The Courage to Start Over: Karen Levine's Story of Reinvention
Some people build businesses. Karen Levine builds second chances.
When I met Karen Levine, PeachSkinSheets CEO, I expected to talk about success. Instead, I heard a story of resilience and starting over.
For June’s Who’s With Whit feature in Fete Lifestyle Magazine, Karen shared the journey behind the brand that has brought comfortable, cooling bedding into homes across the country. But long before PeachSkinSheets became a household name, it started with uncertainty.
At 48, Karen found herself rebuilding. Her corporate career was over, she was navigating financial challenges, and she was raising two children as a single mother. The future she had planned no longer existed. Rather than letting that chapter define her, she decided to write a new one.
What began at her kitchen table with a simple goal, to create affordable sheets that actually helped people sleep better, grew into a nationally recognized company. Yet the most impressive part of Karen’s story isn’t the growth of the brand. It’s her determination to keep moving forward when no guarantees were waiting on the other side.
One of the things that stood out most during our conversation was how Karen defines comfort today. While PeachSkinSheets was built around helping people sleep better, comfort has become something much bigger for her. It’s peace of mind. It’s meaningful relationships. It’s creating a life that feels grounded, even when circumstances are anything but.
Karen also challenged the idea that comfort has to look the same for everyone. Through PeachSkinSheets, she’s encouraged people to bring personality into their homes through color, pattern, and design. Her belief is simple: the spaces we live in should reflect who we are and make us feel good when we walk into them.
What stayed with me most wasn’t a business lesson. It was Karen’s perspective on starting over.
So often, we view setbacks as endings. Karen sees them differently. She sees them as turning points. Her story is proof that reinvention rarely arrives with a roadmap, and that some of life’s most meaningful opportunities are found in the chapters we never planned to write.
As someone who spends so much of my time sharing stories of resilience, Karen’s journey resonated deeply with me. She reminded me that success isn’t about avoiding difficult seasons—it’s about finding the courage to keep going through them.
And maybe that’s the real meaning of comfort: not the sheets on our bed, but the confidence to trust ourselves when life changes course.
Read the full Who’s With Whit feature in Fete Lifestyle Magazine here or below.
