(Photo courtesy of Roku)
Lawyers at big law firms know all too well that when the heat becomes unbearable, it’s time to get out of the kitchen. But some lawyers think the heat is fine; all they need is a new kitchen. These former Skadden lawyers took it literally and now bake delicious cookies instead of making up legal arguments.
Meet Brune Kitchen co-founders Tania Sweis and Jahan Shahryar. The Berkeley Law School alumni recently appeared on season two of Side Hustlers, a Reese Witherspoon-produced documentary series that also stars Emma Grede (CEO of Good American and co-founder of SKIMS) and Ashley Graham (supermodel and entrepreneur) and airs on the Roku channel. This exciting season chronicles the inspiring journey of these former corporate lawyers as they build their brand and seek to secure life-changing investments, gaining valuable insights from hosts Grede and Graham along the way.
Check out the trailer for the new season of Side Hustlers below.
As first-generation women of color, Tania and Jahan’s company, Broon Kitchen, fuses clean, traditional ingredients like tahini and tigernuts with the traditional American sweets they grew up with, to embody a new American dining experience that celebrates diversity and inclusion. In addition to running their own business, the pair are former associates at a major law firm and now practice law part-time, so to say their schedules are full would be an understatement.
“The hours are comparable to those at a large law firm.” — Jahan SHAHRYAR
Together, they created an ideal and marketable product. During Side Hustlers’ final presentation session, Grede said, “Looking at you two, you are the American Dream.” When asked how the moment made her feel, Jahan replied, “We were both very emotional. My family is from Afghanistan and my father came here with a dream. He was an entrepreneur, so I felt like I was living the dream he set out for me to achieve. I was very grateful and very proud of my family.” Tania echoed this sentiment, saying, “We had the honor of expanding my father’s dream, which is not just surviving, but trying to make a difference by doing what makes you really happy. For us, Bruun’s work is like the next generation of the American Dream. We are very grateful.”
Though the lawyers-turned-bakers have left Skadden, they said the firm remains incredibly supportive of their new jobs. “Scadden is amazing,” Tania told Above the Law. “We recently had a women’s alumni event at the firm, and Bruun was featured there. They bought cookies for all the women at the firm and all the alumni, and gave a little speech at the beginning introducing us, which was really special. I know we’ve left the legal field, but Skadden was a really great experience, and we’re so grateful.”
When asked how she managed to make the transition from lawyer to baker, Tania told Above the Law that it wasn’t easy at first: “Your identity and how much you value yourself is tied to your work. When it becomes a part of you, it becomes very difficult to redefine yourself even if you want to do something else. What we had to realise was that your self-worth doesn’t come from your work.”
“It doesn’t matter what you do. Your worth is determined by who you are. Whatever your profession, as long as you take care of yourself and give it everything you can, that’s where your strength comes from.” — Tania Swaith
Jahan agreed, saying, “I always tell myself that we are creating the life of our dreams, so even when it seems hard and the days are long, it’s all worth it. And having Tania by my side makes it so much easier. I don’t know what I would do without her.” Tania smiled and was touched by her friend’s words, and gently replied, “Me too, Jahan, I don’t know what I would do without you.”
How did Tania and Jahan do in the competition? We don’t want to spoil the fun, so we’ll just say that their side hustle has now turned into a full-time job. Tune in to The Roku Channel to see the legal experts behind Brune Kitchen in action.
Stacey Zaretsky is a Senior Editor at Above the Law and has worked there since 2011. She would love to hear from you, so feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. X/Twitter and Threads or connect with her on LinkedIn.
