In this episode, Alex Bridgeman is joined by Aaron Perrine and Chris Hendriksen to explore how boards can become a true competitive advantage for entrepreneurs. The conversation dives into the evolving role of boards within the ETA ecosystem, highlighting the growing demand for strong governance as the space expands. Drawing from recent industry discussions and their own experience, Aaron and Chris break down what separates high-performing boards from dysfunctional ones. They also share practical frameworks for building, managing, and evolving boards to better support CEOs over time.

They discuss:

Why board quality and CEO relationships are declining and how to fix it
What a high-performing board actually feels like in practice
How to think about board composition, roles, and timing during formation
The importance of trust, chemistry, and engagement between CEOs and directors
Why board evolution, feedback, and executive sessions are critical for long-term success

Links:

Boardroom Toolkit

Pacific Lake Partners

Trilogy Search Partners

Topics:

(00:00:00) - Intro

(00:02:11) - Conference feedback and the state of Boards

(00:07:19) - What are your goals for the next year regarding Boards?

(00:12:36) - What does a well functioning board look like?

(00:18:00) - How can Searchers effectively form a board?

(00:25:27) - Best practices for forming a Board

(00:35:34) - What are the personal reasons that you'd be excited to join a board?

(00:43:20) - Recruiting new board members

(00:45:57) - Closing thoughts