You've got mentors. Smart, successful people who believe in you. They give you advice, coaching, guidance.
And you're doing well. But you're not advancing at the pace you expected.
Here's the thing: advice isn't your problem.
You don't need someone to tell you what to do. You need someone to open the door.
The data backs this up: according to McKinsey's 2025 Women in the Workplace report, employees with sponsors get promoted at nearly twice the rate. But only 23% of employees have sponsors—and entry-level women receive far less sponsorship than any other group.
Why? Because sponsorship flows through informal networks—the golf games, the after-work drinks, the casual conversations where names get floated for opportunities. Women get steered toward mentoring instead. More advice. Less advocacy.
And here's the kicker: when women and men receive similar levels of sponsorship support, the ambition gap disappears. Women want to advance just as much—they just aren't getting the same access.
Here's what nobody tells you: you don't find sponsors. You become someone worth sponsoring.
The Difference That Changes Everything
When someone mentors you, they're investing their time. They tell you how to handle the conversation, what to emphasize in the presentation, how to prep for the interview.
Valuable? Absolutely. But you're still the one who has to prove yourself.
When someone sponsors you, they're investing their reputation.
They're saying your name in rooms you're not in. They're telling decision-makers "I'm betting on her" before you even walk through the door. They're putting their credibility on the line.
Same person. Different level of investment.
The 3-Criteria Filter
Not everyone in your network has sponsorship potential. Here's how to spot who does:
Influence: Are they senior enough to have a voice in promotion decisions? Do they have access to the opportunities you want? This doesn't have to be inside your current company—former bosses and industry contacts count.
Evidence: Do they know your work well enough to go to bat for you? Sponsors put their credibility on the line. They need proof that recommending you won't backfire.
Foundation: Have you cultivated a relationship where advocacy is even possible? Not someone you've met twice—someone you've built real rapport and trust with. Someone who's seen your strategic thinking, not just your execution.
If someone checks all three? They're worth cultivating.
This Week's Shift
Don't go looking for new people. Look at the relationships you already have.
List 8-10 people who actually know your work—current manager, former managers, skip-level managers (your boss's boss), senior leaders you've worked with on projects.
For each person, ask: Do they have influence? Have they seen me deliver? Do we have real rapport?
Pick ONE person who checks all three boxes.
Then shift how you show up with them:
Let your wins reflect on them. Connect your success back to their guidance.
Be proactive about their priorities. Solve problems before they ask.
Show, don't tell. Quantify your impact so they can repeat it in rooms you're not in.
You're not asking for sponsorship yet. You're priming them to see you differently.
If you’re looking for help to pinpoint potential sponsors, I created The Sponsor Map—a simple tool that walks you through mapping your relationships and scoring them on the 3 criteria. In 10 minutes, you'll know exactly who's worth cultivating.
You don't find sponsors. You become sponsorable.
That starts with one relationship. One shift.
Talk soon,
Molly
Sources:
P.S. I go deeper on this in Episode 2 of the podcast—including my own story of accidentally turning mentors into sponsors early in my career. Worth a listen if this landed for you. Apple Podcasts | Spotify