Episode Details

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.

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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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If you like what you hear, rate, review, and subscribe to Hot Smart Rich, the podcast supporting women who own their worth — in business, wealth, and life.

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Own your worth — and build the life you want. Subscribe to the Hot Smart Rich newsletter, the no-BS guide to startup life, consumer brands, and becoming your hottest, smartest, richest self, written by Maggie Sellers. Join 250,000+ women building wealth, confidence, and community on their own terms.

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

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Follow Sheena here:

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

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

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More from Hot Smart Rich:

The Hot Smart Rich Money Mindset: https://hotsmartrich.shop/collections/shop-all/products/hsr-50-20-20-10-method

Merch: https://hotsmartrich.shop/

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This episode is produced by HSR Media, a division of Creative MES LLC, with support from Coldea Productions.

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