The Adina Eden Story: From Basement Startup to Forbes 30 Under 30

In this powerful episode of Inspire to Lead, host Talia Mic sits down with Adina Kamkhatchi, founder of Adina Eden jewelry, for an intimate conversation about building a multimillion-dollar business from scratch, overcoming adversity, and staying true to your values. Adina shares her remarkable journey from being a bullied, overweight teenager with $100 in babysitting money to creating one of the most successful fine jewelry brands, now sold in Bloomingdale's, Nordstrom, and Revolve. She opens up about her struggles with infertility, the sacrifices behind her success, and why she chose to publicly stand with Israel after October 7th—even at the risk of losing followers and customers. This is a story about resilience, faith, family business, and building a legacy that matters.

[1:49] - The origin story: Why jewelry? Overcoming childhood struggles with weight and bullying

[5:14] - First customer and starting on Instagram over a decade ago

[8:08] - The Madison Beer moment: When a celebrity post changed everything overnight

[11:06] - Scaling from handmade to factories: The challenges of rapid growth

[15:01] - Moving out of the parents' basement: Getting their first office with no credit history

[18:10] - Forbes 30 Under 30: Proving the doubters wrong

[21:50] - The voice that pushes through: Overcoming being the underdog

[24:26] - October 7th: Standing with Israel and the business decision to speak up publicly

[30:30] - Lessons learned: Quality hires over quantity, and trusting God's timing

[34:38] - Rock bottom: Three miscarriages and finding the strength to continue

[39:50] - COVID-19: The moment they thought it was over—and how it became a milestone

[40:02] - Sacrifices no one saw: Years of 2 AM bedtimes and reinvesting every penny

[41:02] - Advice to her younger self: "You're loved, and you're gonna make it"

[42:04] - Superpower: Staying calm in chaos and always finding solutions

[42:53] - Final advice: Start with nothing—you don't need money to begin

About the Guest:

Adina Kamkhatchi is the founder of Adina Eden, a fashion-forward fine jewelry brand she started at just 18 years old. A Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, Adina built her business from nothing—starting by hand-making jewelry in her parents' basement and leveraging Instagram before it became a business platform. Today, Adina Eden is a multimillion-dollar company known for its dainty, personalized pieces and unwavering support for Israel. A first-generation college graduate from the Syrian-American community in Brooklyn, Adina is also a proud mother of twins and an advocate for infertility awareness. Sponsored by: Roth and Co., innovators in accounting and business advisory