Coaching with Farah

Business pivots are hard not just because you have to change tactics. They’re hard because you may stubbornly want to hold onto the familiar, even when you have evidence that it’s time to accept a truth and move forward differently. -You worked hard, and it worked...for some time, to some degree -You identified a need that's still real...but prioritizing it may not sustain your business I started off this year with a few hypotheses about what would open doors to net-new business. Fully open to learning, but also *so* sure that my hypotheses would prove to be 'right' (delusion of the best kind). For the last two months, I was super focused on getting the learning that I needed. And guess what. I got enough data to learn that I need to explore other doors. I wasn't 'right'. When people talk about ‘failing fast,’ it’s this (though I can't stand that phrase, topic for another day). Test a hypothesis for as long as you need to get the data to help you make a decision. Once you have that data, don’t sit on it. Choose a direction. Close one phase however you need to, so you can start the next. Remember that no learning is ever lost. I have a new hypothesis. And it’s gonna be right, of course ?? But before diving in, I'm going to close this phase of learning. With gratitude for: -being imperfect -holding my focus on my priorities -the people who made intros for me -the people who took calls with me and the leaders I continue to work with. *Truly* supporting their growth keeps me grounded and is a constant reminder of why I keep going.

Thanks to Alex Kottoor and Dena Startup Lab for bringing me into their circle this morning! I met some really thoughtful founders as we talked about co-founder relationships - ?? Getting aligned on what you both want to put into the partnership ?? The importance of dedication and trust, and understanding what that means to each of you ?? Thinking about your relationship as a system that needs different components to thrive ?? Reflecting on how we respond in the relationship, and when we might be in "protecting" versus "purpose" mode ?? Iterating on your relationship as your business needs change In the words of one of the founders, "Loved your session earlier today. Thank you for being so thoughtful and sharing so freely." If you're a CEO who would?like to chat about strengthening your co-founder relationship -- whether it's brand new or you've already been through waves of change together -- DM me and I'm happy to chat.?

How to move faster as a Founder-CEO? Thanks to Jeremy Jones for having me on his podcast to tackle this topic! Each episode of the Ideas & Impact podcast features "3 big ideas to transform your life or business". Here were the 3 big ideas we talked about to help you move faster: 1?? Get great at identifying when you might be stuck Sometimes you know you're stuck...like when you feel yourself resisting forward movement. Other times you don't realize you are, like when the world around you changes and needs you to change with it...but you're not adapting. Knowing when you're stuck allows you to process and adjust to keep moving. 2?? Uncover blind spots through targeted questions Integrating open-ended questions into forums with your team, board, and investors can invite new awareness even when you think you may not need it. Questions like: "What's another way to look at this?," "What are we missing?" and "What gives you pause?" Surface hidden perspectives early to avoid back-tracking later. 3?? Define and commit to your purpose and values One of my founder-CEO clients likes to call her purpose her "truth". Knowing your truth allows you and your team to stay focused and consistent. Knowing your values guides you in how to act without overthinking. ?? Listen to the full episode - link in comments below. P.S. Don't forget to congratulate Jeremy -- Ideas & Impact is a veteran-owned podcast that was just ranked by Listen Score as one of the top 10% most popular shows out of 3.5M podcasts. ??

Almost weekly, we're asked about something regarding “co-founders”. How to find them, how to attract one, how to align with them, how to incentivize them, etc. Co-founder relationships can make or break your startup, ya'll. This session will aim to help you ‘build’ the strongest, most enduring relationship possible. We’ll be hosted by Executive Coach, Farah Hussain. An absolute gem. If you are not part of Dena Startup Lab, its free-to-join, so take your pledge today. Link down in first comments. See you next Friday!

Kicking off 2025, Farah Hussain was the inaugural guest on the SMB Stars Podcast to share her business-building tips with fellow SMBs. Below are 5 takeaways from Farah's conversation with host Komal Singh, co-founder and CEO of 4XDigital AI: ?? Finding your first customers: Start close to home. → Working in tech in particular can lead us to think "too big" and lose sight of what’s right in front of us. ?? Respecting your customer's truth: Meet people where they are. → Even if you can see way ahead of your customer, they need to feel seen and heard by you. Listen carefully and genuinely care. ?? Building awareness: Pick a channel and show up consistently. → Take action long enough to get useful data on what works and what doesn't. ?? Making an offer: Be clear and straightforward. → People need to be able to self-identify that they're a fit for it. ?? Focusing your energy: Offload tasks that don’t require your expertise. → Tech, tools, and hiring specialists can help fill your gaps and keep your business moving. Listen to / watch the full interview on YouTube: https://lnkd.in/exbwv6Fg Thank you to Komal Singh and team for including Farah in their effort to amplify SMB voices!

This week Farah Hussain took the stage at Money20/20 in Las Vegas with Evan Leaphart Dana Fry and Jennifer Tramontana in a founders panel called: "Diversity Drives Disruption: Insights as a Minority or Female Founder" Thank you to Almudena Solera Samantha Pidoux Genevieve Dozier and Sharon Rivera for bringing us together on this particular stage to elevate women and minorities in the money ecosystem! ??The 'Do Better Together' stage at #Money2020 is hosted by the Rise Up and Amplify programs, which empower women and minorities in fintech.??

Fintech friends - I'm speaking at Money20/20 ! In a full circle moment since leaving PayPal , I'm so excited to support a joint track for Rise Up & Amplify at #Money2020USA -- programs championing women, non-binary, of color, and underrepresented leaders in fintech. I experienced so much career growth over 10+ years in fintech. And yes, I pursued that growth. But none of it would have happened without the leaders who supported me. It really is an honor to bring what I do now to this stage. Thank you to Bridgit Antwi and Monisha Chakrapani for the networking help to explore how I could support these programs. Thank you to Samantha Pidoux for the conversation that got us here! P.S. If you're going to be in Vegas, please say hi! P.P.S. To join me, click here https://lnkd.in/eryRRVdk

Join us this Monday Sept 23rd at the free & virtual #MeasuringInclusion Book Launch Festival ?? I’ll be in conversations with author Paolo Gaudiano & other thought leaders on #DEI, the backlash, and how to tie DEI initiatives to financial success. ?????? Where does the work I do fit into all this? As someone who was among few women of color in director+ roles in fintech, who had a reputation for "making anything happen", I believe two things need to be true to retain your best leaders and grow their impact: #1: They can navigate highs AND lows #2: They feel included in their environment I enable #1 with measurable success, and Paolo's book makes a powerful new case for #2. ?? ? This event is free & flexible with short talks all day I'm on @ 11am ET w/ Maria Morukian and Lily Zheng ?????? Don't miss out - get your free ticket here: https://lnkd.in/ecGzsaws

?? Get 5 tips below from "The Power of Mentorship," a panel moderated by Farah Hussain last week at the 8th annual Startup Boston Week. The program was so lucky to have panelists Thara Pillai (Harvard Innovation Labs), Wafaa Arbash (C10 Labs), and Deepanshi Bansal (ShineQuo). Here are 5 of their helpful tips for finding a mentor and making the most of a mentoring relationship! 1????Know your needs Be clear and specific! This will help you seek out the most relevant mentor profiles and to structure your engagement accordingly. 2????Leverage your existing network, and build it for the long-run Use the communities and connections you already have to find and build new mentoring relationships. Not everyone you connect with will be someone you seek help from immediately. Still have conversations from a place of curiosity and learning. This is relationship-building for the future. 3????Be prepared - and do the work Be proactive in finding mentors, and making the most of the time with your mentors. Set up the meetings, establish desired outcomes together, bring agendas with your questions and updates, do the work in-between. 4????"Date" first to find the best fit A mentorship is a two-way relationship. Talk to multiple people over several sessions before asking someone to be a mentor. Seek out relationships where you have psychological safety, and feel empowered. 5????Work together for a length of time that meets the need There's no standard length of time for a mentorship. In a mentorship that's going well, sustain a cadence and mentoring period that works for both you and the mentor, that meets your original need. ?????? What would you add? Thanks to Grace Walsh Stephanie Roulic Lauren Rich, aPHR? for bringing this panel to life and all the support. Photo credit: Kevin Thai Three Circles Studio #SBW2024 #startups #mentoring #leadership ?

Farah Hussain was interviewed in Forbes this week about how increasingly diverse and dynamic the work world is becoming...and how engaging with DEI is not a threat to the status quo, but a way to prepare for the future. Read Heather MacArthur's article for: ? Insights into the changing workforce ? 5 specific skills to build to help you navigate nuance ? 4 day-to-day opportunities to put skills into practice The conversation was based on research Farah recently published about the leadership experiences of 22 executive women of color. ?? Please share with folks who want to grow in their leadership and careers with these actionable insights! #dei #ai #leadership https://lnkd.in/gs_QDDYh