Stay Focused On Your Vision: Interview with Ken Chahine, Founder and CEO of Nectar
I recently went one on one with Ken Chahine, founder and CEO of Nectar. Ken was previously a founding executive of AncestryDNA.
Adam: Thanks again for taking the time to share your advice. First things first, though, I am sure readers would love to learn more about you. How did you get here? What experiences, failures, setbacks, or challenges have been most instrumental to your growth?
Ken: The experiences and challenges I faced as the child of two immigrant parents who fled revolutions have been instrumental to my growth and career. Education held great value in my family, and I pursued academic excellence, earning a Ph.D. in biochemistry and genetics, as well as a law degree. However, I chose to depart from bench science and law, driven by the satisfaction of creating something impactful from scratch.
As CEO of a gene therapy company focused on curing hemophilia and treating Parkinson's disease, I noticed a significant trend in genomics—falling costs that would soon become affordable for consumers. This led me to become a founding executive of AncestryDNA and Ancestry Health, a consumer genealogy and disease risk testing company. Although it started as a $10 million niche market, my vision was to take it mainstream. We accomplished this by focusing on three key things:
First, we challenged the restriction that only men could take a DNA test, breaking down unnecessary boundaries. We also improved the test's resolution, enabling customers to discover their ancestors more specifically, such as in Cameroon, Northern Spain, or County Kerry, Ireland.
Second, we made genetic information relatable and accessible. We simplified the data, replacing scientific jargon with visually engaging pie charts and maps, providing an intuitive depiction of an individual's family origins.
Third, affordability was crucial. By reducing the cost of DNA testing to $99, we made it accessible to a wider audience. This resulted in immense popularity, with nearly 1 in 10 Americans taking the test and transforming the market into a multi-billion-dollar industry. By breaking boundaries, making information relatable, and ensuring affordability, we transformed genetic exploration.
Adam: In your experience, what are the key steps to growing and scaling your business?
Ken: At Nectar, we are on a mission to do more than just provide allergy care. We are determined to revolutionize an industry that has long been plagued by dissatisfaction and frustration. With over 120 million Americans affected by allergies, it's clear that the market is in dire need of a significant upgrade. That's why we have set out to create an exceptional customer experience that not only meets but exceeds our clients' expectations.
We believe that allergy care should be accessible, efficient, and effective. Our innovative approach combines breakthrough technology with personalized clinical diagnosis via telehealth consults and customized prescriptions backed by exceptional science. We have simplified what was once a complicated and burdensome process into just a few simple steps, making long-term relief from allergies a reality. At Nectar, we are passionate about making a positive impact on people's lives and are committed to providing our customers with a truly exceptional experience.
Adam: What do you believe are the defining qualities of an effective leader?
Ken: An effective leader never stops learning and growing. This requires a departure from your comfort zone, using feedback and criticism as a learning opportunity. You can learn from everyone on your team, and some of the best ideas come from unexpected places. It is crucial not to underestimate the power of a fresh perspective.
Adam: How can leaders and aspiring leaders take their leadership skills to the next level?
Ken: To foster personal growth as a leader, I believe it's crucial to cultivate self-awareness and assess both strengths and weaknesses. Emotional intelligence plays a vital role in effectively navigating teamwork by understanding your interactions with others. As a leader, you help your team get better and they help you improve. To grow as a leader, it’s critical to listen to your team, be open to feedback, be flexible, and put yourself in new situations where you can learn more about yourself and your team.
Adam: What are your three best tips applicable to entrepreneurs, executives, and civic leaders?
Ken:
Great ideas, by definition, often seem crazy at first. Therefore be prepared for criticism and skepticism, but make allowances for people to doubt you too.
Remain humble enough to know you don’t know all the challenges that lie ahead, but arrogant enough to think you can overcome them.
Lastly, stay focused on your vision and don’t get sidetracked by external influences, especially competition.
Adam: What is your best advice on building, leading, and managing teams?
Ken: The first step towards effective leadership is communicating a compelling vision that enables your team to see, feel, and understand the path ahead. Creating and maintaining a culture of psychological safety, where open and honest communication is embraced, ensures that team members feel acknowledged, understood, and supported. On that same note, we believe that it’s necessary to create a culture where failing, especially failing fast, is embraced. This fosters a culture where everyone genuinely cares for each other’s growth and development. Lastly, as a leader, it's crucial to recognize when to step back and get out of your team’s way so they have the autonomy to thrive.
Adam: What are your best tips on the topics of sales, marketing, and branding?
Ken: Take the time to establish a strong brand identity. This will help you connect with consumers, motivate your employees, differentiate from competition and can serve as a north star at critical junctures for the brand.
Adam: What is the single best piece of advice you have ever received?
Ken: The quote, “It’s not the answer that matters but the question” resonates deeply with me. As a CEO, my primary focus is not to generate all the answers, but to ensure I’m asking the right questions. For me, it’s about guiding the team to think through the right questions and then stepping back and allowing them the space to discover the answers themselves. It’s through this process that true growth and innovation occur.
Adam Mendler is an entrepreneur, writer, speaker, educator, and nationally-recognized authority on leadership. Adam is the creator and host of the business and leadership podcast Thirty Minute Mentors, where he goes one on one with America's most successful people - Fortune 500 CEOs, founders of household name companies, Hall of Fame and Olympic gold medal-winning athletes, political and military leaders - for intimate half-hour conversations each week. A top leadership speaker, Adam draws upon his insights building and leading businesses and interviewing hundreds of America's top leaders as a top keynote speaker to businesses, universities, and non-profit organizations. Adam has written extensively on leadership and related topics, having authored over 70 articles published in major media outlets including Forbes, Inc. and HuffPost, and has conducted more than 500 one on one interviews with America’s top leaders through his collective media projects. Adam teaches graduate-level courses on leadership at UCLA and is an advisor to numerous companies and leaders. A Los Angeles native, Adam is a lifelong Angels fan and an avid backgammon player.
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