Before we dive into the full season, join co-hosts Craig Wagner and Dawn Rochelle for the story behind The Confident Board Member. In this special pilot episode, we share why we created the SERVE + SMART framework, the gaps we saw in boardrooms, and what listeners will gain from this podcast. If you've ever wondered how to serve with clarity and confidence, this is where it begins.
The Board Edit is brought to you by The Confident Company, home of the SERVE + SMART™ Framework and authors of The Confident Board Member: https://www.confidentcompanyus.com.
We help nonprofit board members lead with clarity, courage, and confidence. Our mission is simple: better boards build better futures. Through training, tools, and values-driven development, we equip both new and seasoned board members to show up with purpose—because confidence isn't a credential, it's a behavior.
The SERVE + SMART™ Framework is a modern, practical approach to board leadership that centers behaviors, values, and aligned decision-making. Whether you're preparing for your first board seat or seeking to elevate your influence, the framework helps you understand the habits that build trust, strengthen culture, and drive meaningful impact.
This episode of The Board Edit is brought to you by The Confident Company, a modern leadership and governance firm dedicated to helping nonprofit board members lead with clarity, courage, and confidence.
We believe board service is one of the most powerful forms of civic leadership—and that confident boards build better futures.
The Confident Board Member™ Book - Available on Amazon and Audible
A modern, values-based guide to nonprofit governance grounded in the SERVE + SMART™ Framework. Designed for both aspiring and active board members, the book blends practical tools, real-world insight, and reflection prompts to help you turn purpose into practice.
Courses
Self-paced courses and short-form Learning Labs that build core governance skills—meeting readiness, accountability, engagement, strategy, and culture—designed to fit real board members' lives:
Board Member Bootcamp
Board Chair Bootcamp
The Confident Board Member Signature Program
The Confident Collective
A membership community created exclusively for nonprofit board members. Members receive:
Weekly Learning Labs
Biweekly Lunch & Learns
Practical tools and templates
Guided reflection and coaching prompts
Access to a community of values-driven peers
This is ongoing development for people who take board service seriously.
The Board Edit
A practical, candid podcast about what it really means to serve on a nonprofit board—covering governance, leadership behavior, board–staff dynamics, and the habits that separate good boards from great ones.
Subscribe to The Board Edit across major podcast platforms.
Board & Leadership Development Services
We partner with a select number of organizations each year to support:
Board assessments and alignment
Retreat facilitation and strategy sessions
Board onboarding and education
Governance culture and behavior change
CEO–board relationship strengthening
Our work blends facilitation, coaching, and practical frameworks to help boards move from intention to impact.
Learn more!
Follow Dawn Rochelle and Craig Wagner on LinkedIn:
Dawn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/dawn-rochelle-lcsw
Craig — https://www.linkedin.com/in/craigjwagner
For more board leadership tools, workshops, and free downloads, visit: https://www.confidentcompanyus.com
Have feedback or a question? Email us anytime at: hello@theconfidentcompany.com.
