Mentorship and feedback go hand-in-hand, according to four executives who spoke on a panel at our 2024 Women in Retail On the Road: New York City event. Mina Fader, managing director at Baker Retailing Center, led a panel discussion with PJ Oleksak, CEO, Nuts.com; Evelyn Webster, CEO, SoulCycle; Mary Fox, president and chief operating officer, The Lovesac Company; and Anu Narayanan, president, women’s and home, Anthropologie Group. Each leader shared her take on the importance of mentorship, why transparent feedback is a gift, and how they navigate mentor relationships as both a mentor and mentee, among other topics.

Narayanan believes transparency is key, but sometimes that can lead others to find her overly direct. “Treat people the way you want to be treated,” said Narayanan. “I want the honest truth and I can handle it, so I want to deliver that to someone else as well.”

For those who are in a position to be a mentor, do it, says Oleksak. “As we all rise up, it’s really our responsibility to pay it forward and I take that to heart,” Oleksak advised. “Pay it forward, be hungry, and be humble.”

As a mentee, “there might be a perception that you’re sitting there receiving insight and wisdom and advice; actually, it is a two-way street,” shared Webster. She went on to note that when she mentors others, she sets homework to ensure her mentee is invested in the outcome.

Should women leaders favor female mentors over male mentors? Fox believes having both are critically important, and agrees in the power of direct feedback. “Be very honest, but with kindness. You should always seek diversity in your mentors.”