Sheena Zadeh, Founder of Kosas, On The Truth About Money, Divorce, Success, & What She Learned After Losing Everything

Apr 30, 2025

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On this week's episode of Hot Smart Rich, Maggie sits down with Sheena Zadeh, founder of Kosas, for a real conversation about what it actually takes to build an iconic brand — and survive everything life throws at you at the same time.

Sheena talks openly about losing her house in the LA fires, going through a divorce while scaling a consumer startup, and rebuilding not just her business, but her life. She shares what no one tells you about success, money, grief, and balance — and why real female empowerment looks different than the internet makes it seem.

Whether you’re building your own thing, thinking about early-stage investing, or just figuring out how to make sense of your ambition, relationships, and sanity, Sheena’s story is proof you can lose everything and still come back stronger.

Key Takeaways

Resilience isn’t glamorous, it’s survival. Sheena rebuilt her life and brand after losing her house and going through divorce — and talks openly about how grief and success can coexist.
Consumer startups aren’t built off a single viral moment. Kosas’ growth came from slow, steady, unsexy consistency — not one “big break.”
Money provides safety, not happiness. Wealth-building matters, but fulfillment comes from your relationships, your rituals, and the life you’re actually living — not your bank account.
Founders sacrifice more than anyone sees. From missing out on memories to navigating single motherhood while scaling a brand, the personal cost is real (and rarely talked about).
Brand loyalty matters more than brand heat. Kosas wasn’t chasing headlines — it was building real consumer love, which lasts longer than any viral moment.
Your personal brand should feel like an extension of your real life. You don’t have to fake high energy or become someone else to be visible — you can build it authentically, even as an introvert.
There’s no “balance” when you’re building — and that’s okay. The idea of balance looks different at different stages, and sometimes survival is the balance.
Your real legacy isn’t your resume — it’s the life you lived. What you create, who you love, and what you experience matter more than your LinkedIn title.

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Follow Sheena here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sheena/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sheenazadeh