Why you need a Personal Board of Directors
I will forever love this time of year. The air gets crisper, sweaters + boots become my uniform, and there’s that familiar “walking across a college campus” vibe where the sense that learning season is back.
(I’ve clearly always been a nerd in this way)
But before we all sprint full speed into the doing that Fall tends to bring, I want to invite you to pause and do one powerful activity first that will exponentially help you achieve your goals this season:
Build your Personal Board of Directors.
This isn’t a new concept, but it’s one I return to again and again, and it’s an activity I recently guided Pivot Point members through at our Miami Growth Retreat.
Why? Because one of the biggest “secrets” to success is surrounding yourself with the right people.
Decades of research confirms what we intuitively know: the people around us profoundly shape what we’re able to achieve.
A Personal Board of Directors gives you:
Perspective variety (no one person has to be “your everything”)
Guidance you can tap into on-demand
Intentionality about who you let influence your decisions, ambitions, and growth
How to create your board
Choose 5–7 people you want to learn from in this season of your life, career, and leadership.
Mix direct + indirect mentors. Some should be people you know personally; others can be voices you follow from afar. (Emma Grede, co-founder of Skims + Good American, is on mine. Have I met her? No. Do I learn from everything she puts into the world? Absolutely.)
Clarify their role. Ask: What kind of situations will I tap this person for?What do they model for me?
Set a cadence. Will you connect via coffee, schedule regular check-ins, or simply soak up their content consistently?
Notice the gaps. If your “board” feels incomplete, that’s valuable information. It tells you where to seek new relationships. Personally, I realized I need more entrepreneurial mentors who’ve already scaled businesses. That’s where I’m intentionally focusing this Fall.
To make it easier, think in categories:
The Mentor (seasoned wisdom)
The Teacher (skills + stretch)
The Peer (navigating the same terrain)
The Visionary (done what you want to do)
The Truth-Teller (knows you deeply and won’t sugarcoat)
Think of it as your back-to-school supply list for adulthood, the people who will help you learn, grow, and lead this Fall.