Leadership Lessons with Shanaz Hemmati

As we enter 2025, small enterprise house owners are navigating new challenges and alternatives. To assist information us by way of, we spoke with Shanaz Hemmati, COO and co-founder of ZenBusiness and one among Austin Lady’s The Change Makers 2025.

Shanaz’s story — from her journey as a younger immigrant to co-founding an organization that has empowered over 800,000 entrepreneurs — is full of classes for constructing resilient, purpose-driven companies. Right here, she shares her key management insights for small enterprise house owners and affords inspiration for the yr forward.

Q: What management lesson has guided you most as a small enterprise chief?

Shanaz: Staying targeted on what actually issues. There’s at all times a lot noise — particularly while you’re working a small enterprise. But when you may get crystal clear on what your small business does finest and the way it delivers worth, that focus will information every little thing else.

After we began ZenBusiness, we didn’t attempt to be every little thing to everybody. We targeted on simplifying entrepreneurship, particularly for first-time enterprise house owners. It’s a lesson I come again to day by day: what’s our core energy, and the way will we lean into it?

I additionally consider goal is important to staying targeted. Simon Sinek’s Begin With Why has had an enormous affect on me— it’s a fantastic reminder that main together with your mission and values creates stronger connections and long-term impression.

Q: 2025 is bringing a variety of uncertainty. How can small enterprise house owners put together for the unknown?

Shanaz: Uncertainty is a part of the journey, however I’ve realized that challenges usually maintain the most important alternatives. The bottom line is to strategy these challenges with curiosity and a willingness to adapt.

Being open to suggestions and making changes has been very important in my very own profession. At ZenBusiness, we’re consistently evolving based mostly on what our clients want. That adaptability is what retains us transferring ahead.

For anybody trying to construct this mindset, I like to recommend Carol Dweck’s Mindset. It’s an unimaginable useful resource for creating a growth-oriented perspective — seeing obstacles as alternatives to develop. That approach, uncertainty turns into one thing you embrace, not worry.

Q: Many corporations are scaling again on DEI initiatives now. Why has ZenBusiness chosen to double down on its dedication as a substitute?

Shanaz: For too many organizations, DEI has been handled as a performative initiative reasonably than a core worth. When these applications are seen as non-compulsory or momentary, they’re usually the primary to go throughout difficult occasions. At ZenBusiness, we’ve made DEI foundational to who we’re, and it has paid dividends in innovation, worker engagement, and buyer loyalty.

We’ve confirmed at ZenBusiness that DEI isn’t a value — it’s an funding. By embedding DEI into every little thing we do, from hiring practices to social impression initiatives, we’ve created a tradition and enterprise mannequin that advantages everybody. Firms can’t afford to deal with DEI as non-compulsory — it’s the inspiration for long-term success.

Q: What’s one piece of recommendation you’d like each small enterprise proprietor to take into 2025?

Shanaz: Assume long-term and give attention to constructing one thing that lasts. It’s simple to get caught up in day-to-day challenges, however the companies that thrive are those constructed on stable foundations. At ZenBusiness, we’ve made it our mission to assist small enterprise house owners in creating sustainable, impactful corporations.

Key Takeaways from Shanaz Hemmati’s Management Insights

1. Lead with goal and construct neighborhood.
2. Embrace challenges with a development mindset. 
3. Domesticate DEI for collaborative tradition and innovation.

Shanaz’s recognition as a Change Maker 2025 is a mirrored image of her dedication to breaking boundaries for entrepreneurs and creating lasting impression. As we step into 2025, her insights remind us that resilience, readability, and goal are the keys to navigating challenges and constructing one thing that really issues.