Stories from Dr. Shadé Zahrai’s students

I came in as a mom. I showed up as something I never had a name for before. The identity I built raising my family - systems thinking, seeing what people need, caring about outcomes- that identity is pouring into my passion for AI integration... For me, the shift in identity didn't happen focusing in the Soul content I love too, but in the experience of building things that are making a difference in people`s lives.

My confidence became a skill. My ideas became organized. And my voice became something I could finally stand behind with certainty, consistency, and trust... In the past two weeks alone, I flew to Africa to speak at a business retreat and delivered a 6-hour Makeup & Mindset Masterclass that evolved into a licensable, category-creating transformation methodology. That NEVER would have happened at this level without the identity shift this program activated in me.

Speaking & Influence didn't just teach me how to speak. It reminded me that my voice matters... I leave this program with a deeper confidence in my voice, a clearer sense of who I am when I speak, and a new belief that my words can land, resonate, and make a difference.

It isn't just making me a better speaker, it's helping me clean up my overall message and step into the version of myself I've been building toward for years... It unlocked a whole creative wave. Courses, programs, my talks, my storytelling, everything feels more intentional and more me... The book isn't just a book anymore; it's becoming a foundational piece of a much bigger vision and yes a movement. And that's because this program helped me find the voice that was already inside me, I just hadn't tuned it properly.

I also have hidden myself in one small box : my French native langage. Stayed in my comfort zone... I'm no longer waiting for the perfect moment to step onto the international stage. I'm practicing, challenging myself, and opening doors I used to keep closed... I'm no longer saying "one day." I'm making it happen.

Hearing these extraordinary speakers share their vulnerable stories helped me see that I didn't need to have everything figured out before sharing mine... I began to see how my story could open hearts to the vision behind Empowering Bright Futures... I am still learning how to bring Empowering Bright Futures to life, but I feel more confident sharing the heart behind my mission and inviting others to see what is possible.

It was about becoming more intentional. More selective. More grounded in how I move forward... that feels like a foundation I can build on for years to come, and that for me, is what real growth looks like.

My exposure to public speaking was typically via rather rigid: cookie-cutter formats, often impersonal but if personal, it typically involved overly dramatic accounts of the speaker's struggle that often seemed to be manipulative... He guided us over 5 months to optimize our speaking skills in an authentically compelling manner, with several tools added to our public engagement toolkit.

I stopped explaining myself as an engineer and simply introduced myself as an AI filmmaker for hire. Every conversation. No caveats... Within weeks of coming home, 10 people from the MVU community and beyond reached out about film work. The first inbound inquiries I've ever had that weren't about AI strategy... I'm not the AI guy who makes movies anymore. I'm a filmmaker. The engineering background just makes me a better one.