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You Don’t Need a CxO — Until You Do
Startups are built on extremes.  You’re either scrappy or bloated.  You’re doing it all yourself or over-hiring too soon.  You’re...
Merve Kagitci Hokamp
Aug 34 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
The Questions Executive Coaches Ask (That You Can Ask Yourself)
Last week, I was having drinks with a friend who's spent 20+ years climbing the ladder at the same company - a global giant with great...
Merve Kagitci Hokamp
Jul 216 min read
How to Show Executive Presence in Leadership Interviews (Without Faking It)
Leadership interviews aren’t just about ticking boxes. They’re about signaling who you are and what you are capable of delivering. Are...
Merve Kagitci Hokamp
Jul 77 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 Be More Decisive Without Being a Jerk
Most people think there are only two types of decision-makers: → The bulldozers  who steamroll everyone in their path → And the  wishy...
Merve Kagitci Hokamp
Jun 304 min read
Authenticity Fatigue: When "Be Yourself" Becomes Exhausting
I was sitting in a coffee shop last week, eavesdropping on two women at the next table (don't judge me—it's occupational hazard as a...
Merve Kagitci Hokamp
Jun 197 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: Â How to make it successful. Â How to not miss the moments that...
Merve Kagitci Hokamp
Jun 95 min read
What I’d Do Differently If I Were Starting My First Job at Google Today: 10 Lessons for Leaders Entering Big Tech
When I got my first job at Google, I was ecstatic. I’d made it. An MBA in hand, consulting experience under my belt, and now a seat at...
Merve Kagitci Hokamp
Jun 25 min read
Will AI Take Over Our Jobs? What the Rise of AI Means for Senior Leaders and Middle Managers
You’ve seen the headlines. You’ve heard the hallway whispers. And if you’re a senior leader or middle manager, you’ve probably asked...
Merve Kagitci Hokamp
May 265 min read
Eurovision, Leadership, and the Power of Polarizing Presence: Reflections After Eurovision 2025
As the final notes of Austria's "Wasted Love" still echo in my mind, I find myself processing the whirlwind of emotions, controversies,...
Merve Kagitci Hokamp
May 195 min read
What's the Story with Dubai Chocolate? And What It Teaches Us About Marketing, Soft Power, and the Psychology of Hype
Some trends build slowly. Others gather pace quietly, then seem to be everywhere all at once. That’s what happened with Dubai chocolate....
Merve Kagitci Hokamp
May 155 min read
Should You Bootstrap or Fundraise? It Depends — But One Thing Always Matters
As a startup coach and  Loyal VC  advisor I spend a lot of time with founders. Some are knee-deep in pitch decks. Some are wondering if...
Merve Kagitci Hokamp
May 84 min read
How to Use Storytelling to Lead, Inspire, and Win in Business
In one of the most iconic storytelling examples from Mad Men , Don Draper faces a tough task: Sell a slide projector from Kodak — the...
Merve Kagitci Hokamp
Apr 264 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
From Tokyo to Toronto: What Global Leaders Know That Locals Don’t
If you’ve never led outside your home country, you’re missing out on one of the most potent leadership accelerators available today:...
Merve Kagitci Hokamp
Mar 305 min read
Why Your Managers Are Burning Out—And What You Can Do About It
Two weeks ago, I ran a leadership training with a group of newly promoted managers at a well-known global tech company. The group was...
Merve Kagitci Hokamp
Mar 236 min read
The Skills Shortage Is Real—Here’s How Smart Companies Are Responding
Many of the leaders I coach are facing the same challenge: their workforce isn’t keeping up with the pace of change. The skills that were...
Merve Kagitci Hokamp
Mar 165 min read
International Women’s Day: The Unfinished Business of Equality
Early in my career, I approached a female manager I looked up to, hoping to learn from her experience. She was a few steps ahead of me,...
Merve Kagitci Hokamp
Mar 107 min read
What's in a Name? Reflections on Diversity, Inclusion, and the World We Live In
I grew up in a monocultural environment. Most of my friends were Turkish, from a similar middle-class background, and I attended Turkish...
Merve Kagitci Hokamp
Mar 27 min read
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