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I think the biggest takeaway I'm having right now, Heather, is that sometimes the lessons
you're learning, the hard way in what you're doing can lead you to an opportunity for

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board leadership.

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Welcome to the True LNBA Show, the career management podcast teaching black women how to
become unstoppable at work.

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I'm Felicia Ann Rose A.

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AKA

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The Trillest MBA, delivering the inspiring truth through strategies and tactics so you
feel protected, confident, and ready to conquer your career.

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Hey guys, welcome back to the show.

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Today is definitely one that you want to stay tuned in for the whole episode because I
have a very special guest today and we are going to break down corporate board membership.

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How do we get it and how do we get paid from doing it?

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That's what we're talking about today.

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So my special guest that I'm talking with is Heather Spillsbury.

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Heather is the CEO of 50 50 Women On Boards, a global nonprofit that's moving the needle
on board diversity.

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Like for real y'all, not just pretend, really getting the job done.

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Under Heather's leadership, the organization has tripled its reach, grown corporate
contributions by 30 % and put real dollars, 84 % of their funds toward the mission of

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getting more women, especially women of color,

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into board seats.

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She's also a marketing and operations powerhouse who's helped companies like LVMH, Moe,
Nintendo, and Starbucks drive major growth.

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Heather, welcome to the show.

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I'm so glad you could be here today.

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And I'm so excited about this topic because one, I don't know anything about it.

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It's like a mystery.

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Like we don't know, but we need to know.

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So I'm so excited to have you here today.

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Thank you so much for having me.

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I'm equally excited to be here.

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So I appreciate you putting attention and awareness around this conversation and promoting
what we do as an organization at 50 50 women on boards.

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Yay.

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So now my first question for you, is there anything that you want to tell my audience
about you that I didn't get a chance to say?

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No, I mean, I think you really covered it.

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You know, I've had an interesting career.

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It actually started out at the Grammys.

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wow.

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Yeah.

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So I was there for five years and I always loved music and it just sort of happened to
fall into my lap, this opportunity.

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I worked in the accounting side for a while.

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And then for a brief time, I worked in the marketing department, but I always worked on
the shows with the PR team.

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And so that really led to my career.

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I met a wonderful individual.

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His name is Ron Roker, who really

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I always say gifted me my marketing career.

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He introduced me to this woman uh who now runs Collie Power.

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Her name is Gail and she opened her arms and said, any friend of Ron is a friend of mine.

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And so she had me come in and do an interview and I got to meet with some of the
individuals at Edelman and that really jump started my agency career and my marketing

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career.

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see the power of networking.

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power of networking.

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I mean, it really did start back then.

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mean, I think that was in 2007.

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So, you know, and I don't think I think I was too young to really understand it.

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But looking back, I thought, oh, this is what networking is, you have to utilize it.

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Yeah.

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And the reason why your ally Ron, he saw your work ethic, recognized you were a go-getter
and then people decide to be your sponsor and your ally.

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And so I don't want that nugget, even though we're talking about corporate boards, I don't
want that nugget missed because that's so important for people to understand.

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That is a huge piece of how you get a board seat.

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So it is not far moved from what we're gonna talk about.

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So it works out perfectly.

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Perfect.

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Okay.

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So now let's start with the basics though, because I'll be honest with you as a worker bee
that I've been my whole career so far, corporate boards, the people on the board seem like

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mysterious, powerful people.

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You never see them in the office.

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You know that they exist because people mention them.

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And when you get on the investor calls, know, people are talking about them.

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But that's it.

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And so the idea to actually serve on one of these boards is like, wait, what?

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So first of all, let's get down to like the basic basics.

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What is a corporate board and what do they do?

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That's a really great question.

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We could spend really the entire hour talking about this alone.

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But there are different types of boards.

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And we teach this in our workshop courses, our board readiness workshop courses.

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There's nonprofit boards.

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There's private company boards.

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There's advisory boards.

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There's government boards.

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You've got a whole gamut of the types of boards that you can serve on.

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And so public company board service, which is

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Today, seen as the echelon of like where people can serve based on compensation and also
visibility and just growing your own career from that standpoint.

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But corporate boards are really there to provide fiduciary responsibility to the
investment firms, the shareholders, key stakeholders, the company, and of course the CEO.

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And they are put into place to help support the company in terms of

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operating you know they're not there to operate the company.

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But they're there to oversee what the company is doing and to help.

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One mitigate risk.

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You know think of things from a different perspective and that risk piece can really be
involved in a number of different areas right whether that's financial risk whether it's

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cybersecurity whether it's a I.

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etcetera there's.

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You know.

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Variances in terms of what that could mean.

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But again you're there to provide oversight to the company and to help the company
continue growing.

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And the reason that you're plucked for that position.

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is because of your skill sets and expertise.

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That's interesting.

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I'm going to come back to that because, you know, there are a lot of celebrities on
company boards and I want us to get into that.

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But before we get into that, that is the foundational knowledge that we need to know.

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Right.

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But what I want to know from you, Heather, is why 50 50 women on boards?

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What's what's the why for you?

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why for me that is a good question.

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The why for me was immediately the opportunity to help women understand the qualifications
and expertise they had built over time and to be confident in it.

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think oftentimes most of us, know, especially women will put our head down.

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And we continue to work and we continue to educate ourselves and we continue to try to
find paths to move forward.

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But we don't ever stop and recognize the work that we've done and we don't talk about it
enough.

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And that is key.

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I think we have to get more comfortable like men in touting what we do in a way that gets
us to the next opportunity if that's something that you're seeking.

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And so ultimately it wasn't necessarily just about

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getting women to corporate board service.

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It's about ensuring that women understand the value that they bring and then leveraging
that value that they've gained over time to go where they want to go.

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And that is again, confidence building and just seeing people um evolve from one
individual who's come in and said, well, I have this expertise, but I'm not sure to

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someone who can articulate what they do, how they do it and the results that they've
driven.

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And that's going to lead me to this follow-up question for you, Heather.

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Can you share a story when you had that aha moment about your own confidence journey?

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Because when you answered that, felt like that came from experience.

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Like not only have you seen this in other women, but you had your own journey through
evolving and growing in your career and then growing that confidence to know like, I am a

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bad ass.

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That's an interesting vantage point.

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I've had some really good allies.

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I mean, we talked about Ron already, right?

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And I think throughout my career, I've had really great opportunities.

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Sometimes it's fallen in my lap, sometimes it hasn't, and I've had to go out and seek it
and work for it.

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I think that's how most people's careers go.

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There's a blend of that.

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There's a blend of opportunity and there's a blend of...

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If you want this, got to work for it because no one can see you yet.

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um You know, I come from a household where I was trained to keep moving forward and that
was really sort of my motto and it still is today.

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I always tell people just keep going, keep going because you just don't know what's on the
other side.

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I think even in any adversity that I've ever experienced in working and, and just, you
know, being at some agencies that I didn't quite like, or I knew it wasn't the right fit

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for me.

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I knew there was always something else on the other side.

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So I always tell people to show up.

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So even if it's an opportunity that you've gotten into that you're not quite sure is the
right fit for you, just to continue to show up and to do the best work that you can.

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Because even while you're searching for your next opportunity, whatever situation you
might be in, I think the thing that I've always thought is those people can essentially

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also help you in the future.

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And so you never really want to burn a bridge.

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And I know we hear that often and it feels like a cliche.

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But it is really true.

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You have to show up, you have to be proactive, and you have to deliver and be consistent.

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And that is true in any area of anyone's life.

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And I think when people can count on that, I think that's when you then become someone
they can vouch for and recommend, whether it's for a job opportunity or for board service.

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And so the way that you show up is so important.

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And just to do that throughout the process, even if we have one foot out the door and
you're looking for something else,

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that is the way that you get recommended.

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That's gold.

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Heather, that is some gem dropping you just did right there.

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And I so appreciate you being here today because I think people believe that there's
something extra or something extraordinary that they need outside of just the career

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development that they're doing right now.

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uh

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being a manager, being a director, I think they think, I have to be in the C-suite to be
on a board or I have to do this.

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So what are some of those common misconceptions that professionals may have about board
service?

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I think the biggest misconception sometimes, especially if you don't understand what it
takes to serve as a board director, especially on a public company board, is that that

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should be the goal.

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And it's not always the goal.

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And I see this a lot.

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It's like, OK, like you just said, the next step is getting to the C-suite, and then I'm
going to be a board of directors.

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Board service might not be what you want to do, and it might not be right for you.

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Maybe public company board service isn't right for you and you really want to stick with
private, or maybe you prefer to be in the nonprofit space and that's where you want to

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sit.

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And that's fine.

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I think what we try and do as an organization at 50-50, I say this a lot, the journey to
boards can be ambiguous because the process for selecting board members is, but the

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process for preparing yourself does not have to be ambiguous.

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And so,

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In our courses, we teach you the board fundamentals is one of our courses.

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We teach you that.

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We teach you what is a board, what types of boards are there, what types of committees are
there, what does it take to serve, what skill sets and expertise do I need, what's the

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time commitment, what's the potential compensation, or what's the potential give get if
you're on a nonprofit, meaning you have to fundraise or.

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you know, pay out of pocket a certain amount, depending on the size of the nonprofit.

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But those are the things that I always encourage people, if you don't know anything about
board service, take that course, because that gives you insight into really what this is

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all about.

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Not necessarily all of the insight into risk and what risk you're taking on when you are a
public company director, but at least it helps you determine, this right for me?

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And if it is, or if I want to explore it, you know,

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where should I start?

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And that helps provide people with some guidance.

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you know, understanding really what it takes to be a director, I think is the first step.

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Okay.

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And so I think the thing is that people, lot of times just, especially women, right?

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We tell ourselves no before we allow somebody else to tell us no.

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And so when you think about the real criteria that companies use for selecting board
members, what is some of that?

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Like I may need a readiness course.

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It's true, but

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how do I know that I'm even ready for a readiness course, right?

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Like, how do I know that I've done the right things and gained the right skill sets in
order to be eligible for being on a corporate board?

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And I'm focusing on the paid public boards because I guess they're like the holy grail.

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I personally have served on nonprofit boards and had to raise money because I was on a
nonprofit board.

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I currently serve in an advisory capacity for the Black Marketers Association of America
board.

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So I give my time and talents and money to that as well.

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So for me, like I would maybe want to serve on a board someday.

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How do I even know what the real criteria is?

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based on your skillset and your expertise and the value you would bring to boards right
and so board composition.

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Tends to be if a board is practicing good corporate governance you know they have a they
have a board matrix there's a board composition they have certain people maybe already in

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place that have.

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Certain skill sets at that company needs to help drive them forward so for example if
you're you know on.

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The board of uh let's say an electric car company.

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That company is potentially looking for people with uh obviously financial skills is
important so usually they'll have someone who's got a financial background that can serve

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on the audit and finance committee.

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They're going to want somebody with tech experience, probably cyber AI, you name it
because it's an electric car company.

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They're going to want somebody who has energy experience, who understands what it means to
serve in the energy industry.

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and also the regulatory uh needs and requirements of that.

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So when you're having conversations about the company and its growth, what does that look
like even from a global standpoint?

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And then there's other pieces and parts, right?

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But it depends on your skillset.

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So if you, Felicia, had a specific skillset that you were trained in, then that skillset
is something you can continue developing over time to then qualify to serve as a board

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director because you've honed in on that expertise and skillset.

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Oftentimes boards do want someone who can immediately serve on a committee.

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So again, if your background, let's say is finance, then your financial background would
be relevant on the compensation committee.

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And again, finance or audit, or sometimes they're combined.

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So it is dissecting that in our course, again, board fundamentals, like what is your
skillset and expertise?

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And if you don't know that yet, where do you wanna lean?

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Because then we walk you through this is what they're looking for.

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It's also about your

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influence and sometimes relevant so I know you mentioned sometimes there's celebrity board
members in the area sometimes that's because they have a stake in the company so they're

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an investor in the company and so they're sitting on the board- and so there at forty
probably has a certain tenure- um and then they exit off that board depending on how

211
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involved they are in the in the company itself or if they.

212
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Helped you know.

213
00:16:59,722 --> 00:17:06,026
Put capital into the company that's why they could be sitting there as well and not all
not always the case but in some cases.

214
00:17:06,034 --> 00:17:11,245
Um, and so again, it's, it's, it's understanding what the board needs and requires.

215
00:17:11,245 --> 00:17:15,476
And as companies evolve, the board also evolves.

216
00:17:15,877 --> 00:17:22,869
Hopefully sometimes it doesn't, but if they're practicing good corporate governance, the
board also evolves.

217
00:17:22,869 --> 00:17:30,621
know right now in today's climate, there's a lot of, public companies that are also
bringing in experts to help on certain topics, right?

218
00:17:30,621 --> 00:17:35,362
Whether it's tariffs, you know, whether it's other advice that they need to, help.

219
00:17:35,362 --> 00:17:41,552
combat certain risk that is eventually going to be part of the company's oversight and
also in the board's oversight.

220
00:17:41,552 --> 00:17:50,036
But something that could impact the company, there's a potential to bring in an expert to
help serve as guidance to the board.

221
00:17:50,402 --> 00:18:03,194
That's good to know because, you know, my friends and I, nerd out on business things being
an MBA and we've been talking about the impacts of the political climate, right?

222
00:18:03,194 --> 00:18:05,976
And the volatility in the market.

223
00:18:05,976 --> 00:18:15,294
Like we discuss these things over dinner because things like tariffs don't impact a lot of
people's day-to-day jobs.

224
00:18:15,294 --> 00:18:17,466
But there's a lot of us that

225
00:18:17,550 --> 00:18:24,630
Like for me in a marketing function, if I working in a company, I'm the spoke of the will.

226
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So operations, procurement, those people are relying on me to make sure that I'm driving P
and L certain P and L levers to make sure that we make our plan and we make our profit and

227
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then we get our bonuses.

228
00:18:39,470 --> 00:18:39,930
Right.

229
00:18:39,930 --> 00:18:47,446
And so I think a lot of times we take for granted what these stop

230
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gaps and disruptions cause, because tariffs mean that your procurement prices go up.

231
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So now I have to make a decision as a business leader, you know, do I take price?

232
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But then now I've got to talk to my customer marketing team who is closer with our
customers, who's going to be upset if we try to take price.

233
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And now we've got to manage that relationship and figure out how to mitigate the cost of

234
00:19:15,010 --> 00:19:21,873
goods that we are importing in because that's what we use to make the product that we're
making to sell.

235
00:19:22,073 --> 00:19:25,450
It's a whole thing.

236
00:19:25,450 --> 00:19:39,301
And literally now, because this person is in office saying these things, I now am having
to disrupt my natural workflow to take these emergency meetings.

237
00:19:39,401 --> 00:19:41,982
And these things are happening to

238
00:19:42,008 --> 00:19:46,060
people that I know that we are, I call us the worker bees, right?

239
00:19:46,060 --> 00:19:57,865
And I think we take for granted how much we're learning in that process and how much we
know about how to manage supply chain issues.

240
00:19:57,865 --> 00:20:09,930
Like I remember when I was working for a Fortune 500, won't name, but there was an
aluminum cam shortage globally and I had to still make plan.

241
00:20:10,958 --> 00:20:18,378
even though I wasn't on the brand and the portfolio that you would make sure that that
brand got cans.

242
00:20:18,978 --> 00:20:32,278
But my little brand, which wasn't so little, it's still millions of dollars annually,
almost $100 million annually, but still not billions of dollars.

243
00:20:32,278 --> 00:20:35,338
And so maybe you don't need so many cans.

244
00:20:35,338 --> 00:20:39,038
But if I don't have a certain amount of cans, I can't make plans.

245
00:20:39,038 --> 00:20:40,846
So what we talking about?

246
00:20:40,846 --> 00:20:53,137
um And then having to put together a plan to mitigate that risk, whether it's trying to
shift our customer partners into different sizes of packaging for the product and, you

247
00:20:53,137 --> 00:21:06,529
know, working on different deals for bottles instead of cans and then negotiating in the
building, outside the building with your suppliers to get more cans and talking to our uh

248
00:21:06,529 --> 00:21:08,410
counterparts in.

249
00:21:08,576 --> 00:21:13,369
the UK and in Asia trying to negotiate cans with them.

250
00:21:13,369 --> 00:21:15,120
Like it was wild.

251
00:21:15,120 --> 00:21:21,753
I had never had to do anything like that before, but these things happen.

252
00:21:21,753 --> 00:21:36,003
And I think the biggest takeaway I'm having right now, Heather, is that sometimes the
lessons you're learning, the hard way in what you're doing can lead you to an opportunity

253
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for board.

254
00:21:38,240 --> 00:21:39,414
leadership.

255
00:21:45,646 --> 00:21:46,156
Exactly.

256
00:21:46,156 --> 00:21:57,431
mean, when you were talking about the different issues that you dealt with, you know, it
really is a supply chain and regulatory experience that you're gaining there and in a

257
00:21:57,431 --> 00:22:02,993
volatile time and how and then the outcome of that is also very important, right?

258
00:22:02,993 --> 00:22:04,874
So did you make plan?

259
00:22:04,874 --> 00:22:09,336
if you said, well, then see, and then those are the results that you share.

260
00:22:09,336 --> 00:22:14,018
when you're at the point of inflection and you decide, hey, I would like to

261
00:22:14,018 --> 00:22:20,964
continue to increase my skillset in this area and then potentially position myself for
board service.

262
00:22:20,964 --> 00:22:24,227
These are the types of points you put in your board profile.

263
00:22:24,227 --> 00:22:36,918
You talk about your supply chain experience and your global experience in helping to
mitigate that risk and to still meet plan under a very regulated industry, right?

264
00:22:36,918 --> 00:22:41,710
And those are the key points that you draw, including a percentage point of the results
that you drove.

265
00:22:41,710 --> 00:22:43,350
And that's what boards look for.

266
00:22:43,350 --> 00:22:49,290
want to know, does someone have experience in helping to one, mitigate this potential
problem?

267
00:22:49,290 --> 00:23:02,510
But also if we are in this situation, you know, finding a plan or a path forward to get us
out and not that you would have on a public company board, to be clear, not that you would

268
00:23:02,510 --> 00:23:11,638
have any operational role in that, but you would have strategic advisory role in that to
help support the board and

269
00:23:11,638 --> 00:23:16,481
the CEO and their decision for the management team to move forward with.

270
00:23:16,942 --> 00:23:18,082
Nice.

271
00:23:18,183 --> 00:23:28,046
So can you share a success story from 50 50 women on boards that speaks to strategy over
status?

272
00:23:28,046 --> 00:23:43,374
Somebody who maybe doesn't have a platform, maybe isn't known, but they've been very
successful in becoming paid to be a leader, a board leader and join some corporate boards.

273
00:23:43,374 --> 00:23:56,994
I would say our 50 Women to Watch for Boards program is that, you know, when I launched
that in 2023, it really was something that was a, it was in part because of all the talent

274
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that I saw going through our workshops.

275
00:23:59,954 --> 00:24:13,408
really understanding more and more as I continue working with this organization is that
there are so many talented women, especially women of color.

276
00:24:13,408 --> 00:24:17,821
And I think there's not a pipeline issue, as we all know.

277
00:24:17,821 --> 00:24:28,038
There's an issue for ensuring that boards are searching, especially non-gov chairs of the
board are searching outside of their network for potential candidates that really do have

278
00:24:28,038 --> 00:24:30,710
the expertise and skill set to serve on that board.

279
00:24:30,710 --> 00:24:39,456
You know, it happens a lot where you see particular board people, especially people of
color, being tapped for multiple board opportunities because they're known in that

280
00:24:39,456 --> 00:24:42,537
ecosystem and someone can vouch for them.

281
00:24:43,404 --> 00:24:45,655
you gotta bring other people along.

282
00:24:45,655 --> 00:24:53,838
And so with 50 Women to Watch, I really wanted to highlight women who were already ready
for public company board service.

283
00:24:53,838 --> 00:25:04,243
They have the skills, they have the expertise, they have all the training, they're getting
mentorship through our selection committee, of course, but they have everything that they

284
00:25:04,243 --> 00:25:05,883
need to be able to serve on a board.

285
00:25:05,883 --> 00:25:08,364
Now it's just a matter of making them visible.

286
00:25:08,364 --> 00:25:12,910
And so aside from the education and training we provide, plus the mentorship,

287
00:25:12,910 --> 00:25:22,250
The visibility for those board candidates to be seen and then put them in situations where
they can also network and connect with some of these individuals that already serve on

288
00:25:22,250 --> 00:25:27,870
multiple boards is so beneficial to their career in board service.

289
00:25:27,870 --> 00:25:32,650
And 20 % of our first cohort have already secured public company board seats.

290
00:25:32,650 --> 00:25:35,910
And our 2024 group just finished all of their training.

291
00:25:35,910 --> 00:25:38,390
again, we want to continue showing that impact.

292
00:25:38,390 --> 00:25:40,952
I want to be clear, we don't place women.

293
00:25:40,952 --> 00:25:45,585
but we try and help elevate them so that they can get placed.

294
00:25:45,605 --> 00:25:47,466
And that's really important to me.

295
00:25:47,466 --> 00:25:59,934
So it showcases, one, not only our organization's impact, but to your point, showcases how
someone can use strategy to get on a board as opposed to status.

296
00:26:00,236 --> 00:26:00,767
Right.

297
00:26:00,767 --> 00:26:04,021
I know we talk about it's not what you know, it's who you know.

298
00:26:04,021 --> 00:26:11,449
But I think in this case, it actually is a lot of what you need to know and what you need
to learn and then the who you need to know.

299
00:26:11,449 --> 00:26:12,601
Exactly.

300
00:26:12,601 --> 00:26:14,002
It goes hand in hand.

301
00:26:14,002 --> 00:26:20,812
And I think that's what 50 women on board is delivering for us.

302
00:26:20,812 --> 00:26:25,904
Yeah, yeah, and it goes back to the first point I made about your network is key.

303
00:26:25,964 --> 00:26:36,129
Who you are networking with and connecting with is key to your career, it's key to your
board journey, it's really key to helping you understand how does this ecosystem of board

304
00:26:36,129 --> 00:26:37,289
directors work?

305
00:26:37,289 --> 00:26:38,970
You know, what do I need to know?

306
00:26:38,970 --> 00:26:47,373
Because outside of any training that you're gonna get, once you actually serve on a board,
whether it's nonprofit, private or public, you have a deeper understanding of what it

307
00:26:47,373 --> 00:26:49,048
takes to be a board member.

308
00:26:49,048 --> 00:26:52,760
But then you start to also interact with other directors.

309
00:26:52,760 --> 00:26:59,524
Some of them are also, even on your nonprofit board, some of your directors there might
also be serving on public company boards.

310
00:26:59,524 --> 00:27:08,959
So we always say, use that as an opportunity to let people know you're searching for your
next board opportunity, but also in a way where you're connecting with them and getting to

311
00:27:08,959 --> 00:27:10,460
know them and building a relationship.

312
00:27:10,460 --> 00:27:15,273
Because that is the key, because they're seeing you in action.

313
00:27:15,273 --> 00:27:17,784
They can eventually vouch for you.

314
00:27:17,784 --> 00:27:24,672
But if you don't tell anybody you're searching for a board seat and you're not sharing
that, then they don't know.

315
00:27:25,118 --> 00:27:26,239
Nuggets.

316
00:27:28,000 --> 00:27:31,801
With that said, we're going to take a quick break.

317
00:27:31,801 --> 00:27:38,024
And when we come back, we're going to talk about what is it like inside the boardroom?

318
00:27:38,024 --> 00:27:41,265
Heather's going to spill the tea when we get back.

319
00:27:47,310 --> 00:28:01,181
Hey guys, so we have digital tools that accompany each episode to help you work through
some of the tactics and strategies that you need to put into place so that you're thriving

320
00:28:01,181 --> 00:28:02,062
at work.

321
00:28:02,062 --> 00:28:13,152
So go to TrillMBA.com and if you haven't already, sign up for our freebies and you'll get
access to not only these digital tools that go with these episodes,

322
00:28:13,152 --> 00:28:20,360
but you'll also get access to every digital tool I've ever created that's free to you to
help you in your career.

323
00:28:20,360 --> 00:28:22,585
Now, let's get back to the show.

324
00:28:22,585 --> 00:28:23,366
m

325
00:28:27,854 --> 00:28:30,255
All right guys, welcome back from the break.

326
00:28:30,255 --> 00:28:34,316
Today we're talking all about corporate boards.

327
00:28:34,316 --> 00:28:39,997
Oh, plot twist, there's more than just corporate boards guys, but we found that out
already.

328
00:28:39,997 --> 00:28:45,079
But we're getting into what goes on inside that boardroom.

329
00:28:45,079 --> 00:28:47,950
And I'm here today with Heather Spillsbury.

330
00:28:47,950 --> 00:28:51,501
She's the CEO of 50 50 Women on Boards.

331
00:28:51,501 --> 00:28:54,331
So Heather, we're gonna jump back into it.

332
00:28:54,331 --> 00:28:56,462
My next question is,

333
00:28:57,218 --> 00:28:59,641
Tell us about board dynamics.

334
00:28:59,641 --> 00:29:08,451
What is it like for a new person based on some of the people who've taken the courses at
50-50 Women on Boards?

335
00:29:08,451 --> 00:29:09,853
Give us the tea, girl.

336
00:29:09,853 --> 00:29:14,578
Like, what is going on when you finally break through and get in that room?

337
00:29:15,126 --> 00:29:21,972
I think when you finally break through, you've probably already had several rounds of
interviews.

338
00:29:21,972 --> 00:29:26,956
And this process can really take anywhere from a month to a year.

339
00:29:26,956 --> 00:29:36,974
It just really depends on where the board is in their search and how long it takes them to
vote a member in and, you know, have a conversation with the wider board or especially

340
00:29:36,974 --> 00:29:40,808
committees if that's also something that this person is going to be serving on.

341
00:29:40,808 --> 00:29:43,870
So you've had the opportunity to interview.

342
00:29:43,874 --> 00:29:55,931
We always tell people that they should also take the opportunity during the interview
process, if you're continuing in that process, to ask whoever you're interviewing with if

343
00:29:55,931 --> 00:29:59,763
you can also have a conversation with some of the other board members.

344
00:29:59,763 --> 00:30:07,957
Now, if they've already got a great board plan in place for how they search for candidates
and onboard, typically that's already part of the process.

345
00:30:07,957 --> 00:30:13,526
But if it doesn't happen to be, then you should request it or ask for it.

346
00:30:13,526 --> 00:30:22,801
And they'll typically connect you with with two or three people that serve on the board
and the reason we say that is because as much as it is to have the skill set and expertise

347
00:30:22,801 --> 00:30:31,756
to serve on the board the other piece of it is also the relationship that you're going to
have with these other board directors and the culture and.

348
00:30:31,756 --> 00:30:42,070
If you're going to spend that much time serving on a company board even if the
compensation is very attractive you have to ensure that.

349
00:30:42,070 --> 00:30:43,610
it's the right fit for you.

350
00:30:43,610 --> 00:30:47,131
And if it's not the right fit for you to recommend someone else in your network.

351
00:30:47,131 --> 00:30:50,632
And sometimes that's really what it comes down to during the interview process too.

352
00:30:50,632 --> 00:30:56,554
Another candidate is chosen because of the cultural fit or because of this or because of
that, or because they have this life experience or perspective.

353
00:30:56,554 --> 00:31:00,725
So, you know, it's important to keep going with the process.

354
00:31:00,725 --> 00:31:03,526
And if it doesn't work out, that's okay.

355
00:31:03,526 --> 00:31:04,736
You've gone through that process.

356
00:31:04,736 --> 00:31:08,677
And I always say you learn a lot from the interview process itself.

357
00:31:08,677 --> 00:31:11,518
And that just only prepares you for the next

358
00:31:11,754 --> 00:31:16,256
interview in the next round of the process that you would get through with another board.

359
00:31:16,256 --> 00:31:20,078
But if you're selected and you're finally sitting in that seat, then you have one.

360
00:31:20,078 --> 00:31:22,299
You have all the public knowledge.

361
00:31:22,299 --> 00:31:31,763
everything is, you you can read the proxy statement, you can read all the uh information
on the company, the board composition, the compensation, even of those board directors.

362
00:31:31,763 --> 00:31:37,986
So you really at this point probably already know the company itself really well and why
they brought you in.

363
00:31:38,496 --> 00:31:41,387
Remember that you're there to serve within that lens.

364
00:31:41,387 --> 00:31:51,672
And recently we had a LinkedIn live conversation about serving as a corporate director
with two of my favorite corporate directors, John Driver and Joe Heard.

365
00:31:51,672 --> 00:31:54,373
And they really spelled this out so clearly.

366
00:31:54,373 --> 00:31:57,654
So if anyone wants to take a look at that too, they're welcome to.

367
00:31:57,654 --> 00:32:03,057
But I'll succinctly uh share some of that knowledge with you all here.

368
00:32:03,057 --> 00:32:05,898
And yes, you should hone in on why you were brought in.

369
00:32:05,898 --> 00:32:06,668
So.

370
00:32:06,974 --> 00:32:16,527
cybersecurity that's great that you have that expertise but you also need to look at it
from an additional lens right from a holistic lens- em because having a general

371
00:32:16,527 --> 00:32:17,617
perspective.

372
00:32:17,617 --> 00:32:28,470
For the company is also really important so yes it's great to have a specific skill set
and expertise but you're not there for only that anymore you're also there really for

373
00:32:28,470 --> 00:32:31,601
oversight and I think Joe described it as as a T.

374
00:32:31,601 --> 00:32:32,181
shape.

375
00:32:32,181 --> 00:32:36,022
You know you go deep when you need to but you also need to go wide.

376
00:32:36,022 --> 00:32:46,750
And then, you know, being a strategic advisor, a board member that can be collaborative
and have difficult conversations because you're not always going to agree.

377
00:32:47,222 --> 00:32:58,661
And even in those first couple meetings, really absorbing the information, you don't
necessarily have to share something incredibly thought provoking in the first meeting

378
00:32:58,661 --> 00:33:03,985
because you're walking into a conversation that's already started and you're now joining
it.

379
00:33:03,985 --> 00:33:05,546
So you can take

380
00:33:05,546 --> 00:33:08,377
a couple of steps back and take in the information.

381
00:33:08,377 --> 00:33:12,038
And then a lot of it is really leading with curiosity.

382
00:33:12,038 --> 00:33:16,179
And I think that's what you do in a leadership role, right?

383
00:33:16,179 --> 00:33:19,926
You have to ask the questions, you have to ask the right questions.

384
00:33:19,926 --> 00:33:29,043
And you're searching for information to help not only the CEO, but the other board
directors think about it from a different perspective and a different lens, especially

385
00:33:29,043 --> 00:33:30,893
when it's a difficult conversation.

386
00:33:30,893 --> 00:33:32,163
And so that is key.

387
00:33:32,163 --> 00:33:33,194
It's framing

388
00:33:34,476 --> 00:33:40,736
the questions in the right way, having those conversations and wanting to really serve for
that company.

389
00:33:40,736 --> 00:33:45,642
Because again, you yourself take on risk and you need to be prepared for that.

390
00:33:47,374 --> 00:33:55,719
oh So, wait, wait, wait, Heather, hold on, hold on, hold on.

391
00:33:56,240 --> 00:33:59,953
What you just described sounds like a job job.

392
00:33:59,953 --> 00:34:04,066
And I think one of the myths, and I ain't even gonna blame y'all.

393
00:34:04,066 --> 00:34:06,828
I'm gonna take this L for all of us.

394
00:34:06,828 --> 00:34:12,211
One of the myths I've had is that the corporate board life was cushy.

395
00:34:12,211 --> 00:34:14,473
uh you meet.

396
00:34:14,734 --> 00:34:26,003
Once a quarter, you're paid six plus figures to just share your opinion because you have
knowledge and you've worked.

397
00:34:26,003 --> 00:34:28,555
You over here talking about an interview process?

398
00:34:28,555 --> 00:34:30,377
It could take a month, could take a year.

399
00:34:30,377 --> 00:34:34,370
That sounds like being out here with us regular folks like, what?

400
00:34:35,660 --> 00:34:42,466
mean, when you're searching for new board directors, it's typically the process that it
takes, which is why it's so important to build your network, right?

401
00:34:42,466 --> 00:34:46,059
Because if someone can vouch for you, that process may shorten.

402
00:34:46,059 --> 00:34:54,287
um And it also provides you with an additional inroad to serve on that board and have some
backup and support.

403
00:34:54,287 --> 00:34:56,529
um It is work, though.

404
00:34:56,529 --> 00:34:59,211
I think that is another misconception.

405
00:34:59,290 --> 00:35:02,744
I think one of the misconceptions we talked about before was that

406
00:35:02,744 --> 00:35:05,676
People think that that's the next sort of step and they have to do that.

407
00:35:05,676 --> 00:35:07,487
Not necessarily, it might not be right for you.

408
00:35:07,487 --> 00:35:10,599
But the second one is that it's easy and it's not.

409
00:35:10,599 --> 00:35:18,144
And I think it probably used to be a lot easier, but in today's world, it has become more
complicated.

410
00:35:18,144 --> 00:35:29,012
And because they are public companies, there is a lot more at stake and involved,
especially after recent events such as Enron and other things that took place, right?

411
00:35:29,012 --> 00:35:32,672
Rules were then implemented and those rules are important.

412
00:35:32,672 --> 00:35:43,227
And I think if we can build some more rules around corporate governance itself, then we
would also see the pipeline of talent continue to evolve, which it should.

413
00:35:43,227 --> 00:35:49,549
You know, you still have some, some boards out there that have had directors on for 20
plus years.

414
00:35:50,350 --> 00:35:57,683
know, if they got on their first board at 50 some, then, you know, it's sometimes it's
time to exit certain board members.

415
00:35:57,683 --> 00:36:01,434
So I think there is something to be said about having some.

416
00:36:01,738 --> 00:36:10,176
rules in place that serve that purpose, but as we know, sometimes that's not as easy and
it's not part of the process currently.

417
00:36:10,190 --> 00:36:13,750
Yeah, because being on a board is power, right?

418
00:36:13,750 --> 00:36:16,990
And I think people don't want to let go of it.

419
00:36:16,990 --> 00:36:24,610
They perceive there's this power and they don't want to let go of this perceived power of
being on boards.

420
00:36:24,610 --> 00:36:39,970
But I think that we all, any shareholders, any people who have stake in a public company,
we all have to advocate for better fiduciary responsibility.

421
00:36:40,022 --> 00:36:43,084
from our corporate governance, right?

422
00:36:43,084 --> 00:36:51,070
So what is the biggest mind shift professionals will need to make when stepping into a
board seat?

423
00:36:51,070 --> 00:36:54,513
Because again, you have blown my mind here today.

424
00:36:54,513 --> 00:36:58,165
Like this isn't the cushy opportunity that I thought it was.

425
00:36:58,165 --> 00:37:02,058
So how do we get our minds together for this?

426
00:37:02,486 --> 00:37:11,312
Well you're sitting again a strategic advisory role you know you're not in operational
role so the mind shift there is there is a management team you know it's also good to get

427
00:37:11,312 --> 00:37:14,255
to know the management team and to understand what they do.

428
00:37:14,255 --> 00:37:22,991
And then you know based on the size of the company sometimes they'll bring in management
to present and share and so that's also I think helpful for board directors to wrap their

429
00:37:22,991 --> 00:37:30,528
head around what is the day to day process going through that we have to keep in mind when
we're providing our strategic advice but.

430
00:37:30,528 --> 00:37:41,789
You're there with a different set of responsibilities and your responsibility is to again
the company the CEO the investors in the shareholders and key stakeholders and so you're

431
00:37:41,789 --> 00:37:50,096
you're sitting in a seat where you've got to consider all of those perspectives as well
when you're making recommendations or asking the right questions.

432
00:37:50,096 --> 00:37:56,056
uh But it's not easy you know there is a lot of reading you know of course sports trying.

433
00:37:56,056 --> 00:38:02,486
personally get together so that they can have some of that community because you do spend
a lot of time together.

434
00:38:02,486 --> 00:38:05,169
And again, like I said, I think boards have evolved.

435
00:38:05,169 --> 00:38:13,039
I think it used to be this cushy thing, come in, make a decision, walk out the door, get
paid.

436
00:38:13,039 --> 00:38:14,721
It's not that anymore.

437
00:38:14,721 --> 00:38:22,306
And it definitely has become more complicated as businesses become more complicated and
more global.

438
00:38:22,666 --> 00:38:31,784
Something that I think many of us are struggling with is authenticity and showing up in
our uniqueness, our gifts, abilities.

439
00:38:31,784 --> 00:38:35,578
Like for me, I have a particular sense of humor.

440
00:38:35,578 --> 00:38:40,843
I've always had to dampen that down because some people would deem that I'm professional.

441
00:38:40,843 --> 00:38:44,406
This podcast, I get to be more in my own personality.

442
00:38:44,406 --> 00:38:49,510
I don't think I'm way far off the mark of professionalism, but...

443
00:38:50,082 --> 00:38:57,118
you know, in my mind in these kind of settings, well, you have to be, you know, super
buttoned up and all that stuff.

444
00:38:57,118 --> 00:39:01,692
And that just seems, I don't know if that's really good for your mental health.

445
00:39:01,692 --> 00:39:02,222
I don't know.

446
00:39:02,222 --> 00:39:04,764
Now that I'm seeing this, I'm kind of scared, Heather.

447
00:39:04,764 --> 00:39:10,219
You scared me because I'm like, this sounds like just having to be at another job.

448
00:39:10,219 --> 00:39:15,813
And so now I'm like, well, why would you want to do this if it's not the cushy um anymore?

449
00:39:15,813 --> 00:39:19,414
And it sounds like it could be a highly political

450
00:39:19,414 --> 00:39:24,290
situation because at the end of the day, you're just managing a bunch of relationships.

451
00:39:24,290 --> 00:39:27,218
Or have I created a new misconception in that?

452
00:39:27,234 --> 00:39:31,116
I mean, I think you really have to consider if it's right for you, right?

453
00:39:31,136 --> 00:39:35,874
yes, I think, you know, interesting that you say that about authenticity.

454
00:39:35,874 --> 00:39:46,017
I mean, a lot of corporate directors in the work that we do and through a lot of our
partnerships too and events and that we host and they're all really down to earth, lovely

455
00:39:46,017 --> 00:39:56,300
people, you know, that are serving on maybe not the public companies that we all know, but
they're serving on public company boards and they feel a responsibility.

456
00:39:56,300 --> 00:40:03,832
I think the biggest reason that people find themselves in this work is one, they want to
continue honing in on those skill sets.

457
00:40:03,832 --> 00:40:10,864
Boards also are looking for people that are still sitting in their operational role
because they don't want someone who's necessarily retired.

458
00:40:10,864 --> 00:40:18,516
They want someone who's still gaining that experience and still understands what's
happening in the workforce today and the work world today and the world generally.

459
00:40:18,516 --> 00:40:20,777
So, you know, that has also shifted.

460
00:40:20,777 --> 00:40:25,388
And I think that's also important to note that they want someone with that expertise and

461
00:40:25,438 --> 00:40:35,525
Likewise, you also want to be in that seat because you can then take what you're learning
and apply that to what you're doing in your role.

462
00:40:35,525 --> 00:40:39,228
And that's why we at 50 50 always encourage companies.

463
00:40:39,228 --> 00:40:49,495
Yes, let your employees, your senior leaders serve on boards because it adds so much value
to the company itself.

464
00:40:49,495 --> 00:40:53,467
So you're gaining value, but then you're also bringing that back to your own company.

465
00:40:53,467 --> 00:40:54,752
And, know, uh

466
00:40:54,752 --> 00:40:59,174
A way that doesn't conflict with anything right there's no you're not sharing anything.

467
00:40:59,174 --> 00:41:09,370
That you can't share but you're learning how to approach certain situations and problem
solve in a way that you may not have not thought of if you didn't serve on that board.

468
00:41:09,430 --> 00:41:19,476
And you know to your point again the reason for it is because you want to continue in your
career and if you do eventually retire and you're sitting on one public company board and

469
00:41:19,476 --> 00:41:24,058
then want to secure your next it's a great way to continue.

470
00:41:24,258 --> 00:41:35,518
being in your role without having a nine to five job, you know, and using the value that
you've gained over the years to apply it to something.

471
00:41:35,518 --> 00:41:42,233
And I think that's a majority of the reason that most directors take on this
responsibility.

472
00:41:48,139 --> 00:42:07,484
You know, something that struck me is at what level should you rise to, like, could I be
at a director level, which is that beginning management level in most companies, right?

473
00:42:07,484 --> 00:42:10,045
When you become a director in a company.

474
00:42:10,045 --> 00:42:14,158
So can I be a director or my

475
00:42:14,158 --> 00:42:28,698
most previous role in corporate was a senior director and will a board, maybe not in the
top, you know, 500, but like, would a corporate board consider me because I do have almost

476
00:42:28,698 --> 00:42:37,538
20 years in the game and I've seen a lot, I've done a lot and I have risen to a certain
level in my career.

477
00:42:37,538 --> 00:42:38,604
Would I

478
00:42:38,604 --> 00:42:39,534
be eligible?

479
00:42:39,534 --> 00:42:40,696
Is that a possibility?

480
00:42:40,696 --> 00:42:48,472
That's what I'm thinking now because there's a lot of my audience members like me who are,
you know, senior manager, director, senior director level.

481
00:42:48,472 --> 00:42:59,811
They haven't made VP yet, but could it be a good idea if they work for big, these big dog
companies like I have, I have all these fortune 500 names on my resume.

482
00:43:00,412 --> 00:43:07,486
Could they be useful at a company that's maybe fortune 1000?

483
00:43:07,712 --> 00:43:09,605
or Fortune 2000, right?

484
00:43:09,605 --> 00:43:19,189
They're mid-sized companies and you know, they're scaling and they're doing a great job,
but they really could use what you've taken from the companies who've already scaled and

485
00:43:19,189 --> 00:43:24,276
who already are more mature to come in and say, hey, here's some best practices.

486
00:43:24,514 --> 00:43:29,616
potentially I think there's still border still searching for people who are in the C.

487
00:43:29,616 --> 00:43:30,416
suite.

488
00:43:30,416 --> 00:43:31,656
Or it equates to the C.

489
00:43:31,656 --> 00:43:33,657
suite based on the size of the company right.

490
00:43:33,657 --> 00:43:43,250
um I think when directors are brought in typically that's in there within their own
company and their own board to help present materials etcetera and so I think that's where

491
00:43:43,250 --> 00:43:50,294
you can take advantage of meeting other board members and networking and building
relationships and inroads there too.

492
00:43:50,294 --> 00:43:51,082
I think it.

493
00:43:51,082 --> 00:43:54,374
again depends on the size of the company depends on the company you're coming from.

494
00:43:54,374 --> 00:44:02,307
And if that company has a name to you I think that's also sometimes important right but
usually they're looking for people that are in the C.

495
00:44:02,307 --> 00:44:05,909
suite and that's also the reason that there is this.

496
00:44:05,909 --> 00:44:11,291
Push and pull right when women are joining boards because we all know there's not as many
women in the C.

497
00:44:11,291 --> 00:44:12,912
suite as there are men.

498
00:44:12,912 --> 00:44:18,094
Especially when you look at the CEO role and so that's the reason that it's important for.

499
00:44:18,328 --> 00:44:25,683
companies to continue diversifying their leadership and for other organizations who are
working on this to continue making that a priority.

500
00:44:25,683 --> 00:44:32,412
And that's where you come to that sort of wall where it's like, well, again, there's not
enough women there.

501
00:44:32,412 --> 00:44:35,429
So how are we going to find the right talent?

502
00:44:35,650 --> 00:44:39,972
and there's also some boards who are looking for Gen Z board members.

503
00:44:39,993 --> 00:44:48,250
And so they come in, provide some valuable advice, expertise based on a certain topic, and
they engage them in that way.

504
00:44:48,250 --> 00:44:51,737
There's advisory board roles that directors are great for.

505
00:44:51,737 --> 00:44:59,510
Outside of nonprofit and private, advisory board roles are a fantastic way to get that
experience and to expose yourself to a different network.

506
00:44:59,840 --> 00:45:02,171
Okay, that is amazing.

507
00:45:02,171 --> 00:45:15,674
So I don't feel so bad because I can look at advisory board work to start and then keep
working on either being my own CEO of my own company, which that's what I'm working on

508
00:45:15,674 --> 00:45:21,016
now, or keep trying to rise the ranks.

509
00:45:21,096 --> 00:45:28,658
Just a personal antidote so you would know personally why I'm invested in this.

510
00:45:29,018 --> 00:45:34,062
outside of diversifying and putting more women in leadership.

511
00:45:34,283 --> 00:45:42,810
When I was in business school, it was the summer of 2009, I was interning at Johnson &
Johnson in New Jersey.

512
00:45:42,810 --> 00:45:51,498
And right before my internship, it was announced that Ursula Burns was going to be the CEO
of Xerox.

513
00:45:51,498 --> 00:45:55,111
And I was like, my God, it's possible.

514
00:45:55,111 --> 00:45:56,416
Because here was this...

515
00:45:56,416 --> 00:46:00,469
chocolatey looking black woman with natural hair.

516
00:46:00,469 --> 00:46:03,861
And I was just like, I can really do this.

517
00:46:03,861 --> 00:46:15,260
Cause I was in business school, but I think there was a part of me that just, because
there was no black woman CEO, that that was just not really a thing.

518
00:46:15,260 --> 00:46:20,603
And so, you know, I just thought, man.

519
00:46:20,904 --> 00:46:24,330
But then when I saw that it just opened up.

520
00:46:24,330 --> 00:46:31,815
a world to me in my mind of belief that, oh this is possible for you too.

521
00:46:31,815 --> 00:46:43,221
And so since then, I've been very excited about climbing this ladder with all the nooks
and crannies and bumps and bruises along the way.

522
00:46:44,743 --> 00:46:50,126
the reason why I started this podcast was for this very type of conversation.

523
00:46:50,136 --> 00:46:53,766
to get us information about how do we keep going.

524
00:46:53,766 --> 00:46:58,373
And I'm so glad that you talked about earlier, just keep going.

525
00:46:58,894 --> 00:47:08,522
Because I'm gonna be honest with you, when you said, you gotta be in the C-suite, I felt a
little discouraged because there aren't that many black women in the C-suite.

526
00:47:08,743 --> 00:47:17,290
I'm hoping that today will be that moment when Ursula Burns became the CEO.

527
00:47:17,858 --> 00:47:23,885
that you hear this and you take away like, but I can, I can do this.

528
00:47:24,206 --> 00:47:34,228
And I'm glad that an organization like 50 50 women on boards exists so that there's
somewhere to go to get information.

529
00:47:34,579 --> 00:47:36,105
I appreciate that.

530
00:47:40,758 --> 00:47:53,852
Yeah, and I also appreciate you sharing that I think it is important for for all of us to
see people that we can admire and we can say this is possible.

531
00:47:53,852 --> 00:48:05,420
But I also think that it's important to remember that if you know, as part of the, the
keep moving forward that I always lean in on, it means also

532
00:48:05,420 --> 00:48:08,472
to look at the opportunity in a realistic way, right?

533
00:48:08,472 --> 00:48:18,658
If you're at a company and you've been working and over-preparing yourself and really have
done the job that should be getting you to that next level and you're not, then that's

534
00:48:18,658 --> 00:48:26,923
also an opportunity for you to look at maybe this isn't the company that's going to accept
me in that role, but there is a company out there that will.

535
00:48:26,923 --> 00:48:32,408
And so when I say keep going, it also means being strategic about your journey.

536
00:48:32,408 --> 00:48:38,843
doesn't mean sticking with the same thing and hoping to change it because sometimes you
can't, right?

537
00:48:38,843 --> 00:48:43,726
Especially if you don't see other diverse leaders in that company, that's a clear sign.

538
00:48:43,726 --> 00:48:55,446
I wish as a younger individual, someone would have said, hey, take a look at the makeup of
the leadership team and a makeup of the board and see if they have a diverse composition.

539
00:48:55,446 --> 00:48:58,769
not just race, gender, also experience expertise.

540
00:48:58,769 --> 00:49:10,306
want, you want to take a look and understand, do they care about elevating the people that
are most qualified or is this a network that I won't be able to break into?

541
00:49:10,306 --> 00:49:24,404
I won't name names, but there was a company that I worked for at a young age and it was,
it was that everybody in the C-suite and executive leadership were white and male and

542
00:49:24,404 --> 00:49:29,555
You reach a certain point where you go, well, I'm not going to get anywhere past this.

543
00:49:29,555 --> 00:49:33,356
So what I'm to do now is take my expertise skill set that I learned here.

544
00:49:33,356 --> 00:49:34,437
Thank you very much.

545
00:49:34,437 --> 00:49:37,458
And I'm going to find a different opportunity to keep going.

546
00:49:37,458 --> 00:49:42,579
So that ladder can include a plateau that then includes another ladder.

547
00:49:42,579 --> 00:49:43,519
again, right.

548
00:49:43,519 --> 00:49:47,940
So you just, again, it's important to look at it from that perspective.

549
00:49:47,940 --> 00:49:50,311
And to your point, it's not always a straight line.

550
00:49:50,311 --> 00:49:54,210
And there is opportunity there, but you have to

551
00:49:54,210 --> 00:49:56,541
be realistic and be strategic about it.

552
00:49:57,427 --> 00:49:58,527
Thank you.

553
00:49:59,047 --> 00:50:00,628
That was awesome.

554
00:50:01,648 --> 00:50:03,929
Heather, you're so on point right there.

555
00:50:03,929 --> 00:50:06,810
And thank you for sharing that.

556
00:50:07,211 --> 00:50:10,912
If it wasn't encouragement to anybody else, it was encouragement for me.

557
00:50:10,912 --> 00:50:13,703
And with that said, we're going to take one more quick break.

558
00:50:13,703 --> 00:50:22,937
And when we come back, we're going to talk about how to strategically plan your path to
the boardroom when we get back.

559
00:50:27,778 --> 00:50:29,099
Let me ask you something.

560
00:50:29,099 --> 00:50:37,042
How many times have you watched less competent folks get promoted while you just stay
stuck?

561
00:50:37,042 --> 00:50:38,743
I've seen this so many times.

562
00:50:38,743 --> 00:50:43,224
The whole reason why this show exists is I was like, what am I doing wrong?

563
00:50:43,224 --> 00:50:44,985
I would always blame myself.

564
00:50:44,985 --> 00:50:48,547
And if you're like me, you're probably sitting there doing that too.

565
00:50:48,547 --> 00:50:54,069
And the thing is, it's not your work and it's not you.

566
00:50:54,109 --> 00:50:57,100
It's actually your career strategy.

567
00:50:57,270 --> 00:50:59,271
You don't have one.

568
00:50:59,852 --> 00:51:02,693
That is the fundamental problem.

569
00:51:02,774 --> 00:51:06,376
Your hard work alone doesn't get you promoted.

570
00:51:06,697 --> 00:51:10,059
Strategy gets you promoted.

571
00:51:10,059 --> 00:51:13,642
So I have the FastTrack system.

572
00:51:13,642 --> 00:51:22,428
It's for high performing professionals like you who are ready to create their career
strategy using the pie framework.

573
00:51:22,428 --> 00:51:25,090
This is very tactical to the point.

574
00:51:25,090 --> 00:51:25,772
Okay.

575
00:51:25,772 --> 00:51:38,741
So you'll walk away with a personal power plan that shows you exactly where you're strong,
where you're invisible, and how to shift your career strategy without compromising who you

576
00:51:38,741 --> 00:51:39,531
are.

577
00:51:39,551 --> 00:51:47,917
So now if you click the link in the show notes, you can go to the page where you can get
this fast track system.

578
00:51:48,037 --> 00:51:49,898
You already have what it takes.

579
00:51:49,898 --> 00:51:52,960
You just need a strategy that works for you.

580
00:51:52,960 --> 00:51:54,882
And that's what this system does.

581
00:51:54,882 --> 00:51:55,544
So.

582
00:51:55,544 --> 00:52:01,217
Click the link in the show notes and grab it while it's on sale, because honey, the price
is going to go up, okay?

583
00:52:01,217 --> 00:52:11,381
So again, go to the show notes, click the link, and get your plan together, before they
hand your next promotion to a Chad or a Bob.

584
00:52:11,381 --> 00:52:13,762
Now, let's get back to the show.

585
00:52:18,712 --> 00:52:20,283
Hey guys, we're back.

586
00:52:20,283 --> 00:52:30,588
Before we wrap up this show, I just have a couple more questions for Heather, for us, you
know, to make sure that we're doing the things now, Heather, we got to do the right things

587
00:52:30,588 --> 00:52:41,574
now, even though they're looking for people in the C-suite, we may or may not get to the
C-suite, but maybe there's some things we can do that start positioning ourselves for

588
00:52:41,574 --> 00:52:43,115
board service later on.

589
00:52:43,115 --> 00:52:48,738
So like, what's the number one thing you tell younger professionals who are

590
00:52:48,808 --> 00:52:55,734
at the manager, director, senior director level that they need to be doing and thinking
about now.

591
00:52:56,134 --> 00:52:57,135
question.

592
00:52:57,135 --> 00:53:05,938
And it's part of the reason we brought in board fundamentals as part of our workshop
training it was because we weren't really reaching that early to mid career.

593
00:53:05,938 --> 00:53:09,780
So women that were taking our get on board course probably five years ago.

594
00:53:09,780 --> 00:53:13,101
We're coming in and taking it at sixty five plus.

595
00:53:13,101 --> 00:53:19,024
And at that point like we talked about before it's almost too late because one boards want
someone who.

596
00:53:19,024 --> 00:53:22,345
Is potentially still sitting in an operational role and not retired.

597
00:53:22,345 --> 00:53:23,785
But to.

598
00:53:23,806 --> 00:53:25,110
You can't build.

599
00:53:25,110 --> 00:53:30,032
awareness and you can't prepare if you don't know what the opportunity entails.

600
00:53:30,032 --> 00:53:32,233
So board fundamentals does that.

601
00:53:32,233 --> 00:53:37,355
It teaches you what it takes and how to serve and what skill sets to build up.

602
00:53:37,355 --> 00:53:42,367
And you get to meet a corporate director within that workshop and have a conversation
about your board journey.

603
00:53:42,367 --> 00:53:48,299
And they can tell you and give you advice for where to lean in and where to continue to
ask for more opportunity.

604
00:53:48,299 --> 00:53:51,500
And then beyond that, it's networking.

605
00:53:51,941 --> 00:53:54,882
Whether it's through our organization and the events we hold,

606
00:53:54,882 --> 00:54:01,925
You know, we pair women based on their career level so they can have a conversation with a
corporate director in person at our strategic networking events.

607
00:54:01,925 --> 00:54:02,765
And that's key.

608
00:54:02,765 --> 00:54:13,230
So getting out there, you know, I don't know if you've we've talked about this before, but
even just building your own network of individuals who can help advise you, um taking a

609
00:54:13,230 --> 00:54:19,612
look at the people you admire and reaching out to them and asking to have a conversation
about their own journey.

610
00:54:19,612 --> 00:54:21,673
People love talking about themselves.

611
00:54:21,673 --> 00:54:23,414
They won't turn you down to do that.

612
00:54:23,414 --> 00:54:24,044
So.

613
00:54:24,044 --> 00:54:29,034
take advantage of it and let them know what you're looking for and what you're searching
for.

614
00:54:29,034 --> 00:54:38,421
And even if that first step is nonprofit, you can gain a lot of experience on corporate
governance and how that works and how the boardroom operates.

615
00:54:38,421 --> 00:54:42,342
And again, take the time to figure out what opportunity is best for you.

616
00:54:42,342 --> 00:54:50,228
But that would be my advice for any of those early career is to understand what the
opportunity is.

617
00:54:50,228 --> 00:54:57,443
If that's something that interests you, then start to build your skill sets towards that
and continue to upskill and also network.

618
00:54:57,443 --> 00:55:03,596
And those three things really help drive how your board journey might play out in the
future.

619
00:55:03,732 --> 00:55:04,183
Right.

620
00:55:04,183 --> 00:55:13,070
And so just so we can drive for some clarity, the opportunity to serve on a corporate
board is actual work.

621
00:55:13,070 --> 00:55:20,916
It is a another job and it's a job that people compensate you for, but it is work.

622
00:55:20,916 --> 00:55:24,179
it's something just like getting a full-time job.

623
00:55:24,179 --> 00:55:29,183
You have to interview for it's something you have to network towards.

624
00:55:29,273 --> 00:55:32,266
you have to let people know you're interested in doing this.

625
00:55:32,266 --> 00:55:33,006
So

626
00:55:33,356 --> 00:55:46,893
basically the same things that you would do to get a job, it sounds like, are the same
things you need to do to prepare for corporate board leadership where you're paid to

627
00:55:46,893 --> 00:55:48,123
actually serve on a board.

628
00:55:48,123 --> 00:55:57,208
And then on top of that, based on the conversation we had today, not only do you need to
have deep expertise that the board is looking for,

629
00:55:57,208 --> 00:56:07,781
but you also have to have a breadth of knowledge, business knowledge, and acumen that you
can bring to help serve in a strategic and advisory role.

630
00:56:07,781 --> 00:56:09,401
Did I get that right?

631
00:56:10,482 --> 00:56:12,072
We have learned today, ladies.

632
00:56:12,072 --> 00:56:15,723
Listen, first, thank you so much for your time, Heather.

633
00:56:15,723 --> 00:56:17,304
This has been great.

634
00:56:17,304 --> 00:56:24,776
Where can we go to learn more about opportunities and ways to prepare for corporate board
leadership?

635
00:56:25,240 --> 00:56:29,461
Well, you can go to our website, which is 5050wob.com.

636
00:56:29,461 --> 00:56:36,873
You can find all of our workshop training courses there for early to mid-career, senior
level women, and then we have courses for every career level.

637
00:56:36,873 --> 00:56:39,094
And of course, all of our events are listed there as well.

638
00:56:39,094 --> 00:56:42,735
So it's a great way to strategically network with corporate directors.

639
00:56:42,735 --> 00:56:45,106
And then you can also see our research there.

640
00:56:45,106 --> 00:56:52,418
And that also helps give you some background in terms of how women have projected in the
pipeline up to corporate board service.

641
00:56:52,430 --> 00:56:56,190
And then in addition to that, have a campaign called 50 Women to Watch for Boards.

642
00:56:56,190 --> 00:56:58,350
And this is an annual campaign that we run.

643
00:56:58,350 --> 00:57:06,390
Again, it's giving women who are ready for public company board service visibility for
their board candidacy and also training and mentorship.

644
00:57:06,390 --> 00:57:11,830
And this launches every year on International Women's Day, March 8th.

645
00:57:11,830 --> 00:57:15,650
So it's an initiative that we continue to push out year over year.

646
00:57:15,650 --> 00:57:20,322
Applications for this year for 2025 will close May 7th.

647
00:57:20,322 --> 00:57:27,620
So by the time this airs, it'll probably have passed the deadline, but you can always
apply the following March of the following year.

648
00:57:27,620 --> 00:57:34,838
So if you know someone in your network who would be great for this program, you can always
encourage them to apply as well.

649
00:57:35,136 --> 00:57:35,476
Awesome.

650
00:57:35,476 --> 00:57:42,611
Yes, I definitely nominated a number of people that I was like, you do this.

651
00:57:42,952 --> 00:57:53,600
They might be a little junior still, but they definitely have, I think all of the goods to
be in corporate board leadership.

652
00:57:53,600 --> 00:58:01,146
And I think they'd make great additions to any organization looking for strategic business
acumen to.

653
00:58:01,146 --> 00:58:01,634
uh

654
00:58:01,634 --> 00:58:07,822
continue to thrive and be profitable in this volatile market that we're in today.

655
00:58:07,822 --> 00:58:11,676
So, Heather, thank you for coming on the show.

656
00:58:11,676 --> 00:58:17,914
Thank you for giving us all of the nuggets about corporate boards and being a resource to
us.

657
00:58:17,914 --> 00:58:22,038
Where can people connect with you if they want to connect with you?

658
00:58:22,360 --> 00:58:25,494
Yeah, on LinkedIn is great or you can send me an email.

659
00:58:25,494 --> 00:58:26,675
My email is really easy.

660
00:58:26,675 --> 00:58:29,688
It's heather at 5050wob.com.

661
00:58:29,688 --> 00:58:30,729
I really appreciate that.

662
00:58:30,729 --> 00:58:31,729
That was very generous.

663
00:58:31,729 --> 00:58:34,922
Now listen guys, act right.

664
00:58:35,163 --> 00:58:36,244
Don't be blowing Heather up.

665
00:58:36,244 --> 00:58:38,158
cannot put you on a board.

666
00:58:38,158 --> 00:58:38,946
Okay.

667
00:58:38,946 --> 00:58:42,560
Yeah, we don't do that, but we cannot train.

668
00:58:42,914 --> 00:58:43,975
Awesome.

669
00:58:44,215 --> 00:58:54,261
Well, everyone, come back next week for another dope conversation filled with all the info
you need to navigate your career and get paid, get promoted.

670
00:58:54,261 --> 00:58:55,402
That's what we all about.

671
00:58:55,402 --> 00:58:57,514
That's what we do here at the Trill MBA Show.

672
00:58:57,514 --> 00:59:01,736
So thank you, Heather, again, and we will see you guys next week.

673
00:59:01,986 --> 00:59:03,030
Thank you.

674
00:59:10,510 --> 00:59:16,610
Well guys, that's a wrap on another great episode of the Career Management Podcast for
Black Women.

675
00:59:16,610 --> 00:59:18,629
Yes, girl, this show is just for you.

676
00:59:18,629 --> 00:59:29,270
We're here to tell you how to play that chessboard at work, So, subscribe, comment, like,
follow us on social media @TrillMBAShow.

677
00:59:29,310 --> 00:59:39,884
Listen, every time you tell one of your friends, you share this information, you share
this podcast, it helps us to grow and make even more dope content.

678
00:59:39,884 --> 00:59:42,816
just for you, unapologetically.

679
00:59:42,816 --> 00:59:44,317
That's why we're here.

680
00:59:44,357 --> 00:59:57,407
Now, if you are facing a workplace dilemma, such as a performance improvement plan, or
you're not able to secure your promotion and raise that you have worked for and you have

681
00:59:57,407 --> 01:00:03,932
deserved, basically, if these people are play playing in your face, we are here to help.

682
01:00:03,932 --> 01:00:07,320
Go to TrillMBA.com/coaching.

683
01:00:07,320 --> 01:00:14,114
to schedule a one-time one-on-one call to workshop your specific dilemma with me.

684
01:00:14,235 --> 01:00:22,781
Or schedule a consult to get more information about the consulting packages that I do
offer on a longer-term basis.

685
01:00:22,781 --> 01:00:29,846
As always, you can reach out to us with your listener letters and your questions at
trillmba.com.

686
01:00:29,846 --> 01:00:34,369
Until next time, guys, focus on your best possible outcome.

687
01:00:34,369 --> 01:00:36,430
Ask for help when you need it.

688
01:00:36,430 --> 01:00:38,477
Please, please, please ask for help.

689
01:00:38,477 --> 01:00:41,166
And as always, keep it true.

690
01:00:41,166 --> 01:00:42,869
I'll see y'all next week.