Systems That Matter: Your Personal Board of Advisors

Read time: 4 minutes.

Hi 👋

Welcome to Build Things That Matter, where you will receive weekly tips on developing the mindsets, systems, and skills that matter to building impact-driven orgs and teams.

Today, you’ll get the #1 way to accelerate your org’s growth through a personal board of advisors. (It’s been invaluable for my personal growth as a leader, too.)

Making your ideas a reality - whether you work for a company or are building your own is hard, like really hard.

There are countless things to learn - product, finances, human resources, marketing, sales - the list goes on and on. The decisions are endless, and the possible mistakes are, too.

In 2015, the organization I co-founded and led, Ladies Learning Code, decided it needed to rebrand (to Canada Learning Code). If you think of a brand as a bucket that holds who you are and what you do, we needed a bigger bucket to reflect we taught more than just women tech skills.

It was a massive undertaking with really high stakes…

Ladies Learning Code had so much strong brand equity (and tens of thousands of followers and fans) that the idea of rebranding was controversial with many of our team, community, funders, and volunteers.

I didn’t know it then, but forming a personal board of advisors around me during that experience was single-handedly the most important, best decision I made.

A personal board of advisors doesn’t need to be formal or structured - mine was far from that.

A personal board of advisors is about identifying for yourself a group of people—including mentors, industry leaders, colleagues, and other professionals—who you can turn to for regular guidance, feedback, and support.

During the two years of our rebrand, I regularly connected with a group of personal advisors who helped me:

• Gain insights from different backgrounds and experiences including those who have gone through similar experiences (i.e. a rebrand)

• Help me talk and work through problems and decisions; seeing them from new and different angles

• Expand my professional network through their connections and referrals (you don’t need a good trademark lawyer until you need a good trademark lawyer)

• Help hold me accountable and stay on track by sharing my goals and checking in

• Make the journey a lot less lonely and a lot more fun

The whole rebrand was a ton of work, but the day we launched, it was what industry folks deemed a “non-event.” People supported the change. In fact, after the rebrand, we more than doubled our funding and reach. Win!

I attribute so much of that success to having a group of diverse advisors surrounding me to help me see gaps, make better decisions and accelerate my own growth as a founder and leader.

I’m super fortunate to continue to have a great group of folks I regularly lean on as I navigate new challenges in the business. It makes all the difference.

"You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with” - Jim Rohn

THE SYSTEM

Here’s how you can create your own personal board of advisors:

1. Define Your Goals:

   • Clarify what areas you need support in and your goals (i.e. starting your business vs. scaling your business, maybe it’s a career change).

2. Identify Potential Advisors:

   • Look for people within your network, mentors, colleagues, or industry leaders.

   • Like a good board of directors, a personal board of advisors should offer diverse perspectives and expertise.

3. Reach Out and Build Relationships:

   • Start conversations with potential advisors. Be clear about why you want their guidance and what you hope to achieve.

   • If asking for help is a bit daunting, here’s a better way to ask for help.

4. Engage:

   • Set up a time to connect through whatever touch-point or timing makes sense (i.e async, virtual, quarterly or ad-hoc). Always be prepared for each meeting to maximize their time and insights.

   • Show appreciation for their support and keep them updated on your progress, especially if you’ve implemented their feedback or insights.

5. Reciprocate

   • Find ways to provide value to your advisors in return.

   • Offer your own expertise, make introductions within your network, or support their initiatives.

That’s it.

Define your goals, identify potential advisors, and reach out to build meaningful relationships.

The system is simple, but you have to start. The right guidance and support can make all the difference.

Are you ready to take the first step?

If you have questions or need some encouragement, reply to this email. Let’s keep building together 🫶🚀

Until next week,

Mel

P. S. Building things is hard, and we need more people to do it. If you enjoyed this newsletter, consider forwarding it to a friend. Thanks in advance!

If you’re looking for more bite-sized weekly tips, you can follow me on LinkedIn.

If you want to dive deeper, you can work with me for 1:1 coaching.

Forwarded this message? Sign up here.