Biglaw

Former Skadden Associates Star In 'Side Hustlers,' Showcasing Their New Cookie Business, Brune Kitchen

From Biglaw to the bakery, watch how these former associates land their dream jobs in the kitchen.

By  
on
Brune Kitchen – Final Pitch Founder Photo

(Photo courtesy of Roku)

Biglaw attorneys know all too well that when they can no longer stand the heat, it’s time to get out of the kitchen. For some, however, the heat is just fine, and all they need is a new kitchen. These former Skadden attorneys took that literally, and now, instead of cooking up legal arguments, they’re baking delicious cookies.

Meet Tania Sweis and Jahan Shahryar, the cofounders of Brune Kitchen. The Berkeley Law graduates recently starred on Season 2 of Side Hustlers, a Reese Witherspoon-produced docuseries featuring Emma Grede (CEO of Good American and founding partner of SKIMS) and Ashley Graham (supermodel and entrepreneur) on the Roku Channel. This exciting season documents the former corporate lawyers’ emotional journey while they build out their brand, hoping to earn a life-changing investment while gaining valuable insights along the way from hosts Grede and Graham.

Check out the trailer for the new season of Side Hustlers, below.

As first-generation women of color, Tania and Jahan’s company, Brune Kitchen, blends clean, heritage-inspired ingredients like tahini and tigernuts with the classic American treats they grew up with, embodying a new American table that celebrates diversity and inclusivity. In addition to running their business, the former Biglaw associates are now practicing law on a part-time basis, so to say their schedules are full would be an understatement.

“The hours involved are still just like Biglaw.” — Jahan SHAHRYAR

Sponsored

Together, they’ve created what seems to be an ideal, highly marketable product, and during the final pitch session on Side Hustlers, Grede said, “When I look at you two… you are literally the American dream.” When asked about how this moment made them feel, Jahan said, “That was extremely emotional, I think for us both. My family’s from Afghanistan, and my dad came here with a dream. He was an entrepreneur, so it just felt like I was living the dream that he had set out here for me to fulfill. I felt a lot of gratitude to my family, and I felt really proud.” Tania echoed those statements, saying, “We’ve had the privilege to expand our fathers’ dreams, where it’s not just trying to survive, it’s trying to do what truly makes you happy and make a difference. For us, our work on Brune is like the next generation’s version of the American dream. We’re really grateful.”

Although the lawyers turned bakers have left Skadden behind, they said that the firm is still incredibly supportive of their new line of work. “Skadden has been amazing,” Tania told Above the Law. “We recently had a women’s alumnae event with the firm where they highlighted Brune. They purchased cookies for all of the women in the office and all of the alumni and made a little speech at the beginning introducing us. That was really, really special. I know we’ve transitioned away from the law, but Skadden was such an incredible experience and we’re so grateful to them.”

When asked how she was able to make the transition from lawyer to baker, Tania told Above the Law that, at first, it wasn’t easy. “Your identity and the way that you value yourself becomes tied up in your work. When it becomes such a part of you, it makes it incredibly difficult to redefine yourself if you want to do something else. Something that we’ve had to realize is that your value doesn’t come from your job.”

“You could be doing anything. Your value comes from who you are, and no matter what career you have, if you value yourself and you bring everything that you can into it, that’s where the power comes from.” — Tania Sweis

Jahan agreed, saying, “I do always remind myself that we’re creating the life of our dreams, so when it seems tough or when the days are long, it’s all worth it. And having Tania by my side has made it so much better. I don’t know what I would do without her.” Tania smiled, and touched by her friend’s words, she replied gently, “I don’t know what I would do without you, either, Jahan.”

Sponsored

How did Tania and Jahan fare in the competition? While we won’t spoil the fun, we will say that their side hustle has now turned into a full-time hustle. Tune in to the Roku Channel to watch the legal dynamos behind Brune Kitchen in action.

Staci ZaretskyStaci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on X/Twitter and Threads or connect with her on LinkedIn.

Topics

, , , , ,