will end this way—it truly depends on both of you to make it happen. By being open and honest—and not afraid to get personal—we have created a bond that has spanned time zones and distance. Nicole has taught me the power of showing up for not only others but also myself. She has become one of the most important people in my life. 

Talking to Nicole is now a daily requirement for my mental and emotional health (no pressure, Nicole), and sometimes also my physical health as she continues to inspire me to be the best version of myself. Our conversations jump from talking about our busy days to complaining about our aches and pains from workouts to me still asking her for career advice as I make her switch gears from discussing shoes to motivating employees. 

If you have ever considered joining the TILT mentoring program as either a mentor or mentee, I cannot recommend it enough. Think you don’t have anything to offer? Trust me, you do. Think you have nothing to learn? Think again. This program is a great resource in so many ways and while you may not find your new best friend, if you go into it with an open mind and a willingness to listen and share, you may find that you truly influence and change someone’s career or life for the better—tilt-related or not. 

Everyone has a story worth sharing and everyone has something to learn. And you never know, you just might find a match like I did and feel like the luckiest person in the world.