Navigating Your Success: Building Your Personal Board of Directors for the Win

Ever wonder about the power players behind a successful career? It's time to unlock the secret recipe for professional triumph with your own personal board of directors. In my latest podcast, I delve into the transformative strategy of some enlightening authors to show you how to assemble your career dream team. Through anecdotes and my own experience, I'll reveal the critical roles mentors, sponsors, and even 'friend-tors' play in the tech and design industries. You'll learn how to cultivate a diverse support system that acts as your career's backbone, and understand why having separate 'squads' for different areas of life is not just helpful, but necessary. 

As I recorded the year was coming to a close but as we start a new year, it's crucial to reflect on our personal time off and how it can be used to enhance our career support network. In this conversation, I prompt you to consider who you would want in your corner, guiding and propelling you towards your goals. Don't miss the chance to gain from our upcoming episodes featuring special guests and a wealth of career insights. Ensure you subscribe, leave a review, and for those looking to take their career to the next level, check out the show notes for links to my coaching services and products designed to elevate your trajectory.

References: Hart, Minda, The Memo, 2019, Seal Press; Torrisi-Mokwa, Jan, Building Career Equity, 2011, Self-Published

Visit https://www.careerperspectivespod.com/ to learn more and signup for exclusive access to podcast videos!

Contact me: KMN Coaching & Consulting for Career and Leadership Services- https://www.kmncoachingconsulting.com/

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Episode Transcript

Karyn Nesby (00:01):
Hey everyone, welcome to the Career
Perspectives podcast.
I'm your host, Karyn Nesby ofKMN Coaching and Consulting.
I'm here to help you navigateyour tech and design career.
I will tap into my network andleverage my 20 years of
experience in tech and designacross multiple industries and

(00:21):
bring my coaching and mentoringto you.
There goes an alert from youremail oh look, your coworker has
accepted that role that wasposted a few weeks ago that you
didn't even apply for.
There goes a chime from thegroup chat, and your coworker

(00:43):
mentioned how her senior leaderhelped to get her on a special
project that is going to havetons of visibility.
I'm sure you were ready forthat opportunity as well.
You're starting to think what amI missing?
I really wish I had someone totalk to about my career.
Now, friend, this is startingto sound more like a DJ Khaled

(01:04):
song and another one versus thecareer you set out to have.
Now, if you made your way tocareer perspectives, it means
that you are at a point in yourcareer that you know having the
right guidance can make all thedifference.
You've come to the right place,and in this first episode, I
will share my perspective onestablishing a personal board of

(01:28):
directors.
Let's get started.
The truth is, accomplishedprofessionals have relied on a
personal board of directors toachieve new heights of success.
So this episode is for thosewho need a refresher, or for

(01:48):
those who haven't started to putthis into practice.
I'm going to tell you right nowif you're a job seeker, this
will be key to your success.
By now, you probably realizethat going it alone won't cut it
when it comes to reaching yourcareer goals.
Success in our ever evolvingworld requires a supportive

(02:09):
network of individuals who'vegot your back.
The concept of career board ofdirectors originally was
introduced by Jan Torrisi-Mokwain her book Building Career
Equity.
It's like the secret sauce toyour professional journey.
Picture it like a gumbo, eachdirector bringing their unique
expertise, and you, my friend,are the hardy roux the

(02:30):
foundation upon which greatnessis built.
I promise I'm not trying tomake you hungry out there, but
you have to have your acttogether, know your strengths
and define your career goals,because without a solid base,
all that wisdom from your boardwon't be put to good use, and
that's like tossing the wholepot away.
Or for the football fans likeme out there, since we're in the

(02:52):
midst of the season, you can'texpect your quarterback to throw
the ball and catch it too.
That's a paraphrase from one ofmy favorite seasons on hard
knocks.
So be ready, because whenpeople invest their time and
energy into you, that meansthey're rooting for your success
, and that's a gift that's forsure worth embracing.
So here are the roles you needto look out for Mentor, sponsor,

(03:17):
slash connector, coach slashexpert, friend tour Now, the
friend tour might be the easierrole and you just didn't know
you've already filled theposition.
So, mentor, you admire theperson, you watch their career,
you want to achieve the thingsthat they've done and more.
They're willing to share withyou their tips and advice.

(03:40):
This is an excellent person tohave.
A sponsor slash connector Now,this one might be the toughest
to solidify, but you canidentify this person the
toughest only because you mustestablish consistent quality and
results and make it visible tothat person.
You need to be in proximity tothis person and your mentor

(04:04):
knows this person because yourmentor can vouch for you in
order to gain their trust andinfluence To bring your name up
in rooms that you or your mentoraren't in.
A coach slash expert thisperson knows a lot of
information and is willing toshare and can pull the best out
of you or provide you withinformation to help solidify the

(04:25):
direction that you want to go.
The friend tour.
You're already venting to thisperson, asking their thoughts,
and you really value theiradvice.
This person sees the best inyou and vice versa.
You both have seen the highsand lows in each other's careers
and want to see each other win.
If your friend tour received apromotion or a raise, they are

(04:48):
going to share advice with youon how to achieve the same goal.
They want to see you win.
So let's dive deeper into theconcept of a personal board of
directors and how it can benefityou.
Building a personal board ofdirectors is extremely valuable
and there are variousperspectives on this approach.
One insightful perspective onthis approach can be found in

(05:12):
chapter two of Minda Hart's bookthe Memo, which just celebrated
its four year anniversary ofits release this past summer.
It's a great addition to yourreading list, as she refers to
it as building your squad.
It's a concept that trulyresonates with me and I really
hope you check it out.
I'll give you my take just frommy own experience.

(05:33):
I can tell you now that I'lluse squad and personal board of
directors interchangeablythroughout this episode.
So, as you think, within therealm of building relationships,
it's worth reflecting onbuilding a personal board of
directors.
Slash squad is more than just astrategy.
It's a transformational movetowards self empowerment and

(05:55):
career elevation.
In this dynamic world, wherechange is the only constant and
we know that, especially in thetech space this year it's been
crucial to have a diversenetwork of advisors who bring
unique perspectives to the table.
These advisors become yourchampions, guiding you through
challenges, amplifying yourstrengths and helping you

(06:17):
navigate the sometimes turbulentwaters of professional growth.
They provide the wisdom,insight and unwavering support
needed to break barriers andreach new heights.
Your personal board ofdirectors isn't just a group.
They're your trusted allies inthe pursuit of excellence and
they will help you unlock doorsthat you never even knew existed

(06:39):
.
So really embrace the power ofthis network, cultivate it with
intention and watch it propelyou towards your most audacious
dreams.
I can share an example of howone of my squads worked for me.
I say one because I have onefor my career and one for my
coaching business, and you canhave as many squads or personal

(07:00):
board of directors as you needDuring 2020 when I started KMN
coaching and consulting.
I knew exactly how I wanted toshow up for my clients and what
the service offerings would be,and I knew that resume writing
wasn't going to be part of thepackage, but it's necessary for
my clients to be ready toimplement what I coached them on

(07:20):
, and I wanted them to feelconfident with their resumes.
I found Tiffany Williams online, who provides a host of
services, one of which is resumewriting, as she has a business
called Pitch HR, and so westarted to network during the
pandemic and built a greatprofessional relationship and
friendship.
And so Tiffany is going to bejoining me on an upcoming

(07:43):
episode to share all of herknowledge and wisdom and talk
about her own career journey.
And so Tiffany, in turn,introduced me to Amber Fields,
the founder of Black UX Labs,which is an amazing organization
, and I also plan to have Amberon an episode, and she's going
to share the details of whatBlack UX Labs is doing to help
promote more diverse leadershipand design.

(08:04):
And so Tiffany really served asan excellent connector for me,
and that's really what I callthe power of building a great
squad.
Now I'm huge on when you'retrying to implement something
new, to just really break itdown into something manageable,
because this isn't supposed tobe difficult.
But I hope you enjoy your timebuilding and cultivating

(08:24):
relationships.
So let's start by finding theperfect match for you.
I'm sure when you heard therole of mentor is one that
probably resonated with you.
When it comes to selecting amentor is not just about picking
a random person with a fancytitle, so consider these key

(08:45):
factors.
I'm going to list three.
So one consider their expertiseand experience.
Look for someone who has beenthere, done that and conquer the
challenges that you aspire toconquer.
Seek out a mentor whoseknowledge aligns with your
career goals.
Two compatible communicationstyle.

(09:06):
Communication is the heartbeatof any successful relationship,
so find someone whosecommunication style clicks with
yours, someone you can connectwith on a personal and
professional level, allowing foropen and candid discussions
that foster trust and sharedunderstanding of your career
aspirations.
So don't just go out there andfind a yes person and somebody

(09:29):
that's just going to say andtell you everything that you
want to hear.
You have to be comfortable withthem, but you also have to have
a shared respect for theiropinion as well.
And then three network andopportunities.
A great mentor will not onlyshare wisdom, but also open
doors for you.
They're not a gatekeeper.
So consider someone wellconnected, as their network can

(09:51):
expand your horizons, presentingyou with excellent new career
opportunities, introducing youto influential industry players
and the chance to participate inexclusive events or projects
that might otherwise remainbeyond your reach.
The power of a well connectedmentor really lies in their
ability to bridge the gaps andcreate moments that will put you

(10:14):
in the rooms you need to be into reach your next level.
And now I'm thinking of like thesong from Hamilton all of a
sudden, but I promise I'm notgoing to sing it.
So now you understand what apersonal board of directors is
all about, how to find theperfect match in a mentor and
how all of this can bebeneficial for your career.
So no excuses, everybody,remember the roles that you are

(10:37):
looking to feel a mentor, asponsor, slash connector, a
coach, slash expert and a friendtour.
You want these directors toadvocate for you, offer expert
advice, provide uniqueperspectives, point out your
blind spots and hold youaccountable for your goals.

(10:58):
This is a dedicated communityyou build for your career,
growth and development.
While the authors I mentionedexplore similar things in their
books, it's essential to explorea variety of sources to gain a
comprehensive understanding ofhow this can work for your
career.
Hey, so I call this careerperspectives.
Now, always remember knowledgeis power and your personal board

(11:22):
of directors can be asignificant asset on your
journey to success.
I know that this year is windingdown, but I hope you've saved
some PTO from the months ahead.
It seems 2023 is just flying by, but we still have some time,
so think about who you want toadd to your personal board of
directors, or your squad, orwhatever resonates with you.

(11:43):
Maybe throw an acronym in therethe PBDs or whatever you want
to call it.
But I hope you enjoy theepisode and I look forward to
bringing on some guests andsharing more career perspectives
with you soon.
Don't forget to subscribe ifyou haven't already, so you

(12:05):
don't miss an episode.
Please leave a review, as Ilook forward to reading it.
If you want to connect onsocial or searching for my
coaching services or products,check my show notes.
I've listed all the places youcan find me.