Liberty Sessions With Nada Jones | Celebrating Women Who Do & Inspiring Women Who Can |

Reni is a ‘tell it like it is’ entrepreneur who has run and operated several successful creative businesses in the design + service industries. Her experiences in retail, merchandising, staging and graphic design have taught her a million lessons about what she wants and doesn’t want from her current venture. Together with her mother, Reni launched a bespoke gifting business for realtors and professionals. After years of creative directing and managing her branding agency, Reni started Sun and Salt Studio as a community space to learn and explore one’s creativity. Reni was no longer able to offer face-to-face creative classes due to the Pandemic. She decided to shift her focus to her creativity and reimagined her offering under the name Sun and Salt Creative.In this episode, Nada sits down with Reni to discuss her clear vision of what Sun and Salt Creative would and would not be. She sets clear expectations for herself, her business, and her life using what she learned in her previous ventures. Reni articulat

Kirsten Blazek is the creative director behind A1000xBetter - a multifaceted design firm founded on the principle that design is a nuanced and layered process that requires you to look beyond the surface. Kirsten has an incredible eye for design, and her eclectic interiors showcase her love of vintage treasures, bohemian style, moody spaces, and penchant for the American Southwest.  In 2016, Kirsten launched A1000xBetter as a staging company based in LA. Needing to challenge herself, Kirsten has shifted her focus from staging to interior design. It was a risk to leave behind the staging business she successfully cultivated over years of hard work, but a risk worth taking to pursue life-giving work that allowed Kirsten and her team to create permanent spaces from the ground up.In this episode, Nada sits down with Kirsten for a second time! Blazek first shared her start-up story with Nada in 2017. Today, Kirsten discusses how A1000xBetter's transition was born of personal growth as much as professional aspirati

Jennifer Archie is a Los Angeles native. After graduating from Howard University with a microbiology degree and venturing into the study of mold, she ended up working in her father’s business for 15 years. Itching to do something new, she took a position with a non-profit for a year, and later tried her hand at her own business, but things were not going according to plan.While on the journey to figure out what was next for her professional future, her daughter, June, was experiencing dry scaly skin and a mild case of eczema when she was a baby. Jennifer spent a lot of time and money searching for a product to relieve her discomfort. After steroid prescriptions and numerous over-the-counter products, she decided to make her body butter. She started with the basics. As she researched and learned about other types of butter and essential oils, she began to develop a butter that the whole family could benefit from. Friends started asking for a jar of the healing concoction and insisted on paying when Jennifer wo

Traci is a self-proclaimed “Swiss-Army knife in heels.” She is a seasoned leader with a 20-year plus history with corporate, non-profit, and entrepreneurial organizations. She is centered on building brands, businesses, and bottom lines. Currently, Traci is the President of the interior design firm House of Honey. She is responsible for the day-to-day business, marketing, and operations. Jennifer is a Realtor and Founding Partner at Deasy Penner Podley. After starting in the world of styling and costume design, she decided that she had enough of the movie industry. She got her real estate license and hasn’t looked back. She has almost 16 years of experience in real estate serving clients throughout Southern California.  Although thriving in separate careers, friends Traci and Jennifer decided to launch The Grateful Shed; a wellness concept space rooted in the appreciation of friendship, nature, and healing. Located in a shed behind Jennifer’s house, they create immersive gatherings and experiences dedicated t

After leaving a high-level corporate career in marketing and advertising behind, Marla Aaron launched her first collection in 2012 when her combined obsessions with bridges, hardware, and jewelry could no longer be ignored. What began with one lock is now an entire collection designed to be worn in infinite ways and used as “jewel tools”. The goal is for individuals to not see the jewelry as too precious and to create their own collection of pieces that can be worn in a variety of ways. The company's rebellious approach to jewelry led to the December 2017 installation of their first jewelry vending machine at the Brooklyn Museum. All of the pieces in the collection are proudly made and finished by hand in New York City and sold all over the world. Marla and her team regularly release new designs on Instagram first to a loyal following. Aaron is also using her jewelry to spread some love with her #lockyourmom Project giving single moms a sterling silver Baby Heartlock. To date, she and her team have given out

With over twenty years as a knitwear designer, Elisa has developed a refined aesthetic while working with luxury fibers from across the globe. After her studies at New York's Fashion Institute of Technology and Polìmoda in Florence Italy, she spent her career designing for fashion brands and high-end retailers. She also found herself at the top of her professional game and living a comfortable life in Seattle with her family.  That cozy life was upset by a layoff due to the pandemic and Elisa had to rethink her future. Was it finally time to pursue her lifelong dream of owning her brand?  Four months later Elisa designed her first capsule collection and named her newly minted brand SSKEIN. From concept to launch, Elisa was able to pursue her dream and create an impact in the process. During her career, she had seen the damage that fast fashion had on the environment and wanted to create and manage things differently now that she was in charge. Elisa’s vision for creating a sustainable knitwear brand made with

Rachel worked with chronic pain patients for over ten years. She understood first-hand how food, nutrients, and movement can help people rebalance and heal themselves.  After finding that her perimenopausal symptoms were disruptive to her life, Rachel did her homework, searching for helpful midlife resources, only to come up short. She also realized that women that looked like her were missing from the conversation altogether. She wondered if she could create a judgment-free space for midlife women to learn from one another and express themselves with compassion. Rachel put one foot in front of the other and launched her blog and Instagram account @themenomemos, and began the conversation she was searching for. Her commitment to representation and dispensing encouragement, humor, and meaningful information about a host of midlife issues while creating a community that could share conversations, tools, tips, and resources about perimenopause and menopause was born.   In this episode, Nada sits down with Rachel

This episode was originally released on April 28, 2021.Maha Ibrahim is a General Partner of Canaan Partners, an early-stage venture capital firm, where she has worked since March 2000. Maha isn’t our typical guest...Maha isn’t a female founder but she is a female “FINDER”. In this episode, Nada sits down with Maha and discusses how she approaches her decision-making to invest in early-stage ventures. For many female entrepreneurs, raising capital seems unattainable but Maha breaks it down. Whether you’re raising millions or thousands, this episode will become your go-to reference. Nada asks Maha big questions and Maha delivers intentional insight for anyone who is considering raising money to scale their business. You can learn more about Maha and her work, you can go here.Please follow us at @thisislibertyroad on Instagram--that's where we hang out the most. And please rate and review us —it helps to know if this podcast is inspiring and equipping you to launch and grow your ventures. Hosted on Acast. See ac

This episode was originally released on May 19, 2021Erica Reitman is teaching online coaches to break the rules in order to break through the noise and find their voice and their people. She is helping them reinvent their businesses, make money and change their corner of the world. In her past life, she was a successful interior designer, and her home has now appeared in two best-selling design books. She’s written for HGTV, Elle Decor, House Beautiful and the Huffington Post. She is now on a mission to help 1,000 women build online coaching businesses that Erica promises will “turn heads, keep people talking and make all the basic bitches jealous.”In this episode, Nada sits down with Erica Reitman to discuss how she became a coach to coaches. How meta can you get? She shares her career journey from Marketing to Interior Design to her current role. Erica, an Instagram wizard, offers tips and insights that are sure to make your Instagram page thrive. Spoiler alert, she encourages you to be fully authentic and

This episode was originally released on June 16, 2021.Nan Simonsen is a certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach and author of Aging Powerfully: Accept Your Past and Take Control of Your Future. In this episode, Nada sits down with Nan to discuss her many reinventions and the success she has found, and the lessons she has learned along the way. Nan has had many amazing careers simply by choosing to walk through doors that opened to her.  As a young mother she was determined to have a career and quickly found her talents for sales and managing people made her a perfect fit for becoming a Tupperware representative. Those humble beginnings landed her at the top of the Tupperware franchise as a leading distributor for over 20 years. Even her husband left his job as an engineer to help run their now multi-million dollar company.  After selling their Tupperware business she decided to become a master gardener and created a botanical garden at her home. Her property was featured in many gardening magazines and p

This episode was originally released on June 16, 2021.Susan Feldman is the founder of In The Groove, a new lifestyle destination for age-defying women. In The Groove is a community that celebrates and engages their audience as the evolving and relevant women they are. Founded with a sense of humor, community, and self-awareness, In The Groove is on a mission to free women from rules, age limits, and expectations.In this episode, Nada sits down with Susan Feldman to discuss her passion for helping women age confidently and stylishly, specifically women over 50. Susan’s mantra, “Stay young at heart,” is reflected in becoming the co-founder of One Kings Lane at 53 and launching again in her 60s with In The Groove. She shares the differences between starting these two businesses and the lessons she learned along the way. Susan points out that our outlook on entrepreneurship shouldn’t focus on reinventing ourselves, but instead on a new iteration of who we already are. “Keep it simple and stay focused,” says Susan

This episode was originally released on June 23, 2021.April Uchitel is the Co-Founder of THE BOARD, a vetted network of value-driven consultants bringing C-level “dream team” expertise to brands. April most recently held CEO positions at ONDA Beauty and at Violet Grey. Before that, April was the Chief Brand Officer and founding team member at Spring, where she led brand strategy and curation. Prior to Spring, she spent 25 years in the fashion industry. April is a self-proclaimed “accidental activist” and is a founding member of IAMAVOTER.In this episode, Nada sits down with April Uchitel to discuss how she Co-Founded The Board during and as a result of the pandemic. April recognized the seismic shift that the pandemic created across many industries. Many talented individuals were leaving their jobs and businesses. She questioned what would happen if she could parlay these extremely talented freelancers into a project-based curated consultant team for young businesses that needed guidance from experienced lead

In March 2020, Catherine Welch and her family left their lives in Southern California, on a 6-month sabbatical to travel through Central and South America. After arriving in Antigua, Guatemala on March 3, they found themselves in a precarious situation as the Coronavirus had quickly spread and was catching up to their exact location. The pandemic allowed the 40-year-old entrepreneur and mother of four to create a new normal upon returning home. Together with her husband, they rented out their primary residence and fast-forwarded their dream of moving back to the Central Coast of California, where they attended college, to buy some land and reimagine life for their family. Their property search led them to Windrose Farm. They currently run a farm stand, offer tours, host guests at their Airbnb, and grow their food and spirits label, Finca Los Agaves. In addition, Catherine finds herself driving up and down the coast to deliver fresh eggs and organic produce to Los Angeles restaurants and chefs. Committed to he

Melanie Wolff is a mother of three under nine and knows a thing or two about juggling work and parenting. Armed with an undergraduate degree from Princeton and an MBA from Columbia, Melanie spent 15 years working in advertising, marketing, and technology for brands including; Schick, Johnson & Johnson, Bravo, and Amazon before launching Brella. After moving to the West Coast and starting a family, Melanie became aware of the lack of early child care services that matched a full-time work schedule and her needs as a parent. After being introduced by a friend to Darien Williams, an architect who shared her hope for more meaningful and updated child care service and space, the two started brainstorming and Brella was born. In addition to the intentionally designed space, parent education, and a customized curriculum for early childhood, Brella has created the first on-demand, technology-enabled child care service that focuses on the needs of families today.In this episode, Nada sits down with Melanie to disc

Toronto-based artist Michelle Vella is known for her colorful big eye portrayals of pop culture icons. Since childhood, she’s always been considered a talented artist. After graduating with a Fine Arts BA, the starving artist stigma didn't sit well with Vella so she made a choice to pursue art-related careers (and some not so related) instead. In the end, this allowed her to develop skills in sales, marketing, and business.After 10 years of running her graphic design business, Michelle knew it was time to make a career change. At 50 she decided to pursue art full-time. Just as she began to doubt her decision, an email came through that confirmed her career choice and catapulted her pop art success. In this episode, Nada sits down with Michelle to discuss how Instagram launched her career as an artist gaining the attention of Diane von Furstenberg, W Magazine, and British Vogue.Michelle gives tried and true advice about growing your social media following, the importance of IRL engagement with your community,

Sylvana Ward Durrett is the CEO and Co-Founder of Maisonette, a curated children's marketplace. Before founding her own company she worked at Vogue for 14 years as assistant to Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour and later as the director of special projects, producing the annual Costume Institute Met Gala. As a mom scrolling through various sites to find clothes, toys, and furniture for her kids, Sylvana realized that there was a need for a curated marketplace for parents. In 2017 Sylvana co-founded Maisonette to help modern families navigate finding high-quality products for their kids so they could spend less time scrolling, and more time on the good stuff. In this episode, Nada sits down with Sylvana Durrett to discuss how her experience at Vogue prepared her for the jump to starting her entrepreneurial journey. Sylvana is a breath of fresh and candid air, as she opens up about the importance of knowing and trusting a business partner, the benefits of having a strong woman model decision-making and business savv

Jeni Britton is an American ice cream maker and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the artisan ice cream movement, she introduced a modern, ingredient-driven style of ice cream making. In 1996 Jeni opened her first ice cream shop, Scream and later founded Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams in 2002. Her first cookbook, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at Home, is a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller and won a coveted James Beard Award in 2012. Her second cookbook, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream Desserts (2014), took dessert making to the next level with an array of ice cream centric desserts. In addition, Jeni is a 2017 Henry Crown Fellow and has been recognized by Fast Company as one of the most creative people in business today.  For the first decade in business, Jeni intentionally decided to move the attention away from her as the founder and put it on the ice cream and the customers. She wanted to become your trusted ice cream maker above all else. Jeni dedicated her life to carefully listening to customers to inform

Molly Berry, a San Francisco native, has been living in Central America for over 12 years with her husband and two children. A lover of travel and a creative soul, she landed her dream job as the founder and CEO of her very own textile and lifestyle brand. What started as a search for a bedspread turned into the role of a lifetime. A world opened to Molly as she discovered the beautiful weaving by local Guatemalan artisans. Her inspiration led to opportunity when she connected the artisans with a luxury hotel to make one-of-a-kind pieces. Luna Zorro was born. Molly eventually expanded her vision in 2019 by opening a studio boutique in Antigua where she showcases chocolate from her family farm, hosts natural dye, culinary and cultural workshops, and highlights the women weavers of Luna Zorro.What matters most to Molly is having the freedom to live an impactful, inspired, and adventurous life while surrounded by the people she loves.In this episode, Nada sits down with Molly to discuss her entrepreneurial journ

Denise Boomkens was a fashion model turned photographer. Now behind the lens, her love of fashion and beauty took her all over the world, touching down in cities like Tokyo, New York, Capetown, and Seoul. As she neared the ‘BIG 4-0’, she left her camera behind to have her son and take a few years off to be with him. During that time she was looking for inspiration and began to notice a lack of social media platforms and blogs for women her age. She realized that women her age were worried about getting older, and middle-aged women believed they were no longer relevant after a certain age. Denise decided to come back to her profession but in a new way. She used her love of photography to help change the negative stereotype around aging. She committed to launching a platform that provided what she wasn’t seeing–a cool and authentic space that brought fashion, lifestyle, age-consciousness, and community together. Today AndBloom is an age-positive community featuring Dee’s edgy and feminine photographs of women o

Wendy Euler created Goodbye Crop Top when she couldn’t find what she was looking for on social media. She made it her mission to be that which she wanted to see. She decided to plant her flag not so much as an influencer, but rather as a kind of age-activist through writing, social media, and podcasting. She rejects the notion that women should fade into the background and knew instinctively that she wasn’t alone. ​​Goodbye Crop Top is a place where women of any age——but particularly those with a few crow’s feet—can come for camaraderie, validation, information and style. Goodbye Crop Top is an emerging movement that inspires women to unlock their creativity, connect their inner beauty to the outside world, do what enables them to be the truest version of themselves and embrace exactly where they are in life.In this episode, Nada sits down with Wendy to discuss her journey of activism and how she pivoted from solely writing and social media to podcasting, specifically the inspirational podcast “Cropped: A Mid