Shirin Etessam

I have spent thirty years in media, technology, and business, often working ahead of the market.

I began in film and television. I co-wrote and produced Walls of Sand, the first contemporary feature film to premiere online (1996), and went on to produce for ABC, CBS, Discovery, Scripps, and other networks. In 2009, I founded OML Television, a media platform and YouTube channel for LBQ+ women with more than 1.1 million subscribers. In 2017, I founded SLAY Agency, a brand narrative agency whose clients include Apple, Meta, ABC, and Discovery.

Along the way, I noticed the same pattern in high achievers, myself included: the more we accomplished, the less present we felt. Under sustained pressure, the brain's threat response takes over. Thinking narrows, trust erodes, and creativity goes first.

That pattern led me to create the Leela Method, a neuroscience-based program that helps executives, teams, entrepreneurs, and creatives reset under pressure and do their best work. Leela is Sanskrit for divine play.

I speak on building what's next in media, AI, and leadership. I am the author of Free to Be (2023) and serve on the Board of Directors of Equality California.