MEET EM + JILL

We are Emily and Jillian! What grew from an author + reader relationship turned into a lifelong Mentor + Mentee friendship. We always say, I guess we have God and Jill’s mom to thank for purchasing Emily’s newly published college advice book, She Is More Than The Freshman Fifteen, for eighteen-year-old Jill as she embarked on the big move away from home to Chapman University.

Soon after reading, Jill’s fangirling over the mature, accomplished, and relatable Emily Hepp found itself in an email addressed to the author, professing her love and excitement over Em’s writing and shared similarities she hoped to grow into. From that email grew a coffee date, and from that coffee date grew long talks in Emily’s office in between classes, and from the office grew Friday night lights cheering for Chapman’s football team coached by Em herself! Jill’s girl crush turned into a mentor relationship.. but little did we know that our blooming friendship would one day turn into a passion project for us both.

The hidden seed that most Mentor + Mentee relationships sometimes miss, is that mentorship is a two-way relationship. As Jill launched into the real world after college and Emily continued her career and found her person (yes, Jill was at the wedding, of course), we quickly found ourselves leaning on one another for advice as we both navigated dating, careers, faith, friendships, and more.

In a world where social media, comparison, and self-esteem are more prevalent than ever, it’s essential that we lean on each other to sustain real-life connection. We are just two women who are passionate about servant leadership, investing in the younger generation, and loving people simply and wholeheartedly. Our Sprouted Mentorship story all started with one email that we hope will impact generations.