Recently, I got free, personalized advice from some incredible people.
Tim Ferriss, Seth Godin, and Angela Duckworth all answer my calls instantly... sort of.
No, I didn’t actually speak with them – though after years of devouring their books and podcasts, it sometimes feels like I have. They’re part of what I call my personal board of directors, and I’m about to show you how you can create your own.
Here’s the fun part: I used AI to tap into their collective wisdom.
I needed help improving my website and creating a growth plan, so I thought, “What would Tim, Seth, and Angela suggest?” The insights were so practical that I’ve already started implementing them. If you’re subscribed to my newsletter, you might have noticed some changes, like the move to Kit. (if anything looks wonky, please let me know!)
But this isn’t about my website – it’s about how you can build your own dream team of advisors and use AI to help reach your goals.
Get immediate access to my free AI guide library!
|
What’s a Personal Board of Directors, Anyway?
While a traditional mentor is someone you look up to and want to learn from directly, a personal board of directors is more like having a dream team of advisors. Each person brings their own unique expertise – maybe one’s great at management, another at writing, and another at building businesses.
This idea comes from Jan Torrisi-Mokwa’s book “Building Career Equity.” Instead of just having one mentor who’s great at everything (pretty rare), you build a network of advisors who each bring something unique to the table. Maybe one’s a marketing genius, another’s a leadership guru, and another’s an expert in building habits.
But quick disclaimer: this isn’t about replacing real mentors. Nothing beats having someone who knows you personally and can give tailored advice. Think of this more like having additional tools in your growth toolkit.
Building Your Dream Team
Start small – pick 2-3 thought leaders who really speak to you. Look through your bookshelf, your podcast library, or your favorite TED talks. Which voices keep pulling you back? Whose ideas actually got you to take action? These are your potential board members.
Now for the fun part: using AI to channel their perspectives. I used Claude.ai, but other generative AI tools will work. The key is being specific about what you want feedback on. For example, I shared my landing page and my goals, then asked, “What would Tim Ferriss say about this? How would Seth Godin improve the messaging? What would Angela Duckworth recommend?”
Use the following prompt to channel each perspective:
Act like a social media and marketing expert. Your task is to review the [attachments/content/etc] which show you my [landing page/resume/portfolio/etc.], and then provide your feedback. To provide more context, I’m a [Your Role] and my goals are to:
[List 1-3 Goals]
Then, for each expert in the list below, understand each expert’s unique background and value, and then act like that expert to provide feedback on what I provided. What questions might they ask me? What improvements would they suggest? What metrics would they want me to focus on?
[Your Personal Board of Directors]
Then, when reviewing the AI-generated feedback, take a closer look. Does this sound like something they’d actually say? Does it match what you know about their philosophy? Look for those “aha!” moments that make you see your challenges differently. If the advice looks reasonable, go a bit deeper with this follow-up prompt:
For each of the experts, elaborate and expand on each of their focus areas. Provide actionable advice and small steps I can take today to take action on their suggestions.
Turning Ideas into Progress
Here’s where the rubber meets the road. I turned all this advice into a 30-day action plan, with one small task each day. Why 30 days? It’s long enough to see results but short enough to stay motivated. Plus, it breaks down big changes into bite-sized pieces that don’t feel overwhelming. But, the duration is totally up to you.
The secret sauce? Focus on the tasks that will make the biggest impact. Having clear metrics helps you stay on track, and knowing exactly what tools you’ll need eliminates those “I’ll start tomorrow” excuses.
Create your plan using this prompt:
Create a X day plan that allows me to take one small action everyday based on each expert's advice.
Focus only on the highest priority and most valuable actions that would drive the biggest results.
Ensure the actions are clear, easy to follow, and ordered in a reasonable and rational way to ensure incremental growth over the duration of this plan.
Suggest the top 3 metrics and KPIs so I can measure the impact these actions have.
Provide a list of tools needed to complete the tasks.
Just remember to keep it simple. Don’t try to channel the entire Harvard Business Review catalog. Two or three advisors is plenty. Also, watch out for conflicting advice – just like real mentors, these thought leaders might disagree on the best approach.
Ready to Build Your Dream Team?
Here’s your three-step plan:
- Pick your 2-3 favorite thought leaders
- Match their expertise with your current goals for the week/month/year
- Use the prompts above to get advice, reviewing the output along the way, and create your action plan
Remember, you’re not aiming for perfection – you’re aiming for progress. Start small, track what works, and adjust as needed. Your dream team of advisors is just a prompt away.
