Lead without shrinking
Why women are penalized for behaviors celebrated in men, how to tell real feedback from a biased label, and how to lead authentically anyway.
From the session Confessions of a "Difficult" Woman
For women in veterinary medicine
Tools, not pep talks.Then go ahead.
SheAhead gives women in veterinary medicine practical tools to lead without shrinking, hear "no" differently, design the life they actually want and get their evenings back. Built on research, taught by women who use these tools every day.
SheAhead Day at the LakeFriday, March 12, 2027 · The Lakehouse Resort, San Marcos, California · 100 women
About SheAhead
You don't need more motivation. You need tools that work on Monday.
Women make up most of veterinary medicine, and still carry the likability dilemma, the double shift and the evenings lost to unfinished records. Most advice stops at "believe in yourself." SheAhead starts where that advice ends.
We bring veterinarians, technicians, veterinary nurses, practice managers and students together for days built around practical frameworks, honest stories and the research behind them. Then we give them room to meet each other, because the connections made at the fire are half the point.
SheAhead is founded by Dr. Laila Proença®, the first South American Diplomate of the American College of Zoological Medicine, founder and CEO, and the speaker behind four sessions at AAHA Con 2026.
Hear "no" differently
Some no's protect a boundary. Most are blocks you can move. Learn to classify the no, ask the question that makes it specific, and know when to stop.
From the session YES to Boundaries, NO to Blocks
Design the life you want
Balance was never available. Trade the ledger that never balances for dials you set on purpose, without leaving veterinary medicine to do it.
From the session Ditching Work-Life Balance
Get your evenings back
Practical AI for the clinic: one model taught well, the real workflows Dr. Proença uses, and how to judge the veterinary AI tools on the market.
From the session Getting Your Evenings Back
Meet the founder
Dr. Laila Proença®
MV, DVM, MS, PhD, DACZM · Founder & CEO (Creative Envisionary Opinionated)
Dr. Proença is the first South American to become a Diplomate of the American College of Zoological Medicine, with more than 21 years in veterinary medicine and a zoological medicine residency at the University of Georgia. She moved from Brazil to the United States at 30, rebuilt her career from the ground up, and went on to found VETAHEAD®, an online education platform for veterinary teams, and PETAHEAD, her clinic in San Diego.
She has been called bossy, intimidating and too much. She decided the problem was never her volume. It was being inconvenient to the status quo. Through humor, vulnerability and research, she teaches women the tools she wishes someone had handed her.
4sessions at AAHA Con 2026
1stSouth American Diplomate of the American College of Zoological Medicine
21+years in veterinary medicine
FounderVETAHEAD® and PETAHEAD
Too much? Good.
The problem was never her volume.
It was being inconvenient to the status quo. SheAhead hands you the tools Dr. Proença wishes someone had handed her.
See the day at the lake →Our mission
To give every woman in veterinary medicine the tools to lead on her own terms, and a room full of women to do it with.
Value · Tools
Tools over slogans
Every session ends with something you can use the next working day. If it can't be practiced, we don't teach it.
Value · Evidence
Evidence, not vibes
Our claims come with their source: what was studied, and in whom. We read the research so the advice holds up.
Value · Room
Room for every woman
Veterinarians, technicians, nurses, managers and students, from every background. Different roles, same table.
Value · Joy
Joy counts
Morning movement, good food and a fire by the lake. Learning sticks better when the day is a good one.
Event · Spring 2027 · Pilot edition
SheAhead Day at the Lake
One day, 100 women, four tools and a lake. We start with movement at sunrise, learn together in a lakeside room through the day, and end on the lawn around the fire with new people to call. This first edition is our pilot for a future two- to three-day SheAhead retreat.
Date12.03Friday, March 12, 2027
Who100women in veterinary medicine
Program4tools, four sessions
Ticket$100lunch, coffee and tea included
PlaceThe Lakehouse ResortSan Marcos, CA
The day, from sunrise to bonfire
Morning movement by the lake
A gentle, all-levels session to wake up the body and meet the women around you.
Coffee and check-in
Coffee, tea and a warm welcome. Coffee, tea and water stay out all day.
Welcome
Why SheAhead exists, and how to get the most out of the day.
Confessions of a "Difficult" Woman
The likability dilemma for women leaders, and what to do about it. You don't have to become less to lead more.
Tool 1 · Dr. Laila Proença®Mid-morning refreshments
Coffee, tea and something to snack on.
YES to Boundaries, NO to Blocks
How to identify the types of no and build strategies to navigate resistance.
Tool 2 · Dr. Laila Proença®Lunch by the water
A long lunch, seated with women you haven't met yet.
Ditching Work-Life Balance
How Dr. Proença designed the life she wanted, and a framework to design yours.
Tool 3 · Dr. Laila Proença®Afternoon refreshments
A break to stretch, refill and talk.
Getting Your Evenings Back
Practical AI for veterinary professionals: set it up, build simple workflows, and evaluate the tools.
Tool 4 · Dr. Laila Proença®Your Monday plan
Pick one tool from each session and write down exactly when you'll use it. Open questions with Dr. Proença.
Bonfire and connections
Gather around the fire, with drinks available at the bar. Swap cards, make plans and leave with a network of women who get it.
Morning movementLunch by the waterCoffee, tea and water all dayBonfire hourFour sessions and a take-home workbook
Registration opens January 2027.Join the waiting list →
Join the waiting list
Seats are limited to 100 women, and the waiting list gets first access. Join now to be the first to know when registration opens.
Partner with SheAhead
Put your name on the day.
One hundred women in veterinary medicine, in one place, for a full day, with time to talk. Partners make the meals, the movement and the fire possible, and meet the audience in person.
Presenting partner
"SheAhead Day at the Lake, presented by you." Funds the full-day speaker program and the heart of the day.
- Your name in the event title, on the website, badges and stage
- A 5-minute welcome from your team on stage
- A table for the whole day
- Recognition at lunch and around the fire
- Opt-in contact list of attendees who choose to share
- 5 tickets for your team or guests
Lunch partner
The lunch by the water, plus coffee and tea all day, where the best conversations start.
- Named lunch
- A minute at the mic
- 3 tickets
Bonfire partner
The evening on the lawn around the fire, where the day turns into a network.
- Named bonfire hour
- Signage at the fire
- 2 tickets
Morning movement partner
The sunrise movement session by the lake that starts the day.
- Named session
- Signage by the lake
- 1 ticket
Also available: Toolkit partner (welcome kit and workbook), $1,500.
Pull up a chair.
Partnerships and questions:
contact@sheahead.com