Success Reimagined with Amna Shabbir MD

In this episode, Dr. Amna Shabbir sits down with Mr. Ahmet Bozer , former President of The Coca-Cola Company International , for a grounded conversation on leadership, identity, and redefining success beyond titles and performance. Drawing on more than three decades of global executive experience, Ahmet reflects on cross-cultural leadership, major career transitions, and what it truly means to gro...

In this episode, Dr. Amna Shabbir, MD speaks with Greg Singleton, TEDx speaker, author, coach, and generational strategist, about why communication breaks down across generations, and what leaders can do differently. Greg shares how ego, assumptions, and outdated expectations undermine workplace culture, and why one-size-fits-all leadership no longer works. He also opens up about his personal jour...

What does meaningful employee wellness actually look like in today’s busy, high-demand workplaces? In this episode of Amna is joined by Pantea Dugani , co-founder and managing director of Excel Body Fitness, a woman-owned corporate wellness company based in Cary, North Carolina. Pantea shares how her journey began with a traditional fitness studio—and evolved into a mission-driven corporate wellne...

In this episode, Dr. Amna Shabbir sits down with branding expert and community leader Wendy Coulter to explore what three decades of entrepreneurship have taught her about authentic branding, culture-driven leadership, and redefining success through every season of life. Wendy shares the biggest branding mistakes she sees, the story behind building a 30-year creative agency, and why championing wo...

How do small, intentional actions transform your leadership, communication, and confidence in medicine and beyond? In this episode, Dr. Resa E. Lewiss, physician, author, TEDMED speaker, and host of The Visible Voices Podcast—breaks down the power of microskills: simple, actionable strategies that help you navigate conflict, set boundaries, build trust, and reclaim your agency at work.  Dr. Lewiss...

Anxiety is not a flaw in high achievers. It is often a signal that the way we pursue success needs to be reimagined. In this powerful and deeply insightful conversation, psychiatrist and author Dr. Dimitrios Tsatiris joins Dr. Amna Shabbir to break down what anxiety truly is, why it affects high achievers so intensely and how the five habits of ambition silently fuel overwhelm, guilt, comparison a...

So many of the hardest moments in a woman’s life happen quietly, privately, and without anyone ever knowing. What if sharing those truths could bring us closer and help us heal? In this emotional and honest episode, Dr. Rebecca Thompson joins us to explore the invisible struggles women carry and why telling our stories matters more than ever. Her debut book Held Together: A Shared Memoir of Mother...

If your self-care has felt like an afterthought this year, this episode will show you why, and how, to change that. In this honest solo episode, Dr. Amna Shabbir shares the six self-care decisions that transformed her mental health, physical wellbeing and clarity in 2025. These are not the usual “spa day” strategies. They are the hard, uncomfortable choices high achievers often avoid: saying no to...

What happens when you give people a chance? Our guests this week are the remarkable mother–daughter team Gabi and Mary Angelini , founders of Gabi’s Powered by Special Abilities , a nonprofit redefining employment, dignity, and purpose for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Gabi, who has Down syndrome, spent years applying for jobs — dressing up, practicing interview answers,...

Three-time cancer survivor Kim Downey turned heartbreak into advocacy. When her physician took his own life, she founded Stand Up for Doctors - a global movement amplifying the stories, struggles, and humanity of healthcare workers. In this deeply moving conversation, Kim shares how personal tragedy became a call to action, why caring for doctors is caring for patients , and how her work - includi...

Richard Averitte calls himself a “career volunteer.” Today, he leads as Executive Director for the American Cancer Society (ACS) in Central & Eastern North Carolina—bringing decades of hands-on service to research, advocacy, and patient support. In this powerful conversation, Richard shares his personal “why,” the realities of rebuilding post-pandemic volunteer programs, how Hope Lodge changes...

Pete Proimos isn’t just surviving cystic fibrosis — he’s redefining what it means to live and give. Diagnosed at birth with a condition that once carried a life expectancy of only 18 years, Pete turned heartbreak into a mission of hope. As founder and president of the Filotimo Foundation , he’s ensuring that individuals and families affected by cystic fibrosis never have to choose between medicati...

Akifa Khattak was not just one of the Miss Universe Pakistan finalists - she’s also a healthcare attorney, biotech entrepreneur, and women’s health advocate on a mission to change how we diagnose and treat endometriosis. In this powerful conversation, Akifa shares how a rare, life-altering health journey led her to co-found Her Health AI, a FemTech company pioneering non-invasive endometriosis dia...

In this Bonus Solo Episode, Dr. Amna Shabbir has a special announcement!   Finally Live - TEDx talk:  Perfectionism has a solution. It's not what you think. Please watch the 10:31-minute TEDx talk - intended for everyone, perfectionist or not. It will help you understand so much of what you or your loved ones might be experiencing. Please like the TEDx Talk, and in the comments section, please sha...

Friendship Is Medicine In this solo episode of Success Reimagined with Amna Shabbir MD , I open up about the friends who carried me through the hardest chapters—burnout, moral injury, postpartum depression, and even the days leading up to my TEDx talk when I felt overwhelmed and full of doubt. We live in what the U.S. Surgeon General has called a loneliness epidemic , and research confirms that lo...

Living Adventurously: Courage, Awe, and the Pilot Mindset  In this powerful episode of Success Reimagined with Amna Shabbir MD , I sit down with Shiraz Dalal, a commercial airline pilot, TEDx speaker, and global explorer whose adventures span all seven continents and all 50 U.S. states. From flying Boeing 767s to climbing Kilimanjaro, wing walking, free diving, and even swimming with great white s...

Storytelling secrets—fails, lessons, and how to truly connect.  In this powerful episode of Success Reimagined with Amna Shabbir, MD , I sit down with Jeff Polish —founder and executive director of The Monti , a live no-notes storytelling series that has lit up stages across North Carolina since 2008. We explore how storytelling transforms vulnerability into connection, why personal narratives car...

In a world full of distractions and endless demands, how do we decide what truly matters? In this solo episode of Success Reimagined with Amna Shabbir, MD , I explore the concept of Essentialism —a philosophy of living by design, not by default. Essentialism is not about doing more; it’s about doing less but better. It’s about reclaiming your power of choice, recognizing life’s inevitable trade-of...

Finding your voice requires courage, persistence, and a willingness to step into the unknown. In this powerful episode of Success Reimagined with Amna Shabbir, MD , I sit down with Tara LaFon Gooch —international TEDx speaker, bestselling author, confidence expert, and the creator of the GRASP Method—to uncover what it really takes to move from self-doubt to the TEDx red dot. We dive deep into Tar...

A quick update on the upcoming episodes of Success Reimagined with Amna Shabbir MD.  Thank you to all our incredible guests for sharing their invaluable insights, research, and very personal stories with us as we unpacked the various facets of perfectionism. If you have not yet had a chance, please tune in to Episodes 6 - 30 that have explored Perfectionism in great depth.  About the Host Dr. Amna...

Understanding perfectionism requires examining it in complete cultural context. In this powerful episode of Success Reimagined with Amna Shabbir, MD , I sit down with Sahaj Kohli —author of But What Will People Say? and founder of Brown Girl Therapy —to explore how perfectionism shows up uniquely for children of immigrants and those navigating bicultural identities. We dive deep into why so many h...

Have you ever felt paralyzed by your inner critic?  Trigger Warning: Suicide In this powerful episode of Success Reimagined with Amna Shabbir, MD we sit down with internationally acclaimed speaker, author, and business strategist Tanya Chernova to unpack the harsh realities of perfectionism, self-criticism, and the damaging inner voice known as "the other girl." Tanya shares her deeply personal jo...

What happens when the pressure to be perfect is inherited? In this episode of Success Reimagined with Amna Shabbir, MD , we sit down with Ghalia Aamer to unpack the invisible weight of perfectionism faced by many young adults and especially daughters of immigrants. At just 23, Ghalia has accomplished what most people only dream of. But behind her accolades lies a deep reckoning with cultural expec...

What if the biggest threat to your child’s self-worth isn’t grades or friends, but the silent pressure to be perfect? In this episode, we’re joined by Caden Vittorni, a TEDx speaker, bestselling author, and founder of Vitt Factor , as he shares how a wake-up call in his own life led him to become a powerful voice for youth struggling with perfectionism, comparison, and confidence in the digital ag...

What happens when a ballerina becomes a physician and perfectionism fuels both identities? In this deeply moving episode of Success Reimagined with Amna Shabbir, MD , we sit down with Dr. Kara Pepper, a primary care internist, executive coach, and former ballet dancer, to talk about perfectionism, burnout, eating disorders, and redefining success. Highlights: Leaving home at age 13 to train at the...