Janis Laucenieks on his experience with the Alumni mentorship program
Janis lives a double life - during the day, he is an outstanding troubleshooter at the printing house Jelgavas Tipografija where he works as a project manager for the French-speaking market. And during the night, he produces the contemporary circus festival ReRiga. He has worked internationally in marketing, fundraising, and project management. He loves books, clowns, and performance art in general.
Tell me about how you got involved in the Alumni Mentorship Program?
I returned from the States in the fall of 2020, so the Cultural Industry had been completely shut down by Covid. I had to reinvent myself and see what other skills I could propose to the market and ended up working in a printing house. But soon enough a friend connected me to the people behind the Riga Contemporary Circus Festival who were looking for someone to run the event. I found it would be a great way to remain connected with my passion for circus arts.
I had experience with festivals and did my BAFF internship in a similar field, but soon realized that I was now the only one in charge of everything, bearing all the responsibility and that I really wasn’t equipped with all the skills needed to pull it off. I’m a perfectionist, you see. And I wanted to do things right, so I decided I needed some help.
Did you have any other experience with mentorship?
I actually already had two mentors by then, but those mentorships were more general. I understood with this new responsibility I needed something more specific, someone who could help me troubleshoot and deal with the situation that was happening right then and there. When the BAFF mentorship program came I was very motivated to apply.
Tell us about your mentor and how that relationship developed.
My mentor was Kristiana Karklina, She has a lot of experience with event management and had organized the Sculpture Quadrennial Riga for many years in a row. So it even exceeded my expectations. She made me realize that you can overcome all obstacles if you have a good team and manage them well. Sometimes she was almost my psychotherapist. We developed a friendship over the course of the mentorship, but I felt privileged that thanks to this program, I had an hour per week of her time.
What was the biggest lesson you learned about yourself during this process?
I thought I was a pretty easy-going person and trusted other people but quickly realized that since I’m very detail-oriented, that can sometimes manifest in micromanaging. And that can be exhausting to both yourself and your team members. Kristiana helped me see that I have to put my faith in my team, allow them to do their work, and focus on the big picture myself. That’s why you need mentoring. It's a good way of stepping out of your head and looking at the situation from a different perspective, so you can adjust. It’s very healthy.
What did you appreciate about your mentor?
She’s such a cool person. And in addition to being an expert in her field, she is in a band, so I’ve gone to her concerts and gotten to see such a different side of her.
Janis did his BAFF Internship 2019-2020 working with the Circus Centre in San Franciso, CA.
Whom would you recommend to take part in the Mentorship Program?
I think this is a great opportunity to learn from experience. Learn from someone who has probably been through the same challenges and made the same mistakes, but is a few steps ahead of you. So you can get the guidance and support to make your own mistakes but more safely. You also get to meet people in the industry which can lead to collaborations and opportunities. Even if you’re pretty stable and sure about yourself, it’s always useful to have a mentor. Every mentor I’ve had, has a mentor of their own. Even in their 40s and 60s, they have people they trust whom they can rely on for advice!
“Jānis was an exemplary person to work with! Dedicated to achieving the best results regardless the project he was involved with. We had aligning values and it made our interactions easy, pleasant and motivating.”
The BAFF Alumni Mentorship Program is accepting applications until September 18. The program is designed exclusively for BAFF alumni. Find more information and sign up on the BAFF website.