Meet Shagane (shagoh) Barsegian

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Shagane (shagoh) Barsegian. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Shagane (Shagoh), so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.

## On Building Confidence Through Surrender

*My journey to confidence came through an unexpected door – surrender. Over the past year, I’ve been diving deep into mythology, Carl Jung, and those beautiful ancient stories that remind us we’re all on this hero’s journey together.*

*The game-changer was realizing we’re not just our current edition – not our job title, bank account, or the number of degrees on our wall. We’re these incredible beings of consciousness who showed up to test ourselves and remember who we really are.*

*The path hasn’t been smooth – oh, the stories I could tell! But the breakthroughs often came from unexpected teachers. I found wisdom in the Ra, Law of One series, and spent time with Paramahansa Yogananda’s teachings (fun fact: Steve Jobs was such a fan, he had copies of Yogananda’s autobiography handed out at his funeral). These teachings showed me that your higher self has the best sense of humor – it’ll help you most when you finally stop trying so hard and just allow yourself to be delighted.*

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

## Dancing Between Worlds

*Right now, I’m living in the beautiful mess of being everything and nothing at once. Picture the vast night sky – that’s where I feel most at home. But in this earthly adventure, I’m a mother, a neurodivergent creative who sometimes buys skinless hot dogs by mistake, and an eternal student of life’s cycles.*

*My work life is this fascinating dance between different worlds. After years as a Vice President of Design serving as a ‘corporate doula’ – guiding organizations through their transformative moments – I’ve created Venus Vale. It’s a space where design meets soul work, helping organizations and individuals tell their stories with authenticity and navigate their own cycles of death and rebirth.*

*The tech world is crying out for healing right now. Through my discovery of the Trauma-Informed Design network, I’ve joined an incredible web of social workers, designers, and dreamers exploring how technology can serve humanity with more tenderness. We’re learning to meet people exactly where they are, with all their beautiful complexities.*

*But here’s where it gets really interesting – I’m growing the Folk Lounge art collective, which is all about reclaiming ancient knowledge and learning to see ourselves as part of nature again. Our Embroidery Social isn’t just crafting – it’s medicine. We gather in parks, surrounded by trees who’ve seen more seasons than all of us combined, and we slow down enough to remember how to simply be. There’s something magical about sitting in cross-generational circles, letting your hands work with thread while your mind unwinds and your heart remembers what it means to belong.*

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

## The Art of Becoming

*Instead of listing qualities, let me share what I’m learning through my biggest teachers – my kids. My son, who’s autistic like me, constantly shows me where I’m still carrying shame and old stories. He’s teaching me that growth isn’t about accumulating more, it’s about clearing away what doesn’t serve us.*

*Through him, I’m discovering:*

1. **The courage to be undefined:** Moving between design leadership and artistic practice isn’t about wearing different hats – it’s about being whole.
2. **The wisdom of cycles:** Everything has its season. Sometimes we’re in full bloom, sometimes we’re composting old dreams. Both are sacred.
3. **The power of presence:** When I’m fully here, whether I’m facilitating a corporate workshop or sitting in a park embroidering with strangers, magic happens.

## On Finding Your Way

*Can I tell you about lions and ants? There’s this beautiful truth I stumbled upon: a lion will always be a terrible ant. The trick isn’t becoming better at being what you’re not – it’s recognizing what you truly are.*

*The world keeps pushing us to be more, do more, achieve more. But what if we’re already enough? What if growth is less about addition and more about revelation? I’m learning this through play – yes, literal play, like a toddler who hasn’t yet learned to doubt their joy.*

Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?

## The Web of Support

*My support system is this beautiful tapestry of expected and unexpected teachers – my parents who gave me a multiplicity of cultures to dance between, my partner who holds space for all my versions, my children who keep me honest, my mentor Maria Guidice who showed me what creative leadership could look like, and even the difficult people who pushed me to grow in ways I never would have chosen.*

*And you know what? Some of my best teachers have been books ordered on midnight Amazon sprees and deep Wikipedia rabbit holes. Everything can be a teacher when you’re ready to learn.*

*I’m still becoming. We all are. Do you wonder how far it goes?*

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/folk.lounge
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaganebl/