Getting on a Board as a Professional

The Twitter people. Oh, you have to tweet people. Yep, yep. Spaces so hard, like, wow. I don't know how you compartmentalize. Hi, everyone. Happy Friday. Oh, I can't believe it's Friday. What a long week it has been. Have you done your Friday reflections? How was the week? How did you get through the week? What worked? What didn't work? Have you learned anything new this week? It's important that you have, like, your same questions and then, like, you go over them every week, and every now and then you throw in, like, a new one or ask yourself something different, just so that you keep aware and you keep reflecting, so that you keep learning and growing and making sure that you're measuring the important things. So think about, how did your week go? What were the good things this week? What were the bad things this week? How do you avoid the bad ones in future? What lesson can you pick from that? What did you fail at that you can learn from? Who are you grateful to? How did they help you? How did the person or the event or something that went differently than you expected? Because life is always throwing us curveballs. And so once you learn that you survive the curveballs and that you can move through things when they don't work out, how you plan it makes you stronger. It makes you more aware of how to plan things better in the future. And it also shows you that when things don't go according to plan, you will survive. You can rely on yourself and trust in your own skills and abilities. But unless you're, like, aware of those things and you take them in, well, like, you're positive about it, you're not beating yourself up about every failure. You're picking the lessons. You're trusting yourself. You don't grow in that area. So you stay fearful and you stay worried, and it gives you more anxiety about the future. But it's something I've learned with time. If you reflect as things are happening and you look for the positive side, you look for the good, you look for the lesson, you give yourself pat on the back when you do well. It helps. It builds your own confidence in yourself. Because life is always going to have unexpected obstacles and things that come at us, but we have to be able to trust that we have the ability to live through them. And that's how you keep going and that's how you keep growing. So I hope you have done your weekly reflections. All right, today's topic is getting on the on a board as a professional. It's our last week of board series. So this is your last chance for board questions. We're gonna be moving to communications, I believe. So getting on a board as a professional is an interesting area, I think. It's not something I personally, like, work towards, but now that I'm on several boards, I look back and I'm like, these are the things that helped me and that made me ready for it, so it's useful. So I thought that's what I would be able to share. I believe there's a video somewhere, must be on YouTube about this, my one of my videos. So as a professional, I think being on a board is something to aspire to and something to look like you're going to look forward to it. That's where you grow in your career. Because professionals are the ones who are on boards, because boards are for professional companies, essentially, for all corporates and big companies, small companies, small. So the sooner you learn how to get on a board and you learn how to be useful on a board and good on a board, then the better for you and the more useful you'll be to others. So I think I started going to board meetings when I was quite young, but that's because we had a family board for our family businesses. And I would just sit in and listen and excuse me. Oh, my gosh, it's cold. And just by observing it helped expose me to how boards are and how boards work and how people behave on boards. So for me, what was interesting is to see the dynamic between different adults, different CEOs, different board members, and how they would present, how they would discuss things, how they would disagree, how they implement new things. So I learned a lot about that, about how you behave in a professional setting. And I think it's something that we take for granted. I realized when I was in my 20s, I didn't grow up around a lot of women that had professional jobs. A lot of the women in our family or around me were entrepreneurs or worked in the family business. So it's not quite the same as, like, nine to five. I did have two aunts. One was a lawyer and one worked in it. And they had, like, job jobs. And I remember always, like, finding it fascinating to sit and listen to their office stories because it's so different from anything I'd ever experienced. Even if I'd go to work with my parents. And so they were career professionals and to understand and see their behavior, from the way they would dress to how they take time so seriously, they were always on time for, like, birthday parties and events and the rest of the Family was never on time because everyone else works in, like, family business, but they worked in, like, structure. So there are so many small things I used to notice about what it's like to be a career person versus, like, an entrepreneur. And I think when it comes to things like getting on board, it's all about your behavior, your reputation, how your professional integrity, how you present right? And so learning those things, observing those things, absorbing those things, the sooner you start to, the better for you because you start to also embody them and reflect it in yourself. So I always remember thinking I wanted to be like them. Yeah, it's cool to be an entrepreneur, but, you know, when it's your own parents, you take things for granted. You're like, okay, yeah, like, that's fine. But they used to, like, dress so nice. Everything was serious. Like, they had, like, work colleagues and work drama. They have to take leave, which is like something we never understood because entrepreneurs sort of come and go as they choose. And they'd be like, oh, my leave is this day to this day. So we have to plan this party or this Christmas or this whatever, or I have to go back to work. I can't make it to this, this event. So I thought it was so structured and exciting. Also, I think you crave, like, the opposite of what you have. So our household was very volatile today, this next week that, like, because of business. But theirs was structure. But I think picking up on those things when I was younger really helped me because even once I started working in a family business, I wanted to be like the career people. I wanted to take it like a profession. It's actually something that drives my dad crazy. He's like, you, you, you. You want us to be like a Muslim company with all the governance and structures and systems. That's not real life. That's not realistic in Africa. And I'm like, yeah, it is. We can be like that too. But he thinks it's. It's not necessary or needed because business doesn't need that. Technically, then it runs in their own. In their own ways, and they have their own systems. It's just not structured. And then one of my first jobs was at a bank in Uganda, and it was so cool. At first. I realized it was not for me quite quickly, but it was interesting to see the work culture, the way people dress, the way people show up on time, the way meetings are run, the systems, the policies, the hierarchies. And I had never been exposed to something like that. And the reason I'm saying this is learning These processes and how you fit in the process makes you a better career professional. And that's what's going to make you attractive to a board later. So I feel like this is interesting. I feel like I'm grateful to my aunties who used to share all their stories with this curious little kid about work because it made a big impact on me and the way I carry myself in the workplace. So I've always wanted to be more structured and like more professional and take it seriously. Yeah, I'm not perfect. Sometimes I will still wear sneakers to work just because I can. But I try and I do that now, but not like the last few years. And I think it helps in the way that you see career professionals. So look for mentors or look for people or look at the board members in your company if you have a career like you work in a corporate situation and look at what they're like, try and understand them. And mentorship is not always technical. That's the thing it's not always about. You need to do this ACCA course or you should read this particular book. It's also about who they are and how they carry themselves. Because so much about getting on things like boards or getting awards or getting nominated for things or getting promotions is about your reputation and your visibility. So it's about how other people see you and absorb you, how other people value you. So a lot of what I'm always trying to say is you have to be able to show your value and you have to be able to be visible in that value because there's no point in being amazing at what you do and no one knows. You're just that quiet person who does everyone's work and never gets the credit for it, because when promotion time comes, it will not be you they look for. So it's about building your reputation and it's so much in the soft things. It's not always the most qualified person who gets where, like on a board or who gets the promotion or the opportunity. It's often the person that other people respect more or they think will add more value or they think has the ability to improve this situation or run that project or take advantage of this opportunity. So it's about how you present yourself as that person. It's not fake or manipulative because you actually have to live that way. If you carry yourself in a certain way, that's what becomes your reputation. So what I'm saying is be intentional about who you are being and how you are showing up at work. And that is how your value will move forward, your reputation will open doors for you, and your visibility and how people perceive you is what's going to help you to open up those opportunities. So think about it that way. Look for the people who you respect. Look for the people in your company that are respected in your field, that are respected. Because to be on a board, it shows that you are respected in that field, and they believe you add value in that area. And as we've talked about in this last month, boards have diversity, right? So they're not going to have a board with seven lawyers. They're going to have boards with a lawyer, a finance person, a marketing person, like, with different backgrounds, right? So in your field, how do you stand out? How are you going to be that expert that they want on their board? So you have to think about that now so that in the future, you are that person. You start to behave like them. Now, if you think, okay, I'll wait till I'm like, 45, then I'll start behaving like this. It will be a bit late, I think, because your reputation will have already been established. People already know you for how they know you or they don't know you at all. And it's very hard to, like, come out of nowhere because at that point, your peers will be much more visible. So the sooner you start doing this stuff, no offense, if you're already 45, it's not too late. You can still do it. But the sooner you start, the better, whether you're 21, whether you're 55, like, the sooner you start, the better. The sooner you're intentional and proactive, the sooner you start to get the things that you actually want to get. And I know I didn't aspire to be on a board, but once I got on one and then I learned and I could do it, I got in another. And now, like, I enjoy it, and it helps with my life and my lifestyle. I learn so much. I get paid to do this work. So it. It adds different values. You meet different people, you're exposed to different things. I get to travel for my boards. I get to meet such cool, interesting people that my normal job would never, like, introduce me to. So now I really see the value. And I also try to make sure I keep adding value. It's not that, okay, I'm on a board now. Now I can relax. No, I still have to learn. I still have to grow. I still have mentors. I still look up to people and say, wow, how did they do it? How did they get on that particular board because some boards are harder than others. Some of our different courses or they're looking for different things. I know boards where they've nominated me and I was not accepted because of my age or because of my lack of experience. It makes sense. Or because of something else I did, I don't know. But you have to think about the kind of professional you're trying to be. I think it makes sense. Like how we set goals in our life. Like, I'm always talking about mental, physical, spiritual, and emotional. And like having goals in those areas so that you have a target. And it's kind of like knowing where you're going on a map so that you're intentional, so that every day you. Am I being the person I want to be? Am I showing up the way I think I am? Because a lot of us have an idea of who we are in our minds, and if you ask the people around us, it doesn't quite much. And that's why I think there's an issue, like, to be authentic and to. To show up the way you mean to is not easy. It's easy for us to all have ideal versions of ourselves in our minds, but to actually be that person every day, in and out, it's not easy. And I don't think anyone is ever 100% like that all the time. Some days you'll have a great day. You will, like, go to the gym, you'll kill it at work. You'll be great with your family. You go to bed on time. You ate for the right things. You are good to everyone. You are fun. You are. You are smart, you are this. It's like an amazing day. Most days are not like that. Like, you can't do. You can't be perfect at everything every day, but you can be intentional about it, which means as you do, like your weekly reflections, you'll see progress, you'll see change. I use exercise as an example because that's something I've been changing this year. So I can see every month I can feel how different I am. I can see how much more I'm doing it. If I'm trying to learn a new skill or. Or I'm trying to be more intentional about the way I use certain words or the way I deal with certain people or in certain situations. I have to see how I'm moving. Am I still behaving the same way as I always have? Or am I behaving the way that the ideal version of me would? So there's always A gap, but I can see I'm making progress. I'm making progress. I'm not quite there yet, but I'm improving. I can see this time I wrote the report and I handed it in not on the moment of the deadline, but a day before or this time I actually read the entire email thread more than 10 minutes before a meeting. Like, small things like this I used to struggle with because I was always like lit and narration, like, trying to do too many things. So I'm using my own examples. But there's always things in your life that you're trying to improve. So whether it's like a mental goal or physical goal or something else, you can use the same attitude and it's the same process that you can use at work. So if you think about who you want to be in your career in 10 years, like, if you say, I want to be on the board of this company, that is the kind of person I want to be. I want to be like the treasurer of the lawyers Association. That is an aspiration I have. I want to be in this type of Rotary Club. I want to be this senior person in bni. Like, you can have these goals and you have to see who is the kind of person that is going to be the person that can do that, the person that gets that position and the person that can actually be good at that position. Because the fact that you don't already have it means you're not yet that person, but it means you can be. It's all doable, it's possible. So it's about how do you close that gap of who you're trying to be and who you are right now. And I'm not saying change fundamental parts of your personality. It's about the things you do every day that you show up for. It's about the habits that make that are consistent. You can't be great one day and then think that's enough. It's like saying, I went to the gym for eight hours. Now I don't have to go the rest of the month. Unfortunately, no, I wish it was that way. Way I am intense. That's more efficient. But life has shown me not so much. James Clear's book, Atomic Habits. Amazing. Everything is about the small, small steps you do every single day. If you're trying to improve at something, you need to improve a little bit every day. Rather than trying to make big jumps every month or every year. Next year I'm going to make this much money. How about you start by making this much money? Once a week. Because if you do that once a week for the next 52 weeks, by next year, yeah, you have that much money, but you're not going to do it in one big jump. So when you think about the professional you're trying to be, you have to think about, how do I start to embody that person? Think about ideal you. Sometimes I would think of Jessica Pearson in suits. I just thought she was the coolest. She always, like, looked nice and she was such a boss, but she was still, like, nice. People, like, were scared, but they loved her, you know, I liked that she's not like a mean boss who shouts at people, but when she tells people to get stuff done, she. They get it done. And, like, she was good at hard work, you know, So I always loved that. And I think, yeah, that's what I want to be like. I want to be like Jessica. How do I be like that? And it's not that I want to copy and paste her. I'm not her. And I understand the circumstances are different. Firstly, she's a fictional character, but there are certain qualities that I feel like I could embody. I could be more graceful, I could be more patient, I could be more open. I could be more. I could put in more effort in certain areas. And if I put in that effort, then I will see the results. But it's about putting in the effort on small, small things. The difficult conversations, the time it takes to prep for something rather than just showing up for the meeting as I normally do. Okay, this time I'm going to read about it in advance. I'm going to see who is going to be at the meeting. How do I best prepare for this meeting? This person is in charge of this, so that means this is what they're going to be looking for. Oh, in this meeting, the finance person will be there. So I better know the finances and the budget. I better come prepared. So you start to do small things, and you do it for one meeting, then you do it for the next, then you do it for the next. And it takes effort at the beginning, but after you've done it for a few weeks, you start to become that person that everyone knows, that one is always very ready for meetings. Let's invite her to the next meeting. Because you know what? She's on top of her things. She understands this. She'll do the research. And then they start inviting you for things that they weren't inviting you for before because you showed your value. That's what it is. That's what it Takes in your career professionally, to keep moving forward, you have to have the value, bring the value and show it. And I see how that makes a difference. In the first few years, I just used to be quiet. I'm here learning. I'm the youngest. I'm the boss's daughter. I just have to be quiet. That's what I thought was my role. Just listen, just learn, take notes. And with time, I realized, yes, I can add value because I listened, I took notes. And now you guys are making a mistake because last time you said this and now this time you said that, and all of you don't remember. Guess what? Who took notes? Yeah, this is the answer. And you start to get used to speaking up, and you start to get used to adding things and taking more time and preparing better. And people start to see your value. So the two have to go together. Make sure you're bringing the value, you're adding value. You can't just be there. Oh, yes, I showed up for work. I ticked the box. Are you actually showing up, showing up for work? Are you doing your best at your job? Are you the best possible person for that job? Are you killing it every day? Are you showing the people around you that you respect your job, you appreciate your job, and you're good at your job? I hate it when I have to have conversations like that. Sometimes someone will be doing such a lousy job at what they do, and I'll be like, hr, you need to talk to this person. Do they even want this job? Other people are begging for jobs. The amount of people looking for jobs in our country every day, it's wild. And then there are people who just don't show up at work. Yes, you're there physically, but you're not showing up. You're not doing it well. You're not pushing, you're not being proactive, you're not being intentional. You're not showing, I want this job. I can do this job well. I'm going to go above and beyond. And I know it's hard. I saw someone in the comments last week that said, but the job will always ask for so much. And it's a job. It's not yours. At the end of the day, you're replaceable, that's true. But your spirit, your energy, your reputation is yours. So if you just tick a box, you just show up just to get a paycheck, you'll not move forward. No one else is going to want you. No one's going to poach you. No one's going to give you a promotion. No one's going to ask for you to do more. No one's going to invite you to be on their board because you do the bare minimum. It's not your company. Yes, but by showing up and giving all you can and adding that value, it will bring back value to you later. I sit on boards that are not my business. I don't make money from them. I sit on boards where they don't even pay me. Doesn't mean I don't show up well. Doesn't mean I don't be prepared for meetings. I don't think of them. I don't introduce them to things. I give my all because that's my reputation and that's what's important to me. I made that decision for myself. If I'm going to agree to do something, I'm going to do my best at it. I'm not going to agree to something and just be like, okay, I ticked the box. Let me just go, no, because that hurts me. That's not in my integrity. And I think that has helped me because now when people invite me for things, whether it's a board or it's a speech or it's, you want me to be part of something, they know I'm going to show up. I'm going to do it properly. Yeah. I might not agree with everything you do, but I'm not gonna just sit there quietly and pretend it's okay. Because I just want to say, oh, I worked with this company or I got paid by this. No, I have my own integrity. And that is something that speaks for me. So when other people recommend me, they're like, this is how she is. She's intense, but she'll give you her all. Like, that's how she is. And that's the reputation I want. So you have to see that balance. Yes. I know some companies work you to death and don't appreciate you. So in those kinds of situations, give it your best. Don't let someone else's poor behavior make you a lesser person. Give it your best and look for another company to work out where they'll value you and make sure you are visible. Remember, that's what goes with the value. Because as you look for the next company, you need to be able to say, in this company I'm at, I closed this deal. I made this much money. I run a team this big. I show up like this. I do this every day. You have to be able to show that value to the next person so that that visibility Gets you that next job and then in the next company, hopefully they value you more. That is my solution to that. But you should not take the low road, as I say, as you know, just because someone treats you badly doesn't mean you should behave badly. And I have to remember that sometimes, sometimes people piss me off so much, I'm just like, why am I putting in this effort? Why am I trying so hard? You didn't try hard. This. You're not prepared. You're disorganized. Like, why do I come prepared if you're not going to be prepared, you know? But I still do it because I am not. Your poor behavior is not going to reflect badly on me. Whether or not you organized, whether or not you're making a good decision. I did my part and I can sleep at night because I know this is who I am and that's how I am. I will do my best and do what I can live with. And when, if it goes wrong, no one will say it was me who didn't tell you or it's me who didn't show up. It will not be me who is the weak link. That's what I tell myself. Whether I'm tired, I'm stressed, I'm. What if I said I'm going to do it, I'm going to do it to the best of my ability. It will not be me that did it wrong or didn't show up or messed up. Sometimes I mess up by making a mistake, yes, but not because I didn't prepare or I didn't try. I didn't put in effort. That will never be me. And that's something that's important to me. So I feel like that helps in my own reputation and in my own visibility. So small things like that affect it. And a good thing is these are things that are in your control. Effort is free, cost you other things like time and energy, but it's free in money. And all it takes is a different attitude. It's a mindset. And even when I'm hiring people, it's not that I'll hire the person who has the most degrees or the most qualifications or the most experience. It's the person who has the best attitude, that is, who gets a job. Because you will just. Every job will have obstacles. There'll be new things to learn. I want to see, are you the kind of person that is going to show up for us? Are you going to put in your effort and your all and you're not going to submit mediocre work There are people who just do the bare minimum. Those are people I don't want around because that level of effort and intention and attitude is negative to me. You're not going to help the company. You're not going to help yourself. You're just going to make everyone else's life harder because everyone else will have to work more to compensate for you. So the people who I love hiring and they're out there are the ones who have that attitude, yes, we're gonna do this, we're gonna do better. They send me messages in the night. I just saw this and it made me think of this and this is what we should do. And I'm like, yeah, love that. That is the right spirit. You're always extra, you're doing more. You should always. It's something we say in business. You should never oversell and under deliver. It should always be the other way around. Undersell and over deliver. Tell people, yes, I'm going to do this. This, this, this is the product. This is hard time. We'll deliver it and make people say, wow, you know, that was great. It was better than I expected. You know, I would have even paid more money for the service that I got. Let people live with that impression of you. Like, wow, we are lucky we have this person. We even got them cheap. They're doing so much. Those are the people that value you. Those are the people that see your value. And those are the people that will open doors for you. They will recommend you, they will suggest you, they will nominate you. It is important because your reputation is what is going to open those doors for you. And you won't be there. You won't be there to fight for yourself or to pitch. The things get decided without you. Sometimes. Sometimes you'll be nominated and then they'll bring you for an interview and then you get to show up and like, give your best way forward. But that's why you have to have your value ready to show. You have to make sure that you're doing these things and you're proactive. And honestly, it's great because it is in your control and it is doable. You can do it. It just takes some effort. Do some research, Ask a mentor. Look around, look at your colleagues, look at your bosses, look at their supervisors. What are they doing that you're not doing? Because clearly there's something. And see how you start to do that. See how you start to push more. You be proactive. I spoke to a lawyer a few weeks ago and she's like, I decided I had my list of clients, my dream clients, and every year she has this list of dream clients that she wants to get, and she puts in effort to go and find them. I'm like, what? She's like, yeah, I have to make sure I find the right circles they're in. I'll go to events, I'll find someone who knows them. I'll ask for an introduction. And she is proactive. She's out there chasing. I'm like, girl, you're not even a salesperson. She's like, no, I'm a lawyer. But I want these clients for her own esteem, her pride, her ambition. It's like, I love this. I love that attitude. Make your dream list of clients and go for them. Who is going to refuse after they've been swept out by a lawyer? Oh, yeah, I already have a lawyer. But this girl has come to look for you, and she's coming prepared. She knows what you need. She knows your company. She comes to pitch you, like, I will be the best lawyer for you. How do you say no to that? It's amazing. These are the people that get ahead in life. I'm just saying. It's the go getters. That's why they call them go getters, because you get up and you go and you get it. If you're a waiter, who knows? Are you waiting? It will come. It might not come. What to do? You're just sitting there passively. But if you get up and you go get it, you'll definitely get it. Because you're going, you're going. I love that. What Mark Wahlberg's always saying, what are we doing? That's his thing. What are we doing? Like, he always has to be doing. He has to be moving, he has to be going. Because you can't just sit and wait for things. You have to speak up. You have to ask. You have to try. In startups and when you're, like, figuring out business stuff in San Francisco, they're always like, you have to get out the building. I was like, what? What do you mean, I have to get out of the building? Or building Musanna cards. It's not outside here in San Francisco. They're like, no, it's a phrase. It means you can't make, like, a whole plan for a business, like sitting in an office. You have to get out of your office, go and speak to people who actually work in this field, Go to the market and talk to vendors. You know what I mean? Get out the building. You have to go. It's the Action. It's the doing. You have to be action oriented. You have to go and get what you're looking for. So even to be on a board, go get it. Several people have asked me, how do you get on a board? That's one of the reasons we did this series. I was like, this is what you got to do because you can't just sit and wait like a flower. I know that I didn't go looking for a board, but I was doing so much. The boards found me because I was always doing, and I was visible in that. So these are the small things you can do to improve your own chances and to push your own career further ahead. It's not just about getting on a board. It's the same skill set that's going to get you a promotion, a new job, an opportunity, a project, a training. Because you're out there doing, you're going and getting. You start to get things. Once you're going, the getting happens. That's how I think of it. Okay, let me see if there are questions as I rush through this time. Okay. Can you contrast the differences between an advisory board and a board of directors? Sure, Davidson. So an advisory board is not legally bound to a company. A board of directors is. That is the major difference in my understanding. An advisory board is more like you're just mentors to the company. Usually you're not paid to be an advisory board. You don't have duties on the board. Like, of course it's good that you show up and you give your value, but you're not really bound to anything. So if you don't show up, if you. If something goes wrong in the company, it's not your problem. Essentially, it's the company, the CEO, whoever works in the company. It's their issue. When you're on the board of directors, you are legally attached to the company. So you are the bosses of the CEO, the board. So that's when people say, the board has made this decision. And it happens. Like. And the company has to deal with that because the board is directly tied to the company. So you are legally obligated to attend board meetings. You're supposed to do certain things. Boards even have, like, ethics and integrity. You can be fired from the board. Like, it's a very serious position. Advisory board is like a softer landing. If you're thinking as a board member and also as a company. It's good to start with an advisory board so that you learn sort of the governance that's necessary, how to prepare for the board, how to take the advice how to integrate the board's information with the CEO and the company. And it helps you to have an advisory board first before you have a board of directors, just so that you get used to it. Like, as an entrepreneur, that's what I would suggest. Like, for example, we have a board of directors in Simba Group, but Mosana has an advisory board. You know, it's different because also it's a. It's a big responsibility to be in the board of directors. It's harder. And those board of directors usually compensated. Like, you pay those ones, they're part of the company. And like, it's important and you're attached. So you don't just pick them anyhow. And you can't have like an infinite amount. I've seen advisory boards of like 20 people just like, okay, they all advise you, they're all advisors to the company. So it works that way. But that's the major difference is the how. How closely tied you are to the company. How do you identify the perfect person to serve on the board? How do you tell someone is right for the job? Thank you for the question, Hillary. There's no such thing as perfect. But you identify people who are well suited to your board because of the skills and the background that they have and how much they care about your company. Whether it's about a board of directors or advisory board, you need to find someone who believes in the company and what they're doing, and they have the right experience, which means they are not you. So they have experience you don't have, they have knowledge you don't have. They have a network you don't have. And you want to make sure that it's diverse. So you don't get like seven lawyers on your board, all of them from the same law firm in the same city. You know what I mean? You need to find people who are going to complement you, who are going to complement the company, who are going to give you rich advice, knowledge, network and support. That is what a board is for. They are to support the company, to make better decisions so that the CEO or the founder is not making all the decisions by themselves, with only the information and the ideas that they have. The board supplements that. So they need to be people you respect, people who have better experience. Well, not better, but different, more experience usually than you in those certain fields. And they are specific, like they are professionals in their areas. Like, they understand that subject topic and that sector. And they're going to add value to you and your company. All Right. What is the goal with boards? Oh, okay, Robert. I think I, and I just explained that that is basically the goal with the board. They're there to support the company and help the company move forward. Because a CEO or a founder cannot make every decision by themselves. We are all human beings. We are also limited. And by the time a company has a board, it means you have other employees, you have like financial responsibilities, you're making an impact in the community. So you can't just be making decisions willy nilly, like, you know, like a single person. So a board is there to support you, to make sure you're making the right decisions or the best decisions possible, to call you out when you're going wrong or to make you accountable, to make sure you're moving in the right direction. They also introduce you to people, to their networks, to opportunities. They help you with fundraising. So boards do so much, but it's about the governance. So it's about making sure this company is growing and moving in a good direction and is not being sort of overly controlled or micromanaged by one person or like senior management or like no big issues are happening that, you know, with more oversight and supervision. Everyone needs supervision. Everybody has a boss. So you have to also think about them like the boss of the boss, to help the boss to make better decisions. Yeah, an accountability partner, unlike mentors. So that's helpful. What happens when you feel like you're not given audience to express and show your value? Doreen, you gotta go there. You gotta be a go getter. No one is going to give you anything. You have to speak up, you have to ask for the meetings or say, can I talk to you? Or by the way, this, send an email, talk to them, make sure that you are making that space for yourself. Because things are not handed to us in life, so no one is giving you the audience. Essentially. If your company doesn't have a situation where there's like weekly meetings or like meetings on a project or a way you can show your value, then you have to be proactive about it. Send an email saying, I did this research, this is the report, this is my recommendation. Or ask your supervisor, can I come and meet you about something and sit there and show them what you're thinking about and how you add value. It's important that you create those audiences for yourself. You have to make those situations happen. It's not easy, but it's doable. So you just have to pick some courage, make sure you've got your facts down and show the value that you're adding because it's very easy for you to be overlooked. Assuming you meet all the qualities you have mentioned, how do you get the attention of the company whose board you want to sit on? Any practical advice? Interesting. You know, I really like LinkedIn because I feel like it's subtle. So if you're in, like, a specific field, you should follow all the, like, thought leaders in that field and all the companies that are there, and then you should feel value there. You can easily, like, comment on something that they do. You can meet up with someone who works in the company. Sometimes that helps. They're called information interviews. Tell someone, oh, I love the company you're working for. I would love to get to know more. Can I take you out for coffee sometime? You know, send that to, like, three or four people who work in the company and meet them and talk to them and ask them about the company. Very interested in this field. I'm very interested in that. How do you get to know? You build a relationship with people. So when it comes time for them to nominate people for the board, they'll be like, oh, there was this person I met the other day at a conference. They were so interesting. They had all these questions, they had all these ideas. They are so good at this and they think of you. Because I think when it comes to boards, you need to be top of mind. Like, people need to be aware of you. So in your field, you want to shine. You need your value to be shown. I like things like LinkedIn because it's easy and it's not. It's not like you're out there giving speeches, you know, which is harder. You have to be visible in your field. Like I'm saying, the board members have specific, like, sectors and expertise. So in your field, you should be known as an expert. Because usually when people are making boards, they'll ask other people, like, nominate people. The other day someone asked me to nominate, like, some women for their board. And I was like, okay, what kind are you looking for? Oh, I need women who have financial backgrounds who have this understanding, who are passionate about this. So I had to start thinking, who are the women I know in my life or who I've met who I can see or recommend? So you want to be one of those people who others think of in that field. You need to be associated with your sector, with your area. So add value in that area. Whether you're speaking at Rotary events or. Or you're consulting for different companies or you're big in your own company. You need to be visible. That's the practical advice I'd give you. Once you know you have the qualities, you know you have the competency, you're adding value in that field, then you need to be visible. That's the part that's missing. So people need to know you, not just that company, because you never know who is the person they're asking, who should be on my board. Maybe it's the CEO's cousin, maybe it's the CEO's Rotary member. You know, you need to be known in your field for that stuff. You need to be known as a valuable person in that field. And then you can get nominated for things like that because you can't submit yourself. It's not like boards have open bids. Yeah. So you have to be making sure that in your field, people know you for that. Thank you for the mentorship. My pleasure. Will you be having a week on networking? Okay. We did networking week in months in her. We can add networking. I think we're doing communications and then branding. We can add networking. Sure. I will take that feedback. Thank you. Okay. We have even passed the time. I hope that is helpful, everyone. That's the end of board series. We will be kicking off communications, which is another helpful one for everything. So have a wonderful weekend. It's about a board of directors or advisory board. You need to find someone who believes in the company and what they're doing, and they have the right experience, which means they are not you. So they have experience you don't have. They have knowledge you don't have. They have a network you don't have. And you want to make sure that it's diverse so you don't get like seven lawyers on your board, all of them from the same law firm in the same city. You know what I mean? You need to find people who are going to complement you, who are going to complement the company, who are going to give you rich advice, knowledge, network and support. That is what a board is for. They are to support the company to make better decisions so that the CEO or the founder is not making all the decisions by themselves, with only the information and the ideas that they have. The board supplements that. So they need to be people you respect, people who have better experience. Well, not better, but different. More experience usually than you in those certain fields. And they are specific, like they are professionals in their areas, like they understand that subject topic and that sector, and they're going to add value to you and your company. All right, what is the goal with boards? Oh, okay. Robert. I think I and I just explained that that is basically the goal with the board. They are there to support the company and help the company move forward. Because a CEO or a founder cannot make every decision by themselves. We are all human beings. We are also limited. And by the time a company has a board, it means you have other employees, you have financial responsibilities, you're making an impact in the community. So you can't just be making decisions willy nilly, like a single person. So a board is there to support you, to make sure you're making the right decisions or the best decisions possible, to call you out when you're going wrong, or to make you accountable, to make sure you're moving in the right direction. They also introduce you to people, to their networks, to opportunities. They help you with fundraising. So boards do so much, but it's about the governance.