Kristin Mento, Head Designer and Creative Department Manager at TopInc Branding and Design, discusses her career in the creative industry, the importance of mentoring, supporting women in the workplace and why success is about more than professional recognition.
Kristin Mento, Head Designer and Creative Department Manager at TopInc Branding and Design, has built her career around a passion for the written word and the arts, while developing a strong commitment to mentoring young adults.
As part of Africa Print’s Change 1 Woman interview series for Women’s Month, Mento shares how her understanding of success has evolved, why women need equitable opportunities rather than simply equal ones, and what companies can do to support women facing challenges in the workplace.
She also discusses why Women’s Month remains relevant and offers advice to women navigating periods of uncertainty and change in their lives.
What inspired you to pursue your career, and what has kept you motivated?
My passion for the written word and the arts inspired me to pursue my career, but my love for mentoring young adults, both inside and outside of the creative industry, has kept me motivated.
How do you define success today, and has that definition changed over the years?
Yes, it has definitely changed. I used to define success based on my title and peer recognition from others within the creative industry, as many young designers do.
However, I have grown to find that true success, for me, is measured by being able to attain and maintain a healthy work life balance and having a deep sense of living out my true vocation in this life.
That is so much bigger and deeper than just career success.
What does empowering women mean to you?
To me, empowering women means seeking out equity more than equality when we refer to opportunities.
It is about creating the scaffolding that enables women to stand on the same floor that men are given within work environments and different societies and cultures.
Empowerment also comes from allies who are able to acknowledge gender gaps and make a conscious effort to use their position and resources to help close those gaps.
What can companies and industry leaders do to better support women in the workplace?
There are several ways companies and industry leaders can support women.
Firstly, they can promote and enable training and upskilling for women within the workplace.
Secondly, they can create opportunities for women to be promoted or grow into other roles within the business.
Companies should also seek to understand the struggles of single mothers or female sole providers, especially those from underprivileged backgrounds. If an organisation cannot create an opportunity for them to improve their situation, it can at least show empathy regarding their time and family commitments when required.
Why do you believe Women’s Month is still important?
Women’s Month serves to shine a spotlight on issues faced by women daily.
As long as the gender gap remains and women are still ill treated, we will keep bringing these matters to the fore until they are resolved and we receive the respect that we deserve.
If you could inspire every woman reading this interview with one message, what would it be?
Be kind to yourself during the chasm periods of your life when you may be mourning or feeling confused, stuck or restless.
When a chasm opens up in front of you, it is often life’s way of forcing you to rest, re evaluate, heal or regain your strength, then decide how you want to move forward.
It is also OK for your goals to change as you go through each phase of your life. Oftentimes, pivoting or changing tact is necessary to keep going and growing.
Africa Print are proud media partners of the Women in Print series hosted by Printing SA this month.
C1W Initiative
Change 1 Woman (C1W) aims to empower women in the branding, print and signage industries. As part of this initiative, Africa Print would like to spotlight women-focused content like this piece. If you have any trend/business articles related to the signage, branding and printing industries, please email content to: info@c1w.co.za. Follow C1W on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram for more updates.
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