Sunday 8th March marks International Women’s Day. The theme this year is ‘Give to gain’, Ideal4finance takes the time to celebrate the women that have been a mentor, a leader, a role model to generations of Ideal4finance employees. Today we speak to Jasmine, Mel, Holly, Genna, Kate and Kaitlyn. These are their stories:
Building a Culture of Mentorship with Mel
First up is Mel, Operations director at Ideal4finance. Having worked here for a total of eight years, not only does she strive to grow the business but she’s also keen on making sure newcomers are settled and confident. She was asked about Ideal4finance’s 2026 so far and how she gets the best out of employees.
“It’s true, we’ve had a lot of new starters but we’re boosting current departments too. I’ve started a new training program for our Customer Service which will give them more of an insight into the retailer.
“Mentoring is essential. Something I like to build into our new starters is to be solution conscious. I like them to come up with an idea to solve an issue, even something like the correct way to respond to an email. Even if it’s wrong, it’s still an idea, I understand more about them and where they currently are in their progression phase and I get what I need out of in terms of how I can get them to be where they need to be so next time that email is spot on. So, it works both ways, I’ve learnt a lot about myself just from being a mentor.”
Mel pondered about what she had learnt about herself through training others and was asked if she ever found mentoring a daunting task.
“I recognised that I’m a workaholic for starters and I understand a lot more than I thought I did. I love challenges, although I never found being a mentor daunting, I have five children and I think being a mentor is similar, the goal is the same and that’s to get that employee to the be their absolute best, much like your children.
“Beth, Holly and Genna are perfect examples. Holly always had it. She was always going to be a star; she was just young and needed that initial push. Beth joined at a very young age too, she was 16, I think. She didn’t like the phones at first, but we gave her that confidence and now she’s mopping the floor. She literally just won the Ideal4finance ‘Rising Star Award’. Genna came, as she felt she wasn’t getting the proper recognition in the previous job, and she’s absolutely smashing it now. Seeing all those people succeed is all the praise I’ll ever need.”
Confidence Through Opportunity
The perfect senior employee to interview next was Genna. After the high praise that Mel had given her, it was refreshing to see someone come from a background where employee value wasn’t as high. Now at Ideal4finance, she’s Head of Customer Service and Compliance and training many new starters. Genna was asked what traits she hopes new starters take away beyond understanding the role.
“When someone comes onboard at Ideal4finance, it can be overwhelming. So many different departments and loads of FCA rules you need to adhere to. Besides all of that knowledge, we just like confidence. Confidence to learn and adapt will take you far and it’s no different here.
“All of our new starters now and over the years have had that. But even once you get into a mentoring role, it’s still daunting, there’s always challenges being thrown at you.”
She then went onto discuss that her confidence within herself grew when she became a mentor, echoing Mel’s point about confidence and that is brings the best out of people and Ideal4finance are fantastic at that.
“When I first became a mentor, it was really daunting at first, but I saw the merit, so I gave it all I had. My confidence with it built and I could see that reflect in those I was training, like Jasmine. Now she’s Head of Loans! At Ideal4finance the sky is the limit, and we’ve got the staff to prove it. Mentoring is so crucial, so it opens the doors to that success for the next generation.”
Learning to Lead
Now we check in with Jasmine, Head of Loans at Ideal4finance. She joined at a young age and soon gained the trust of Ideal4finance.
“The theme ‘Give to gain’ means a lot to me.
“Hiring an apprentice in Elliott was challenging at first. I didn’t have much leadership experience, so we were both finding our feet. I wasn’t always sure how to pass on my knowledge, which naturally made things harder for him too.
“But I persevered because I knew it would be worth it. Now, I can proudly say my leadership and teamwork skills have grown so much. I communicate confidently across departments and can quickly recognise people’s strengths and areas for development.”
Jasmine was then asked if being a mentor has changed her view on her future and is there someone who work at Ideal4finance that is a role model to her.
“Having people to look up to at Ideal4Finance has played a huge part in developing my skills. They gave me the time and patience to grow. I was given that support, and now I’m passing it on to someone else. Which again, lines with that ‘Give to gain’ theme.
“My biggest role model, aside from my mum, is someone like Mel. In such a high pressure role, she handles everything with calm professionalism. She has time for everyone, always lifts the mood and truly inspires me. If I’m at that level in a few years, I will be very happy with how my career has gone.”
Growing From Within
Another young star turned manager is Holly Bennison. Having joined Ideal4finance at 16, she made a quick impression and became Head of Accounts. She talked about how Ideal4finance has transformed her into the person she is today.
“Ideal4Finance has played a huge role in my development (both professionally and personally). I joined as a teenager with no experience and was a relatively quiet person, but over the years I have seen my confidence grow massively and I have developed lots of skills.”
Holly was asked if mentoring has added to her professional development.
“Yes, it has. Mentoring others has helped me grow as a manager. As someone who joined here at a young age, I received a lot of advice, knowledge, and support from some great peers. Being able to pass on the knowledge I now have to other people is rewarding.
“Helping others learn has strengthened my communication and leadership skills. It’s taught me how to explain processes clearly, and how to adapt my approach depending on how different people learn. It has also helped me gain more confidence in my own knowledge.
Supporting the Next Generation
Onto Kate, Head of Marketing. Kate has managed Jada, who is currently doing an apprenticeship in Marketing. She also recently took on Jack, Marketing Assistant at Ideal4finance.
Kate was asked that if she had herself as a mentor for her younger self, would anything about her change and if she can remember a time where she saw Jada grow in confidence and how that made her feel.
“I wish I had a mentor like the ones at Ideal4finance when I was younger. The women here are just amazing, the knowledge and the time they give up to helping new starters is incredible. My confidence would’ve been sky high had I worked here at a tender age. I’ve had some good managers over the years, but I’ve never seen a company like this that supports and trusts young people to the extent that they do.
“They’re a fantastic bunch and we have some truly exceptional young women that are already in top positions, but they’ll go on to do wonders in life. I mean watching Jada grow in confidence has been so rewarding. The way she deals with clients, chips in with great, creative ideas. I couldn’t be more proud.”
Seeing Others Succeed
Finally, we go to Kaitlyn, our Sales Support Superviser. Sales already requires quick, confident and adaptable people. Kaityln’s job is making sure employees know the product inside and out and understand what they can say or what they can and can’t offer to customers.
“Like the others have said, the best part of training is seeing those people flourish. It’s particularly tricky in sales, as we do already expect them to have a level of confidence and be proactive, but they still need to know about the business, what we offer like they know the back of their own hand. It’s down to me to get them to that point, so yeah, it’s great to see when they’re doing amazing things and working their way up. It’s reassuring that you weren’t just talking gibberish too.”
A Culture of “Give to Gain”
Across every department at Ideal4Finance, the message is clear. When people invest time in helping others grow, everyone benefits.
From apprentices taking their first steps into a career to experienced leaders guiding the next generation, mentorship continues to shape the future of the company.
This International Women’s Day, the stories of Mel, Genna, Jasmine, Holly, Kate and Kaitlyn show how the principle of “Give to Gain” is not just a theme. It is part of the culture at Ideal4Finance.
