Meet our new member, the inspiring and successful Shirin Lakhani.
Sydney-based entrepreneur, author, and global mentor Shirin Lakhani has spent over 15 years building businesses, mentoring women, and creating spaces where resilience becomes strength. A serial entrepreneur with experience across consulting, wellness, and community development, Shirin has earned a reputation as a leader who turns life’s toughest moments into catalysts for empowerment. Recently appointed Joint Secretary of the Women’s Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry NRI Council, she now uses her international platform to mentor and guide women across borders, helping them reclaim their voices, rebuild confidence, and shape new narratives for their lives.
What truly defines Shirin’s journey, however, is the courage behind it. Having faced profound health challenges and personal loss, she transformed her experiences into a powerful message of resilience through her bestselling book She Grows Stronger. Her work today centres on emotional resilience, leadership development, and women’s financial independence; areas she believes are essential for true empowerment. Through her mentorship and advocacy, Shirin reminds women that adversity does not define them; it can become the foundation of their strength.
Beyond her professional achievements, Shirin is also a devoted mother and a loving wife who continues to balance family with her mission of uplifting others. Her impact has been recognised with prestigious honours including the Indian Icon Award for Dynamic Entrepreneur of the Year and the India’s Iron Lady Award for Women Entrepreneur in 2022, followed by the Prime Excellence Award in 2025.
Her voice as an author continues to grow even stronger. In 2026, Shirin expands her literary journey with two upcoming books – She Wins Stronger in Every Way and Finding Light After Loss – both reflecting her belief that strength is not only built through adversity but also through the courage to keep moving forward.
Shirin Lakhani doesn’t simply grow stronger with every chapter of her life, she ensures that every woman she touches grows stronger alongside her.
We recently enjoyed interviewing her.
Q. Your journey is deeply rooted in resilience. Can you share a defining moment when adversity shifted your perspective and ultimately shaped the leader you are today?
A. A defining moment for me came when I hit a point in my life where everything felt overwhelming — personally and professionally. I had always believed that being strong meant handling everything on my own. But in that difficult season, I realised that real strength comes from allowing yourself to be vulnerable, asking for help, and choosing to rise with support rather than struggle in silence. That shift changed the way I lead. It taught me to lead with empathy, authenticity, and purpose — and to create spaces where others feel safe to grow, heal, and rise too.
Q. You have built multiple businesses across consulting, wellness, and community development. What has been the common thread or philosophy guiding your entrepreneurial journey?
A. The common thread in everything I’ve built — whether in consulting, wellness, or community development — has been a commitment to creating impact through service. My entrepreneurial journey has always been guided by the belief that business should solve real problems, uplift people, and leave communities stronger than before. I focus on purpose first, profit second. That means listening deeply, understanding people’s needs, and building solutions that empower, support, and create long‑term change. No matter the industry, my philosophy has remained the same: lead with intention, operate with integrity, and use every venture as a platform to make a meaningful difference.
Q. In your book She Grows Stronger, you turn personal challenges into powerful lessons. What message from the book do you feel every woman needs to hear right now?
A. The message I believe every woman needs to hear right now is this: your strength is not defined by how perfectly you hold everything together, but by your willingness to rise after every setback. She Grows Stronger reminds women that growth often comes from the moments that challenge us the most. You don’t have to be unbreakable to be powerful — you just have to choose yourself, honour your journey, and keep moving forward with courage and self‑belief.
Q. As Joint Secretary of the Women’s Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry NRI Council, you mentor women globally. What are the most common barriers you see women facing today, and how can they begin to overcome them?
A. The most common barriers I see women facing today are self‑doubt, lack of support, and limited access to opportunities. Many women underestimate their own abilities because they’ve been conditioned to play small or wait for permission. Others struggle because they don’t have the networks, mentors, or platforms that can help them grow. And in many cases, structural biases still make it harder for women to be heard, recognised, or taken seriously.
Overcoming these barriers begins with three things:
clarity, confidence, and community. Women need clarity about their strengths and goals, confidence to back themselves even when the path feels uncertain, and a strong community that uplifts them instead of isolating them. When women surround themselves with the right support system, invest in their own growth, and learn to take up space unapologetically, they begin to break through every barrier — not just for themselves, but for others who follow.
Q. With your upcoming books She Wins Stronger in Every Way and Finding Light After Loss, how has your voice as an author evolved, and what new dimensions of your story are you most excited to share?
A. My voice as an author has evolved to become more open, more grounded, and more intentional. She Wins: Stronger in Every Way reflects my growth as a woman who has learned to rise through challenges, while Finding Light After Loss reveals a deeper, more vulnerable side of my journey — one that speaks to healing, acceptance, and rediscovering hope.
What excites me most is sharing the parts of my story I once kept private: the moments of grief, rebuilding, and quiet strength that shaped who I am today. These books allow me to speak with greater honesty and compassion, and to show women that strength and softness can coexist — and that both are powerful.
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