How to Be the Woman Who Asks for $150K Over Coffee
Mar 31, 2025
Leading with Courage and Transparency: A conversation with Maya Shaposhnik Cadena
I leaned in a little closer. What did she say? I tuned my ears and captured every word. Maya declared, “I would be in a conversation, just like this, and ask for $150,000!” I was stunned. Here I was: cameras rolling, podcast equipment humming, lounging in the chic comfort of a hotel room—and there she was, boldly asking for six figures. No boardroom. No suit and heels. Just raw courage in an everyday setting. I was hooked and had to hear more.
If you’re a veterinarian who’s ever:
- Felt stuck in fear-based decision-making
- Doubted your intuition or hesitated to go after something bigger
- Struggled to make room for joy, abundance, or possibility in a profession that feels heavy
- Wanted to build something different, but weren’t sure where to start
…this episode might give you a jolt of courage and clarity.
Maya’s story reminds me that I don’t have to wait until I feel “ready” or “perfect” to trust my ideas. I can be scared and still move. I can be new and still lead. And most of all—I can rewrite the rules and build something that doesn’t exist yet.
Some people lead with strategy. Others with heart. Maya Shaposhnik Cadena leads with both.
From the moment I hit record, I was pulled into Maya’s world: a space where innovation, intention, and courage collide. Maya is the kind of woman who speaks with conviction, dreams audaciously, and brings her full self to the table whether she’s raising capital, reimagining how pet parents access care, or holding space for her team during the hard moments.
Maya’s story is anything but linear. From launching a wildly successful event company in Israel at 19, to becoming a high-level fundraiser who could ask for $150K over coffee without flinching (ok, go girl!), to founding a revolutionary pet tech company rooted in education and empowerment—she’s built her career on bold moves.
Vetted, her current venture, was inspired by the sudden and traumatic loss of her sister’s military dog to cancer. A wake-up call that left Maya asking the kind of question a founder with real heart would pursue: “What don’t pet parents know? And who’s helping them learn it?”
Listening to her story made me realize that Maya set out to build something different. Something courageous. A platform that empowers pet parents to be proactive instead of reactive. A brand that challenges outdated norms in vet med. And a mission centered on preventative care as the foundation.
What I loved most about this conversation wasn’t just the business—it was Maya’s mindset. She leads with authenticity and transparency, even when it’s scary. She doesn’t hide the hard stuff from her team. She tells the truth, trusts the process, and believes in the power of aligned action.
And she deeply believes in manifestation—not the aesthetic, Pinterest-board kind, but the real deal.
“You don’t manifest a moment. You manifest a feeling.”
That quote from one of her investors has become a guiding light in how Maya leads and how she lives. It reminded me that courage isn’t about having the full map—it’s about choosing the feeling you want to call in and taking the next brave step toward it. To me, that’s what makes Maya such a powerful leader. She doesn’t shy away from fear. She moves through it, learns from it, and keeps going anyway.
By the end of the conversation, I didn’t want to stop talking. It felt like being deep in conversation with a close friend—uncovering new truths and dreaming big.
Maya, thank you for showing up fully and inspiring me. I’m so grateful to have had this conversation. I can’t wait for what’s next.
