Interview

Maliha Ahmed

Shez Awake

About Me

Shez Awake® is a transformational leadership and emotional intelligence platform that helps women, veterans, and youth navigate identity, transition, and life alignment in a rapidly changing world. Our work centers on emotional intelligence as a strategy — helping individuals strengthen self-awareness, emotional regulation, communication, decision-making, and identity alignment so they can lead their lives without […]

In Conversation

Tell Us About Your Business / Organization

Shez Awake® is a transformational leadership and emotional intelligence platform that helps women, veterans, and youth navigate identity, transition, and life alignment in a rapidly changing world.

Our work centers on emotional intelligence as a strategy — helping individuals strengthen self-awareness, emotional regulation, communication, decision-making, and identity alignment so they can lead their lives without losing themselves in performance, survival mode, or external validation.

As AI continues to automate tasks and information becomes more accessible, human connection, emotional regulation, and authentic leadership become even more valuable. That is where our work lives.

What makes Shez Awake different is that we do not focus solely on motivation or surface-level coaching. We help people understand the emotional patterns, identity struggles, and relational dynamics that impact how they lead, connect, perform, and make decisions personally and professionally.

Our programs support women in transition, veterans navigating identity shifts after service, and youth who need emotional intelligence, mentorship, leadership development, and guidance before unhealthy patterns become lifelong cycles.

We are also expanding mentorship layers through Hez Rising™, which focuses on leadership, emotional growth, accountability, sports mentorship, and life development opportunities for young men through collaborative community partnerships.

What is your story

Shez Awake® was created from both lived experience and leadership experience. Before building this organization, I spent years serving in the military, working in federal leadership, mentoring others, and helping people navigate professional transitions, identity, and life challenges. But personally, I realized I had spent much of my life performing roles for survival, validation, responsibility, and success while feeling disconnected from myself internally.

Like many high-performing women, I was functioning well on the outside while silently carrying emotional exhaustion, over giving, identity loss, and the pressure of constantly being “on” for everyone else. My journey through military transition, motherhood, leadership, divorce, abandonment wounds, and personal growth forced me to confront the difference between performing in life and truly living authentically.

Eventually, I realized I had been asleep in my own life for a long time — surviving, functioning, and succeeding outwardly while internally feeling disconnected from who I truly was. That realization became my wake-up call and ultimately inspired the name Shez Awake®.

As I began healing, growing, and rebuilding my identity, I started recognizing that so many women, veterans, and young people were experiencing similar struggles — surviving life while disconnected from their identity, emotional needs, confidence, voice, and purpose. I also realized that emotional intelligence was not simply a soft skill, but a critical life and leadership skill that impacts relationships, communication, boundaries, self-awareness, decision-making, and personal alignment.

As technology and AI continue changing how people work and connect, I believe human connection, emotional awareness, identity, and authentic leadership matter now more than ever. This shaped the direction of my work and helped me develop a more strategic, human-centered approach to emotional intelligence, mentorship, leadership, and transformation.

A major part of my mission is helping young people rise before they have to “wake up” the hard way as I did. Many young people — especially those navigating foster care systems, unstable environments, identity struggles, abandonment, lack of mentorship, or emotional disconnection — are taught how to survive, but not how to truly understand themselves. They are rarely taught emotional intelligence, healthy identity development, boundaries, communication, confidence, or self-worth.

That is why Shez Rising™ and Hez Rising™ are so important to me. These mentorship initiatives were created to help young women and young men develop emotional awareness, leadership, accountability, confidence, identity, and healthy support systems earlier in life, so they can enter adulthood with greater clarity, direction, and self-worth, rather than spending years later trying to rediscover themselves.

Today, Shez Awake® focuses on helping women, veterans, and youth navigate transition through emotional intelligence, identity development, mentorship, leadership growth, and self-awareness. My goal is not simply to motivate people temporarily. My mission is to help individuals reconnect with who they are beyond survival mode, titles, trauma, or performance so they can lead healthier, more aligned lives personally and professionally.

Accomplishments/Accolades/Awards

One of my greatest accomplishments has been transforming my personal journey into a mission-driven organization focused on emotional intelligence, identity development, mentorship, leadership, and support for life transitions for women, veterans, and youth.

As a veteran and federal leader with over 20 years of service, I have had the opportunity to mentor, train, support, and guide individuals through both personal and professional transitions. Throughout my career, I have worked in leadership, quality review, training, employee engagement, and veteran-focused support roles, which have strengthened my understanding of human behavior, communication, resilience, and systems navigation.

I am especially proud of building Shez Awake® from lived experience and turning pain, transition, and identity struggles into a platform focused on helping others reconnect with themselves and lead healthier, more aligned lives. What began as a personal awakening evolved into a growing transformational ecosystem that now includes mentorship initiatives such as Shez Rising™ and Hez Rising™, focused on empowering young women and young men through emotional intelligence, leadership, accountability, mentorship, and identity development.

Additional accomplishments and milestones include:

• Serving for over two decades in federal service and military leadership environments
• Becoming a mentor and advocate for veterans navigating transition and identity shifts after service
• Developing transformational frameworks centered around emotional intelligence, identity awareness, leadership, and self-worth
• Expanding community-centered mentorship initiatives for youth and underserved populations
• Building partnerships and collaborative opportunities connected to foster youth, mentorship, leadership development, and community engagement
• Receiving recognition throughout my career for leadership, mentorship, communication, training, and advocacy efforts
• Continuing to evolve Shez Awake® into a modern, human-centered platform that bridges emotional intelligence, leadership, identity, and authentic connection in an AI-driven world

However, one of the accomplishments I value most is helping people feel seen, understood, empowered, and connected to themselves again. Watching individuals rediscover their voice, confidence, identity, and purpose is the milestone that continues to drive my work.

What Does Being “Dauntless” Mean to You?

To me, being Dauntless means having the courage to move forward even when you don’t have everything figured out. It’s not the absence of fear, disappointment, or uncertainty; it’s refusing to allow those things to determine who you become.

I practice that in my everyday life by being willing to examine myself, make adjustments, and keep moving. Whether I’m leading, mentoring, serving my community, or simply navigating life, I try to lead with self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and authenticity. I’ve learned that courage isn’t always loud. Sometimes it’s setting a boundary, changing direction, asking for help, starting again, or admitting that something no longer aligns with who you are becoming.

For me, being Dauntless is choosing alignment over appearance and having the courage to keep evolving.

If You Could Change One Thing About the World, What Would It Be?

To me, being Dauntless means having the courage to move forward even when I don’t have everything figured out. It’s not the absence of fear, disappointment, or uncertainty. It’s the decision not to let those things define who I am or who I can become.

I practice that mindset every day by being willing to reflect, grow, and make adjustments when necessary. Whether I’m leading, mentoring, serving my community, or simply navigating life’s challenges, I strive to lead with self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and authenticity.

I’ve learned that courage isn’t always loud. Sometimes it’s setting a boundary, changing direction, asking for help, starting over, or acknowledging that something no longer aligns with the person you’re becoming.

For me, being Dauntless is choosing alignment over appearance, growth over comfort, and purpose over fear. It’s having the courage to evolve, trust the journey, and continue becoming the best version of myself.

Personal Life

I am a proud mother of three who values peace, presence, meaningful connection, and living life with intention. I consider myself a spirit having a human experience, learning to fully embrace each season of life while continuing to grow personally and spiritually.

Outside of my professional work, I enjoy meditation, self-reflection, travel, and experiences that allow me to explore new environments, perspectives, and cultures. I value healthy, meaningful relationships and spending quality time with the people I love most. As I continue to evolve, I’ve learned how important it is to create balance, protect my peace, and genuinely enjoy life rather than constantly living in survival mode or in a state of responsibility.

I also enjoy personal growth, wellness, heartfelt conversations, music, and experiences that create lasting memories and authentic connections. What makes me happiest is being able to live purposefully, stay grounded, and positively impact others’ lives while remaining present for the journey.

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Principles to Live By

Where do you see your business or organization in the next 5 to 10 years? Any specific goals you can talk about?

As a child, I felt everything deeply—sensitive, shy, imaginative, and emotional. I longed for connection and belonging, yet often struggled to express my feelings or understand my own worth.

One lasting memory is being a quiet little girl with droopy socks, silently observing the world while searching for identity, love, and acceptance before I had words for these needs. Looking back, I see that the struggles I faced shaped my purpose to help others heal similar challenges.

Despite my shyness, I was resourceful, caring, and observant, and naturally provided comfort, guidance, or support to others. Even before I understood myself, I deeply wanted others to feel valued and included.

Becoming a young mother and later joining the military pushed me to grow quickly and discover strengths I didn’t know I had. Over time, I realized my greatest struggles—identity, validation, emotional awareness, belonging, and self-worth—became the foundation of my passion today.

About

Maliha Ahmed

business or organization

Shez Awake

office location of a business or organization

36330 Hidden Springs Rd (Ste E), Wildomar, CA 92595

Address

39250 Via Las Quintas, Murrieta, CA 92562

Phone Number

9514777302

Email

shesawaken21@gmail.com

Social Media Profiles

https://www.facebook.com/ShezAwake , https://www.linkedin.com/in/maliha-ahmed-veteran-business-strategist/ , https://www.instagram.com/it_is_your_career/