Hudson partnered with Mastercard last year when they launched their Strivers Initiative, which both encouraged consumers to support Black women-owned businesses and equipped them with grants and other tools to help them succeed. Now, the Dreamgirls actress has joined the Strivers Mentor Collective, which offers one-on-one mentorship to Black female small business owners that won the Fearless Strivers Grant Contest with experts in their fields. October is Women’s Small Business Month, so Hudson sat down with Parade.com to chat about applying her experience as a mentee to her mentorship, her advice for small business owners, and whether or not she’s tried Zach Shallcross’ mustard pancakes yet. What was it about the MasterCard Strivers program that drew you to be a part of it versus becoming a mentor on your own? It speaks to me. It really does, and I feel as though, you know, if it can speak to me, it can speak to others. And it’s doing exactly what it needs to do; it’s encouraging you to pursue your dreams, it’s encouraging us to strive, and to know that that is supported. And so I think it’s an amazing support to have. And again, you know, even I’m inspired by it. I feel supported by it. And I love having that support there. What was your experience with mentorship like that it made you want to turn around and do the same for somebody else? Wow. I mean, that’s the point of it all—to use your platform to help. When you’re climbing, look back to help someone else climb up. And what better way than to help other women? My mentee was Krystyl [Wright], founder of LOT XI, and her efforts in her business and to see the smile on her face to know that she had support, it makes it all worth the while. I just want to see us all continue to do that, and create more and more businesses and more and more platforms for each other. Having now been on both sides of the fence, what did you take from being a mentee that has helped you become the best mentor that you can be for somebody else? Just seeing the impact of it. You know, it encourages me to want to do more, and then it illuminates and exposes how much is out there and how many need support, which gives me the drive that much more to want to help create that platform and encourage others to do the same. And including myself! I didn’t look at myself as a businesswoman before, and now I’m like, ‘Yes, Mastercard, I’m a businesswoman, too!’ So it’s good to support each other in that way. And I love it so much. I think it’s amazing. Do you think that you still would have had the tools you needed to be a mentor had you not been a mentee? I think it’s… I love perspective; I love to see it from both sides. So I can’t say that— I maybe wouldn’t have the same insight that I do now, without that. Certainly the learning never stops. What’s something that you got out of being a mentor that you didn’t expect, or you didn’t see from the mentee side of it? Learning what’s out there, and seeing the creativity, and seeing the difference that can be made or the support that’s needed—which drives me even more. Being a mentee is like knowing that people out there care, or there is a platform, there is support, and that drives you even more to want to be more creative or ambitious to pursue your goals and dreams. 76 percent of people believe that mentorship is critical for their career, but only 30 percent have one. What would your advice be to that vast majority that don’t have a mentor? How can they seek out and build that kind of relationship? One, to know that it is out there, and that Mastercard is here, as well, to give that support, which is, you know, the goal of it all. But overall to know that it’s there. Also, just trust and believe. Do it for the love, do it for the passion, and it will make room for you, you know? Eventually, it can happen, and if you keep at it, it has no choice but to give in. So I would say to still allow your passion and your dream of what you want to do to be the driving force, first and foremost. And if you had the chance, what would you say to that 24 percent of people who don’t believe they need a mentor? I think it’s good to have a mentor. I think it’s good to branch out and get help where you can. We all need help. I always say for myself, ‘Honey, I couldn’t live this life without you,’ and we all need the support. And it wouldn’t hurt to just be open to it, pursue it. If it’s there, why not? Why not take that opportunity to have that? As you were preparing to launch your talk show for the first time, did you reach out to any other talk show hosts to help prepare you? Well, I mean, you know, talk shows are there, so it’s like it’s embedded in us regardless. It’s the soundtrack of our homes, it’s in our culture. So I feel like it’s always been there. The thing I was most excited about is to simply be me. I talked to—let’s see, I heard from Kelly [Clarkson], I heard from Ellen [DeGeneres], getting little insights, Sherri [Shepherd] as well, you know, things like that. But for the most part, my goal is to simply be myself. With that in mind—just wanting to be yourself—this may not be applicable to you, but what’s the best or worst piece of advice that anyone gave you while you were preparing to launch your show? The best piece was to be yourself. I don’t think I had any bad advice, at least not yet. But it’s still fresh, so I maybe can answer that question a little later! I have a great team. So so far, I think they’re steering me right. And finally, I’m curious to know, have you tried Zach Shallcross’ mustard pancakes yet? No, I haven’t, I’m sure I will. I tried some bread with mustard and bananas. It wasn’t that bad. It was actually kind of good. I don’t know how people come up with this, but I guess it’s always something to experiment on and to try. But the mustard pancakes? We’ll see. This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
