“When you talk to other women, they bring up imposter syndrome because everyone questions themselves. But I am now at a point on my journey, where I can embrace my expertise. And I tell my business partner, ‘we are so good at what we do, our work speaks for itself.’ So, I’m leaning into that,” said Nada Hanafi, Entrepreneur, and Health Equity Advocate.
Many of us start our professional lives as generalists. And eventually, we need to acquire new expertise to grow. But when you reach that point, and become an ‘expert’ in your field, do others recognize it before you do?
It’s hard to overcome social pressure to keep silent about your achievements. Which is in part, why women are less likely to self-promote and remain underrepresented in leadership. But you can learn to recognize, hone and celebrate your expertise.
Choose What Excites You
After over a decade working for the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), followed by leadership roles in private consulting firms, Nada chose entrepreneurship. And started her own business to make the process of bringing equitable health solutions to market easier. Nada explained, “Everything’s about being in service. Because when you help others, you’re ultimately helping yourself, but in a good way.”
And Maps to Your Values
Overall, medical technology innovation hasn’t caught up with solutions for women, people of color, LGBTQ+ or those with disabilities. And Nada brings unique contributions, between her regulatory expertise and public health background.
She began to challenge the status quo early in life. “I remember there was a history teacher, when I was in elementary school in Sudan, who kicked me out of class. Because I’d always ask, ‘but why?’ I was just curious. And didn’t know the word equitable back then, but that’s what it really comes down to. It’s the inequities that really get me fired up”
Recognize Your Expertise
Many career and leadership books recommend staying in what Dr. Gay Hendricks describes as your “zone of genius” to grow exponentially. But even if you know where you shine, in most careers, there’s a gravitational pull to do ‘everything.’ And the demands of parenting, partnering and otherwise managing a full life, makes it hard to spend much time in your sweet spot. But Nada is confident about owning her niche in a discipline, regulatory affairs for medical technology, that many people find daunting.
And Your Limitations
It’s powerful to not only own your gifts, but have the confidence, to stay in your zone of genius. When asked, what allowed her to ‘see’ herself as an expert and open her own consulting business, Nada said, “There’s always doubt. But it’s about being self-aware enough to say, ‘I don’t have all the answers.’ And I actually don’t want to have all the answers. Knowing where my strengths and weaknesses are, is part of that. So, maybe that’s what’s transcendent, having that self-awareness.”
Partner With People Who Complement You
Nada credits knowing her limits and comfort establishing boundaries with clients, or colleagues, to being great at what she does. “When deciding to go out on my own I knew I’d provide more value add to clients, my community and to the work, if I could deliver it with a business partner. I truly believe in teamwork and my partner has so many different strengths that I don’t have, and don’t want to have.” She feels that competition is a waste of energy and part of what led her to exit her last firm.
And Keep Standards for How You’re Treated High
Like many talented people, Nada began to reassess her professional options when she felt stifled in her previous organization. Women are still underrepresented in senior leadership, and the stats are abysmal for women of color. And in many workplaces, the ‘Motherhood penalty’ and parental bias, also loom in the backdrop of our careers. She explained, “I felt like I was being gaslit at work and kind of being held down. They said, ‘there’s no work out there, why would you want to leave when you have it so good here?’ But they no longer reflected my values.”
Trust Your Instincts to Stay on Course
When asked, ‘how can you resist that pull to be ‘all things’ to everyone?’ Nada said, “Ask yourself, ‘can I sleep at night?’ I think your gut will tell you eventually when you feel trapped in a lane you don’t want to be in. Here’s an example. I get this question all the time, ‘So, Nada what’s the FDA going to say?’ Because I should know what the FDA is going to say, as if the FDA is a single human being.” She helps reframe the conversation and provide useful context where she can be most effective.
And Create Clarity
Nada has a strategy to reset boundaries in her work. “I’ll say, ‘alright, I am not an expert in that space. And if you’re asking for my opinion, here’s what I am thinking about.’ Or ‘You’re asking a question that is not in my lane. I am not an expert in X. But here are some things you might want to think about.’ I’m very clear up front if it’s not within my area of expertise.”
Remember, whether you decide to start a business, sideline, work for an employer, or pause to care for family, ‘what’ you choose is less important than how you show up. Although we’re often socialized against this, to manage your energy, time, and channel your superpowers, embrace your expertise.
Many thanks to the talented Nada Hanafi!
Learn more about Nada’s work and follow her great adventure on LinkedIn.
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About Nada:
Nada Hanafi is a thought leader within the Life Sciences and MedTech Industry with over 22 years of experience across the public and private sectors. She is the Founder of MedTech Strategy Advisors, LLC where she advices life-science companies on regulatory strategy, product development, and clinical research to accomplish regulatory, compliance and business goals.
Nada spent 12 years at FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH). Since 2010, she had been a CDRH Senior Science Health Advisor, serving as an expert consultant and senior advisor in the Center Director’s office. Nada combines her deep institutional knowledge with innovative approaches to help companies successfully communicate product information to FDA throughout the total product life cycle. Leveraging her years of reviewer experience and broad FDA exposure, she develops actionable premarket strategies to guide programs through successful submission. She also orchestrates compliance activity.
While at FDA, Nada led postmarket investigations for ob-gyn devices, wrinkle fillers, tanning devices, breast implants, negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) devices and metal-on-metal hip implants and she applies this knowledge to help companies effectively manage postmarket requirements. At Experien Group, Nada helps medical device and combination product manufacturers generate regulatory/clinical roadmaps for success. Building upon her strong engineering background, she helps companies devise and position product performance testing and/or clinical studies to achieve major milestones. Nada holds an MS in Biomaterials and a BE in Biomedical Materials Science & Engineering from Queen Mary College, University of London. She earned her MPH from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Nada is a Certified Quality Improvement Associate (CQIA) and a Certified Quality Auditor (CQA) from the American Society for Quality (ASQ).
