When it comes to launching
a great career, even the most successful stars, TV personalities, and journalists had to start somewhere.

Here's what some of the
world's most creative professionals learned from their mentors along the way.

Jessica Alba Actress and co-founder,
The Honest Company "Mentorship is valuable because there's always an opportunity to learn and grow. I appreciate mentors who have a great balance of experience and guts… you need a bit of both to truly stand out. For me, professional development is about building on practical feedback and applying it in real-world situations. Since that's what I've learned the most from, that's what I try to relay to anyone who asks me for advice.”

“Mentoring is about paying it
forward. I will forever owe a debt of gratitude to Shelly Schwab (then Station Manager for WAGA-TV in Atlanta), who gave me an on-air reporting job when I was just 19 and still in college. He took a chance on me, and I have always made it MY mission to make sure that he and every other employer since never regretted giving me a shot. I try to repay HIS kindness to me by encouraging the young people who work with me to push their limits.” Deborah Norville Inside Edition Host

Ginger Zee Chief Meteorologist for
ABC News “James Spann has been one of my main mentors through my career… He taught me how to be great on television, and how to be a great scientist all while balancing a family. Few are able to achieve this in this business, and he has taught myself and many others over the years.”

Gio Benitez ABC News Correspondent
“…I unapologetically have a TEAM of mentors who I refer to as my personal Board of Governors… They come from all walks of life and… most of them are women in leadership roles…They are all selfless when it comes to giving me guidance [and] don’t ask for anything in return. That is the true mark of a mentor, and why I am so grateful to my personal Board of Governors.”

"Mentors are invaluable in guiding
us through blind spots and navigating metaphorical shark-infested waters. Suze has already traversed so many of the paths I’ve yet to walk as a businesswoman and hearing from her experience has saved me invaluable time, money, and resources." READ MORE Jillian Michaels Personal Trainer

Kate Snow NBC News National
Correspondent JESSICA ALBA IMAGE “When I became Amanda's ‘Big Sister’ through Big Brothers Big Sisters, she was 6 years old and I was in my 20s just starting out. I had no idea at the time how much our relationship would come to mean to me. I think I've gotten just as much out of being her mentor as she has received from me. It's a relationship I treasure. She's now married, has a beautiful little girl and is working toward a degree. I could not be more proud.”

Lauren Bush Lauren CEO and
Co-Founder, FEED “I have been blessed to have a handful of mentors over the last 9 years of starting and growing FEED… It is important as a leader to be the first to admit what you don't know. Seek out mentors in those areas as well as mentors who inspire and motivate you in areas where you already excel. To know someone who you respect has your best interest in mind and will give you candid, albeit sometimes tough, advice is an invaluable gift.”

Tamron Hall TODAY Show Host
“I've said many times: I learned more from mentors than I did in some of my toughest college classes.”

Dylan Dreyer NBC Weekend Today
Meteorologist “I never knew I needed one so I never searched one out, but when you find a mentor it will change your life…. Find someone you want to be like. You won't become them exactly, but it will help you take the actions necessary to get where you want in your particular life's path. Be a sponge and soak up any ounce of advice that person is willing to provide… little bits here and there that will help you through the hurdles.” READ MORE

Aliza Licht SVP Global Communications,
Donna Karan “What is a mentor? It's just another label. As Donna Karan aptly states in the foreword of my book LEAVE YOUR MARK, ‘Mentors aren’t there to flatter you; they’re there to help you.’ So stop looking for ‘the one’ because you won’t find one — you’ll find many.” READ MORE

JJ Ramberg MSNBC “Whenever anyone
used to ask me who my mentor was, I’d feel a wave of insecurity start to come over me. I was reluctant to answer with the truth, which is that I never had a mentor. ... It turns out that I made a wrong assumption. Most have not had one wise, older person who has shepherded them through their lives. What most of us have had is a series of smart people who were generous with their time and who have helped us during certain key periods. “ READ MORE

Mara Schiavocampo Good Morning America,
ABC “I’ve taken on the role of mentor myself, and realized the same thing many people realize about their parents once they hit adulthood: Parents are people too. So are mentors. They (we) are often struggling with many of the same issues their mentees are... Realizing that has helped me approach those relationships with more care, not turning to the same mentor excessively, being understanding of the demands of their time and the limitations of their availability.” READ MORE

Rachel Roy, Fashion Designer on
how she has been mentored by Deepak Chopra READ RACHEL’S POST READ DEEPAK’S POST “I observed how he spoke to people, how he answered people, what he said, in those beautiful complicated sentences he formed within his head, and in doing so I became more of the person I wanted to be. Here the universe had allowed me to meet someone I so greatly admired and learned from — and because I was so thankful, I tried my best to never take from him but to allow his nature, his information to sink in me.”

#ThankYourMentor