Alina Jidkova
Co-Founder and the Creative Director of BeMy Pearl.com. When Alina Jidkova was a little girl, her grandmother gave her a pearl necklace for her ninth birthday. She was immediately mesmerized by the sight of the pearls. In fact, the necklace was so long and Alina was so little that she was actually able to wrap the necklace around her neck four times and she remembers wearing it to school underneath her uniform. This family heirloom that Alina’s grandmother passed on to her holds fond memories. To Alina, these pearls symbolize family, love, and womanhood. Years have gone by, and today Alina is a professional tennis player. In October 2004, Alina experienced a career high by defeating six-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams in a game that cemented Alina’s tenacity to become a success in all of her endeavors.
Born in the Soviet Union, Alina has undergone many challenges in her life, but her work ethic and commitment to make her family proud are the motivating factors in her success. Throughout the various obstacles in her life Alina’s perseverance got her through the tough times. As a Child, Alina initially trained to be a gymnast. However, her place as a member of the national gymnastics program in the Soviet Union and her interest in the sport changed when she discovered tennis. She began training professionally by the age of twelve, considered a late start in the game, but Alina’s natural ability and determination won over the hearts and minds of coaches. She was soon playing tournaments and when she achieved 1st ranking in the Soviet Union fans and coaches realized that they had a future star in their midst.
Hard Times
Alina eventually left the Soviet Union for the United States. However, the American dream eluded Alina during the early years. Alina’s story has the framework of a little girl lost who eventually found her way to success after undergoing a series of struggles. Before coming to the United States, Alina lived in Europe as a teenager under the guidance of a less than kind “benefactor” who isolated her from family and friends. She eventually returned to Russia six months later, only to realize that playing tennis under the dire straits of a country in transition from a communist regime was not conducive to her overall well being and it was detrimental to her game. She traveled to Italy before moving to the United States. While in the United States, Alina trained during the day and gave tennis lessons at night. Alina’s ambition, in contrast to her current situation at that time was the one thing that kept her going. At one point Alina slept in train stations, storage sheds, and often wondered where her next meal would come from.
With the waning prospect of her tennis career, Alina attempted one last time by flying to Philadelphia to compete in the WTA tournament. With only enough money for a three-night stay at a $50 a night motel, Alina won the quali and the thousand dollar purse. This victory motivated her to pursue her dream. In an interview with Tennis Week Magazine, Alina states that “if you really dream about something and you really believe it in your heart, you can do it.” It is this vision and determination that allowed Alina to overcome her hardships and emerge victorious. After much hard work, Alina’s first big brake came in 2000, when she qualified and went on to the 3rd round of the Australian Open. As a professional tennis player, Alina has played all over the world, and she has played world-class opponents. Her passion for tennis parallels her love and commitment to her family back in Russia.
Sascha Ghods
President and Founder of BeMyPearl.com was born in Austria. As a child, Sascha’s father worked for the United Nations enabling Sascha and his family to travel to various parts of the world. Travel and adventure soon became a way of life for Sascha and when he was 18 years old, he journeyed to the United States with just $2000 that his parents gave him. Sascha eventually earned a degree in business and aviation in America. As a self-proclaimed life adventurer. He combines his love for aviation and discovery in personally sourcing the best of nature’s beauty for his clientele. China, Japan, Tahiti, Australia, … "this business takes me to remote areas all over the world sourcing the best quality pearls. In dealing directly with pearl farms, I am able to do what I love and share the returns with my clients. The thrill is never-ending, as the next find is often more beautiful than the last." Sascha Ghods. It is quite by accident that this adventuresome spirit led him to reconsider his former retail operation. While traveling in Asia, he was afforded the opportunity to visit pearl farms first-hand. While he’d been able to deeply discount his pearls below the retail market, he’d realized that there were many more layers that accounted for unnecessary retail costs. Direct sourcing eliminates up to 90% of unnecessary costs passed on to consumers in the retail market and personal sourcing guarantees a quality product. By repositioning his ventures to include the e-commerce market, BeMyPearl.com deals directly with harvesters that have for generations operated family farms and whose expertise and eye for quality are un-matched.
