How to Be the Woman Who Asks for $150K Over Coffee
Leading with Courage and Transparency: A conversation with Maya Shaposhnik Cadena
We leaned in a little closer. What did she say? We tuned our ears and captured every word. Maya declared, “I would be in a conversation, just like this, and ask for $150,000!” We were stunned. Here we were: 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. We were 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 will give you a jolt of courage and clarity.
Maya’s story reminds us that we don't have to wait until we feel “ready” or “perfect” to trust our ideas. You can be scared and still move. You can be new and still lead. And most of all—you 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 we hit record, we were pulled into Maya’s world: a space where innovation, intention, and courage collide. Maya’s 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?”
So 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 A brand that challenges the outdated norms in vet med. And a mission that centers on preventative care as the foundation.
What we 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 us 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 us, 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, we didn’t want to stop talking. It felt like best friends deep in conversation, uncovering new truths and dreaming big!
Maya, thank you for showing up fully and inspiring us. We’re so grateful to have had this conversation. We can’t wait for what’s next.
