Akram Abdallah

CoFounder & CEO of Nominal

[Akram Abdallah @akramjabdallah]

After the intensity of BFCM, we take time to slow down.

Not stop. Just slow down.

This year, December is our window to reflect.

The rest of the year, we're moving fast. Launching products. Fulfilling orders. Solving problems. Growing.

But constant motion without reflection is just motion. You can be busy and still be off course.

So we use December to:

- Look back at what happened this year. What worked? What didn't? What did we learn? What mistakes did we make that we shouldn't repeat?

- Plan for the next year. Not just revenue targets or growth goals. But what we want to build. Who we want to become. What problems we want to solve.

- Revisit our mission, vision, and core values. Are we still aligned with why we started? Are our values still guiding our decisions? Or have we drifted without noticing?

- Appreciate the team. The people who showed up every day. Who solved problems we didn't see coming. Who made this year possible.

It's easy to skip the reflection and jump straight into what's next.

But the best teams don't just execute. They reflect. They recalibrate. They make sure they're moving in the right direction, not just moving fast.

These quieter moments matter.

What do you do to reflect and reset as a team?

#Leadership #TeamCulture #YearEndReflection #Startup #Ecommerce

[Akram Abdallah @akramjabdallah]

Our team is spread across different locations and time zones.

We're productive. We hit our deadlines. Communication on projects is solid.

But we ran a culture survey, and a couple of team members said the same thing:

"We work well together, but we don't really know each other."

They were right.

In a physical office, you naturally learn about people. You overhear weekend plans. You grab coffee together. You celebrate birthdays with cake in the break room.

Remote? If you don't create space for it, those moments just don't happen.

So we created a Slack channel called #taco-corner.

One rule: no work talk. Just the human stuff.

Here's some of what goes in there:

- Birthday celebrations
- Work anniversaries
- Individual shoutouts when someone does something great
- Music Monday - share what you're listening to
- Shelf Share Wednesday - books, podcasts, whatever you're into

Simple things. Random things. Human things.

Here's what happened:

The people who suggested it felt genuinely heard. They saw their idea implemented within days, and that mattered to them.

People started participating on their own. I thought I'd have to constantly remind everyone to post. Instead, the team just started sharing. A song here. A book there. Personal milestones.

We learned things about each other.

Small moments. But they add up.

Remote work is here to stay. But remote doesn't mean disconnected.

You can't force culture. But you can create space for it.

Sometimes that space is just a Slack channel with a simple rule: be human here.

What's one thing you've done to build culture in a remote team?

#Nominal #RemoteWork #CompanyCulture #TeamBuilding #Leadership #Startup

[Akram Abdallah @akramjabdallah]

I'm standing in Alphalete's warehouse in Houston, scanning barcodes, picking orders, moving fast.

I'd flown here to work their seasonal fulfillment operation - to learn from a brand I admired and understand how world-class operations actually work.

The device in my hand shows me exactly where each item is - Aisle 3, Row 2, Bin C4 - and I'm hitting every location with precision.

I'm mentally tracking my performance: "That's 12 orders... 13... 14... 15 orders in 30 minutes."

I'm feeling it. I think I'm crushing this.

So I walk up to the manager, ready for validation: "Hey, I just did 15 orders in 30 minutes. How's that?"

I'm expecting praise. Maybe a "wow, great job."

Instead, he looks at me and says: "That's okay. Our team goal is 21."

Okay?
OKAY?!

I thought I was killing it. Turns out I was... average. Below average, actually.

My ego took a hit. But then something shifted.

That number - 21 orders per 30 minutes - wasn't just feedback. It became my target. Not some vague "do better" or "work faster." An actual, specific, achievable number.

And here's what happened: Within hours, I hit it.

Not because I suddenly became superhuman. But because my mind now knew what was possible.

See, when you don't have a benchmark, you create your own ceiling.

I thought 15 was great because I had nothing to compare it to. I was competing against myself with no reference point.

But once I knew the team was hitting 21? Everything changed.

They're not better than me. They're not faster than me. I'm just doing something inefficiently that they've already figured out.

So I started auditing myself:

- Am I taking the most efficient route through the aisles?
- Am I organizing items as I pick them or scrambling during packing?
- Am I double-checking locations or trusting the system?

I even asked the manager to shadow me for a round. He pointed out small inefficiencies I couldn't see myself. Little things that added seconds per order, which compounded into minutes across 21 orders.

Fixed them. Hit the target.

The breakthrough wasn't about working harder. It was about knowing what "good" actually looked like.

Your mind accomplishes what it's told is possible. If everyone around you is hitting a certain standard, your brain automatically accepts it as achievable. You stop making excuses and start finding solutions.

This is why KPIs matter. This is why benchmarks matter. This is why knowing what excellent looks like matters.

Without that conversation, I would've thought 15 was impressive. I would've brought that standard back to my business. Our team would've hit 15 and celebrated.

Instead, I learned that 21 was possible. And we built our entire fulfillment operation around that standard.

Clear targets beat vague goals. Every single time.

What KPI completely changed the game for your business?

#KPIs #Performance #ContinuousImprovement #OperationalExcellence #FounderLessons #Ecommerce

[Akram Abdallah @akramjabdallah]

2019. Two full-time employees. 1,000 square feet. Zero system.

We were fulfilling orders purely from memory. No SKUs. No barcodes. Just "I know where the Palestine map necklace is" and hoping we got it right.

Customer emails started rolling in: wrong items, missing products. We didn't know what we didn't know.

Then I saw a random Instagram story from Alphalete (a brand I admired) looking for seasonal warehouse help in Houston. I'm in Arizona.

Most people would scroll past. I opened my laptop at midnight and applied.

Here's the crazy part: I paid $700 (flight + hotel) to work for $14/hour. The math didn't math, right?

Wrong.

In 72 hours, I gained insights that changed everything:

→ The power of precise inventory locations (aisle, row, bin)
→ How barcode scanning eliminates fulfillment errors
→ The importance of error prevention systems
→ Why clear KPIs matter (like 21 orders per 30 mins)

That $700 "loss" eliminated thousands in future mistakes and set the foundation for everything we built after.

Mark Cuban once said: "Get a job aligned with your vision. Don't worry about the pay. Focus on what you can learn and apply."

Sometimes the best investment is paying to learn under someone else's dime.

What's the most unconventional thing you've done to level up your business?

#Entrepreneurship #OperationsExcellence #StartupJourney #LearnByDoing

[Akram Abdallah @akramjabdallah]

I realized something uncomfortable about myself last year.

My ideas weren't big enough.

Not because I wasn't trying or working hard. I was executing well on the goals in front of me. But when I stepped back and looked at where we were heading, I felt like I was playing it safe without even realizing it.

The vision I had for Nominal felt... achievable. Which sounds good until you realize that might actually be the problem.

I wasn't sure why. Maybe I needed more inspiration or just space to think beyond the daily operations. Maybe I needed more brainstorming sessions with people who could push my thinking.

Or maybe I needed someone to actually ask me "What's next?" and hold me accountable to an answer that wasn't just incremental growth.

When you're in the weeds of running a business, it's easy to mistake good execution for ambitious vision. You hit your targets, you grow steadily, and you feel like you're doing well. And you are.

But "doing well" and "thinking big" aren't the same thing.

I'm still working through this. Pushing myself to sketch out ideas that feel uncomfortably ambitious. Surrounding myself with people who naturally think bigger than I do. Creating space away from operations to just think about what we could build, not just what we need to fix.

If you're a founder or leader, when was the last time someone challenged you on the size of your vision? Not your execution, not your strategy - but whether you're actually dreaming big enough?

Sometimes the biggest risk isn't thinking too big. It's thinking too small and not even knowing it.

#Nominal #Leadership #Vision #Entrepreneurship #Growth #Ambition #FounderJourney

[Akram Abdallah @akramjabdallah]

Most monthly All Hands meetings follow the same pattern.

Review what happened last month. Talk about wins and losses. Share the numbers. Discuss what worked and what didn't. Everyone listens, maybe asks a question or two, then goes back to their desks.

People leave informed about the past, but unclear about what's coming.

I've been thinking about how we use these meetings. Looking back is important - you need to understand what happened and why. But spending the entire meeting reviewing the previous month misses a huge opportunity.

If All Hands is the one time you have everyone together, why not use it to align on what's ahead?

When design shares what they're working on for the next two months, marketing can plan their campaigns around actual timelines. When operations walks through upcoming inventory changes, other teams understand the constraints they'll be working within.

Forward visibility prevents surprises. It turns random roadblocks into expected challenges that teams can prepare for.

The difference between "this launch got delayed" and "we know this launch is getting delayed in six weeks" is massive. One creates chaos. The other creates space to adjust.

Teams operate better when they can see beyond their own work. When they understand how their timelines connect to everyone else's priorities, coordination happens naturally instead of through constant back-and-forth.

Looking back tells you what happened. Looking forward together is what keeps everyone aligned on where you're going.

Monthly meetings shouldn't just be reviews. They should be the place where your entire team gets on the same page about what's next.

#Nominal #Leadership #TeamAlignment #Communication #BusinessOperations #CompanyCulture #Collaboration

[Akram Abdallah @akramjabdallah]

Last year's BFCM nearly broke us.

Not because of the volume or the demand - we were prepared for that. We broke ourselves with poor planning.

Our product lineup felt rushed. I remember standing looking at the items and thinking, "this isn't quite right, but we're out of time." That feeling of launching something you're not fully confident in is brutal.

The real gut punch came when we realized our shipping boxes, mailers, and inventory had to go by air instead of sea. Thousands of dollars evaporated because we didn't plan far enough ahead. Money we could've invested in better product, better marketing, better anything.

And honestly, the financial hit wasn't even the worst part. The constant scrambling wore everyone down. Every day felt like we were putting out fires instead of executing a plan.

This year is completely different.

We started planning our BFCM lineup months ago. Every product we're launching is intentional. No "let's throw this in because we need more SKUs" decisions. Everything has a clear reason for being in the collection.

Our packaging, mailers, and marketing materials are already on track. No last-minute air shipments eating into our margins.

But the biggest difference isn't the timeline or the cost savings.

It's how the team operates.

Everyone knows exactly what needs to happen and when. Updates flow in real time. When issues pop up - and they always do - people jump in to help solve them without being asked. We have breathing room to actually fix problems instead of just surviving them.

The contrast is striking. Last year we were reactive. This year we're in control.

Planning ahead doesn't get celebrated. It doesn't make for dramatic war stories. But the difference between scrambling through your biggest sales event of the year versus executing it smoothly? That's everything.

Your Black Friday results are determined by the decisions you make in summer, not the week before Thanksgiving.

We learned that lesson the expensive way. This year, we're doing it right.

#Nominal #BFCM #Ecommerce #BusinessLessons #Planning #Leadership #BlackFriday

[Akram Abdallah @akramjabdallah]

One of the most overlooked parts of annual planning isn't deciding what to do.

It's deciding what NOT to do.

At the beginning of 2025, I told our leadership team we needed to get clear on something: "What else should we be saying No to?"

Every opportunity looks good on paper. Every partnership sounds promising. Every new initiative feels like it could be the one that unlocks the next level of growth.

But I've learned that many businesses die from indigestion, not starvation.

The companies that survive and thrive aren't the ones that chase every shiny object. They're the ones that get ruthlessly clear about what they won't pursue, even when those opportunities look attractive.

We spent serious time creating our "What We Are Not Going To Do" list. Not because these are bad ideas, but because saying yes to everything means saying no to focus.

Every yes dilutes your energy.
Every new project splits your team's attention.
Every additional priority makes all your priorities less likely to succeed.

The question isn't whether an opportunity is good. The question is whether it's the best use of our limited resources right now.

Real focus means walking away from opportunities that might work so you can go all-in on the ones that definitely will.

What are you saying no to in 2026?

#Nominal #Ecommerce #Focus #Leadership #Strategy #BusinessGrowth #Priorities #Entrepreneurship #Planning

[Akram Abdallah @akramjabdallah]

Six months ago, I wasn't sure we'd get here.

We've been grinding for years to build something meaningful with Nominal. The usual startup rollercoaster - some wins, plenty of setbacks, team changes, pivots, late nights wondering if we were on the right track.

But something shifted in the first half of this year.

Our new hires aren't just showing up - they're bringing this energy that's contagious. You can feel it when you walk into the office. People actually want to be here, and it shows in everything we do.

Nominal started breaking records we didn't even know we were chasing. Sales numbers that seemed impossible six months ago became our new normal.

The best part? Watching our designer realize that her work isn't just sitting in some portfolio - it's driving real growth. Products she designed are selling out. Customers are specifically asking for items she created.

That moment when someone on your team sees their individual contribution directly impacting the business success - there's nothing quite like it.

It feels good to win, but it feels even better to win together.

When culture clicks, everything else follows. The energy, the results, the momentum - it all compounds.

Still plenty of work ahead, but for the first time in a while, I'm not just hopeful about where we're going. I'm excited.

#Nominal #Ecommerce #TeamCulture #Leadership #Growth #Entrepreneurship #TeamBuilding

[Akram Abdallah @akramjabdallah]

We were drowning in inventory data but still running out of stock on our best sellers.

Sound familiar?

Our Inventory Planner was spitting out reports with hundreds of SKUs, but we couldn't tell which numbers actually mattered. We'd have months of slow-moving products sitting in our warehouse while our top sellers went out of stock during peak seasons.

The breakthrough came when our leadership team sat down and actually worked through those reports together. Instead of trying to track everything, we zeroed in on the metrics that directly impacted our cash flow and customer satisfaction.

We started categorizing every SKU based on how we actually needed to manage it. "Evergreen" products that sell consistently year-round got treated differently than "nonreplenish" items we were phasing out. Simple, but it completely changed how we made ordering decisions.

The game changer was building seasonality into our planning from the start. We stopped getting caught off guard by BFCM or Ramadan rushes because we were planning inventory levels months ahead based on historical patterns.

Now we review inventory every two weeks instead of whenever we remembered to check. Those biweekly sessions keep us ahead of trends instead of reacting to stockouts after they happen.

We cut our overstock by 30% while reducing stockouts by over 50%. Our cash isn't tied up in products that sit on shelves, and customers actually find what they're looking for when they visit our site.

Sometimes the solution isn't better software - it's better decision-making with the data you already have.

#Nominal #InventoryManagement #Ecommerce #BusinessOperations #DataDriven #SupplyChain #Operations

[Akram Abdallah @akramjabdallah]

We spent way too much time trying to automate everything.

Automated reminders, workflow tools, project management software that promised to keep everyone on track. We tried it all. The goal was simple - stop dropping balls and hitting deadlines consistently.

The systems would work for a week or two, then people would start ignoring the automated emails. Deadlines would still get missed. Projects would still fall through the cracks.

Automation can't replace the human element of actually understanding what needs to get done and why it matters.

Everything changed when we assigned a dedicated project manager to oversee our efforts.

Instead of relying on software to send generic reminders, we now have someone who actually understands our projects. Someone who knows which deadlines are flexible and which ones will break everything if we miss them.

They can adapt quickly as things change. They understand that a product launch delay affects marketing timelines, which affects inventory planning, which affects customer expectations.

The reminders aren't automated anymore. They're contextual. Instead of "Task X is due tomorrow," it's "Hey, we need this finished by Thursday or we'll have to push the launch back two weeks."

That context changes everything. People understand the stakes. They prioritize differently when they see how their piece fits into the bigger picture.

We also realized that different people need different types of accountability. Some respond to Slack messages, others need Asana tasks, and some need their calendar blocked. For some people, all three are needed. They figured out what works for each person instead of forcing everyone into the same automated system.

The difference in our execution has been night and day. Projects actually finish on time now. People know what they're supposed to be working on and when. Nothing major slips through the cracks.

Automation is great for repetitive, straightforward tasks. But when it comes to coordinating complex projects with moving pieces and real deadlines, having a human who understands the business makes all the difference.

Sometimes the best system is just having the right person paying attention.

#Nominal #ProjectManagement #TeamCoordination #BusinessOperations #Leadership #Productivity #WorkflowManagement

[Akram Abdallah @akramjabdallah]

I almost didn't hire an Executive Assistant because I couldn't figure out what they'd actually do.

When the EA agency asked me to list tasks I could delegate, I just stared at a blank page.

Most of what I do feels like random fires to put out or decisions that "only I can handle." How do you delegate chaos?

They asked about calendar management and travel booking. That wasn't really my problem though. I could book my own flights just fine.

The real issue was way deeper. I was drowning in the constant stream of unexpected stuff that hits you when you're running a business. My days looked the same every time - start with good intentions to work on strategy, then boom. Fifteen different urgent things pull me in every direction.

By evening, I'd handled a dozen fires but made zero progress on actually growing the business. Always putting out flames, never building anything.

The agency kept saying this was normal. That the right person would figure out how to help once they understood my workflow. I was skeptical but figured I'd try it.

Turns out they were right.

My EA didn't just take over admin tasks. She started seeing patterns in all my chaos. Anticipating problems before they blew up. Creating systems for things that seemed impossible to organize.

Game changer.

Instead of spending every morning sorting through messages and handling emergencies, I now block out Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday as deep focus time. Actual time to think about where the business is going instead of just reacting to whatever's on fire.

The business impact was obvious - better decisions, more focus on growth, way fewer things slipping through the cracks.

I can sit with my thoughts without feeling guilty about the hundred things I should be doing instead. That's huge.

Here's what I figured out: you can't delegate what you can't define, but the right person will help you define it.

I was trying to map out exactly what to hand over before hiring anyone. Completely backwards. The best EAs don't just follow your existing systems - they help you build systems for all the random stuff you're dealing with.

They take those scattered, one-off, "only I can handle this" tasks and somehow find ways to systematize them or just handle them way better than you ever did.

If you're on the fence about hiring an EA because you can't clearly define what they'd do, that's probably exactly why you need one.

Having someone who can create order from your chaos gives you mental space to focus on what actually matters for your business and your life.

I went from constantly feeling behind to actually getting ahead of problems. From reactive to strategic. From staying busy to being productive.

#ExecutiveAssistant #Delegation #Leadership #Productivity #WorkLifeBalance #BusinessGrowth #TimeManagement

[Akram Abdallah @akramjabdallah]

August was our biggest non-sale month ever. Our baseline revenue was higher than anything we've seen before.

Then our Labor Day Sale hit our ambitious forecasts exactly. Made it our biggest mini 4-day sale in company history.

But here's what I'm most proud of: how our team pulled through another intense period.

I know everyone just came off a long weekend, but after performances like this, recognition matters. The team gets to choose: either a paid day off or a cash bonus. Whatever works better for their life at that moment.

Some people need the mental break. Others have financial goals they're working toward. Why force everyone into the same reward?

It's a small thing, but it shows we actually care about what motivates each person individually.

Sales are intense. Everyone's working longer hours, handling more pressure, dealing with higher volumes. The least we can do is acknowledge that effort properly.

When your team knows you'll take care of them after they take care of the business, they'll go even harder next time.

Plus, well-rested teams perform better anyway. Win-win.

#Nominal #TeamAppreciation #EmployeeBenefits #WorkLifeBalance #TeamWork #BusinessGrowth #Leadership #EmployeeRecognition

[Akram Abdallah @akramjabdallah]

July was our biggest month ever. And I wasn't even there.

While I was on paternity leave, our team pulled off something incredible. We broke our previous monthly record by a huge margin.

But here's what I'm most proud of: we hit major milestones for the first time ever, completely outside of any sale period.

The Palestine Collection launch weekend exceeded expectations by 52%. Our BOGO flash promo beat forecasts by nearly 3x. Both company records.

Even our baseline performance was consistently strong throughout the month.

Oh, and 61% of our customers were completely new to the brand. That's the kind of growth that actually matters.

What made the difference? Three things our team nailed while I was away:

1. Simple but effective flash promos via email and SMS. Nothing fancy, just clear messaging that converted.

2. The best content we've ever created for Palestine Collection. Authentic storytelling paired with products people actually wanted.

3. Our strongest ad creative to date. Finally cracked the code on what resonates with our audience.

This proves something I've always believed: when you build the right systems and trust your team, they'll surprise you with what's possible.

Pretty good month to be away from the office.

#Nominal #Ecommerce #TeamWork #BusinessGrowth #Leadership

[Akram Abdallah @akramjabdallah]

Running out of stock during big sales used to be our biggest nightmare.

Nothing worse than having customers ready to buy and telling them "sorry, sold out." Especially during Eid when people are shopping for meaningful pieces.

Our Finance, Supply Chain, and Marketing teams worked together to build a proper inventory planning process. Sounds boring, but the results speak for themselves.

Our evergreen items went from being out of stock 34% of the time down to just 5% by the end of Q2. Massive difference.

But the real test was our May/June Eid sale. We actually planned ahead this time. Got products in-house before the rush started instead of scrambling during it.

When we extended the sale because it was going so well, we had inventory to back it up. In previous years, we would've had to cut sales short because we ran out of everything.

Having the right products available at the right time completely changed our Eid numbers. Customers could actually buy what they wanted when they wanted it.

Inventory planning isn't glamorous, but it's the difference between disappointing customers and delivering for them when it matters most.

#Nominal #Ecommerce #InventoryManagement #Sale #CustomerExperience #BusinessOperations #RetailStrategy

[Akram Abdallah @akramjabdallah]

One of the biggest shifts in how we handle customer support was realizing this: not everyone wants to talk to you the same way.

Some people want to send a DM. Others prefer texting or WhatsApp. Many still use email. And when something's really important, they just want to call and talk to a real person.

So instead of making customers adapt to us, we adapted to them.

We built support that works everywhere - email, live chat, SMS, WhatsApp, social DMs, phone calls. All flowing into one system so our team can see the full picture.

The big win? When someone starts with a DM and needs to call later, we already know what's going on. The context follows them. No more "can you explain your issue again?"

Adding phone support was huge for us. Some problems just need a real conversation. Complex orders, urgent issues, sensitive stuff. Having that option changed how customers felt about reaching out.

The feedback we get now is completely different:

"I've never dealt with a brand this easy to reach."
"It didn't feel like support, it felt like someone actually cared."

When customers feel that kind of connection, everything changes. Support isn't just a department anymore. It becomes part of what people think about your brand.

When you meet people where they are and make it simple to be heard, you stop treating them like ticket numbers and start treating them like actual people.

#Nominal #Ecommerce #CustomerExperience #OmnichannelSupport

[Akram Abdallah @akramjabdallah]

Going from fractional to full-time CFO was honestly one of our smartest moves.

We used to look at revenue and think we were killing it. High sales numbers, growing fast, everything looked good on paper.

But we weren't tracking profit the right way. We had basic numbers but nothing deep.

Our CFO came in and started asking questions. Which products actually make money after shipping? What's our real margin on international orders? Are we pricing things right for different markets?

Working with our CMO and Supply Chain Supervisor, they dug into our free shipping thresholds. Seemed like a small thing, but adjusting those bumped international orders from 20% to 28% of total sales.

Here's the kicker: international orders have way higher profit margins. So that wasn't just more sales, it was way better margins.

But the real game changer was shifting how we think about every decision. Before, if something brought in revenue, we did it. Now we ask: does this actually make us money or just make us look busy?

We were doing great work in marketing, product development, operations. But we weren't connecting those wins to the financial side of things.

Now we're way more profitable on the same amount of work. Having someone who actually understands the numbers makes a huge difference.

#Nominal #Finance #Ecommerce

[Akram Abdallah @akramjabdallah]

We used to sign up for every single pop-up and convention that would have us.

Most people think it's about exposure and sales. Sure, those matter. But the real gold? Listening to conversations you'd never hear otherwise.

Customers don't come to these events alone. They bring their sisters, their moms, their friends. They pick up your pieces and start talking. Real, unfiltered feedback.

"I love this, but I wish it said it in English."

"This is beautiful, but it's too short for me."

"I would buy this, but I'd have to take it off in bathrooms."

When you hear the same comment five times in one day, you've found something important.

Online, people abandon their cart and disappear. They're frustrated but won't email you about it. Think about what that takes: opening Gmail, finding your contact info, typing out their issue. Too many steps. Most just leave.

But in person? It's just a quick comment to their friend. No effort required.

We started keeping shared notes during events. Every piece of feedback, every question, every "I wish you had..." got written down in real time. After each event, we'd review everything and decide what to act on.

That's how we started including extenders with every necklace. How we learned people wanted more English options alongside Arabic. How we discovered sizing issues we never knew existed. The frequency mattered too. One person saying something? Interesting, but not actionable. Ten people saying the same thing? That's a product roadmap.

Pop-ups taught us that your best product development happens when you watch real customers interact with your products.

#Nominal #Ecommerce #PopUp #ProductDevelopment #InPersonInsights

[Akram Abdallah @akramjabdallah]

2020. Downtown Phoenix. 8pm at our apartment gym.

I'm working out when I spot someone across the room wearing what looks like our Ayatul Kursi necklace. One inch gold circle, unmistakable design. But I wasn't about to walk up and ask. It's nighttime, we're both working out with headphones on. Plus, what if I was wrong? Embarrassing.

So I got creative.

We lived in the same apartment complex. Everyone had the same address, just different unit numbers. I pulled up our orders and searched by street name only.

One order popped up.

My heart was racing as it loaded. If there's an Ayatul Kursi in this order, I'd know for sure.
The page loads. There it is. Ayatul Kursi necklace.

But I needed to be certain. I found their name, looked them up on LinkedIn, clicked their profile picture.

It was them.

Mind blown.

Here's why this hit me so hard: Arizona wasn't even a big market for us. We were maybe 30% of our current size back then. The chances of randomly spotting our jewelry on a stranger in my own apartment gym? Basically zero.

But there it was.

When you're building an e-commerce brand, you live behind a computer screen. You ship products but rarely see the impact. You don't see people styling your pieces, wearing them proudly, making them part of their identity.

This moment reminded me that real people choose our jewelry for meaningful occasions. They trust us with pieces that represent their faith, their culture, their story.

Sometimes the best validation comes from the most unexpected places. Like your apartment gym at 8pm on a random Tuesday.

[Akram Abdallah @akramjabdallah]

This July, I took a full month of paternity leave. Not the kind where you’re “available for emergencies” or quietly checking Slack. Real time off to be present with my growing family.

Throughout the month, our team pulled off four huge product launches, each on schedule, each exceeding our targets. The Palestine drop this past weekend actually beat forecasts by 52%. Not once did my team need to pull me into urgent meetings or last-minute calls.

But this took work. Before stepping away, we established clear frameworks: every launch had predetermined product maps, responsibilities were assigned & documented, and decision-making authority was distributed throughout the team.

Some leaders get scared that stepping away will expose gaps, but that’s exactly why you need to. It pushes you to build systems, trust your team, and create a culture that doesn’t rely on any one person to function.

This experience proves that leadership is about empowering others, not being irreplaceable.