Dropping Guilt and Embracing Confidence: Suneera Madhani’s Journey in Business and Motherhood

A successful tech entrepreneur, Suneera Madhani founded and exited a unicorn startup, Stax, while becoming a wife and mother to two daughters. She talks to us about overcoming significant pressure, doubt, and guilt along the way, ultimately embracing self-worth and gaining a new sense of confidence. Now, as she builds her new venture, Worth, and mentors female entrepreneurs through CEO School, Suneera is dedicated to living authentically and inspiring others to do the same.

On being a reluctant entrepreneur at first

‘I was working for a fintech when I realized there was a better way to do credit card processing. In our world, nobody was paying attention to small business owners. So, I created a business plan to launch the first subscription-based credit card processing system in the U.S., hoping to address some of the gaps in the market. When I presented it to my corporate leadership team, I wasn’t taken seriously at all. I also felt reluctant to be an entrepreneur, having seen the ups and downs my parents experienced during their entrepreneurial journey. My family was the one who convinced me to give it a try—especially my dad. I come from an immigrant household. My parents came to this country seeking freedom and started their first business shortly after I was born. Their support meant a lot when I embarked on my 10-year journey with Stax. The company grew more than I could have imagined, leading to our exit and becoming the first billion-dollar, minority-led unicorn in Florida.’

On her mission to inspire and mentor women entrepreneurs

‘During my entrepreneurial journey, I was also in love and wanted to be a mother. Yet, at the time, I never really saw women be successful doing both. If they were, they were hiding it. It was as if those identities (of a mother and a businesswoman) were not supposed to cross, or you wouldn’t be taken seriously career-wise. It just so happened that while I was pregnant with my first daughter, I was also raising venture capital for Stax. Many doubted my work, and I felt I had to fight to prove my worth as a CEO. Doing that as a young woman of color is exhausting as is, but adding pregnancy to the mix…the pressure doubled! I often felt frustrated and alone. Over the years, as I started sharing about my journey on social media, I was blessed to find my community of women entrepreneurs and founders. Not only did I notice we were all facing the same challenges, but we had to sacrifice one part of who we were to be taken seriously in the workplace. This led me to create CEO School and work on empowering and mentoring women entrepreneurs, helping them show up authentically and fully.’

On empowering her daughters

‘Being a mother is my biggest blessing and my favorite role. I know I’m raising two amazing young women and it’s exciting I get to lead by example. My girls and I travel everywhere together, and they accompany me to conferences and the office. I love integrating them into my world. True work-life balance is not so much a balance but an integration of the two. Having my daughters close feels like a way to empower them.’

On reinventing herself after a unicorn exit

‘Exiting Stax was such a big decision for me. Becoming a unicorn is gold in the tech world. I assumed once that was achieved, the stress would disappear. Instead, I felt empty and pressured. The bigger the company got, the more the bar kept rising, with more and more people putting these new goals in front of me. This sent me on an intrinsic journey of figuring out what I actually wanted to do with my life. For the last decade, all I had done was work and family – and I did a good job at both – but I neglected myself and was living an unhealthy existence. After a doctor’s visit at the time, I found out my heart age was that of a 55-year-old and this was a true wake-up call. I reflected a lot about what I wanted the next decade of my life to look like and realized I needed to let go of Stax. When so much of your identity is tied to work, parting ways with your company can be scary. But, two years out, I can honestly say this was the best decision I could have made.’

On rediscovering her true self

‘It’s been fun getting to know myself again outside of my mother and CEO roles. I haven’t fully figured out who I am, but I’m on an ongoing journey. I have changed what I prioritize time-wise and what my boundaries look like. I also changed how I show up as a leader. At the core of it, I let go of feeling guilty for not being everywhere all the time. Now, I’m more attuned to what feels intuitive. I do things I love more, from cooking and listening to music to being in nature, staying active, and tasting good wine.’

On practices supporting happiness and growth

‘Saying no is essential. I also avoid multitasking too much and choose to be present and mindful as much as possible. Journaling feels great, too. I’m no longer taking everything as seriously as before. An essential part of my daily self-care routine now are my morning walks. Moving makes me feel healthier while also being a meditative practice. Honestly, it’s so good to take some time away from work and kids to focus on myself and do so without feeling any guilt.’

On advice to her younger self

‘I’d tell my younger self to let go of the need to constantly try to prove herself to people whose approval is not needed. There were a million moments of doubt and insecurity and so many tears over the years. Everyone would tell me that business isn’t personal, but for me, business was the most personal thing I did! I wish I had the confidence then that I have now. I would tell her to stop trying to fit in or hide so many parts of herself. After Stax, I thought I’d support the entrepreneurial ecosystem and sit on some boards. But, as it turns out, I’m here now, building my next company, symbolically called Worth. There’s a different 2.0 version of Suneera this time. I’m no longer interested in proving my worth; I’m showing up with full confidence in myself. I’m also bringing all the lessons from my first time building a company into this new venture and hopefully creating a beautiful legacy in the process.’

On advice for new moms starting a business 

‘Take time for yourself and get comfortable asking for help! I was lucky enough to have a supportive partner and family members, but I know such help is not available to everyone. Ask for more support from friends, from your kids’ school, or other entrepreneurial moms. Find your community! Support means that you don’t have to do it all alone. Another thing to remember is that when you are at work, allow yourself to be fully there. When you are at home with your kids, be fully present with your kids. You will always keep them with you (in your heart and mind), but kids don’t need all your time – they need the right time.’