DEFIANCE
is rejecting rules that were never made for you
Â
You don’t need to sacrifice your faith, your family, or your future to succeed.
Â
You need a career strategy specifically made for you as a professional Muslim woman
You’ve followed the rules—and burned out anyway...
They told you to lean in. Work harder. Be patient.
But those rules were written without your values, your faith, or your life in mind.
You’re doing everything right—and you’re exhausted.
That’s not your fault. That’s the system failing you.

 Here’s the real problem:
You’ve been given strategies that ignore who you are and what matters most to you.
Â
Defiance Academy was built to fix that...

You don’t need more productivity hacks.
You need a faith-rooted strategy designed for Muslim women—and no one else is teaching it.
The Defiant Career Strategy™ is the only career framework that helps you lead with purpose, protect your peace, and build success without compromise.
You’ll learn how to:
     ✅ Reclaim your time and energy
     ✅ Set boundaries that actually hold
     ✅ Speak up with clarity and confidence
     ✅ Advance without sacrificing your deen or your dignity
     ✅ Lead at home and at work—without guilt
You don’t need to be more productive.
You need a plan that serves who you actually are.
It worked for her–It can work for you too
"The return on investment (ROI) for this program is literally career-saving"
-Zeinab, ICU nurse, Mom of 2
Â
CLICK PLAY
Listen to Zeinab's story ⬇️

Lolla, IT professionalÂ
"In my 14-year career, I’ve been through a few mentorship and professional development programs. As a Muslim woman of color, I did not find anyone who was speaking to my specific career barriers and needs at work. Dr. Qaali’s approach is unique in that she’s providing an intersectional method, being a Black, East African, and Muslim woman who has been through all the trauma and “isms” herself. She breaks down the racialized and gendered work dynamics and gives practical career advice in a way I have not yet received or seen elsewhere.Â
I have learned so much in just one month, and am amazed at the breadth and depth of her course content. She truly covers everything, with direct examples and straightforward advice that you would need to advocate for yourself as a minority person at work.
Dr. Qaali has offered us many culturally-specific tools, resources and first-person advice about how to manage up. How to self-advocate as an immigrant, as a woman of faith or woman of color. How to negotiate our contracts as working women, or as working parents. How to feel confident embodying our whole selves while at work.Â
I've also really benefited from the confidential, live, group coaching calls, where we were able to learn in a cohort model of giving and receiving tips, stories, advice and feedback from Dr. Qaali and from each other. It was such a safe space to share things we were going through at work on those calls. That has been so invaluable to me!Â
I cannot thank Dr. Qaali enough for the lessons, tools and career advice. If you're considering taking one of Dr. Qaali's courses or working with her, just do it. It's an investment you will not regret one bit."

Deqa Mohamed, Graduate Student
"I often felt alone in my journey and I was determined to find someone who shared my background and that's why I discovered Dr. Qaali Hussein and I immediately enrolled in her Taking Up Space course. And let me tell you...that was the best decision I have ever made in my life. Prior to the course, for example, I was often discouraged by those who believed that someone like me could never become a physician. And because I took this course, it has opened up my eyes and instilled a new found belief in myself. Dr. Qaali reminds us of the challenges we will face on our journey and she teaches us how to navigate them."

Fatemah Osman, DentistÂ
"I definitely agree that is possible for women to pursue their ambitious career goals, but at the same time, I am very aware of the influences that discriminating work and organisational policies have on the ability of women to pursue these goals. My introduction to the Defiance Academy's work...has helped me see the possibilities out there. It helped me realize the importance of challenging discriminating policies and personnel and how I can make these systems work for me."
 Â

Sondos Al Sad, MD, MPH. Family MedicineÂ
"Dr. Hussein has offered much-need guidance to women of color physicians via a series called Taking UP Space: A Masterclass on Defying Norms and Setting Your Own Standards. Through this personal and professional development platform, Dr. Hussein has offered valuable skills on how physician women of color need to defy the norm so that we can achieve our dreams and maintain our values in a field that expects people to sacrifice everything in service of their profession."

Sahra M, Mom of 2, Business Analyst
"Alhamdulilah for the first time I felt seen and heard. I have tried other career coaches in the past but none of them have really understood my situation quite as well as you described"
WHO THIS IS FOR...

This is for the woman who’s done being everything for everyone.
Done hiding her needs.
Done putting herself last.
You’re not too much. You’re not asking for too much.
You’ve just never had a career strategy that puts you first.
Now you do.
✨ Meet the Founder Â


Assalamu Alaikum. I’m Dr. Qaali Hussein.
I’m a full-time trauma surgeon, mom of six, and the founder of Defiance Academy.
I’ve lived the impossible expectations—and refused to keep choosing between my career and my faith, between leadership and motherhood.
I created the Defiant Career Strategy™ because I needed a way to lead without losing myself.
Now I teach Muslim women how to do the same.
You don’t need to work harder. You need a strategy that honors your reality.
✨ INTRODUCING:
THE DEFIANT WOMAN

The Defiant Woman doesn’t ask for permission.
She’s grounded.
She knows what matters—and she protects it.
She’s headstrong.
She challenges every rule that tells her she can’t be who she is.
She’s confident.
She’s done shrinking herself to be accepted.
She’s limitless.
She doesn’t dream small. She builds what others said wasn’t possible.
You don't become her.
You awaken her.
 She’s always been there—underneath the burnout, beneath the pressure.
This is your moment to bring her forward.
From Exhausted to Empowered:
Your First Step Toward Defiant Success

The Burnout Stops Here
📍 Live in Minneapolis, MN
đź“… August 23, 2025
⏱️ 1-Day | 6 Hours | Life-changing
You don’t need another productivity plan.
You need a system to stop the burnout and take back control.
In one powerful day, you’ll learn how to:
âś… Identify the patterns that are draining you
✅ Clear your plate—without guilt
âś… Set real boundaries that hold
âś… Reclaim time, clarity, and peace
This is how professional Muslim women stop surviving—and start leading.
This is your reset.
Â

"Before the Burnout to Balance Workshop, I was unaware of the root cause of my burnout and was focused on making it through another day without collapsing. After the workshop, I can now confidently identify the factors that cause me to burn out, address them, and understand how to prevent them in the future."
- Samira, Business Analyst, Mom of 2Â
Â
Be the First to Know When the Next Burnout to Balance Workshop Opens
We respect your inbox. No spam—just powerful tools, updates, and next steps to help you live and lead on your terms.
WHAT MAKES DEFIANCE ACADEMY DIFFERENT?
OTHER PROGRAMS TEACH YOU HOW TO FIT IN
Â
 WE TEACH YOU HOW TO TAKE UP SPACEÂ

Defiance Academy is the ONLY career coaching program created specifically for Muslim women—because we’re done bending ourselves to fit into broken systems.
Â
Here, you don’t have to choose between motherhood and ambition.
Between faith and advancement.
Between peace and leadership.
Â
You get to build all of it.
On your terms.
Â
You’ve followed the rules.
You’ve done everything they said.
It’s time to build something that actually works.

This isn’t about balance as an illusion.
This is about building a career and life that reflects your values—and protects your energy.
Â
The next chapter starts now.
Â