Sara Hicks

Sara Hicks

Hi, I'm Sara. I'm a product leader and company builder. I’m also a founding partner and executive leadership coach at The Intentional Organization. I enjoy art, cycling, and cooking. Yoga, too.

. Coaching Corner

Burnout

It seems like most everyone I’m coaching these days is tired. In a recent session, a founder and CEO of an early-stage company exclaimed, “I’m incredibly burned out. I’ve reached the saturation point. I work, work, work, and then when I stop, I can’t move.” In

. Being Intentional

Leadership Lessons From Adopting a Semi-feral Cat

My partner and I decided to adopt a kitten. We started looking casually on adoption sites and filled out the requisite paperwork, but we were in no hurry. Then a friend reached out to us. She’d just rescued an emaciated black mama kitty and her four newborns from a

. Being Intentional

Strike a Power Pose

This is a new series called “Being Intentional,” where I will share stories and examples of being intentional in work and in life. Too often, we move around our daily lives on autopilot. We treat most moments as insignificant and are often distracted and rushed. There’s great power in

. Coaching Corner

Dealing With Challenging Employees

Welcome to “Coaching Corner!” This is a new series where I outline a topic or series of topics that have come up in my coaching practice. While I always keep my clients anonymous, these are real issues that founders, executives, and/or leaders are facing right now.  I usually start

I’m a Coach for Slauson & Co.’s Friends & Family Accelerator

Last week I had a beautifully satisfying experience that reaffirmed many of my life choices. It was a week that reminded me of my purpose and expertise. It was a week that showed me what is possible when I prioritize my most highly valued beliefs like inclusion and intentionality. I’

Hello world, please meet The Intentional Organization

Drum roll, please... Today, my good friend Mathias and I are launching The Intentional Organization! What is The Intentional Organization? First, it’s a soon-to-be-released book about building organizations around clarity, communication, and inclusivity. And, it’s also a consultancy where we are offering executive coaching and leadership workshops. So

. Being Intentional

On Experiments

I believe in the power of small experiments as a way to start habits and introduce changes. I like to bring new things into my daily routines and see how they unfold. I enjoy trying new things and adopting new ideas. I'm trying a new experiment this quarter.

. Being Intentional

On Unplugging

I spent a good part of the last few weeks finalizing our Vacation and Time Off Guide at Reaction Commerce. As part of a phased roll out, I first shared the Guide with the Leadership Team to get their input, and we had a discussion at our Weekly Leadership meeting.

. Being Intentional

My Wander Exercise

Just before a vacation to the mountains, my coach suggested that I do a "wander" exercise while I was out in the wilderness. Here's roughly how it worked. To begin, you head to the outdoors. Go for a walk or a hike by yourself, and go

. Being Intentional

On Walking 1:1s

If you work with me, you would know that I'm a big fan of walking one-on-ones. The "walk and talk" meeting is my favorite. The fact that I work a block from the beach is an added bonus. In a few short minutes, I can be

. Being Intentional

Ikigai: A Reason for Being

I recently came across this article from the World Economic Forum about the Japanese concept of Ikigai, which loosely translates to this: "A reason for being." From Wikipedia, Ikigai is: The word ikigai is usually used to indicate the source of value in one's life or

. Being Intentional

Taking my Seat in the Warrior's World

At about the same time we successfully launched our General Availability v1.0.0 release, our new website, and unveiled Reaction to the world at a large industry conference, we moved from our beloved home in Venice, and my dad started hospice. I know that's a big sentence.