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Ada Chen Rekhi

Finding Meaningful Work with “Designing Your Life”

    With all of the talk of The Great Resignation, it doesn’t come as a surprise that many people are asking the question, what do I really want to do?

    Many people follow a guiding star throughout their early career. Their career transitions are based on what their parents or peers expected, what their peers did, where there was the highest status, or even taking what they were good at to its natural extreme. Later on, what they begin to question is whether that work is meaningful or significant to them.

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    The Leadership Chasm

      Why transitioning to management is hard: The Leadership Chasm

      When I coach founders and execs, I often encounter them in a point of transition. Reaching the point in your career where you transition from individual contributor to a people leader is often a story of struggle. Here’s why it’s so difficult to rise to the new challenge: The Leadership Chasm.

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      Phil Knight’s Shoe Dog and the slippery slope of founder ethics

        Thanks to all of the end of year book lists, my current reading list is swelling with newfound gems and Shoe Dog is one of my new favorites. I devoured it in a single day.

        Shoe Dog is the memoir of Phil Knight, founder and CEO of Nike and details the company from its early start through their 1980 IPO. There are several good reviews of the overall book (here, here, and here), but it surprises me that so few have discussed the ethical quandaries that Knight faces as he builds Nike.Read More »Phil Knight’s Shoe Dog and the slippery slope of founder ethics

        Anatomy of a Marketing Organization

          One of the areas I often advise startups on are questions around how to structure a marketing organization or make their initial marketing hires. I noticed there isn’t a lot of information out there about the different types of marketers, so I wanted to share some of the key functions that make up a marketing organization and thoughts on how to build and structure your team.Read More »Anatomy of a Marketing Organization

          Uncovering the secrets of happiness

            The holidays are one of my favorite times of year. As the sparkling lights and decorations go up, the holidays are a reminder and invitation to reflect, spend time with loved ones, and take stock on the learnings from the prior year. I thought this would be an ideal time to post a reflection on building and sustaining happiness in life. During my sabbatical over the last 4 months I prioritized sustainable health and happiness because it’s one of the areas that often gets shortchanged due to lack of time and too many things going on.Read More »Uncovering the secrets of happiness