When Dr. Romie Mushtaq first came to Pamela Slim, she was holding a bold idea in her hands and wondering if it was brilliant—or completely unrealistic.

As a neurologist and integrative medicine physician, Dr. Romie had already seen what burnout and chronic stress were doing to people’s minds and bodies. Long before the pandemic made “workplace wellness” a mainstream topic, she was already thinking about how to shift the narrative entirely. Her concept: the Busy Brain—a science-backed, paradigm-shifting approach to how we understand mental health, productivity, and leadership in high-pressure work environments.

But visionary ideas need structure to thrive. And that’s where the partnership began.

From “Is This Crazy?” to “This Is Real”

“I needed someone who could help me tell the difference between visionary and just plain crazy,” Romie says. “Pamela gave me both emotional support and a framework. She’s one of the rare people who can hold space for big ideas and break down the logistics to bring them to life.”

In a whiteboard session back in 2017, they mapped out what would become the BrainSHIFT Institute—from keynote talks and corporate consulting to research and eventually a book. Every pillar they envisioned that day? It’s now real.

Romie laughs as she recalls Pamela warning her, “Please don’t go B2C,” when she flirted with building a course before the infrastructure was ready. That mix of honest guidance and strategic support laid the foundation for everything that followed.

Research, Results, and Real Change

One of the earliest wins with Dr. Romie’s body of work around BrainSHIFT was a research study conducted at Evolution Hospitality, where Romie piloted her digital detox and wellness program. The impact was so profound that Evolution created a new role for her—Chief Wellness Officer—based on the results.

That single project turned into a keynote, then a signature offering. From 500 participants in that first study, the research has now scaled to over 17,000 employees across industries and continents, thanks to a tech-based platform developed during the pandemic.

Building an Ecosystem, Not Just a Business

Dr. Romie built an entire ecosystem around her mission. Today, it includes:

Keynotes that blend neuroscience, mindfulness, and real-world leadership solutions.C-suite consulting with recurring six-figure revenue.A USA Today Bestselling book, The Busy Brain Cure , now translated into nine languages.A fully operational back office and outbound sales system.Representation by Leading Authorities, one of the top speaker bureaus in the U.S.

And the impact is deeply human. From shifting company cultures to stories of individual transformation—like a woman who lost 115 pounds, healed from burnout, and started competing in fitness events—Dr. Romie’s work is touching lives at every level.

What’s Next: The Science of Hope

Dr. Romie’s next big idea? Studying and scaling hope. Gallup recently named “hope” the number one quality employees want in a leader. Dr. Romie plans to use brain science and mindfulness to teach how to restore it—especially in workplaces facing chronic stress.

But this time, she’s walking in with a plan—and the confidence that she can build it.

“Back in 2017, I had no systems. No marketing. Just prayer and grit. Now, we have a business that’s 8 to 10x what it was. And I know how to take an idea and make it real.”

Want to see more of Dr. Romie’s work? Visit https://drromie.com/

PSA Services used: Prep to Scale: Business strategy coaching