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If You Can Fix the Leak, Say So: Why Personal Brand Is a Leadership Responsibility
There's a Buddhist parable I come back to when I'm coaching leaders who shy away from visibility. A group sits in a room. It starts to rain. A leak appears in the ceiling. Water drips — quiet at first, then relentless. Everyone shifts their chairs. Someone grabs a bucket. The conversation continues, but now everyone's distracted, uncomfortable, trying to work around the problem. One of them is a plumber. She sees the problem immediately. She knows exactly how to fix it. She's

Merve Kagitci Hokamp
Oct 126 min read


Why More Executives Are Choosing Portfolio Careers Over Traditional Corporate Ladders
How diversification, flexibility, and strategic design are redefining executive careers. When I shared recently that I'd taken on a...

Merve Kagitci Hokamp
Sep 16 min read


The Great Corporate Exodus: Why Senior Executives Are Trading Corner Offices for Kitchen Tables
Inside the accelerating trend of C-suite leaders becoming entrepreneurs—and what it means for the future of work At 2:47 PM on a Tuesday,...

Merve Kagitci Hokamp
Aug 257 min read


The Red that Made Billions: What McDonald's Color Psychology Teaches Leaders About the Science of Influence
How a simple color choice became one of the most powerful influence experiments in business history—and what Robert Cialdini's research...

Merve Kagitci Hokamp
Aug 189 min read


Leading on Low Battery: Why It Doesn’t Work
I have been working with a brilliant CRO of a fast-scaling tech company for the last 2 years. Sharp as a tack. Big vision. Hired well....

Merve Kagitci Hokamp
Jul 214 min read


When Anxiety Isn’t the Problem —But the Signal
I coach high-performing leaders. People who’ve built companies, managed global teams, survived reorgs, scaled revenue, raised kids,...

Merve Kagitci Hokamp
Jun 304 min read


How to Build a Business While Raising Small Kids as an Expat: Juggling ambition, identity, and nap time
When I launched my coaching business, I had two things on my mind: How to make it successful. How to not miss the moments that...

Merve Kagitci Hokamp
Jun 95 min read


Scaling Your Business Without Losing Soul
What if success didn’t have to look loud? There’s a particular brand of business success we’ve all been conditioned to admire: 📈...

Merve Kagitci Hokamp
Apr 214 min read


Air Travel is Worse Than Ever—Here’s What Needs to Change
I remember when air travel used to feel special. Not just tolerable— special . I looked forward to flying. There was a sense of ritual to...

Merve Kagitci Hokamp
Jan 86 min read


Best of 2024: Growth, Achievements, and Learnings
2024 has been a year of remarkable growth, thoughtful reflection, and lessons that will shape the years ahead. It’s been a journey of...

Merve Kagitci Hokamp
Dec 30, 20246 min read


Building a Portfolio Career: Design a Work Life on Your Terms
Recently, I’ve noticed a significant increase in people reaching out to work with me, eager to make a major shift in how they structure...

Merve Kagitci Hokamp
Nov 12, 20245 min read


Why the “Perfect Day” Routine is Overrated (and What Actually Works)
You’ve heard the hype. Wake up at 4 a.m., and you’ll float out of bed feeling like a feather, totally ready to conquer the world....

Merve Kagitci Hokamp
Nov 4, 20244 min read


Work, Art, and Amore: Leadership Lessons from the Streets of Rome
I recently spent four unforgettable days in Rome with my book club, where we soaked up art, history, and pasta in every possible form....

Merve Kagitci Hokamp
Oct 27, 20245 min read


My 40th Birthday, Lisbon, The Food Temple and Rediscovering Purpose and Passion in Leadership
I just celebrated my 40th birthday with a group of close friends in Lisbon, and it was all the things I had hoped it would be (and...

Merve Kagitci Hokamp
Oct 7, 20245 min read


Investing in Your Own Growth: The Best Decision You'll Ever Make as a Leader
Remember when we were kids? We'd fearlessly dive into new adventures—whether crafting a messy art project, learning an instrument, or...

Merve Kagitci Hokamp
Sep 9, 20246 min read


Getting Comfortable with Rejection: Rethinking the Power of “No”
With my birthday just around the corner, I’ve been planning a getaway to Lisbon, one of my favorite cities, with a few close friends....

Merve Kagitci Hokamp
Sep 2, 20245 min read


Friendships, Work, and the Wheel of Life: A Journey Towards Connection
I am spending most of the summer in Turkey again this year. We just arrived a couple of days ago, and it feels great to be back....

Merve Kagitci Hokamp
Jul 8, 20245 min read


The End of the 9-5: Embracing a Flexible Work Future
The traditional 9-5, five-days-a-week corporate office environment is a relic of the past, and I, for one, am never going back. This...

Merve Kagitci Hokamp
May 28, 20246 min read


Conquering Automatic Negative Thoughts (ANTs): Strategies for a Positive Mindset
In the landscape of our minds, there's a constant battle between positive affirmations and negative intrusions, the latter often referred...

Merve Kagitci Hokamp
May 13, 20243 min read


Embracing the Learner Mindset: Lessons from my First time Skiing
Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you're the novice among experts? That's exactly how I felt on my recent family ski...

Merve Kagitci Hokamp
Mar 30, 20245 min read
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