What happens when the world tells you who to be — but you choose to listen to yourself instead?
In this episode of Sex on Top, Alice and Lily sits down with designer, founder and changemaker Shahnaz Ahmed, the creative mind behind the iconic green food hygiene rating signs displayed in cafés and restaurants across the UK. You’ve seen her work. But her journey to the top has been anything but straightforward.
As a woman of colour from a South Asian background navigating white, male-dominated creative industries, Shahnaz has had to fight to be seen, heard, and paid what she deserves. From being underpaid in agency life to working inside the global tech machine at META, she shares what it really takes to build trust, lead with vulnerability, and refuse to shrink yourself to fit the room.
We talk about career pivots, choosing difference, and the power of building a “first team” philosophy. Shahnaz opens up about motherhood, founding the global craft movement Knit Aid and the deeply personal impact of debilitating grief.
Through it all, she’s arrived at a powerful truth: acceptance isn’t giving up - it’s recognising that you are your own best solution.
This is a conversation about identity, creativity, resilience, and creating workplaces that are safe, human, and expansive enough for all of us.
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Chapters
00:00 Introduction
00:30 Meet Shahnaz - A journey through leadership
02:26 The Elevator Pitch
06:32 Navigating Career Challenges as a Woman of Colour
08:29 The Role of Vulnerability in Leadership
09:45 Building a First Team Philosophy
13:07 The Impact of Education and Support on Career
14:48 Creativity and Self-Expression in the Digital Age
17:33 The Power of Connections in Career Advancement
25:16 Building Trust and Overcoming Obstacles
27:15 Navigating Career Pivots andAcceptance
29:16 Reflections on Working at Meta
32:07 Life Beyond Work: Motherhood and Creativity
35:35 The Impact of Grief on Personal and Professional Life
40:56 Creating Safe Spaces in the Workplace
44:26 Advice for Women in Leadership
46:55 Moments of Triumph and Public Speaking
