INTERNATIONAL MENTORS
Herdeman is a clerk for Patterson Thuente IP. She joined her co-workers at the firm on a business trip to Sweden in summer 2021 to collaborate on a project with Polestar, where her mentor Gisler is the company’s global head of IP.
the two were able to connect on another level. “Laura was with us nearly every day – there was a lot of collaboration with her,” Herdeman said. “I was excited to have the opportunity to see where she lives and works and what her day-to-day life was like. I was able to put a lot of things together that I have learned virtually over the year and throughout our relationship. It was so much fun. Not only was I able to work in- person with Laura, but I also saw all the preparation that goes into a business trip of this scale.” Gisler said the opportunity for Herdeman to make the trip to Sweden was a big step for the relationship. “It was such a great experience – she was amazingly helpful,” Gisler said. “She was able to observe me working and to see all these issues I’m dealing with. It was a realistic look at what I do. Then we were able to set aside some time
to connect outside of work – we did yoga and had dinner. That felt powerful for me because I’m still newish to being a mentor and I really wanted to support Erin. I hope going forward, we can dive into some of the issues that are more meaningful or more interesting to her.” Trusting her skills and knowledge is something Herdeman will take away from her time with Gisler. It’s affirming and refreshing, Herdeman said, to watch Gisler be her authentic self. “There’s a lot of self-doubt and questioning whether you’re the right person in the room to answer a question or whether you’re qualified,” Herdeman said about being a law student in high performance situations. “Laura is great at emphasizing that you should always believe in yourself.” Herdeman needed that confidence when she was asked to plan a team social outing for the group that
traveled to Sweden. Trying to find the perfect activity, she decided to organize a relaxing boat cruise. Once they arrived at the marina, however, it became clear that was not going to be the kind of experience they would be getting, taking everyone by surprise. “We all showed up ready to relax,” she smiled as she recalled the experience. “But it ended up being a speedboat. We all had to wear life jackets and we went 40- 50 miles per hour out in the open sea. Like everyone else, Laura showed up expecting a relaxing evening and we were in a boat doing donuts. “People were definitely skeptical at first,” Herdeman added. “But it ended up being a great memory from the trip. Although I don’t think I’ll ever be able to live that one down.”
Fall 2021 Page 17
Powered by FlippingBook