Sara Hicks

Executive Coaching

I coach founders, executives, and product and technology leaders navigating growth, transition, difficult team dynamics, and the often-lonely work of leadership. I help people understand their strengths and shadows, lead more effectively, and make a meaningful impact at work and in life.

My approach combines more than 20 years of operating experience with storytelling, design and visual thinking, writing, meditation, psychology, and even a hint of spirituality. Together, we examine both the organizational challenge and the personal patterns influencing it. We unearth narratives that might be holding you back, get clear on where you’re going and why, and develop practical experiments that fit you rather than forcing you into a standard coaching formula.

Who I work with

I work with entrepreneurs, founders, creatives, designers, technologists—especially women, LGBTQIA+, and underrepresented leaders in tech—who want to make a difference at work, in life, and in the world at large. While most of my clients are director-level and above or run their own business, your title doesn’t matter to me and it doesn’t matter if you manage a team or not. I work with leaders and leaders-to-be of all types and stages.

What we can work on

Every coaching relationship is different, but some common areas we might explore include:

  • Founder and executive transitions
  • Job and career transitions
  • Product strategy and organizational clarity
  • Team design, communication, and decision-making
  • Feedback, conflict, and difficult leadership situations
  • Executive presence and confidence
  • Burnout, boundaries, and sustainable performance
  • Other personal, professional, or organizational challenges you want to explore

How this works

Together, we establish goals and metrics for success, then we develop a plan to get you where you want to go, and then we make things happen. I’m an advocate of nonviolent communication, inclusive language, and continuous feedback. I’m not a fan of assessments, values exercises, jargon, and unnecessary rigmarole. I focus on experiential, organic, and experimental progress toward your goals. There is no average person, so there isn’t an average process that works for everyone.

We generally meet twice monthly, usually for 3 or 6 months to start, via Zoom, phone, or in Los Angeles, CA (where I live). In between sessions, you can reach me via email, text, or phone. It’s that simple. A lot of our magic might happen in between our sessions, as we will often share ideas and concerns asynchronously in docs and emails.

I keep my prices reasonable. Whether you work at a startup or tech giant, nonprofit or Fortune 1000 company, your company is paying or you are paying your own way, we can still work together. We’ll start with a free introductory conversation and go from there.

Who am I?

I am the founder and CEO of HappyHQ, the AI workspace for everyday work, and a founding partner and leadership coach at The Intentional Organization. My coaching is grounded in decades of leading, managing, coaching, and mentoring people through the challenges of building products, teams, and companies. (Here’s a longer bio.)

I led Reaction Commerce from founding through its acquisition by Mailchimp, later serving as Mailchimp’s Chief Product Officer and Product Advisor. I’m also the co-author of the bestselling book, The Intentional Organization: A Leadership and Management Guide. You can find examples of my conference talks, podcast appearances, interviews, and published writing on the Media Inquiries page.

I’ve been working for technology startups and companies my entire 20+ year career in product, design, and operational roles. Managing and leading people has been one of the most rewarding parts of my career. It’s also been the most challenging and lonely part of my job. There is an endless amount of books, podcasts, and blog posts on leadership, but few trusted resources for actual help and support. Having to always be on can be daunting, and needing to have all the answers is tiring.

These issues have been just as true in early-stage, fast-growing startups as they are in larger, more mature companies. On top of it all, being a female founder in tech has often exacerbated the feelings of loneliness and frustration. Having my own coach and a small group of mentors to talk through those feelings and concerns continues to be incredibly valuable for me.

Are you ready?

The best way to see if working together is right for both of us is to set up a time to chat. Find a time below, answer a few questions, and I’ll get back to you within 48–72 hours to confirm our meeting, or I’ll ask a few follow-up questions. It helps if you can take a few moments to think about what brings you here and what you want to get out of working together. Your answers to the questions will help us frame our initial conversation so that we can get the most out of it.

If you’d rather connect via email at first, please get in touch. I appreciate your patience.