Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda Hill.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
As a youth, I was always told that I had a special assignment on my life by the Leaders in my church and close family members. I often refer to the beginning of my ministry as “The Wash Room Experience”. At the tender age of 12, I would gather the children in my community and invite them back to my mother’s home. We had a washroom in our home that was as big as a living room/den area. All of the children would sit on the floor of our washroom and listen to me speak ( being so young it seemed to have been for hours). What I noticed is that in the midst of me speaking, they would often cry. I can remember my first message, “Jesus is coming back soon”. At the end of every message, I would pray with them as I witnessed my Pastor do at church. I was so passionate about my belief that I would go to a specific location where some of the young drug dealers hung out and speak to them about the love of Christ. The life changing moment for me was the day I had an encounter with Apostle Brown. He was a minister that was invited to our church as a special speaker. As Apostle Brown was concluding his sermon, he called me up out of the congregation to where he was standing. I remember standing in front of him not really knowing what to expect, however, at the same time feeling overwhelmed in a positive way. He asked me my name and begin to speak encouraging words of affirmations concerning my life..
After I left church that day, it was something different about me, I knew what I had been doing in my community was a mission to empower others. So that is what I continue to do unapologetically. During my lunch breaks at school I would have a group of children around me and they would actually listen to me talk about God. Eventually I started speaking more often in my church, and that’s when doors begin to open and by word of mouth the speaking engagements begin. Now I wasn’t a popular child, people only seem to pay me attention when I was speaking about God.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
1. One of the challenges I have experienced throughout life is being unmovable in my decision making when it comes to assisting and helping others. I always seemed to have a positive mindset concerning negative situations. Therefore the challenge that I faced was staying true to my authentic self and not being influence by other people opinions when it doesn’t bring life/empowerment to what would be considered dead situations (I choose to remain optimistic). My associates would sometimes insinuate that I was naive because they didn’t understand my structure.
2. The challenges I experienced in my Mentorship Organization was that I would struggle to rest (me time). I always made myself available when someone reached out to me. Although I have a better structure now, I use to be the 24-hour mentor. My Mentees would call me at all times of the night and I would answer. I felt like I needed to be available at all times. If Mentee was facing hardships of any kind, I would cancel my plans and head to their homes. I had to learn that if I did not take time for myself, I was not going to be good for anyone.
3. The obstacles I faced with Mandy The Mentor Show was listening to my producer Eman (Eldridge Massington). I used to think because I am a mentor that I was supposed to talk about mentorship and ministry during every broadcast not taking into consideration that Mandy the Mentor Show is for entertainment purposes. It is a stem-off show from Mandy The Mentor International Organization. My producer would often say to me that I was putting myself in a box. I would strongly disagree with him because I didn’t understand that I was only targeting the church. Eldridge reminded me that during our initial meeting, I said to him that my vision for the radio show was to Uplift, Empower, Encourage and Entertain everyone that will listen. So I had to place myself in the Mentee seat and allow Eman my producer, to be my mentor… I ate plenty of humble pie and as a result I have learned so much.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Although I have mentored for over ten years. Mandy The Mentor was founded in 2018 and became international (Mandy The Mentor International) in 2020. This is because MTMI currently have 60 Mentees in South Africa.
We have a wonderful Team in South Africa:
South Africa Ambassador – Pastor Karen Maarman
South Africa Advocate – Minister Beverley Jonkers, which is my Mentee.
South Africa PR – Abigail Klaasen
I am a Mentor, Minister and Bibical teacher.
MTMI slogan is “Grow so you can go”. We teach women bibical principals and how to apply them to their daily life (That is the grow part). We encourage Mentees to take what they have learned and teach others (That is the part GO). Most of MTMI Mentees have become mentors.
We cultivate gifts through bibical teachings and workshops that teach women how to identify their spark from within, which is simply what they were created to do. Often times we partner women with someone that are currently on the path they are headed toward to ignite their passions from within. The goal is to make them see it… If they can see themselves in operation when it comes to their passion, they can believe it and work toward making it happen.
Some Mentees are diamonds in the rough. They have so much to offer. However, due to unfavorable life experiences they have lost confidence. We work with those women to identify areas that they excel in. Often times I teach the building of muscle mass. In order to build muscle, the muscles must first be torn, which is painful. This means we must confront the pain that each woman has or is experiencing. She has to know that healing is rightfully hers, and she is no different from other women that has already been healed from the pain of their past. This is something that we are all worthy of, but we have to do the work. We have to claim healing and pursue healing by doing the work within ourselves (becoming the healed version of you). Once we work through the pain, we capitalize on what she has gained through the process. At the end of the healing process women can see that they have a testimonial and a voice to be heard that will encourage and help other women to get through !
their struggles/obstacles. They now become a voice of hope by sharing their testimonials.
Some Mentees just want to be able to spread the Gospel or Spread Empowerment. Most of these women feel that they are called to ministry. We assist them by providing tools on how to deal with broken people. We teach them to write 3-5 point sermons. We host LIVE classes that allow participants to teach sermons they have written (to gain experience). This prepares them for speaking engagements. This also assists the ladies to maintain structure while speaking.
We have weekly group Empowerment Sessions where the women from the USA and South Africa join zoom calls collectively, and we speak what I like to call “LIFE to the soul” which are words of Encouragement and Empowerment. We encourage these ladies to continue on whatever journey they are traveling in life and not to get distracted when turbulence occur.. These virtual calls are created to strengthen those individuals that may have become discouraged while they are pursuing their passions, goals, dreams, ministry, etc.
I have 1:1 meetings with Mentees. This is how I learn to better assist the Mentees by identifying their true needs. Most women that meet with me believe they only need mentorship in one area, and after our meeting, they begin to pursue multiple areas of mentorship that they can be assisted in. We target goals. We target strengths. We talk about the process of elimination which is cutting those things out of our lives that are no longer beneficial, no longer healthy, those things that create dead weight.
Some 1:1 meetings are ministry-based only. It’s where I target the situation they are experiencing with bibical principals, bible scriptures and biblical illustrations. I apply what is relevant to their situation.
I often visit Mentees in their homes. These are also 1:1’s. I have discovered that most people are completely open and receptive when they are most comfortable. House calls have very really been successful for MTMI. For me, I consider the operation of MTMI to be a service of assistance to those who are in need of spiritual and practical growth. I am a servant because I serve others daily by giving my time, attention, knowledge, teachings, connecting people etc.
What sets you apart from others?
Who else could better speak on the behalf MTMI other than someone that is connected to MTMI. Therefore I called and ask my Mentee Beverley Jonkers what sets me apart from others: Quote: You have a genuine love for people and your consistent with walking out of life with people. People can feel your love for them. The most important one of them all is: You strongly believe in the assignment that God has given you, which pushes other people to also believe that they can walk out their assignments as well. We remain positive because we always see positivity come from you.
What are you most proud brand-wise?
I am mostly proud that I started MTM in an office in my home and I have grown Internationally. MTMI is always on the move and is continually growing and expanding. As the founder, I am not allowing anything or anybody to stop me. We are experiencing constance growth… MTMI is really making an impact in the lives of others.
MTMI really works… it would only fail if you do not have faith that it will work for you. It’s like a product that you create… your product will only work if you believe in it. You create the success of your outcome.
Every Mentee creates the success of their growth! I am mentor. However, I do understand that MTMI is not for everyone. We do recommend other mentors as needed.
Below is our growth timeline:
2018 Mandy The Mentor
2019 Mandy The Mentor International.
2020 Mandy The Mentor Show.
If you crave transparency, tune into Mandy The Mentor radio show every Sunday night on Blogtalkradio.com/mandythementor an hour of inspirational teaching, relating, and encouragement with laughter. This mentor show is 100% authentic with a target goal to edify a variety of people (Christian and Non-Christian). Guest speakers are frequent, with a message of hope. Tune in to see how God continues to work in and through our lives collectively.
Host: Amanda Hill/Mandy The Mentor.
Co/Host & Producer: Eldridge Massington/Eman.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
Do not allow others’ assessments and opinions of MTMI to change me. This is my God-given assignment and not everyone will understand the vision “This is my passion”! Therefore I push pass my emotions and the projected emotions of others and make what seems to be impossible happen.
Contact Info:
- Website: MandytheMentor.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/mandy_the_mentor/
- Facebook: MandyTheMentor
- Other: Blogtalkradio.com/Mandythementor
