If you want a coach or mentor in Glendale or Burbank, Blackburn Mentoring matches you, or your son or daughter, with one dedicated mentor who meets in person in Los Angeles or by video. You set goals together, break them into weekly actions and stay in touch by text and phone so the plan keeps moving between sessions.
Two cities, a lot of overlap
Glendale and Burbank sit side by side at the east end of the Valley, under the Verdugo Mountains. Burbank is home to a cluster of major studios and media companies, plus the airport. Glendale has a busy downtown around Brand Boulevard and residential neighborhoods running up into the foothills.
Families with high school and college students
A common reason to look for a mentor is a capable student who starts drifting: grades slipping, too much gaming, no plan for after graduation. Sometimes a grandparent or an older sibling is the one to make the first call. Whoever starts it, a parent or guardian is involved for high school students, joining the intro call, agreeing goals and receiving regular updates.
- A weekly routine for homework, sleep and screens (teen gaming balance)
- A first job or volunteer role that builds confidence
- A real plan for after high school, whether that is a four-year school, community college, a trade or work (life after high school)
- Support for students in their first year of college, especially those living at home and commuting
People working in media
Burbank’s studios and the post-production houses around them employ editors, animators, coordinators and assistants, many of them early in their careers. That work can be demanding and uncertain at the same time. A mentor helps with the practical side: managing long weeks, planning for gaps between projects, building skills for the next role and keeping a life outside work. More on coaching for actors and creatives.
Young adults balancing family and independence
When a young adult still lives at home, it can be hard to tell where support ends and independence begins. Plenty of people live at home into their twenties for good reasons, such as saving money or helping family, and still want more ownership of their lives. A mentor helps them set their own goals around work, money and responsibilities at home, and, with permission, keeps parents in the loop so the conversation at home gets easier rather than harder. See young adult mentoring.
How meetings work
Glendale and Burbank are close to Hollywood, Silver Lake and Pasadena by freeway, though the 5, the 134 and the 2 can all be slow. You can meet in person in Los Angeles every so often and keep your weekly sessions on video. Mentors are not tutors, therapists or admissions counselors, and with permission they coordinate with professionals already involved.
Getting started
- Start with a few questions. The five-minute assessment asks about the person being mentored and the goals that matter now.
- Have a free intro call. A person on our team, not a form letter, reviews your answers and calls to talk about fit, timing and rates.
- Meet your mentor. One mentor is chosen for the person, based on what came up on the call.
- Start meeting. Sessions run 60 minutes, weekly or several times a week, in person in Los Angeles or by video, on a monthly plan.
Foothill neighborhoods and close family ties in Glendale and Burbank
Away from the studio gates, these are cities of tidy residential streets, neighborhood main streets like Magnolia Park and Montrose, and hikes that start right off the foothills in places like Brand Park and Verdugo Park. The Chandler Bikeway runs across Burbank, Metrolink trains stop in both cities, and the 5, the 134 and the 2 decide how long any crosstown trip will take. Many families are multigenerational, and Glendale is home to a large Armenian American community.
Work nearby includes health care, aviation around the airport, retail, plenty of family-owned businesses and the media jobs the area is known for. Teenagers here are often closely tied to family life, helping relatives, working in a family business or caring for younger siblings. College students frequently live at home and commute, sometimes by train, and young professionals look for apartments that keep them close to parents without living under the same roof.
Situations that come up often in Glendale and Burbank
- A college student riding Metrolink or driving to a campus across the region who loses hours to the commute each day (see our guide for commuter college students).
- A teen expected to help in a family business after school who is trying to keep grades and friendships intact.
- A bilingual high school student who handles translation and paperwork for relatives and is carrying a lot on top of school.
- A new hire in health care or at the airport working early shifts and trying to build a routine around them.
- A young adult ready to rent a first apartment nearby who wants to plan the move in a way the whole family feels good about.
Glendale and Burbank are close enough that meeting in person in Los Angeles is often practical, with each session set at a convenient, appropriate place or run by video when that suits better. On busy weeks video keeps things on schedule, and texts or short calls carry the plan between sessions. More on mentoring online and on mentoring and coaching in Los Angeles.
Mentoring is not therapy or clinical care. If someone needs mental health treatment, a licensed clinician is the right place to start, and a mentor can work alongside them.
Related
Common questions
Can a grandparent or relative start the process?
Yes. Anyone can fill out the assessment, but the person being mentored needs to take part in the intro call, and the goals are theirs.
Do you work with students at local community colleges?
Yes. Community college students are a good fit for mentoring, especially when they are working, commuting or planning a transfer.
Can a mentor help someone early in a studio career?
Yes. Managing long hours, saving between projects and planning the next role are common goals.
Are sessions available in the evening?
Yes. Sessions are scheduled around school, work and family, including evenings.
Get started
Looking for a mentor or coach in Glendale or Burbank? Call (888) 305 5422, email contact@blackburnmentoring.com or start with a short assessment. A member of our team reviews every assessment personally and sets up a free intro call.