For three years, I interviewed accomplished women on this show — surgeons, founders, lawyers, executives. Different fields, different decades, different lives. And every one of them had been handed the same advice: work twice as hard, prove yourself, earn your seat, and figure out the rest of your life on the side. They all paid the same price — burnout, exhaustion, and no guarantee that success was even waiting at the end.

I know, because I'm one of them. After 15 years of becoming a double-board-certified trauma surgeon, raising six kids, and following every rule, I almost walked away from medicine.

This episode is the relaunch. New name, new mission, new question I want every ambitious woman to start asking. The Professional Muslim Women Podcast is now The Defiant Career — same feed, no need to resubscribe.

In this episode: the advice nobody named, why "work twice as hard" was never built for you to win, and the image of the broken ladder you won't be able to unsee.

Two invitations:

• Take the 2-minute quiz to see what the compliant strategy is costing you → Burnout Quiz
• Join the monthly workshop inside Defiance Academy → Burnout Workshop

Subscribe so you don't miss an episode. Have a question? The best ones become full episodes → SUBMIT QUESTION HERE

Dr. Qaali Hussein is a double-board-certified trauma surgeon, mom of six, and founder of Defiance Academy. New episodes every other week.

Holding onto limiting ideas and beliefs while trying to break with social norms and standards can be challenging. It's important for us to question and interrogate why we have these beliefs and examine how they limit us from expanding our horizons.

Join us at the Defiant Women's Leadership Conference on January 21, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona ➡️

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/defiant-womens-leadership-conference-tickets-408409191887

Check out Defiance Academy for more information.

https://www.defianceacademy.com/

In the pursuit of careers, especially in the STEM fields, one of the biggest gaps in professional development is the lack of leadership training during the early parts of the journey. While these skills are important in helping you to advance in your career, they're also relevant in helping you overcome obstacles, negotiate changes both at work and in your personal life, and prioritize your goals. In this episode, we discuss this gap and the ways in which Defiance Academy is hoping to bridge it for the next generation.

Check out Defiance Academy for more information.

https://www.defianceacademy.com/

Deqa is a premed student passionate about pursuing surgery. She's a first-generation student who lost her father at a young age and was was raised by a single mother. As a Black Muslim woman, she found it difficult to identify with the mentors she was presented with at networking events. Now as an alumna of the Taking UP Space Course, Deqa's mindset is transformed. Listen as she shares her journey thus far and how a mindset shift impacted her ability to dream big.

Got questions on life and career goals? Submit them at the link below and tune into the Mentoring Moments segment for in-depth discussions.

Check out Defiance Academy for more information.

https://www.defianceacademy.com/

In a society that teaches you to be risk averse, can taking calculated risks in your personal and career goals be the key to overcoming obstacles?

In this episode, Dr. Sondos Al Sad and I dig deep into what it means to be a Muslim woman navigating life and career while maintaining your faith and values and how calculated risks pay off.

You can reach Dr. Al Sad on Twitter @SadSondos

Got questions on life and career goals? Submit them at the link below and tune into the Mentoring Moments segment for in-depth discussions.

Check out Defiance Academy for more information.

https://www.defianceacademy.com/

Our first Mentoring Moments segment! In this episode, I answer the question "How do you become a surgeon?" I outline the process from high school, college, medical school, all the way to fellowship.

Check out Defiance Academy for more information.

https://www.defianceacademy.com/

In this episode, we discuss how we can use our biggest strengths - our families and our communities - to our advantage in building the life and career we want.

Check out Defiance Academy for more information.

https://www.defianceacademy.com/

In this episode, Dr. Emma Wiley shares

• her path into medicine
• how the growth mindset impacted her journey
• the importance of maintaining faith
• her incredible work with the Muslim Women of Merton in advocating for Muslim women and combatting Islamophobia
• her work with the British Medical Association on hijab and bear-below-elbow policy for Muslim women working in the operating room (or operating theater as they call it in the UK!)

To follow Dr. Wiley's work, follow her on Twitter @EmmaWiley16

Got questions on life and career goals? Submit them at the link below and tune into the Mentoring Moments segment for in-depth discussions.

Check out Defiance Academy for more information.

https://www.defianceacademy.com/

After you prove yourself and surpass all expectations, you're given the respect you deserve and opportunities to advance in your career, right? Sadly this expectation is inconsistent with the reality of the workplace, especially for the minoritized and underrepresented. In this week's episode, we discuss the importance of developing a strategy early in your career and how you can take control of your career trajectory.

Check out Defiance Academy for more information.

https://www.defianceacademy.com/

Welcome to Season 2! We're so excited to be back. We're picking up right where we left off after a two-year pandemic break. Our personal and professional lives have significantly changed since the start of the pandemic. So in this season, we'll be doing things a little differently. We'll introduce the new format of the podcast, our respective roles, and new exciting segments and projects we have in store for you. Happy listening!

Check out Defiance Academy for more information.

https://www.defianceacademy.com/