I met Shaheen when she was on a women in business panel two years ago speaking about her work as a lawyer with start-ups with her firm Esse Law. But I found the serendipity of how she ended up in this direction in her career fascinating – it took several side roads - she passed the California Bar – then veered into a musical career for a decade, and then when performing at a friend's launch party, veered back into law, specifically helping women founders, where she has been for 15 years.

I loved the weaving journey of her life, and felt she would have a lot of wisdom to share about her development of self-trust, especially as a South Asian woman who had no example before her to lean on when going for music. It wasn't the safe route, and so her mind did try and negotiate with her – maybe she could be an attorney for musicians? Maybe go to graduate school for music because she was a good student?

She dove in and lived the varied and often challenging life of an artist. When it came time for that dream to end, her music was heard all over the world.

She now has a firm where she helps women founders understand what it is like to be the only woman in the board room, and to get over their imposter syndrome. But to also understand this is a hard gig to found any company. She also juggles as a working mom with her kids so important to her (like so many of us).

Um. But recently a friend of mine who is a formal, a former as I call, recovering attorney. Okay. I like that. That's a good term. That's a good term. Um, turned kind of like coach facilitator. Now this was one of her dreams. Um, so she finished her season as an attorney and she's switching into this new season.

Recently, she has been exploring what the next phase will be, when the kids go off. What will all that space feel like, and I applauded that she spent time with women she calls her "coven" to spend time on the beach with crystals and a candle, meditation and journaling.

It was just two hours of being back in herself and it made a huge difference to listen to the thoughts. She admits, it was the first time in five years since she deeply exhaled. From that time, she has moved a little slower and invited women to her house to do the time together to exhale.

Shaheen has a Substack – Beyond the 2% - which you call the playbook for women founders who refuse to wait their turn. Please subscribe and share especially if you are a woman founder!

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