Tuesday, November 12, 2019
4 Steps To Creating Your Personal Board Of Advisors
4 Steps To Creating Your Personal Board Of Advisors 4 Steps To Creating Your Personal Board Of Advisors My path to entrepreneurship started when, while pregnant with my second child, I was laid off from my job as a producer for MTV. I was upset, sure. But I also felt like I was being given an opportunity to finally find my true dream job â" one where no one else would dictate what I did, whether my position was secure, or how much I was paid. So, instead of applying for new positions, I turned my attention to building a full-service public relations agency based in Philadelphia. Enter: Skai Blue Media . It took five years of feverishly building out my business plan, knocking on doors, creating a network, and cultivating my brand (on my own dime no less). Today, Iâm proud to say Iâve created one of the leading PR firms in Philly and weâre changing the future of public relations. But I didnât get here alone. I owe a large part of my success to my advisory board of âfriendtors.â My friendtors are a group of friends and mentors who have supported me as Iâve built my business. They are more than just pals or business acquaintances. They are my professional peers, whose guidance, wisdom, and care is invaluable to me. My personal board of friendtors includes Mary Doughertry, who leads public relations for the fashion designer Nicole Miller; sheâs taught me so much about achieving an appropriate work-life balance within our industry. I lean on Fox 29 producer Berlinda Garnett to always tell it like it is. Finance executive Payne Brown has helped me to determine whether a personâs vision is in line with mine (and whether he or she is capable of executing it). Last but not least, my husband Bram Reynolds â" whoâs also Skai Blueâs chief operations officer â" is, among other things, an incredible friendtor. He recognizes where I can do better and keeps me honest and moving forward. I wouldnât be the boss and business owner I am today without this group. I encourage everyone I meet to establish his or her own friendtor board. Hereâs how: Taking the leap to change careers, ask for that raise, or become an entrepreneur can require a lot of planning. You may have graduated from a great school with a dual-degree, but youâre still only one person with a lens thatâs limited to what you know. That means you have implicit biases, strengths, and weaknesses. Consider these when selecting your âfriendtors.â Instead of picking a handful of cheerleaders who have the same background and work experience as you, recruit people who are at various stages of different careers. Iâm careful to tap âfriendtorsâ at varying life stages, since these people can offer diverse perspectives on everything from balancing your personal and professional lives to managing people effectively and creating company culture. You want to have people who arenât afraid to tell you âno,â and who donât see themselves as being in direct competition with you. We so often think that in order for someone to help and mentor us, they need to be a big-shot vice president or have 20-plus years of professional experience. Thatâs simply not true. Donât discount the people around you who have a host of wisdom, guidance, and skills to offer. My husband, for example, never gets caught in the gray areas of decision-making like I do. Heâs the first person to tell me, âYouâre doing great, but you handled that inappropriately and youâre not putting your foot down.â His strengths complement my weaknesses. My friendtors have helped me with everything from being an impactful manager to making difficult business decisions. And, like in any successful relationship, itâs important to reciprocate. Sometimes this simply means being open to receiving peopleâs advice and guidance (moving past defensiveness, which is often our first instinct). Itâs also about offering support in any way you can. Find out what they think could make them more successful in their career and then work with your friendtors in a way that makes sense for them and their goals. Also make a point to meet people where they are â" literally. If you know someone hates lunch meetings but loves the outdoors, for example, maybe you suggest going on a hike to discuss a topic of interest. Donât forget to show your friendtors your appreciation, both when they help you and also just generally. Whether itâs with a thank-you note or a quick email update keeping them abreast of the successes to which they directly contribu ted, thereâs no downside to being gracious. Even the most successful professionals struggle (and fail!). Much like a good friend, a good friendtor should support you no matter the circumstances. So itâs all the more important to surround yourself with people who will help you develop into the professional you want to be â" people who believe in your purpose and plan. These same people should let you cry on their shoulders during the low points. My friendtors helped me through a particularly rough period, when I was blindsided by an ex-partner who stole money from our account and disappeared without a trace. You donât have to hide your challenges (or triumphs) from your friendtors. Stay honest with them and know that theyâll be there to help you plan your next steps. This article originally appeared on The Well , Jopwellâs digital magazine. The Well is the digital magazine of Jopwell, the career advancement platform for Black, Latino/Hispanic, and Native American professionals and students. Subscribe to receive weekly stories and advice in your inbox.
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