1. SCALE™ SCALE Your Business with an Advisory Dream Team

2. SCALE™ My Credibility What is a Board of Advisors? Beginning the Process The SCALE™ MODEL Selecting your Board Compensating your Board Associating your Board into your organization Leveraging your Board for maximum growth, effectiveness, and ROI Evaluating, Evolving, and Exiting your Board Mistakes to avoid with your Board of Advisors Be careful what you wish for Connect with Marissa

3. SCALE™ 3 My Credibility Information Experts: 1995 Home-based One employee Instructor-led training Documentation Online help Tactical Small telecom client base Sales = $34K Information Experts: 2012 Office-based Approx. 50 FTEs, as well as PTEs and consultants Full suite of strategic communications, education, HC services, interactive, and conference planning/event mgmt services Tactical and strategic 17 agencies; commercial presence Sales = $15 million (approx forecast)

4. SCALE™ What is a Board of Advisors? A group of people you rely on for unbiased advice, insight, opinion, expertise, & accountability. NO FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY. 5 Stages of Boards 1.Assembly of professional advisors 2.Assembly of friends and family (not recommended) 3.A shared Board 4.Hand-selected Board 5.Extension of #4

5. SCALE™ Beginning the Process Reach out for help from those with experience Solicit recommendations for Board members Identify your desired outcomes Accountability Business development Mentorship (for CEO and for team) Process implementation or development Gateway to contracts and introductions otherwise unreachable Expertise in specific programs, certifications, or set-aside programs The Board is an extension and representation of your brand.

6. SCALE™ The SCALE™ Model 5 Phases of SCALE™ 1.Selection of your board 2.Compensation of your board 3.Association of your board 4.Leveraging of your board 5.Evaluation, evolution, and exiting of your board “I don’t know how to find good candidates.” “I don’t know what or who I need.” “I don’t know how to pay my Board.” “I don’t know what to expect from my Board.” “I don’t have time.” “My business is too small for a Board.” “This is going to cause waves in my company.” “I get plenty of good advice from lots of other people.” “I’m not ready yet.”

7. SCALE™ Selecting Your Board Who exactly do I need? What should I look for in a Board member? What should I avoid? Where can I find my candidates? What should my mindset be? How do I vet, connect with, and recruit my candidates? Narrow your selection to no more than 6 participants. The more you have the more you need to manage and compensate. A Board is fluid and will change depending on what your company needs at any given time. This is why short-term agreements are best. Map your needs to your desired solution, and then to potential Board members that can help you implement that solution.

8. SCALE™ Compensating Your Board Don’t recommend giving equity away. Stay away from potential Board members who insist on equity. Your needs should be first in their mind – above their own needs. Want to compensate fairly and in alignment with the size of your firm. Their time, experience, and reputations are valuable. If leveraged correctly, they can make a quantifiable impact on your bottom line. This is an investment, not an expense.

9. SCALE™ Compensating Your Board - Monetarily Per-Meeting Fee Annual Retainer Commission structure for business development efforts Other direct costs (ODCs)

10. SCALE™ Compensating Your Board – Non-Monetarily Reciprocal Board service Provision of products or services in exchange for Board service Donation to a charity, participation in a charity event, commitment to a Board position for a non-profit/philanthropy organization

11. SCALE™ Compensating Your Board – Equity Risky A Board is fluid/dynamic May jeopardize current certifications or eligibility for certifications Raises red flags for certifications Dilutes your ownership which may impact ability to do profit sharing with employees Expensive Significant legal and tax implications

12. SCALE™ Associating Your Board – Making It Official Required Board Member Letter of Commitment Non-Disclosure Agreement Optional Board Manual Non-compete agreement

13. SCALE™ Associating Your Board Into Your Company Board implementation requires a strong change management strategy. Although external, it impacts internal operations. The CEO must communicate often and clearly about the progress of the Board, and how it will impact the company. The CEO must anticipate reactions and resistance. Important to allow access to the meetings, as well as mentorship opportunities for the leadership team. Goals: Make the company as comfortable and as trusting as possible with the board. Make the board feel like a true extension of the company.

14. SCALE™ Leveraging Your Board Providing mentorship Expanding business development/sales team Accessing people and customers Using their name as a competitive advantage Standing up new offices, functions, or practice areas Pursuing certifications, grants, set-asides Overhauling or implementing key processes Connecting with other strategic partners Evaluating whether to outsource core functions or keep in-house Making recommendations for service providers, and evaluating proposals

15. SCALE™ Evaluating, Evolving, & Exiting Your Board Evaluate Set performance benchmarks and measure against them Implement standard assessments and self assessments Evolve Constantly scout and recruit Board members (like employees) Exit Roll off Board members with exit interviews Always keep an open door Board service is a gift. Always show appreciation and keep all doors open. Treat the Board process as an employment recruitment and exiting process.

16. SCALE™ Mistakes to Avoid with Your Board Understand the difference between leveraging and exploiting. Don’t waste their time. If you aren’t ready, don’t engage. Don’t fail to follow through. They’ll give you action items. You will be on the hook to deliver.

17. SCALE™ Be Careful What You Wish For Are you really ready for the changes? Are you braced for what’s coming? What will change: 1.Your personal role 2.Your employees 3.Your customers 4.Your marketing strategy 5.Your BD strategy 6.Your IT infrastructure 7.Your financial infrastructure 8.Your recruiting strategy & HR infrastructure 9.Your culture 10.Your advisors

18. SCALE™ Connect with Marissa http://www.linkedin.com/in/marissalevin1 www.twitter.com/marissalevin www.twitter.com/Success_Culture www.twitter.com/InfoExperts www.facebook.com/marissalevin www.facebook.com/InformationExperts www.klout.com/marissalevin Find me on www.plus.google.comwww.plus.google.com PLEASE OPT IN FOR MY COLUMN ON CULTURE & LEADERSHIP: www.successfulculture.comwww.successfulculture.com