Latest / The Career Mentor Podcast with Fexingo: Finding Mentors, Sponsors, and Career Advisors / How to Build a Personal Board of Advisors for Your Career
Transcript
- Lucas: I was talking to a partner at PwC last month, and she told me something that stuck. Their highest-performing associates don't just have one mentor. They have a small group — three to five people — who each play a different role in their career. She calls it a 'development network,' but I think the more intuitive name is a personal board of advisors. Luna: So instead of searching for that one guru who can teach you everything, you assemble a team. I like that. But how do you actually figure out who should be on it? Lucas: Exactly. And that's what we're going to drill into today. But first — if you've ever gotten value from this show, maybe it helped you think through a career move or decide whether to ask someone for mentorship, we'd love your support. We deliberately don't run ads on these episodes. If you want to help keep it that way, the link is buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. That's it. No pitch, no perks — just a way to say this content matters to you. Luna: Yeah, and we really appreciate that. It's a small gesture that makes a big difference for us. Lucas: So back to the board. The first step is to map your gaps. Not your weaknesses — your gaps. What kind of guidance do you need right now that you don't have? For most people, it falls into four buckets: a truth-teller, a door-opener, a skill-builder, and a perspective-bringer. Luna: Break those down for me. Truth-teller first. Lucas: The truth-teller is the person who will tell you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear. They'll say, 'Your presentation was too detailed — you lost the room,' or 'That promotion isn't realistic this year because you haven't demonstrated X.' This is often a former manager or a trusted peer who has no agenda. Luna: And the door-opener? That sounds like a sponsor. Lucas: It is. A door-opener is someone with influence who will advocate for you when you're not in the room. They're the person who says your name when a stretch assignment comes up. This is usually a senior leader who sees your potential and is willing to put their own credibility on the line for you. Luna: And the skill-builder is probably someone who's a step or two ahead of you in your specific function. Lucas: Right. They can teach you the craft — how to structure a deal, how to write a brief, how to navigate a difficult client. This person is often a mid-level manager or a seasoned individual contributor. The perspective-bringer is the wild card. They might be someone from a completely different industry or department who helps you see the big picture. They ask questions like, 'Why are you even in this career?' or 'What would you do if money weren't a factor?' Luna: Okay, so I've identified my gaps. Now how do I find these people without it feeling forced? Lucas: The key is to realize you probably already know some of them. A past manager who gave you honest feedback? That's a truth-teller. A senior leader who complimented your work on a project? That's a potential door-opener. You don't have to recruit them all at once. Start with the one you're most comfortable with. Luna: But how do you ask? I think that's the part people freeze on. You can't just say, 'Will you be on my personal board of advisors?' Lucas: No, you definitely don't say that. Here's a script I've seen work. You say something like, 'I'm at a point in my career where I'm trying to be more intentional about my growth. I'm assembling a small group of people whose advice I really trust, and I'd be honored if you were one of them. Would you be open to a thirty-minute conversation once a quarter?' That frames it as a compliment, not a burden. Luna: Once a quarter seems manageable. That's not asking for a weekly coffee chat. Lucas: Exactly. And you come prepared. You send an agenda ahead of time: 'Here's where I am, here's a decision I'm wrestling with, here's what I'd love your perspective on.' That respects their time and makes the conversation productive. Luna: What about someone early in their career who has a small network? They might not have three or four people they can call on. Lucas: Then start with two. You can have a truth-teller and a skill-builder, and the door-opener might come later. Or you can look outside your company. There are mentorship platforms, alumni networks, professional associations. The point is to be intentional, not to have a full roster immediately. Luna: That's reassuring. So the board grows with you. Lucas: It should. As your career changes, your board should change too. The person who was a great skill-builder five years ago might not be relevant when you're managing a team. And that's okay. You can gracefully let those relationships evolve into something less formal. Luna: How do you know when it's time to add someone new? Lucas: When you start feeling a recurring gap. Maybe you're getting promoted and you realize you don't have anyone who's navigated that level before. Or you're considering a career pivot and you need a perspective-bringer from a different industry. The board should mirror your current reality. Luna: I want to go back to the idea of quarterly meetings. Do you actually schedule them like a board meeting? Lucas: Some people do. They block out a day every quarter where they have three back to back thirty-minute calls with their board members. They send a brief update beforehand and a thank-you note after. It sounds formal, but the people who do it say it's the most productive investment of their time. Luna: What about the dynamic between board members? Do they ever meet each other? Lucas: Sometimes. I know a product manager who introduced her truth-teller and her door-opener at a conference, and they ended up collaborating on a project. But it's not necessary. The board is for you. It's your personal advisory panel. Luna: I think there's a psychological benefit too. Knowing you have these people in your corner reduces the anxiety of big decisions. Lucas: Absolutely. And it spreads the risk. If you rely on one mentor and they leave the company or get too busy, you're stranded. With a board, you have redundancy. Luna: So what's the first step someone should take after listening to this? Lucas: Take out a piece of paper or open a blank document. Write down the four roles: truth-teller, door-opener, skill-builder, perspective-bringer. Under each, write the name of someone who could fill that role. If you have a blank, that's okay — just note it. Then pick one person and reach out this week. Luna: And if they say no? Lucas: Then you thank them for considering it and move on. Most people say yes, because being asked to be on someone's board is flattering. But even a no gives you information. Maybe that person isn't as invested in your growth as you thought. Luna: What if someone says yes but then doesn't show up or cancels repeatedly? Lucas: Then you gracefully let them off the board. Send a note saying, 'I know you're busy, so I won't keep scheduling. If things change, I'd love to reconnect.' That keeps the door open without making them feel guilty. Luna: I really like this framework. It takes the pressure off finding one perfect mentor and turns mentorship into something you build. Lucas: That's the whole idea. And I think it's more realistic. Most successful executives I've interviewed don't point to one mentor. They point to a handful of people who shaped them at different moments. This is just a way to be intentional about that process. Luna: So here's a thought to leave listeners with: what if you treated your career like a startup and your board of advisors like an actual board that meets quarterly to review your progress? Would you make different decisions? Lucas: That's a powerful question. Imagine sitting down every three months and saying, 'Here's my revenue — my salary, my skills, my network. Here's my burn rate — my time, my energy. What should I pivot on?' That kind of discipline could change everything. Luna: I might actually try that. Thanks, Lucas. Lucas: Thanks, Luna. See you next time.