Pod By Pen

Some women have the traditional roadmap.

Dina Stern didn’t.

She never graduated high school, has navigated weight loss surgery, postpartum depression, motherhood, and somehow built a thriving business completely on her own terms.

This week’s conversation isn’t heavy—it feels like sitting down with a friend who tells the truth. We talk about body image, confidence, building a career without the “right” credentials, motherhood, identity, and what it looks like to keep showing up through every season of life.

It’s funny, honest, vulnerable, and full of those little conversations women have when the microphones aren’t usually on.

Follow Dina:  ⁨@DinaSternWigs⁩ 

Follow along:Instagram: @podbypen @penkunstler

For Sponsorships & Collaborations:[email protected] Episodes every Tuesday.

Simi Polonsky and Chaya Gestetner-Chanin built The Frock NYC together as sisters - and even after closing that chapter, they’ve stayed close, both in life and online. In this episode, they open up about what it means to keep sharing the real stuff publicly: loss, addiction, family, and the messy, ongoing work of figuring out who you are when life doesn’t look like you thought it would.
This one’s personal for Penina too - her own connection to Simi’s story shapes the conversation from the start.

Follow Simi: @thelifeofsimi
Follow Chaya: @chaya.chanin

@podbypen | [email protected]

This week, I sat down with therapist Rachel Husney, LCSW, for a candid conversation about navigating friendships as adults, dealing with rejection, managing expectations, setting boundaries, and learning not to take everything so personally.

Rachel brings her signature blend of honesty, humor, and straight talk as we explore why friendships often feel harder in adulthood, how our past experiences shape our relationships, and what it actually means to show up for the people we care about.

Rachel Husney is a New York City-based therapist who works with adults struggling with anxiety, depression, and the lasting impact of trauma.

Connect with Rachel:

@rachel_husney

[email protected]

https://rachel-husney.clientsecure.me/contact-widget

This episode is sponsored by Sukiru Beauty 

Created by professional makeup artist Batya Reyz,

Sukiru Beauty was born from years of working on thousands of faces and testing countless products to create makeup that is high-performance, easy to use, and genuinely fun to wear.

Beautiful shades. Foolproof formulas. Incredible staying power.

Shop the full collection at:
https://sukirubeauty.com

@sukirubeauty

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Follow along:
@penkunstler | @podbypen

For sponsorships and collaborations:
 [email protected]

This week on Pod By Pen, I’m joined by Adina Kamkhatchi, founder of Adina Eden Jewelry.

Most people know the brand.

What they don’t know is the story behind it.

Before the celebrity placements, major retailers, and multi-million dollar company, Adina was a kid growing up in Brooklyn, NY. What began with a handmade necklace, a few hundred dollars, and a dream eventually grew into one of the most recognizable jewelry brands in the country.

But success was only one chapter.

In this conversation, Adina opens up about her infertility and IVF journey, becoming a mother to twins, navigating life as a single mom, and the reality of carrying enormous responsibility both at home and in business.

We talk about resilience, identity, motherhood, entrepreneurship, and what happens when life teaches you lessons that hard work alone can’t solve.

Most importantly, we explore the woman behind the brand - and what she would say today to those who are in a chapter of building a business and navigating life.

This episode is for anyone building something, becoming someone, or finding their way through a season they never planned for.

Follow Adina: @itsadinaeden @adinaeden_

Pod By Pen is a podcast spotlighting authentic conversations with Jewish women about business, motherhood, resilience, faith, wellness, and everything in between.

Follow along: @penkunstler

For sponsorship inquiries: [email protected]

In this episode of Pod by Pen, I sit down with marriage coach Rachaeli Glucksman for a candid conversation about one of the hardest lessons many of us face in relationships: learning to focus on ourselves instead of trying to control the people we love.

We discuss respect in marriage, personal responsibility, communication, and the uncomfortable truths that often lead to the biggest breakthroughs. Rachaeli shares lessons from her own journey through divorce, remarriage, and rebuilding relationships, along with the tools she now teaches women navigating their own marriages.

This conversation isn’t about blame, perfection, or pretending relationships are easy. It’s about understanding your contribution, letting go of control, and creating healthier dynamics built on respect and connection.

Whether you’re married, remarried, dating, or simply interested in personal growth, this episode offers thoughtful insights and practical takeaways that may challenge the way you think about relationships.

Connect with Rachaeli:
@rachaelglucksman

Follow along:
Instagram: @penkunstler @podbypen

For sponsorships, collaborations, or guest inquiries:
[email protected]

A quick disclaimer before diving in: these are simply my raw thoughts, personal experiences, and honest musings in real time.

I cope with a lot of life through humor and sarcasm, and this episode definitely reflects that. Nothing here is meant to be universal advice - just one woman candidly sharing her perspective and experience.
In this solo episode, I’m answering anonymous questions about remarriage, step parenting, blending families, boundaries, relationships, motherhood, healing, and navigating the emotional complexity of building a life the second time around.
Some questions are funny, some are uncomfortable, some are deeply personal — and I tried to answer all of them honestly.
This episode is less polished advice and more real conversation. The messy middle, the humor, the hard parts, the growth, and all the things people often think about but don’t always say out loud.
 Pod by Pen
For sponsorship inquiries, collaborations, or guest requests:
[email protected]
Follow along for episode clips, behind the scenes, and more:
Instagram: @penkunstler

Kaitlin Kehler joins me for a candid conversation about conversion to Orthodox Judaism, marriage, motherhood, identity, and building a completely new life from the ground up.

Originally from Idaho, Kaitlin shares how her journey slowly evolved from curiosity and connection into fully embracing an Orthodox Jewish lifestyle alongside her husband. We talk honestly about culture shock, internet reactions, navigating change publicly, funny moments along the way, and what people don’t always understand about choosing this path.

This episode is honest, warm, emotional, funny at times, and deeply human.

Follow Kaitlin:

@kaitlinkehler

Follow me here:Instagram: @penkunstler @podbypen

For podcast inquiries, sponsorships, or collaborations: [email protected]

Welcome to Pod by Pen Real conversations with women about life, growth, identity, business, relationships, motherhood, faith, and everything in between.

This week on Pod By Pen, I’m joined by Jen Lax, therapist and founder of Dear Mind, for an honest conversation about anxiety, depression, therapy, trauma, and the realities of mental health today.

We talk about the pressure so many women feel to “keep it together,” the stigma around medication, what anxiety can actually look like in daily life, and why asking for help shouldn’t feel shameful.

Jen also shares what inspired her to launch Dear Mind, her new private practice focused on helping people feel seen, supported, and understood through their mental health journeys.

This episode is not about judgment or labels. It’s about understanding ourselves better, having healthier conversations around mental health, and reminding people that support exists.

Whether you’ve been in therapy for years, are considering it for the first time, or love someone navigating mental health struggles, this conversation is filled with honesty, nuance, and compassion.

If this episode resonates with you, share it with someone who may need it. 

Follow along on Instagram: @penkunstler @podbypen

For podcast inquiries & sponsorships: [email protected]

In this episode, I sit down with Maya Namdar for a conversation that is as real as it is uplifting.

After the unimaginable loss of her daughter, Maya shares what grief actually looks like - not just in the moment, but in the everyday life that follows. We talk about navigating pain, holding onto emunah, and what it means to keep living when life feels like it’s been split in two.

But this conversation doesn’t stay in the darkness.

We speak about Mashiach, hope, and the belief that there is something bigger unfolding—even when we can’t fully see it. Maya brings a perspective that is both deeply spiritual and deeply human, reminding us that joy and pain can exist side by side.

This episode is about loss, but it’s also about life - how we rebuild, how we believe, and how we keep going.

Welcome to Pod by Pen—real conversations with women, about life, growth, and everything in between.

If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who needs it, and don’t forget to follow/subscribe so you don’t miss what’s next.

For sponsorships or collaborations:

[email protected]

Follow for more @penkunstler @podbypen

Follow Maya - @mayanamdar_

Motherhood doesn’t come with a filter… and Tamari Jacob isn’t pretending it does.

In this episode, Tamari, also known “One with the Pump”, shares her real-life experience as a pumping consultant supporting nursing and working moms - while living it herself. We get into the emotional, physical, and mental load of motherhood, the reality of exclusively pumping, and what it looks like to show up every day without the polished version of “perfect.”

This conversation is candid, honest, and deeply relatable for any woman navigating motherhood in the real world.

From messy homes to middle-of-the-night pumps, this is the side of motherhood we don’t always see - but all feel.

Find tamari on instagram: @onewiththepump

To sponsor an episode or collaborate, reach out at: [email protected]
Follow along on Instagram: @penkunstler @podbypen