Episode 011: From Anxiety to Empire - How One Woman Turned Her Mental Health Struggle Into a Thriving Business with Sanaz Bahrami
I am so excited to share this conversation with you because Sanaz Bahrami is exactly the kind of entrepreneur I love to spotlight on Trailblazers Rising.
She's built something incredible from her own struggle, and the way she's approached building her business is something I really look to as the standard of how a neurodivergent woman entrepreneur can build an empire step by step while staying authentic to herself.
Sanaz is the founder of Melts Herbal Infusions, and her story of going from being heavily medicated and struggling with severe anxiety to creating natural alternatives that transformed her life - and now helps thousands of others - is absolutely inspiring.
Listen, I stumbled across her on TikTok where she was talking about adaptogens, and I was immediately hooked. When I tried her products, the results were instantaneous. We're talking same-day, immediate impact on my mental state and focus.
From Rock Bottom to Revolutionary
Sanaz's journey started in the darkest place imaginable. During her master's program in biomedical engineering, she was dealing with a stalker who broke into her house, blackmail from a stranger, and multiple hospitalizations. She was heavily medicated on antidepressants, anxiety medication, and Adderall all at the same time, describing herself as "this numb empty blob."
Here's what I love about Sanaz - when everyone told her to quit her master's program and give up, she refused. She forced herself through and graduated, then told everyone to get off her back so she could heal. She ended up working at a restaurant, which her mom was devastated about, but Sanaz simply didn't care. She knew she needed to prioritize her healing.
This is where the magic happened. A lab mate from her master's program had taught her about plant medicine, and his mother was an herbalist. They walked to an herb shop two blocks from her house and made tea with holy basil, ashwagandha, and other calming herbs. After 30 minutes, Sanaz experienced something she hadn't felt in ten years - calm without numbness.
"I just felt like myself but a calm version of myself," she told me. "It was the most calm my brain had ever felt."
The Birth of Melts Infusions
As a scientist, Sanaz was initially skeptical because she'd been taught that plants are placebo. But the results were undeniable. She worked with pharmacists, herbalists, and naturopaths to develop formulations specifically for her needs. Then she slowly - and I mean slowly, over three months - weaned herself off all medication while substituting with her plant-based formulas.
The business part? That happened by accident. When COVID hit and the restaurant shut down, her coworkers were struggling with anxiety and asked for some of that "stuff she made." She started giving it to the staff, who told the regulars at their small local bar. By the time they reopened, people were literally walking up the street asking, "Are you the girl with the oils?"
Sanaz used her CERB money (thank you, as she says, "Daddy Trudeau") to launch properly - creating a brand, a basic website, labels, and cooking the product herself in a crockpot in a test kitchen. When she launched with zero marketing, she reluctantly made a TikTok account, and it blew up her business.
The Products That Actually Work
Let me tell you about these products because I've tried everything, and these hit different. Melts Infusions has two main liquid extracts:
Uplift Formula: This is the daytime blend that helps with energy and focus. As someone who hasn't been on ADHD medication since 2014 because it shut off my creative flow, I was skeptical about anything claiming to help with focus. But this works without making you feel medicated or numb.
Unwind Formula: The nighttime blend that helps you relax and potentially fall asleep. Sanaz doesn't even take this every night anymore because her anxiety has improved so much.
They also have SeaMoss capsules, which is a plant-based multivitamin that gives you an energy boost and vitality if you're not eating a perfect vegan, whole grain, raw diet (which, let's be honest, most of us aren't).
The Mindset That Built an Empire
What really impressed me about Sanaz is her mindset approach to business. She uses a method called scripting where she writes down everything she wants to achieve in future present tense, as if she already has it. Then she vibrates as that person and shows up in the world as someone who has already achieved those things.
"I would just pray about it and work really hard," she explained. "I knew where I wanted my business to go, and I would just say it's up to you universe, show me how good life can get."
This is exactly the kind of mindset work I teach my clients, and hearing it from someone who's built a multimillion-dollar business validates everything I believe about the power of intentional thinking.
Managing the Chaos (Without Losing Your Mind)
When I asked about time management - because let's be real, that's where most of us neurodivergent entrepreneurs struggle - Sanaz gave me the most refreshing answer. She said her assistant is basically her babysitter and mom, keeping her on track. But before she had an assistant, it was her desire to help people and her inner knowing that she wasn't meant to be broke her whole life that pushed her forward.
Here's what I love most: she gives herself grace. She takes mental health days all the time. If she's not in the mood, she says she's not in the mood. There's no rush to scale the business as long as things are running smoothly. Some days sales are down and she doesn't care - she'll take her dog for a walk or go to the beach with friends without feeling guilty.
"My mental health matters more than anything, and when I'm good, the business is good," she said.
This is revolutionary thinking for those of us who've been taught that entrepreneurship means grinding 24/7 and never taking breaks.
The Self-Care System That Actually Works
Sanaz has built an incredible self-care system that goes way beyond bubble baths and face masks:
Daily journaling since before she even launched her business
Monthly hypnotherapy sessions with personalized guided audios for bedtime and wake-up
Scripting and law of attraction practices
Hot yoga several times a week
Cold showers for dopamine boosts (perfect for us ADHDers lacking dopamine)
Cutting out negative stimuli - she switched from rap music to Afrobeats, cut out crime dramas, and reduced interactions with toxic family members
She's basically created a lifestyle that supports high-frequency vibration, which in turn supports her business success.
Overcoming Rejection Sensitivity
One thing that really stood out was how Sanaz handles rejection sensitivity dysphoria, which affects so many of us with ADHD. She has this beautiful perspective that life will never level you down - every rejection or loss has led to something better in her experience.
"Every single time a human, a situation, or anything left my life, it's always been to elevate me," she shared. "A lot of times when things leave, it's because bigger blessings that the universe wants to give me."
This reframe has been life-changing for me personally, and I know it will be for you too.
Getting the Support You Need
Here's something crucial - when Sanaz hit a point where she felt she couldn't grow further, she hired a business mentor. As she put it, "I'm an engineer and a scientist. I understand the human body and the brain, but I'm not a business person."
Her mentor is a serial entrepreneur who's owned 10-15 multimillion-dollar businesses, and he helps with infrastructure and organization for scaling. This is exactly why I believe everyone needs some sort of coach, mentor, or consultant to keep them moving in the right direction.
The Confidence Secret
When I asked about imposter syndrome, Sanaz gave me an answer that completely floored me. She said she doesn't really have self-doubt because she's always known in her heart that she was different and special. Even as a child, she never thought she'd get a nine-to-five job.
"If anyone else has ever done anything on this earth, why can't I?" she said. "I am super educated, I come from a good family, I have all of the resources possible, and I have all of the tools that any other person who does great things would need. So why can't I also achieve greatness?"
This level of self-belief is what separates successful entrepreneurs from those who stay stuck in self-doubt.
The Bottom Line
What I want you to take away from Sanaz's story is this: your struggle can become your strength, your mess can become your message, and your healing journey can become your business empire. She turned her worst mental health crisis into a thriving business that helps thousands of people daily.
The voice inside your head is just a roommate - it's not who you are at your soul level. It's simply what you've learned from birth until now. If you don't like that voice, you can reprogram it and change your life.
If you're ready to experience the kind of natural mental health support that actually works, check out Melts Infusions. Use my affiliate code MINDSETMELANIE for all the products I love and cannot live without.
And if you want more insights like this delivered straight to your inbox, make sure you're signed up for my newsletter at https://mindsetmelanie.com/newsletter where I share the behind-the-scenes strategies that are really moving the needle in my business and life.
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