Paige Adams-Geller, Founder, on Overcoming Financial Trauma and Creating a Denim Empire
In this episode of Money Rehab, Nicole Lapin speaks with Paige Adams-Geller about her path to founding a denim fashion brand and managing the effects of early financial trauma. Adams-Geller discusses how her family's bankruptcy and personal experiences shaped her drive for financial independence, and how she launched her business in 2004 despite having no formal business background.
The conversation explores Adams-Geller's methods for processing trauma and managing mental health while running a business. She shares her experiences with imposter syndrome, describing how she overcame feelings of inadequacy through therapy, wellness practices, and open discussions with other founders who faced similar challenges. The episode offers insights into the intersection of personal trauma, entrepreneurship, and maintaining mental well-being in business.
This is a preview of the Shortform summary of the Jul 14, 2025 episode of the Money Rehab with Nicole Lapin
Sign up for Shortform to access the whole episode summary along with additional materials like counterarguments and context.
1-Page Summary
Paige's Traumas and Their Impact on Her
Paige Adams-Geller's life has been shaped by significant challenges, including her family's bankruptcy and a sexual assault, both occurring when she was 16. The bankruptcy, which coincided with her starting at USC, drove her toward financial independence through academic scholarships and student loans. Her father's subsequent depression reinforced her determination to remain financially self-reliant.
The trauma from her sexual assault, which took 13 years for her to disclose, continues to affect her daily habits, such as keeping her phone on silent due to triggering memories of stalking incidents. Paige reveals that the trauma led to an eating disorder, which she describes as a desire to "disappear" and maintain control. This struggle with control issues still influences both her personal life and business decisions today.
Paige's Entrepreneurial Journey and the Challenges She Faced
With encouragement from her life coach, Paige launched her fashion brand in 2004, despite having no formal business background. Her mission focused on empowering women, drawing from her experience as a fit model. Throughout her entrepreneurial journey, Paige struggled with imposter syndrome, often feeling inadequate to run a successful business. She overcame these insecurities by openly discussing her feelings and connecting with other successful founders who shared similar struggles.
Paige's Strategies For Founder Mental Health and Overcoming Insecurities
Paige emphasizes the importance of maintaining mental health through various approaches. She credits her twenty years of therapy as crucial for processing trauma and developing coping mechanisms. Additionally, she incorporates meditation, nature walks, and music into her wellness routine.
For fellow entrepreneurs facing similar challenges, Paige advocates for openly sharing struggles with peers. She emphasizes that many successful founders experience similar insecurities, and believes that combining a positive mindset with a strong support system can help anyone overcome obstacles in business, regardless of their background.
1-Page Summary
Additional Materials
Actionables
- You can create a personal resilience journal to track your challenges and growth, noting down financial hurdles, personal traumas, or any other significant life events. Use this journal to reflect on how you've navigated these challenges, what strategies have worked for you, and where you might need additional support or resources. This can help you identify patterns in your coping mechanisms and encourage a proactive approach to seeking help or making changes.
- Start a peer support chat group with friends or colleagues to share experiences and advice on overcoming imposter syndrome and other common struggles. This could be a simple messaging group where members can post when they're feeling doubtful about their abilities, and others can chime in with support, advice, or just a listening ear. The goal is to normalize these feelings and provide a space for mutual encouragement.
- Incorporate a 'mindfulness minute' into your daily routine, where you pause for 60 seconds to practice deep breathing, express gratitude, or visualize a positive outcome to a current challenge. This can be done anytime, anywhere, and doesn't require any special tools or training. It's a way to center yourself and maintain a positive mindset amidst the day-to-day stresses of life.
Get access to the context and additional materials
Paige's Traumas and Their Impact on Her
Paige Adams-Geller has faced significant challenges in her life, from coping with her family's bankruptcy to enduring the trauma of sexual assault. Each of these experiences has had a profound impact on her mindset, self-reliance, and how she manages her personal and professional life.
Family Bankruptcy's Impact on Paige's Mindset and Self-Reliance
Bankruptcy at 16 Drives Paige's Financial Independence
Paige's experience with her family's bankruptcy at the age of 16 set a precedent for her approach to finances and self-reliance. This event coincided with the beginning of her schooling at the University of Southern California (USC). The bankruptcy led to Paige losing her home in Alaska; however, she demonstrated resilience by securing an academic scholarship and student loans to continue her education. Her father's severe depression following the bankruptcy demolished his confidence and instilled in Paige the importance of frugality and the determination to be financially independent, ensuring she would not need to rely on others for support.
Paige's Experience With Assault and Trauma
Sexual Assault Survivor: Lasting Triggers and Coping Mechanisms
Another profound challenge that Paige faced was the trauma resulting from a sexual assault at the age of 16. It took her 13 years to disclose this secret. Not only did the assault itself have lasting effects, but the stalking incidents before and after the event have left her with triggers, such as a ringing phone, causing her to keep her phone on silent to this day. Nicole Lapin mentions that Paige has been transparent about her assault experience, which underscores how enduring such a trauma can influ ...
Here’s what you’ll find in our full summary
Paige's Traumas and Their Impact on Her
Additional Materials
Actionables
- You can create a personal financial safety net by starting a small emergency fund. Begin by setting aside a small amount of money each week, even if it's just the cost of a cup of coffee, and gradually increase the amount as you become more comfortable with saving. This fund can help you feel more secure and independent, reducing stress related to financial uncertainty.
- Develop a self-care routine that includes activities unrelated to productivity or control. Choose activities that bring you joy and relaxation, such as reading for pleasure, taking a leisurely walk, or practicing mindfulness meditation. This can help balance the need for control with the need for self-compassion and can be particularly helpful for those who struggle with issues related to control and self-image.
- Engage in regular, open conversations with ...
Related Shortform Content
Get access to the context and additional materials
Paige's Entrepreneurial Journey and the Challenges She Faced
Paige Adams-Geller's journey to launching her self-titled fashion brand, Paige, is marked by a pivotal moment and struggles common among entrepreneurs, including battling imposter syndrome.
Paige's Pivotal Moment In Starting Her Fashion Brand
With determination and the support of influential individuals in her life, Paige Adams-Geller took the first steps in creating a unique path in the fashion industry.
Coach Encourages Paige to Start a Fashion Company Empowering Women
During a period of uncertainty, Paige Adams-Geller turned to a life coach for guidance. Her passion for empowering women, coupled with her extensive experience as a fit model, inspired her coach to encourage her to start her own fashion company. This advice set her on a path to entrepreneurship, focusing her brand on uplifting women.
Paige Launched Her First Collection In 2004 Despite No Business Background, Becoming a Self-Reliant Entrepreneur
Despite lacking a formal business background, Paige Adams-Geller launched the first collection of her brand, Paige, at the Coterie trade show in September 2004. Her venture into the fashion industry established her as a self-reliant entrepreneur, ready to take on the challenges ahead.
Paige's Struggles With Imposter Syndrome as a Founder
Opening up about her fears and seeking assistance from like-minded individuals helped Paige Adams-Geller navigate the complexities of running a successful business.
Paige Often Felt Inadequate to Run a Successful Business, a Common Challenge for Many Entrepreneurs
Paige Adams-Geller openly discusses the prevalence of imposter syndrome in her career—a feeling that can lead to a "rabbi ...
Here’s what you’ll find in our full summary
Paige's Entrepreneurial Journey and the Challenges She Faced
Additional Materials
Actionables
- You can start a small-scale project that aligns with your passion to gain confidence in your abilities. Begin with something manageable, like creating a blog or a local community group focused on a cause you care about. This allows you to test the waters of entrepreneurship and leadership in a low-risk environment, helping to combat feelings of imposter syndrome.
- Identify a personal trait or skill you're proud of and leverage it to support others. For instance, if you're good at organizing, offer to help a friend declutter their home. This act of service can reinforce your sense of purpose and remind you of the value you bring, which is empowering both for you and the person you're helping.
- Create a peer support group with friends or colleagues ...
Get access to the context and additional materials
Paige's Strategies For Founder Mental Health and Overcoming Insecurities
Paige shares her experience with mental health challenges and overcoming personal insecurities as an entrepreneur, offering advice and strategies to founders facing similar issues.
Paige's Coping With Trauma and Anxiety Through Therapy, Meditation, and Music
Paige opens up about her long-term commitment to therapy and how it helps her maintain a healthy state of mind.
Paige's 20 Years in Therapy: Overcoming Trauma and Developing Coping Mechanisms
With over two decades of therapy, Paige underscores the significance of discussing feelings with a professional. She believes therapy has been instrumental in understanding her emotional patterns and working through trauma, which in turn has helped her maintain a mostly healthy mental state.
Paige Uses Meditation, Nature, and Music to Improve Mental Health
Paige emphasizes the benefits of meditation, spending time in nature, and listening to music as ways to foster mental wellness. These practices complement her therapy and serve as additional tools for coping with anxiety and maintaining mental health.
Paige's Advice For Entrepreneurs Facing Challenges
Entrepreneurs often struggle in silence, but Paige advocates for openness as a way to understand that these challenges are shared among peers.
Paige Urges Entrepreneurs to Openly Share Struggles, as Many Successful Founders Face Similar Insecurities
Paige advises founders to be candid about their insecurities and struggles. She believes that acknowledging these feelings is vital in confronting and overcoming entrepreneurial challenges. Sharing her own experiences with anxiety, Paige found solace and confidence in realizing she was not alone; other founders also grappled with similar worries. Her experiences illustrate the power of vulnerability an ...
Here’s what you’ll find in our full summary
Paige's Strategies For Founder Mental Health and Overcoming Insecurities
Additional Materials
Counterarguments
- While therapy is beneficial for many, it may not be the best solution for everyone, and some individuals may find other methods of support more effective.
- The effectiveness of meditation, nature, and music for mental health can vary greatly among individuals, and they may not be universally helpful.
- Openly sharing struggles in a professional setting may not always be received positively, and could potentially have negative repercussions for some entrepreneurs.
- The assumption that vulnerability and peer support are always beneficial in entrepreneurship may not account for competitive or unsupportive environments.
- The belief that a positive mindset and support system can help overcome any o ...
Actionables
- You can create a "Mental Health Map" by journaling your emotional states and activities to identify patterns and triggers. Start by tracking your mood at different times of the day and noting what you were doing, who you were with, and where you were. Over time, this can help you understand your emotional cycles and develop strategies to maintain your mental health.
- Develop a "Vulnerability Exchange" with fellow entrepreneurs where you meet regularly to discuss challenges and share support. This could be a small, informal group that meets monthly to talk about the hurdles you're facing and the strategies you're employing to overcome them. The goal is to create a safe space for sharing and receiving advice, which can foster a sense of community and collective resilience.
- Implement a "Triumph Journal" where you document your chal ...
Related Shortform Content
Get access to the context and additional materials
Create Summaries for anything on the web
Download the Shortform Chrome extension for your browser
