Empowering others while empowering oneself
Istiana Bestari and Rachel Wong
Co-Founders
MondayGirl
Networking is tough, everyone can agree to that. After our first experiences with coffee chats in university, we realized that the advice we were getting wasn’t useful for us as BIPOC women in a male-dominated industry. We thought, “there has to be a better way to meet like-minded individuals who can relate to the challenges we’re facing” – and so, MondayGirl was born.
Our goal is to help women across Canada build authentic and valuable connections. We now run a career platform built for women that prioritizes true mentorship beyond networking. Building these relationships starts with reframing how we see networking and mentorship. It goes beyond just a coffee chat or asking a general question at an event; it’s having someone who advocates for you behind closed doors and raises their hand at opportunities for you. We’ve also seen mentors learn from mentees – a real connection is a two-way street.
“We’ve seen women of all levels build authentic relationships and grow from mentorships. These stories drive us forward every day.”
MondayGirl launched in 2017 and was reborn as a digital platform after the pandemic hit in 2020. Since then, our platform has grown to host over 8,000 career-driven women across Canada. Pivoting to a digital platform has allowed MondayGirl to grow organically to include more women than ever before. The digital format of our program is more accessible to participants in different areas and industries. It has empowered women to connect in new ways and fostered relationships that may not have been possible previously.
Our story has been all about being resourceful and making connections. As entrepreneurs, we’ve had to reflect on our limits and understand how we can overcome those barriers and bridge any gaps in our work life. We both work full-time while running MondayGirl, so being able to make connections and having a large support base while ensuring the business thrives challenges and inspires us every day. It’s not always glamourous, but our mission and the impact on women’s lives makes it worth it.
Throughout this journey, our biggest takeaway is to ensure that we are not comparing ourselves to others success. Comparing someone else’s career highlight reel to the sometimes-harsh reality of starting a business shouldn’t discourage you from trying. Success looks different for everyone and celebrating our accomplishments without caveats is crucial to feeling confident in our business. We also learned that the feeling of “imposter syndrome” can be a good thing – it means we’re getting out of our comfort zone and that we’re growing. Our goal is to help empower women to know that they can do whatever they put their minds to. Empowering others begins with empowering oneself.
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