“Live your best life.” That’s a recommendation we hear a lot these days. How many of us know

how to do that? Kiran Aslam has figured it out. 

Like all of the women in this month’s issue, Kiran prioritizes balance in her life. Work. Motherhood. Marriage. Community. Self.

You might remember Kiran from our magazine’s very first Family Spotlight article. Since then,

Kiran’s kids, Zain and Shireen, have grown. Kiran’s husband, Sheryar, is still Kiran’s biggest fan

and supporter. She works with him at his dental practice. Kiran has made milestones as a Realtor,

in January closing on a $4 million dollar home. She joined the Vista Verde Middle School PTA

Executive Board. She turned 42 and is working on a social media platform called “The Kiran

Edit,” which will be on Instagram and eventually a website.

Success comes to Kiran through hard work and endless optimism. She learned the importance of

setting goals and of setting people free to follow their dreams from her parents. Kiran’s mom

stays active even in her 70’s and has written two books. “She was doing all of these things,”

Kiran told us. “I looked at her and said, ‘How can I sit and do nothing?’” Sitting and doing

nothing is nothing we would accuse Kiran of. 

On her new platform, she will discuss the unique phenomenon of women’s lives after 40. “There’s a shift that we all feel of ‘What’s next?’” she said. “Kiran Edit” will give women in this phase of life a place to share.

“It’s all about women over 40 who are trying to figure life out,” Kiran explained. “You think

you’ve peaked because half of your life is over, but honestly, I feel like it’s the better part of our

lives moving forward. We’ve learned from our mistakes and experiences, and now, we can focus

on ourselves, prioritize ourselves, because we’ve been prioritizing everyone else so far.”

For Kiran, yes, she pays attention to her own needs, goals, and self-care, yet she by no means

leaves out her family, who are the most important part of her life. As her son, Zain, enters high

school, and Shireen middle school, Kiran and Sheryar know that their time with them is

shortening. They spent the past year making memories, traveling internationally, and cherishing

time together. “We just celebrated our 18th wedding anniversary in Bora Bora,” she shared. “We had gone there for our honeymoon, so we decided to go with our kids. It was phenomenal.”

Kiran admires writer Mel Robbins, whom she considers a mentor. As a Pakistani woman, Kiran

describes her own life philosophy as a mix of Robbins + Kiran’s culture + being a Millennial.

And there was her dad, encouraging her to always “reach for the stars.” Kiran has this to say to

her own kids, and to young people everywhere: “I trust you, you’re capable, smart, and stronger

than you realize, stand tall, make good choices, and move forward, I’ve got you.”