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.