Shows / The Executive Career Playbook
The Executive Career Playbook
The Executive Career Playbook is the podcast for senior leaders, executives, and board candidates who want to stay competitive, increase their visibility, and land career-defining opportunities in this competitive market. Hosted by executive career expert Debra Boggs and featuring executive recruiters, board directors, leadership experts, and accomplished business leaders, each episode delivers practical strategies to help you navigate career transitions, strengthen your executive brand, expand…
Episodes
- The Executive Career Playbook
1,600 Job Applications. Here's What Happened Next.
1,600 applications. One job posting. What happens when companies receive more applications than they can realistically review? They stop looking. Instead, they…
- The Executive Career Playbook
Want a Paid Board Seat? Here’s What Boards Are Looking For Now
Want a paid board seat but not sure what boards are actually looking for? In this episode, Debra Boggs shares insights from the Private Directors Association…
- The Executive Career Playbook
Looking for Your Next Executive Role? Start Here
Looking for your next executive role but unsure where to start? At the senior level, a successful search requires more than updating your resume and applying…
- The Executive Career Playbook
3 Ways AI is Sabotaging Your Job Search & What To Do Instead
AI was supposed to make the job search easier. But for most job seekers (and especially senior leaders), it is creating an entirely new set of challenges…
- The Executive Career Playbook
Executive Layoff: 5 Steps to Take Before It Happens
A potential layoff is not the time to wait and see. Learn five critical steps senior executives can take now to protect their career, strengthen their resume…
- The Executive Career Playbook
Breakdown to Breakthrough: What High Performers Don't Say on Mental Health
Success doesn't protect you from burnout. In this candid conversation, Debra Boggs and Lesley Hunter explore the hidden mental health challenges many high…
- The Executive Career Playbook
Board Candidate Workshop: How To Craft a Value Statement that Opens Doors
Join board positioning expert Debra Boggs, CEO of D&S Executive Career Management, for a tactical and practical workshop. You will leave with a draft of your…
- The Executive Career Playbook
Why Perfect Candidates Get Rejected - The Hidden Truths of Executive Job Searches
This episode explains why well‑qualified executives often get no response or rejections when applying online, covering common issues like being perceived as…
- The Executive Career Playbook
AI Wrote Your Resume. Now What? With Executive Recruiter, David Honig
You've spent decades building your career. Leading teams. Driving growth. Solving complex business challenges. So why aren't the right opportunities turning…
- The Executive Career Playbook
How to Get a Corporate Board Seat: Board Readiness, Positioning, and Networking Strategies
Corporate board opportunities rarely go to the most qualified executive. They go to the executive who is visible, positioned correctly, and connected to the…
- The Executive Career Playbook
How Senior Leaders Successfully Make the Move Without Starting Over
You have spent years building an exceptional career. You have led teams, driven revenue, navigated change, and delivered results at the highest levels. And…
- The Executive Career Playbook
The C-Suite Interview Playbook: Command the Room. Close the Conversation.
At the executive level, interviewing is not about proving you can do the job. It is about demonstrating that you already think like the person they need. That…
- The Executive Career Playbook
WHAT RECRUITERS REALLY WANT
What do senior recruiters look for when reviewing an executive resume or LinkedIn profile, and what makes them stop scrolling? Join Debra Boggs, D&S CEO and…
- The Executive Career Playbook
Your First Board Seat: How to Position Yourself as the Right Candidate
You have a strong executive track record. You’ve led teams, driven results, and influenced organizations at the highest level. So why does landing your first…
- The Executive Career Playbook
Leave Nothing on the Table: Negotiating Executive Compensation
You negotiated hard for your last role… or did you? Most executives leave between $50,000 and $200,000 on the table in every compensation negotiation, not…
- The Executive Career Playbook
What SHRM Talent 2026 Is Telling Every Executive in Transition
This is a career strategy conversation built specifically for C-suite and senior leaders who want to lead, not react. The talent and HR community is buzzing…
- The Executive Career Playbook
Stop Applying. Start Positioning: Executive Job Search Framework That Works
You have done everything right. Strong career. Impressive title. Real results. And yet, the executive job search feels like shouting into a void. Applications…
- The Executive Career Playbook
How to Land Your Second (or Third) Board Seat
Join Michell Merritt for an essential conversation about advancing your board career beyond your first appointment. Whether you're currently serving on one or…
- The Executive Career Playbook
Executive Career Change: How Senior Leaders Successfully Pivot
How Senior Leaders Successfully Pivot Join Debra and Michelle for a conversation about making strategic career pivots as a senior or C-suite executive. Whether…
- The Executive Career Playbook
THE RECRUITER FILTER in 2026: Insider Secrets Revealed with Amber Schleinkofer
The executive search landscape has shifted dramatically. What worked even 18 months ago may now work against you. In this candid conversation, Debra Boggs sits…
- The Executive Career Playbook
How To Build Authentic Connections Without the Smarm
Get ready for an honest conversation about networking at the executive level. Whether you're exploring new opportunities, pursuing board roles, or…
- The Executive Career Playbook
LinkedIn Strategies for Senior Leaders: Position Yourself Without Red Flags
Is your LinkedIn profile working for you or against you? If you're a C-suite executive or senior leader exploring opportunities, your profile needs to do three…
- The Executive Career Playbook
The $2.8M Lesson: What Executives Must Know About Compensation Negotiation
Join us for an eye-opening conversation about the real cost of leaving money on the table as Debra Boggs sits down with our D&S Chief Strategy Officer Michelle…
- The Executive Career Playbook
PE/VC Interview Strategies for C-Suite Executives
Landing a senior leadership role with a private equity or venture capital-backed company requires a fundamentally different interview approach than traditional…
- The Executive Career Playbook
From Corner Office to Fractional Executive
The corner office isn't the only path forward. More executives are building portfolio careers: combining board seats, fractional C-suite roles, and consulting…
- The Executive Career Playbook
Building an Action-Ready Career Portfolio Before You Need It
The best time to prepare is before you need it. If your materials aren't ready, you'll miss the window. You want the confidence that comes with being ready…
- The Executive Career Playbook
Shorten Your Executive Job Search: 7 Strategies That Cut Timelines in Half
Join Debra Boggs and Michelle Merritt as they discuss the strategies and tactics to shorten the distance between where you are now and the job you want to be…
- The Executive Career Playbook
2026 Executive Career & Hiring Forecast: What Recruiters Want You to Know
The executive talent landscape is shifting faster than ever. AI expectations are reshaping hiring criteria. Generational transitions are opening C-suite doors…
- The Executive Career Playbook
The Board Seat Reality Check: Getting Positioned for 2026
We've had the same conversation with dozens of C-suite executives lately: "I've been trying to land a board seat for two years and I'm not getting anywhere…
- The Executive Career Playbook
How to Lead Without Regret: A Conversation with Christopher Williams on C. O. U. R. A. G. E.
For executives navigating career transitions or pursuing board appointments, courage isn't optional. It's the differentiator between settling and strategic…
- The Executive Career Playbook
The 2026 Executive Compensation Playbook
Compensation negotiations in 2026 demand a different playbook. Join Debra Boggs and Michelle Merritt for 30 minutes of straight talk on what it takes to secure…
- The Executive Career Playbook
Where Have All The Jobs Gone?
This episode is your roadmap to finding opportunities in today’s hiring landscape, not the one from 5 years ago. Work with D&S (Executive Search Support)…
- The Executive Career Playbook
1600 to 1: Why Smart Leaders Never Apply Online
The Shocking Truth: A recent IT Manager posting received 1,600 applications. Your odds of getting hired? Worse than becoming a NASA astronaut. When companies…
- The Executive Career Playbook
Cracking the Executive Recruiting Code: How to Work Effectively with Executive Recruiters with David Honig
Executive recruiters can be your secret weapon in landing your next leadership role, but most marketing executives don't know how to leverage these…
- The Executive Career Playbook
How to Maintain Hope and Confidence During Your Executive Career Transition with Debra Boggs, Norma Davila, and Allan Wojahn
The average executive search now spans 6-9 months. If you're feeling the weight of an extended transition, you're not alone, and more importantly, you're not…
- The Executive Career Playbook
Is Now the Right Time for Your Executive Career Move?
In today’s unpredictable market, timing is everything. Join Debra Boggs, CEO of D&S Executive Career Management, and Michelle Merritt, Chief Strategy Officer…
- The Executive Career Playbook
Board Leadership Insights from PDA PRISM 2025
Join Debra Boggs (CEO) and Michelle Merritt (CSO) of D&S Executive Career Management live from the Private Directors Association’s PRISM 2025 Conference at…
- The Executive Career Playbook
Sleighing Your Job Search: Your Holiday Game Plan
The holidays are coming. So are the questions. You know the ones: "Still looking?" "Any leads?" "My cousin knows someone who..." Before you face another round…
- The Executive Career Playbook
How To Level-up Your Leadership Impact To Drive Results With Ari Butler
Your title doesn’t make you influential, your story does. Join Debra Boggs, CEO of D&S Executive Career Management, and Ari Butler, Founder of The AB3 Group…
- The Executive Career Playbook
Negotiate Before You Sign
Most execs focus on getting in. The smart ones also plan how to get out. In this short, Ezra Singer breaks down why negotiating your severance before you…
- The Executive Career Playbook
What Boards Really Ask & Why
Board interviews aren’t like any other conversation in your career. In this video, Debra Boggs and Michelle Merritt dive into what boards really ask, how they…
- The Executive Career Playbook
The Modern Executive Digital Footprint: Going Beyond LinkedIn with Donald Thompson
Your next executive role or board seat won’t be decided by your résumé alone. In today’s market, executive search consultants and board nominating committees…
- The Executive Career Playbook
How Senior Leaders Win in Today''s Competitive Job Market
Are you an executive leader struggling to land your next role? Traditional job search methods don’t work at the C-suite. That’s why 73% of executive searches…
- The Executive Career Playbook
Executive Career Q&A | Your Toughest Questions Answered
Navigating the executive job market can feel like a minefield. Do you really need a new resume for every role? Can AI do it all for you? And what about…
- The Executive Career Playbook
How Senior Leaders Turn Conferences into Career Critical Connections
Maximize your conference ROI with The Strategic Schmooze, a proven system to turn casual chats into lasting partnerships. Senior executives, this one’s for…
- The Executive Career Playbook
Brittney Ezell's Playbook for Bold Career Moves
What if your biggest career blow felt public, personal, and impossible to bounce back from? That’s exactly where Brittney Ezell found herself. After two…
- The Executive Career Playbook
This First 100 Days Strategy Prevents $1.5M Hiring Failures
If you're a senior leader or C-suite executive stepping into a new role, or interviewing for one, your first 100 days can either build momentum or cost your…
- The Executive Career Playbook
Conquering the September Surge: Executive Resume Tips That Get CEO Interviews During Peak Hiring Season
In this 30-minute power session, Michelle Merritt (Chief Strategy Officer) and Allan Wojahn (Lead Writer) from D&S Executive Career Management break down what…
- The Executive Career Playbook
How to Land a C-Level Job in 2025: Executive Resume, LinkedIn, & Interview Strategies
Ready to land your first—or next—C-suite role in 2025? Join Michelle Merritt, Chief Strategy Officer, and Debra Boggs, CEO of D&S Executive Career Management…