Every Board you approach, whether through an advertisement or a coffee meeting, is asking themselves one fundamental question: "Why you?"

Why should they choose you over the other candidates? Why are you the risk worth taking?

If you are struggling to answer this question concisely, or if your applications are being met with silence, the issue likely isn't your capability; it's your Unique Board Value Proposition (UBVP).

In this episode, I deconstruct exactly how to build a compelling Board Story. I break down the seven elements that make up your unique value proposition and provide the "Triple Filter" you need to apply to ensure your pitch lands every time.

• The "Chicken and Egg" Scenario: Why you cannot craft a compelling story until you have a clear Board Goal (i.e., your North Star). You can't sell a solution if you don't know who the customer is.
• Symptoms of a Weak UBVP: If you have a 5+ page resume, if you are getting "not qualified" feedback, or if you are hearing silence, you likely have a value proposition problem.
• The 7 Elements of Your Board Value:
• • Professional Expertise: Your technical talent and demonstrable outcomes.
  • Career Experience: Industry, geography, and scale of companies.
  • Network: Who you know, who knows you, and the leveragability of those connections.
  • Board Experience: Years served, committees led, and key contributions.
  • Lived Experience: Personal experiences that inform your governance (without clouding judgment).
  • Wealth: Access to capital (relevant for specific NFP/Charity boards).
  • Passions/Interests: The areas where you are willing to contribute discretionary effort.
• The Triple Filter: How to decide what makes the cut on your CV. Is it Relevant? Is it Distinctive? Is it Believable?

FREE WEBINAR: How to Win at the Board Game Ready to move from theory to action? Join me in this free live webinar where I'll will break down the practical roadmap to landing your first, next, or paid Board role in 2026. Click Here to Register for Free

Setting a Board Goal

• Setting a Board Goal | Ep. 102
• Setting and Calibrating Your Board Goals | Ep. 49
• How to Set a Board Goal

Connect with me:

• LinkedIn
• Website

Actionable Step for This Week: Audit your current Board Resume or LinkedIn "About" section. Run it through the "Triple Filter":

• Is every sentence Relevant to your target Board?
• Is it Distinctive (does it sound like you or just a generic professional)?
• Is it Believable (do you have the evidence)? If it doesn't pass the test, cut it.

If your Board search strategy consists of spending your Saturday mornings refreshing LinkedIn, searching through Institute listings, and waiting for an email alert to ping—this episode is your reality check.

Today, I'm breaking down the "Iceberg Theory" of Board recruitment. The advertisements you see on public job boards represent less than 10% of the actual opportunities. The other 90% - the hidden Board seat market - are filled through trusted networks, private recommendations, and strategic conversations long before an advertisement is ever written.

I explain why this 'Board Recruitment Theatre' (fake ads) might be wasting your time, how the recruitment process actually works behind closed doors, and how you can shift from being a passive 'Applicant' to an active 'Candidate' to access the hidden Board seat market.

Key Takeaways:

• The "Seagull Effect": Why relying on advertisements forces you to compete with thousands of candidates for the smallest slice of the market (like seagulls fighting for a chip at the beach).
• The Risk Management Reality: Why Boards prefer trusted referrals over unknown applicants, and why "who knows you" may matter more than just your resume.
• 'Board Recruitment Theatre': Understanding when an advertisement is just a compliance performance for a role that is already filled.
• The 5-Step 'Trust Transfer': A behind-the-scenes look at how a Board vacancy is filled (hint: the conversation often happens before the formal interview).
• The 3 Keys to Accessing the 90%:
• 1. Clarity (North Star): Being specific about the Board you want.
  2. Visibility (Value Proposition): A clear and compelling Board story built on a reputation that precedes you.
  3. Proximity (Network): Getting into the orbit of decision-makers.

Join the Build Your Board Career Priority Waitlist

Stop trying to piece the map together yourself. Join the Build Your Board Career program waitlist to get priority access to the strategy, templates, and support you need to land your first, next, or paid Board role in 2026.

Join the Waitlist here

Connect with Me:

• LinkedIn
• Website

Actionable Step for This Week: I am giving you a permission slip. If 90% of roles aren't advertised, then "the weekend scroll" isn't hustling, it's just anxiety. Join the waitlist, then close your laptop. Go watch the cricket, go for a run, or get out in the garden. Enjoy your weekend guilt-free knowing you have a plan waiting for you.

If you are currently looking for a Board role, answer this honestly: Is your strategy based on searching for that perfect advertisement, waiting for head-hunters to call, or asking your network to "keep you in mind"?

If so, you are likely hearing a lot of silence.

In this episode, I am sharing a bit of a reality check. I am breaking down the four most common "strategies" aspiring Board Members use, and exactly why they don't work in today's market.

Over 90% of Board roles are never advertised. If you are relying on the "Seek.com Approach," you are competing for less than 10% of the seats. It is time to stop playing the lottery and start building a strategy.

I'll walk you through the flaws in the traditional advice and introduce the intentional, strategic framework you need to access the hidden market and land your first, next, or paid Board role.

Key Takeaways

• The "Seek.com" Approach: Why waiting for advertisements means you are missing 90% of the market (and fighting for scraps).
• The Credential Trap: Why another post-nominal won't magically open the Boardroom door, and what Boards are actually looking for.
• The Recruiter Myth: Why the head-hunters who loved you as an executive have suddenly gone silent.
• The "Keep Me in Mind" Mistake: How aimless networking burns relationship capital and makes you look desperate.
• The Better Way: Introduction to an intentional Board Search Strategy (underpinned by a North Star, an Unique Board Value Proposition, and authentic Strategic Networking).

Are you ready to stop waiting? If you want to move from "aspiring" to "appointed" in 2026, I am opening the doors to a new high-touch implementation program: Build Your Board Career.

This is a 3-month intensive (with ongoing support and lifetime membership) designed to help you define your North Star, craft your Unique Board Value Proposition, and build a networking plan to access the hidden market.

Join the Priority Waitlist here