From Nine to Thrive: Empowering Moms to Step Into Courage and Create Freedom

“Mama, why do you have to work?”

In this inspiring episode of The EmPOWERed Half Hour, Becca Powers sits down with serial entrepreneur, certified high performance coach, and mom of two, Shilpi Zalani. Shilpi shares her personal journey from a dependent visa, corporate life, and motherhood struggles to building multiple six-figure businesses that created freedom, alignment, and fulfillment.

Key Moments You Won't Want to Miss:

• The mindset first principle: 80% mindset, 20% strategy—why clarity and courage matter more than immediately jumping into business tactics.
• How to honor family while pursuing personal growth and career fulfillment.
• How kids observe courage and action, learning to embrace their own ambitions without guilt.

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Transcript

Note: We use AI transcription so there may be some inaccuracies

Shilpi Zalani: Women moms especially, you know, one of the biggest things that we have to overcome is fear, right? It's fear of disappointing our families, fear of failure, or fear of stepping out of our comfort zone. I feel like, one thing I've learned along the way is that courage is a muscle love.

And for me at least, I feel like motherhood has been the greatest training ground, and I feel like for a lot of women out there. They're just lacking the courage or the, push to just get it going. But I really believe that, you know, clarity comes with action as well. So it's a mixture of clarity and courage is what I think women really need to step into their next, version of themselves.

Becca Powers: Welcome to another episode of the Empowered Half Hour, and today I bring you one of my brand builder group friends, Shilpi Sani, and she is a serial entrepreneur, which I always find fascinating. I love that. DNA. And she is also a certified high performance coach, which is a woman after my own heart and a mom of two.

And one of the reasons I wanted to bring her on the show is when I met her in our little. Brand builder's world. I heard her talk about her passions for entrepreneurship, for coaching, for your background, and being a mom and just bringing it all together. And I'm a big fan of the, and I think that we need to embrace the ands in our life, and so she'll be, I really wanted to invite you as a guest.

I'm so happy I finally have you on. 

Shilpi Zalani: Welcome. Thank you so much for having me. I've been really looking forward to this conversation for a while, so I'm very excited to be here. 

Becca Powers: Yes, me too. So, well, let's get into it. Serial entrepreneurship, tell me what's your background like, how did that become a thing?

Why is it important to you and how did it involve into becoming a coach and your folding in your mom hood in that. So just tell me all of it. I wanna know 

Shilpi Zalani: thank you for the introduction, first of all. So, like you said, Becca, I'm, I'm a serial entrepreneur. You know, I've been coaching and mentoring women.

 I help ambitious moms build businesses that feel aligned with their values, creating a better work-life balance. And the reason I do this work is it really goes back to my childhood and the culture I grew up in. So I was born in India. I grew up in Malaysia. In a very traditional conservative background, if you will, where women were expected to be homemakers.

And I became the first woman in my extended family to earn a degree and build a career, and I was so proud of that. But when I got married and moved to the US I was on a dependent visa and suddenly I couldn't work at all. overnight it felt like my identity had disappeared. And eventually I fought my way back.

I went to grad school here in the us, started working in corporate it, and you know, I think everything felt like it was falling into place again. Until I became a mom and that's when everything collided. I had a long commute, long working hours. The pressure to be perfect at work, the cultural expectations to be perfect at home, the mom guilt was really overwhelming.

 the moment that changed everything for me was, you know, I still remember it was one night when my younger one, she was I think two or three years old at that time, she looked at me right after long, Day at work and she said, mama, I miss you. Why do you have to work? And I'll never forget that moment because it completely shattered me.

I realized I didn't wanna choose between success and my children. I wanted both. And I wanted a model that honored both honestly. So I did something I never thought I would do. I left the corporate world, took a leap of faith into entrepreneurship. And you know, over the years I've built and sold multiple six figure businesses from an after school to a staffing franchise.

And each one gave me more. Freedom, more flexibility and really more fulfillment than I ever had in corporate. So, and now my program is called From Nine to Thrive, and I help other moms create the same freedom for themselves. So the work I do is really deeply personal and it's rooted in empowerment and courage and really rewriting generational stories, at least for me.

Becca Powers: I mean, that's a real. Thing that happens to working moms. I remember when my kids were maybe four and six or three and five, I was working as a senior leader in our organization, and I would take my work home, right? Like I would do dinner and all that stuff, and by 7:00 PM I'm back up on my computer working on reports, getting things out the door.

And I remember my daughter like tugging on me too, mommy. all you do is work. Are you gonna come play? And I'm like, I remember like the tears coming down and how, how much is real? It's real. Yeah, yeah. That, that does like tug on you and you're like, what am I doing? So long story short, I didn't stay at that job much longer after that moment in time.

So I completely not only validate that feeling existed in Me too, but also like. I congratulate you for doing something about it and then turning it into something programmatic that you can help other people do because it's a real thing for moms. 

Shilpi Zalani: Yeah. It's not easy, it's not been an easy ride, but you know, it's taken a lot of courage, but I'm glad I'm happy doing what I do because it's so fulfilling.

It's really more about the impact than the money for me at this point. 

Becca Powers: I got the goosebumps. It's freaking awesome. 

 So let me ask you a question and to help the listeners gain a little bit more insight into gaining the courage that you got, or like that aha. That I got. What kind of message? Lesson or aha do you have for them?

If they're sitting there working a job, their toddler is pulling at their jacket saying, mommy, come play with me. Like, let's give them like a positive message or a something they can take away. Yeah, 

Shilpi Zalani: absolutely. I mean, I think for me, you know, I had to overcome a lot of, a mix of cultural conditioning, internal fears, and real life constraints.

And I think many women faced the same thing in different ways. Perhaps, for me at least growing up, you know, women didn't talk about their dreams. they talked about duty sacrifice and being grateful for whatever came their way. So I had to unlearn the belief that wanting more. Me selfish, ungrateful.

And a lot of moms feel that, right? Like they just feel like that's a big one. Absolutely. Yeah. And for me, when I was stuck in that dependent visa period. You know, not being allowed to work was one of the hardest chapters of my life. And it created an identity crisis almost, that I wasn't prepared for.

And then I became a mom. And the mom guilt was real, right? I felt like I was failing at work, failing at home, no matter how hard I tried. And I feel like, Women moms especially, you know, one of the biggest things that we have to overcome is fear, It's fear of disappointing our families.

Fear of disappointing, you know, fear of failure, or fear of stepping out of our comfort zone, right? I feel like, you know, one thing I've learned along the way is that courage is a muscle. And for me at least, I feel like motherhood has been the greatest training ground. And I feel like for a lot of women out there.

They're just lacking the courage or the push to just get it going. But I really believe that, you know, clarity comes with action as well. So it's a mixture of clarity and courage is what I think women really need to step into their next version of themselves. 

Becca Powers: I think that's beautiful. I mean, that's like a mic drop right there.

Like courage is a muscle like C clear, like clarity and courage together so many times in my life. And I would love to hear your thoughts on this too. I am a planner. I've come from an environment of high expectation. I've been in sales for a living, so I struggle with control, perfectionism, all the things.

I love to-do. Lists. I love having a good five-year plan. And sometimes I feel like, especially as women raising families and stuff like that, we can get stuck in the perfectionism. Kind of like what you're talking about, right? Like and having that plan and all of that and doing something different feels very scary.

But like you said, if you can. Step into your courage and try something else. You don't need to know what's gonna happen five steps ahead of you. You just kind of stay focused on maybe step one, step two. And as you move forward, more clarity comes. I don't know, I'm just kind of like recapping what you've said, but I felt very inspired by it.

So I don't know if you wanna say anything else before I move on, but 

Shilpi Zalani: Yeah. And you know, yeah, spot on on that, Becca. Like I really, relate to whatever you're saying as well, you know, because I think we've. Probably followed similar, similar parts. I realized or learned that clarity doesn't come from thinking.

Like I said, you know, it really comes from taking action. And every business that I built, it became clearer because I took action, after starting it, not before. Right. And one thing I've read, recently is like, freedom is not a dream. It's a skill you build and you build it with boundaries, right? With intentional choices and with the willingness to trust yourself even when you're scared.

Because we're all scared, you know? I mean, the most successful people out there, they're doing all the things, but the truth is imposter syndrome is probably there in all of them. I really believe that the next level really starts with one brave decision. For me. It was when my daughter actually said that to me.

And it completely transformed my life. And it reminded me that sometimes the moments that break us are also the moments that rebuild us 

Becca Powers: that is so freaking beautiful because and my heart feels that because it is so true. And, what I'd like to ask you next, and it kind of rolls into this, is.

Because I feel like you've already mentioned it a couple times, but I'd love to for you to share like why you're passionate about this work. Like what do you see from your clients that you help, what's on the other side? 

Shilpi Zalani: Yeah. So, you know, one thing I always say is, when a mother rises, a mom rises, the whole family rises because I feel like we're such a backbone of the family.

 and that's why it really matters so much to me. it's deeply personal because I've been on both sides, right? I've been on these side of burnout, the guilt, and the pressure and feeling like. If we just stretch thin between our two worlds, right? Between having a career and having a family, I've definitely had those days where I've sat in the car after work and cried because I'm so exhausted mentally and physically.

 you really don't know how much longer you can keep going. it's complete burnout and guilt. I know what it feels like to miss moments with your kids and carry that guilt with you everywhere. But I also know. The joy of building a business and that lets you pick up your kids from school, travel on your terms.

I love to travel and really be present and be fulfilled again. So for me, that has been a big reason of why I do what I do or why family so important to me is because, you know, I have two girls and I always wanted to be a role model for them. Honestly. I come from family again with my mom, my siblings, no one really works.

I wanted to show my girls that it's possible to have both and really thrive at it. So it's 

Becca Powers: been 

Shilpi Zalani: a big driving 

Becca Powers: for, for me. 

That is awesome. let's go to, you're helping women break their cycles, start their businesses, be present As a mom, where do you ask them to start? 

Shilpi Zalani: So I feel like entrepreneurial mi, so I, my program from Nine to Thrive really has nine modules in there.

It's a self-based course, as well as a coaching program. And, you know, we really start with the entrepreneurial mindset. I think it's key. It's a big part of my program, even though I'm excited to learn more. Yeah. And the entrepreneurial mindset is really, we talk about clarity, stepping outside your comfort zone, the courage muscle, and all of that.

Because, you know, if somebody's coming from, working in a nine to five job. employee mindset is very different. Somebody's telling you what to do. You know, you have accountability, you have milestones, you have deadlines and everything else. But as an entrepreneur, nobody's really telling you what to do.

There's no accountability. you might have a team later on, maybe when you're starting out, you don't have that, but. And, and honestly, too many people quit too soon if they start a business. I agree with that also. Yeah. I forget the statistics around it, but I know that, only a handful of businesses make it beyond the first year and beyond the first five and 10.

Yes. Right. the mindset is a big part of it. And then we go into, of course, deciding what kind of business is right for you. You know, family alignment is big, I feel like without the right support, it's hard to sustain a good business. As I talk about that, and then we talk about sales, marketing, and everything else till launching a business.

Becca Powers: Wow. So definitely sounds like you give them like a full, like a full hug, like you go in and I, I try to. That's awesome. But what is, I would love to, to hear because I think it's very inspiring. I mean, it's the empowered half hour. I love to inspire the listeners to think outside of their comfort zone, try something different.

And uh, sometimes it helps to like just hear other people's successes too. So I'd love to just say like, what do these working moms that are going for this hike, how do they feel on the other side? tell me about how they feel once they get through everything. When they get through the 

Shilpi Zalani: program 

Becca Powers: or get through the coming 

Shilpi Zalani: entrepreneur.

Yeah, all of 

Becca Powers: it. Yeah. When they get to the other side, let's talk 

Shilpi Zalani: about that. Yeah. I mean, it's very fulfilling. It's very empowering and you know, it's never easy leaving a job to start a business. we talk about the financial runway in my program too, because. everybody's able to quit their job and just start their own business.

Becca Powers: Well, I think that's really important to acknowledge. Go ahead, talk more about that, because that's probably the number one question that everybody listening is, thinking right now is like, this conversation sounds awesome. I would love to be more present as a mom, run my own business, but the financial runway, like I don't even see how it's possible.

So yeah, she'll be, take it. Take it. 

Shilpi Zalani: Yeah, no, absolutely. So I think one of the biggest things when people sign up for my program, they wanna go straight into strategy, right? They wanna know what's the right business for me, and, you know, what is the potential for the business? And, you know, I always kind of slow them down and I take a step back that the mindset is the most important part, first of all, right?

I've attended a couple of Tony Robbins events. I'm a big fan. Me too. And you know, he talks about, you know, 80% is mindset, 20% is strategy. so I'm a big believer in that. So I always take them back into the mindset part first, and then we go into deciding what's the right business. And, you know, I have a framework around it where we talk about based on your skills and what's in demand, and in terms of a financial power, like what is the right business for you, right?

I mean. Everybody nowadays wants to create the next AI company. I'll tell you that Everybody who starts are like, okay, can you help me create the next Google or the next Uber or something? I'm like, I wish I could because I would do it for myself too, right? Yeah, for sure. But you know, I think you have to take a step back and really think about, you know, what is your skillset?

What is gonna be a more realistic goal for you? And your first business Doesn't have to be the billion dollar gig. It's great if it is right, but sometimes it takes multiple businesses or multiple steps to really find the right business for you. For me, it has been that. I mean, this is honestly my fourth business, and I feel like I've finally found something that works in my life.

I feel like for moms, every mom is at a different stage, right? Depending on how old their kids are, where they are, are they working? Are they a stay at home mom and. For me, I'm, I'm going back to, you know, the after school was my first business. It worked for me because it had a five minute commute and my kids could be in the after school with me, but, you know, and it was successful for four years, but then I sold it because my kids were outgrowing it and I wanted something that did not have an income cap perhaps.

You know, so for me, that's why alignment is a big thing I talk about in my program. You know, at each phase of your life, you could want a different thing. My staffing franchise, it had no income cap, so that really attracted me to it. But then it had different drawbacks, you know, especially when, you know, we hit COVID in 2020.

You know, I had to be physically in the office when my kids was working or studying from home. at each point I feel like I just. Found something that aligned at the right time for me. I had a cookie business in between actually while I was Yeah. That's so awesome. Yeah. While I was figuring out this whole coaching thing and all, and it's like my kids per, told me to pursue something I enjoy because, it was still something I enjoy and you know, it again, it had limitations and I wanted it to be a stepping stone into what I'm doing now.

And again, I'm happy about what I'm doing. And it's really fulfilling. And again, it's not about me, but it's about how I can help women figure that out along the way. 

Becca Powers: Do you think that there's an element of honoring how that It is a little bit about you, but not in an ego way. It's like when you, I love tapping into the, the feelings of passion and impact and stuff like that, but I think and alignment, that's one of my favorite words too, because when you are in alignment with something that you're passionate doing.

 I think the outcome typically ends up being, you're making a really big impact and prosperity normally shows up on the other side. Absolutely, yes. And that is one of the things that I think is the most mind blowing, and I don't know if you see this in the women that you work with too, The, former, the older version of me or the younger version of me really chased prosperity, right?

Like I've been in sales. I've wanted that untapped income potential, um, success and prosperity, even though it was coming from a good place within me for my family, and like I was tapped into some really good values. What I realized is that, that as my goal was in itself kind of shallow, and then it left me to overextending myself.

It left me to overworking. Eventually burnout and mom guilt and all the things that you're talking about. And when I got into alignment with things that I was more passionate about, what I found out later down the road is that I actually made more money. Do you see that too? Yeah. 

Shilpi Zalani: Do you see that? Yeah. I won't lie.

 I think significance and I'm a very ambitious woman with big dreams. I can tell you, I'm one that who wants the red Ferrari and the beach house by the ocean. So I have always been driven by revenue as well, But then I have seen that along the way as well. I mean, nav come to a place where, again, like I said, impact is more important than the money because I know the money will follow anyway, and it's so nice and so fulfilling when you actually bridge the gap and really have the two align.

 couldn't 

Becca Powers: agree more. Yeah, that is, I have the goosebumps. I'm like, alignment is so powerful. And, you know, I, love alliterations. I, I love. P words, meaning like, when you take this approach, like you're saying like in your line of work, you help women get aligned to an entrepreneurial, experience that lets them be a bigger mom and then like, or better mom or whatever that is.

But what happens in that first shift when they have the courage to raise their hand and to do this is it empowers them. Right? And so I always say like, you get, when you get your personal power, activated passion and purpose seem to like follow right after. And then the prosperity is on the other side.

So like, I love, I love everything that you're saying because in my head that's how I'm tracking it. I'm like. Guys, what she's saying is real. It's at the right order of things. Because you know you're a coach too, and you like Tony Robbins, so I'm sure you're big on picking up patterns, and after I've worked, over a decade with men and women, but mainly women, I see the same patterns happen over and over again.

And I'm like, guys like, yes, everyone's situation is unique. You have to go through that personal exploration of mindset, what aligns to you and da, da, da, da, da. But what I can tell you as a pattern, when you get that shit right. Everything just starts falling into place. Falling into place. Absolutely. And so, I dunno if you wanna talk about that, but I am like been picking up what you're putting down the whole time and I'm like, this is, yeah.

I, I 

truly believe that, when women realize that they don't need permission to create the life they want, everything changes. I feel, I truly believe that entrepreneurship empowers women with flexibility. designing their own life agency or identity and purpose. I feel like it's so crucial, honestly.

But for moms, I also think the impact can be generational. I've seen this with my kids itself, but like kids grow up watching courage and action, you know, and they see a woman choosing herself with pride, not guilt. AND I think that has been probably the most, I don't know, satisfying and fulfilling things for me as a mom.

And I feel like why I feel entrepreneurship is such an empowering path is because, AND I always tell my clients that you don't have to choose between success and family. You just need a model that honors both honestly. So I love what I do just because I'm, you know, I deeply care about, helping women find that balance, 

Shilpi Zalani: honestly.

Becca Powers: Yeah. And I love that you talked about honoring both because I, I very big into the, and, and I think that women, we divide ourselves so much and that we think we have to choose between this or that. And one of the most empowering things is when you can choose both and you can tear both. So I, I actually tear up when you say that because.

It's one thing to say it, but you've experienced it. I've experienced it. And then when you have coach and helped people experience too, you know how life altering. That's so cool. Alright, so we're coming down to the last five minutes. What would you like to share about your insight, your wisdom, your work?

Anything that we haven't talked about yet? 

Shilpi Zalani: I think we covered a lot of ground. You know, I just wanna reiterate perhaps that, courage is a big part of what I do. It's probably throughout my whole program. I reinforce that. I also talk about, a lot of habits, in my program, eight modules is just, how to launch a business.

But then my ninth module is a bonus module. We talk about high performance habits because I'm high performance coach and you know, we talk about energy and clarity and influence and all of that. And I think those things also play a part in anything you wanna do it. It doesn't have to be entrepreneurship, but I think creating.

Good habits around whatever you're trying to achieve, can set you up for success, right? It could be in just your career, your job or something. But again, it doesn't have to be entrepreneurship. But I think that creating those daily actions, as a mom, I know everyone is stretched thin, right? We are the chef with a cook.

I mean, with a chef, with a driver, you know, we are doing the groceries and putting our kids to bed and whatever not, right? But I think it's a matter of also prioritizing ourselves and feeling like we. Are meant for more, right? I'm not saying kids are not important. Our family is always gonna be number one priority for all of us, But I think don't wait till our kids are off to college and then realize that, okay, what did I do with my life and what am I gonna do now? I meet too many women who are empty nesters and they're feeling lost, so I just feel. Even if it's small baby steps, do something. Start small, but do something while your kids are growing up and make time for yourself.

Self-care is so important, so it's, and that's such 

Becca Powers: a beautiful way to like wrap things up too. Would I? Like a part of me, I wasn't even gonna ask this question because I was like, that was such a succinct and like empowering closing, so good job. I do, I always ask this, and I think it's important because the answer always comes out different.

 if you had to share an empowering statement with the audience, what would it be? 

Shilpi Zalani: I'd go back to, you do not need to choose between success or career and the family. I would go back to that because that has been a big part of my upbringing and really finding that balance. I mean, and You need a model, find someone who can help you along the way, but you just need a model that honors both.

That would still be my, that line that I would say. 

Becca Powers: Yeah. That is freaking beautiful. I have the goosebumps again. Amazing. Now let's go ahead and shift to sharing with the audience how to stay in touch with you, how to find you and all of that good stuff. 

Shilpi Zalani: Yeah. So, thank you so much, but you know, if you'd like to stay connected.

Best place to find me is on LinkedIn or Instagram at shpe zani. And you can also visit my website, it's shpe zani.com, to learn about my program from Night to Thrive. And if you're a mom listening who's been craving more freedom, more alignment, more clarity on your next steps, I love to support you.

So you can book a free strategy call with me directly on my website. Again, it's Shilpi Salani doc. 

Becca Powers: We'll have all that in the show notes too. Shilly, thank you 

Shilpi Zalani: for coming on the show. It was so good. Thank you so much, Becca. it's been a very empowering conversation, so I'm, I'm really glad we did this, and thank you so much for the opportunity.

Awesome.