Influential Woman · Education

Shah Abdullah

Founder & Educator, Mom's Study Habits LLC

Irving, TX

1Award received

Certifications · Degrees · Memberships

Degree Master's Degree Degree Doctoral Program (in progress)

Her Story

About Shah

I've been in the education field for about 17 years, working as an elementary teacher, middle school and high school social studies teacher, and homeschooling my own children along the way. About 2 years ago, when I had my 7th child, I started a productivity platform for working parents. I was teaching before that, but when I was home with her, I decided I wanted to do something for me that I would enjoy, built on my terms, the way I wanted to help people. I helped the little ones in the classroom, but I realized to really help the little ones, I needed to help the parents. People would naturally come up to me and ask how I managed to go to school, work full-time, and have kids, and that's what made me realize there were people out there who needed that help. Now through coaching and time management courses for businesses and individuals, I help working parents better manage their time so that free time can go to their children where it really matters. My courses only require 10 minutes a day because I didn't want another course that takes hours, but rather something quick that people can implement and move on with their lives. I was working on my doctorate before starting this business and am still pursuing it, just detouring for a little bit. The coaching part has been amazing because I've realized how much of an impact I can have when I genuinely believe in myself and trust God to guide and inspire me.

Her Interview

Ten minutes with Shah

01What do you attribute your success to?

I attribute my success to God. I don't think it's just me alone. In my life, as I've gone through, and now the more I go into the business, the more I realize that when I was younger and certain things happened, it was for a specific reason so I knew how to handle things today. When I was at different ages, things happened that I now understand were God's direction, just shifting me and showing me constantly what I needed to learn. It was God strategically placing experiences and people in my life to open up my eyes and really see that there are more possibilities out there. To really grow a business, you have to have strong faith in God. You need to really know what you're doing and do it with humbleness, with precision, and genuinely want to help people, not have it be about the dollar sign. That's what has changed it for me. You don't realize how much of an impact you can really have if you just believe in yourself and trust God to motivate you, inspire you, and tell you what you need to do.

02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?

I would say get to know yourself. Really understand what you like and what you want to do. Education is not built for those who do not have patience. You really need to have patience when you're teaching others, and to lead others, you really need to know who you are, what you value, and what you think is important. You cannot be swayed easily because so many things are changing in education constantly. You need to really know your books, know your stuff, and know you. As women, we can do so much if we just believe in ourselves and trust God and just take the step and do it.

03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?

I think it's the limited beliefs that we have. In reality, we have plenty of time. We're just spending it on things that are not moving the needle anyway. We're just kind of staying in our zone, and we're not open to thinking outside the box for a minute. Maybe there is something here, and this is me trying to put that opportunity in front of people. When people see that there is more time, they realize they have the time to do something else, whereas in their mind it's always 'I don't have time, I don't have time.' For me to put it in this 10 minutes a day format, you can do 10 minutes less scrolling that day, and this will make a difference. It just opens them up to the idea that there is more time available than they think.

Keep Exploring