Ahoy, 2026!
What’s Ahead on the Mentor-Ship’s Journey
Every journey has a moment when the boat finally leaves the dock. For Mentor-Ship, that moment came in 2025.
I understand I’m going slightly against the current with this post compared to the rest of the world really. Instead of jumping straight into the 2025 retrospective and what’s ahead, I want to tell you the story of how Mentor-Ship set sail.
For years, Mentor-ship existed only as a quiet idea in my mind. It wasn’t written down. It wasn’t sketched. It simply traveled with me everywhere I went. Often, this idea would surface especially when I’d see someone struggling with their mentorship (either as a mentor or mentee). I told myself: “one day”, “maybe when there is more time”, “maybe when I have more experience”.
That day came in 2025.
2025 was the year I started lightening the ship of my life. I let go of cargo I had been hauling for far too long. I stopped telling myself I had to keep everything aboard just because it once felt important. My own boat was so heavy, it was sinking. But in clearing space, decluttering what did not make sense anymore, I finally allowed myself to launch what has been stored away in my mind.
That was when Mentor-Ship came to life.
Mentor-Ship was built out of my passion for positive and enriching mentoring experiences. Over the years, I’ve seen, and been, a mentor and a mentee struggling not because of lack of talent or intention, but because no one taught us how to navigate the relationship itself.
So, I gathered the tools, lessons, and leadership practices I’ve learned throughout my career and began charting them here. I thought it would be simple. It wasn’t. Launching Mentor-Ship was a lot of work, and the best part is that I loved it. I created a plan following project management tools and resources I learned in a previous course. I designed and finalized the logo and the Mentor-Ship artwork. I learned how to use Substack and chose it as the platform to share this initiative.
With the help of my incredible husband, I also built my own website, where you can find more information about my career and access Mentor-Ship’s free downloadable resources (link here).
A Look Back at the Voyage So Far
Let’s quickly recap Mentor-Ship’s journey thus far:
Foundations of Mentorship: Here, Mentor-Ship dove into the key roles and responsibilities of mentors, mentees, and organizations.
Career Development: In this section, we explored practical ways to advance in your career. Examples include understanding essential soft skills and learning how to perform informational interviews.
Voyage Prep: This dedicated series included 4 posts for mentees on how to get ready for a mentoring experience, and 3 posts for mentors to also prepare for this adventure.
Free materials: For Career Development and the Voyage Prep, I created free downloadable worksheets to help you organize your thoughts and planning.
Instagram account: We now have an Instagram account where we share the links for our posts. Every Thursday we have a special Story called “Thursday Tools”, sharing a publication, article, or tool you can use for career development or to improve your mentoring experience. Thursday Tools will come back next week.
What’s on the Horizon for 2026?
The nautical language stays. It reminds us not to take ourselves too seriously while still respecting the journey. I hope you read Mentor-Ship the way you’d enjoy a quiet moment at sea or on a beach: present, reflective, and relaxed.
The core structure of Mentor-ship will continue, and all existing resources will remain free!
A new section is preparing to come aboard. In it, I’ll tackle harder questions mentees often wrestle with. The ones that don’t always have a clear answer. I’ll share my perspective more openly, alongside insights from others, and anchor these discussions in research and credible resources whenever possible. This way, you can decide what course feels right for you.
I’m also exploring new features for Mentor-Ship, which I’ll share later this year. If you’d like to stay on board as things evolve, subscribing is the best way to receive updates.
You may also notice a change in the visuals at each article. In 2026, I’m bringing another part of myself into this space: my own drawings. It’s simple, imperfect, and made with little technique. But it’s made by me.*1 I may still use some images I find online and free to use. If you’d like your image to be featured in my articles, please reach out. I’d love to share them.
If you have feedback, topic suggestions, or reading you’d like to recommend, I’d love to hear from you. Please send me a message:
As we sail through the new currents of 2026, I wish you steady winds, thoughtful mentors, and the courage to adjust your sails when needed.
⛵️Thank you for traveling alongside Mentor-Ship,
Priscila
Note: I believe it is important to have this disclaimer. I’m not against AI, and I may still use AI-generated art at times. I believe all technologies can be used for both good and harm. History has shown us that very clearly. I choose to use them with intention. As people grow more open to imperfect human-made art, I’m also giving my own drawings and paintings a try.
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🌊Feeling lost at sea? Message me using either the link below or through my website.