Akifa Khattak was not just one of the Miss Universe Pakistan finalists - she’s also a healthcare attorney, biotech entrepreneur, and women’s health advocate on a mission to change how we diagnose and treat endometriosis.

In this powerful conversation, Akifa shares how a rare, life-altering health journey led her to co-found Her Health AI, a FemTech company pioneering non-invasive endometriosis diagnostics and surgical lesion mapping. She opens up about cultural taboos around pelvic health, the unseen financial and family costs of chronic illness, and why pageantry became an unexpected but transformative platform to bridge East and West.

This episode is about turning pain into purpose, breaking silence around women’s health, and redefining success as “contentment of the soul.”

Episode Takeaways:

• Why endometriosis remains one of the most painful yet underdiagnosed diseases worldwide
• How Akifa turned her personal health battle into Her Health AI
• The role of family, male allyship, and cultural attitudes in women’s health journeys
• Why pelvic health conversations matter — intimacy, identity, and everyday life
• How pageantry became a global platform for advocacy, representation, and bridging cultures
• Perfectionism, resilience, and Akifa’s take on failing forward
• What it means to reimagine success through legacy, balance, and contentment

About Our Guest — Akifa Khattak, JD, MHA, MS Biotech
Akifa Khattak is a healthcare attorney and biotech entrepreneur. With advanced degrees from Cornell, Johns Hopkins, and Harvard, she has worked at the intersection of law, biotech, and health policy — including women’s health reimbursement initiatives with the White House. After being diagnosed with endometriosis and undergoing multiple surgeries, she co-founded Her Health AI to create a non-invasive diagnostic and lesion-mapping tool for the millions of women worldwide affected by this disease. Akifa is also the founder of Codiva, a holistic women’s health supplement brand, and an advocate for bridging East and West through pageantry, creativity, and global representation.

Connect with Akifa:
🌐 Website: https://herhealthai.com/
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/akifa-khattak-jd-mha-ms-biotech-558a041b/
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/akifakhattak/

About the Host

Dr. Amna Shabbir, MD, NBC-HWC, CPC is a Dual Board-Certified Physician and TEDx Speaker with advanced training in Integrative Well-being, Performance, and Leadership Development. She speaks, coaches, and consults on Perfectionism, Sustainable Success, and the well-being of High Achievers.

Connect with Dr. Shabbir
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.amnashabbir/
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amna-shabbir-md/
🌍 Book Her to Speak: https://www.dramnashabbir.com/Speaking
🌐 No-Cost Application to Join The Unmasking Perfectionism Community: https://unmaskingperfectionism.com/
📹 Watch Dr. Shabbir's TEDx Talk
Perfectionism Has A Solution - It is Not What You Think: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNIzzM4Vg3s&t=3s

❌ Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical or therapeutic advice. The views expressed are personal and do not reflect those of any employer or institution.

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Content Note
This episode includes discussion of chronic pain, fertility, surgeries, and women’s reproductive health challenges.

In this Bonus Solo Episode, Dr. Amna Shabbir has a special announcement!

Finally Live - TEDx talk: Perfectionism has a solution. It's not what you think.

Please watch the 10:31-minute TEDx talk - intended for everyone, perfectionist or not.
It will help you understand so much of what you or your loved ones might be experiencing.
Please like the TEDx Talk, and in the comments section, please share what came up for you as you listened.
Send this Dr. Shabbir's TEDx talk to your friends, family, peer and beyond. This is intended for everyone

About the Host
Dr. Amna Shabbir, MD, NBC-HWC, CPC is a Dual Board-Certified Physician and TEDx Speaker with advanced training in Integrative Well-being, Performance, and Leadership Development. She speaks, coaches, and consults on Perfectionism, Sustainable Success, and the well-being of High Achievers.

Connect with Dr. Shabbir
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.amnashabbir/
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amna-shabbir-md/
🌍 Book Her to Speak: https://www.dramnashabbir.com/Speaking
🌐 No-Cost Application to Join The Unmasking Perfectionism Community: https://unmaskingperfectionism.com/
📹 Watch Dr. Shabbir's TEDx Talk
Perfectionism Has A Solution - It is Not What You Think: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNIzzM4Vg3s&t=3s

Friendship Is Medicine
In this solo episode of Success Reimagined with Amna Shabbir MD, I open up about the friends who carried me through the hardest chapters—burnout, moral injury, postpartum depression, and even the days leading up to my TEDx talk when I felt overwhelmed and full of doubt.

We live in what the U.S. Surgeon General has called a loneliness epidemic, and research confirms that loneliness is more than emotional pain—it’s a public health issue. But friendships aren’t just a comfort. They are biological, emotional, and performance enhancers that literally rewire our brains and bodies.

This episode is dedicated to the power of friendship: why it’s essential, what it does to our nervous systems, and how you can start treating it as non-negotiable in your well-being and success strategy.

Episode Takeaways

By the end of this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why the loneliness epidemic is one of today’s biggest health threats.
• How friendship reduces stress, lowers inflammation, and boosts happiness.
• The neuroscience of connection: oxytocin, dopamine, mirror neurons, and cortisol.
• Why friendships fuel performance by unlocking focus, creativity, and resilience.
• Three steps to making friendships an intentional practice: prioritize, be intentional, go deep.

About the Host

Amna Shabbir, MD, NBC-HWC, CPC is a Dual Board-Certified Physician, TEDx Speaker, and Master Certified Professional Coach with advanced training in Integrative Well-being, Performance, Behavior Change, and Leadership Development. She speaks, coaches, and consults on Perfectionism, Sustainable Success, and the well-being of high achievers.

Dr. Shabbir is the Founder & CEO of Success Curated and host of Success Reimagined, a top global podcast exploring the crossroads of ambition and wellness.

Connect with Dr. Shabbir:
📸 Instagram
💼 LinkedIn
🌍 Book Her to Speak
🌐 No Cost Application to Join The Unmasking Perfectionism Community: https://unmaskingperfectionism.com/

❌ Disclaimer

This podcast is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical or therapeutic advice. The views expressed are personal and do not reflect those of any employer or institution.

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Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast.
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