Sara Seyed grew up in Iran, where she saw firsthand what happens when women are silenced, rights are stripped away, and power is used as a weapon. Now based in LA, she’s using her voice and platform to amplify the revolution happening in her home country. A former human rights lawyer turned actor, Sara shares what it means to live with purpose, speak up even when it’s risky, and turn grief into fuel. This episode goes deep into her personal story and what she wants the world to understand about Iran today.

Chapters

00:00 Why I became an actor

01:45 Meet Sara Seyed

03:00 Mahsa Amini and the morality police

06:00 What sparked Iran’s most recent uprising

09:00 Women’s education, unemployment, and lack of opportunity

12:00 Why past reform efforts failed

14:00 How daily life is changing under protest

17:00 Childhood memories of state surveillance

19:00 How schools indoctrinate children

21:00 Smuggling Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears

23:00 Internalized guilt and early shame

24:00 Iran’s crackdown on freedom of speech

27:00 How the regime uses religion as a control mechanism

30:00 What international law can’t fix

32:00 Why she left law for acting

35:00 Losing her right to go home

38:00 Honoring her grandmother

41:00 Why change is inevitable

44:00 Mourning Iran’s lost future leaders

46:00 Where her power comes from

51:00 Small actions that matter

53:00 Finding hope in collective struggle

56:00 How to help: VPNs, petitions, and pressure

58:00 Final thoughts from Sara

The Powerful Ladies podcast, hosted by business coach and strategist Kara Duffy features candid conversations with entrepreneurs, creatives, athletes, chefs, writers, scientists, and more. Every Wednesday, new episodes explore what it means to lead with purpose, create with intention, and define success on your own terms.

Whether you're growing a business, changing careers, or asking bigger questions, these stories remind you: you're not alone, and you're more powerful than you think.

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