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Building Your Personal Board of Directors

Written by: Noah Learner Tags: critical thinking, community, jobs-career, newsletter

Published: Nov 17, 2025  |  Last Updated: Nov 17, 2025

My journey in digital has been one of building in public. It's been exciting and also feels vulnerable at times too. So when I need advice, I turn to my personal "board of directors".

Who's on my board of directors? 

These are folks I've met throughout the years through conferences, the community, and weekly SEO BS time. They've become close friends, confidants, and advisors. They're exactly who I call when I need guidance. 

Think about the strengths you need to complement your own. Someone who thinks alike, someone who challenges you, and someone who can be an enthusiastic supporter.

It took years to "build my board of directors". If you were to assemble a trusted group of advisors, who would you place in which seats? How would you help them in return?

Start there, make friends, and the rest will come naturally. 

Cheryl: Connection and community

There have been people along my path who untapped huge worlds for me, and Cheryl is one of them.

She and I are kind of like "hive mind" – we think the same way about many things. When I have an unfamiliar problem that's in her wheelhouse, I know her advice would align with how I'd think about it if I had her experience.

Cheryl reached out to me when MozCon needed a night-before party, and asked if The SEO Community would be willing to throw it. Separately, she reached out to Nick with the same question. Of course we both said yes. That's how Cheryl brought us together.

Nick: The Entrepreneur

Nick and I have a lot of conversations about entrepreneurship, growth, and how to work with people. He says people should "do what you say you're going to do", and that's always been my experience with him.

Shawn: Execution

When we were planning the unofficial MozCon Brew Bash in Seattle, we didn't know anything about the city. Shawn was super stoked to help us navigate. He's just a super standup guy – incredibly reliable, kind, helpful, eager, smart, and fun.

It only works if it works both ways

After many years of knowing these amazing humans, I trust that I can bring them anything that I'm dealing with, and they'll approach it with fair honesty. It's the least I can do to be there in return.

How to build your personal board of directors

1. Connect with others. As Nick LeRoy says, "just start." Introducing yourself in the Community is a great place to start. As you put yourself out there, you'll naturally meet people. 
2. As your relationships grow, consistently put time and energy into it. Even if it's whatever you can spare, the goal is consistency, even if that's every once in a while. 
3. Collaborate. The more you do together, the more ineractions you'll have with new and familiar people. the more you interact, the more serendipity comes as a result. 
4. Mentorship comes in many forms. Nothing about these relationships is formal – you don't need to label it or have official meetings. If you're needing a little more rigor, consider a coach instead. 
5. Express gratitude. The people on my "board" are my friends in the industry and also outside of work. It's natural for us to want to be around each other and thank each other for the advice we give and receive. 
6. Take a chance. Some of the most epic stories come from someone who made a decision to go to an SEO conference or a meetup near them. 

Building relationships takes time. Strong relationships come from consistency: In communication, actions, and effort. The trust that comes as a result is invaluable.