Background

FluentStream recognized that while their business was growing, their leadership development efforts were not keeping pace. With managers at varying levels of experience—from new promotions to seasoned leaders—they needed a more tailored approach to leadership development.

The Challenge: A Need for Personalized Leadership Development

FluentStream had previously experimented with structured leadership programs, including a four-month engagement with a virtual workshop platform. However, these one-size-fits-all solutions weren’t meeting their needs. Some managers needed mentorship, others confidence-building, and many wanted guidance on handling team dynamics.

FluentStream also offered employees a $3,000 L&D stipend, but it wasn’t being fully utilized. Leadership wanted a solution that would help managers develop their skills in a way that was practical, impactful, and scalable across career stages.

Choosing Mento

Allie Morton, Senior Director of People & Culture at FluentStream, was introduced to Mento and interested in its personalized coaching model. Unlike legacy coaching providers, Mento would give her team tailored, one-on-one coaching from experienced mentors. She signed up for a trial of Mento, and after experiencing Mento’s personalized approach to coaching and mentorship, she decided it was the right fit.

Several factors made Mento stand out:

• Personalized coaching approach: Each participant receives customized support from an experienced coach who has experience in their field. Allie loved her coach, Rand, who had experience leading similar-sized teams.
• Coaching-Mentorship model: Mento coaches provide a blend of coaching and mentorship, delivering the best of both worlds.
• Flexibility: Employees could continue working with the same coach or transition to a new one as their careers evolved.
• Ease of implementation: The onboarding process was simple, and managed by the Mento team.
• Ongoing Data & Insights: Mento provided regular impact reports that helped leadership track progress, and evolve the coaching program with their business needs.

Implementation

FluentStream initially introduced Mento to managers and high-potential employees. Over time, they expanded the program to rotate in new leaders.

Key implementation details:

• Coaching participants: Primarily managers (80%) and high-potential employees (20%).
• Decision-making process: The leadership team nominated candidates for coaching.
• Ongoing evaluation: Regular surveys and feedback loops helped refine the program’s impact.

FluentStream has three goals for coaching:

1. Improve leadership effectiveness across all levels of management.
2. Boost employee engagement and team performance by strengthening leadership skills.
3. Develop a more confident and strategic leadership team.

Results: Measurable Leadership Growth

FluentStream saw strong, data-backed improvements after implementing Mento coaching:

• Leadership confidence and performance (+35%)
• Ability to successfully manage conflict (+52%)
• Long-term vision & goal-setting (+23%)
• Employee retention (+41%)

Allie shared that the impact is being felt across her organization. Internal data they’ve collected show that Managers as a whole are improving their effectiveness scores with those who work with a Mento coach leading the pack.

"Everyone who has worked with a Mento coach over the past year has seen their confidence and ability to drive organizational impact improve significantly. This has leveled up leadership across the board."
- Allie Morton, Senior Director of People & Culture, FluentStream

Hear it from Users

Mento’s impact extended beyond numbers. FluentStream leaders credit their coaches for transforming  their leadership:

"My coach is incredible. She has helped my ability to communicate with others. I have also been given tools to better assess what projects need to be passed off to others and focus on my key priorities."
- Manager, FluentStream

"Coaching has given me confidence in areas I was unfamiliar with. It’s been a game-changer in how I approach leadership."
- Manager, FluentStream

Additionally, senior leadership recognized the impact, with one executive consistently requesting more coaching seats for employees due to the noticeable improvements in leadership effectiveness.

Looking forward

FluentStream has built a scalable, high-impact coaching program for managers that has improved leadership effectiveness, increased engagement, and reinforced business outcomes. As the company continues to grow, Mento remains a critical pillar in developing confident, capable leaders.

Allie strongly recommends Mento to HR and talent development leaders looking for a coaching solution that meets employees where they are.

Mento's personalized approach to coaching and mentorship is much more impactful than traditional coaching, especially as we're working in remote and hybrid environments where informal mentorship doesn't happen as organically. Leadership across the board has improved since working with Mento.
- Allie Morton, Senior Director of People & Culture, FluentStream