08/31/2025
This is who I am and how I lead. I’ve built something from the ground up that has helped thousands of people. Not everyone will understand me, agree with me, or even like how I do things—and that’s okay. Until someone has walked a day in my shoes, they can’t truly know what it’s like to be in this position.
As a young female founder, I’ve seen the double standards up close. Women are still often expected to be quiet, polished, and compliant. Jewish minorities are often told, directly or indirectly, to keep silent. And what feels most painful is seeing this happen in our own field of mental health—a field built on advocating for authenticity, justice, and the right to be seen fully. Too often, those values are applied selectively.
You can’t preach or advocate for being an “unruly woman” and support strong women like Hillary Clinton or the “Me Too” movement, while also telling a woman who is speaking her truth and experience to not speak up or stay professional- simply because you don’t agree on a geopolitical issue.
As a fellow progressive, this is what is pushing so many people to the other side. As a field based on social justice for all- we cannot be selective and hypocritical. I know for many of you, I am profiled as a privileged white woman- however that is not my lived experience. My parents came to America with $200 and not knowing any English. I grew up in a place where I was a minority and not considered white passing. Do not profile without seeking to understand. Stay curious.
What I’ve learned is the importance of assuming good intent, leading with kindness, and remembering that everyone shows up through the lens of their own experience. If you want to lead differently, then do so in your own way. But it isn’t right to pressure someone else into conforming to your idea of leadership when their lived experience is not your own.
At the end of the day, leadership isn’t about pleasing everyone. It’s about staying true to who you are—while creating space for others to do the same.
-Sanj
