We had the good fortune of connecting with Crystal Crawford and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Crystal, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?

One day a few years back I was shopping online for clothes, accessories or whatever. and I came across this page that was selling eyewear. All the styles seemed to have all looked the same.; same shapes, not much variety in color and most eyewear followed a trend in a specific style. To which none of the styles seem to have appealed to me everything seemed to cater to an specific audience  with no self expression. So, I thought to myself, “I can create a brand that will be unique within itself and allow people to express their taste in a unique and cool way. Furthermore, I literally never met anybody who looked like doing this. But I wanted to change what it meant to buy eyewear and what it meant for me to enter this market.
Most of us don’t like wearing our glasses or find buying glasses a “get it over with” type of task. So I began to create a unique packaging experience and logo that elevates the way someone would receive eyewear from the moment you receive and open your pair to when you first wear them you feel entirely free in expressing your style. This wasn’t easy at all the eyewear industry is a billon dollar industry with one company controlling most of the market. I wasn’t an influencer prior in fact everyone following me on social media I know personally and that’s how I like to keep it, in today’s era it feels impossible to start a business without this. But for me if God gave me the vision and idea then I’m hell bent on not disappointing us both. Til this day it’s surreal to see a product that I created people are wearing.
It took me nearly two years to launch because I wanted to start off strong with building a strong presence with quality and an online presence. Especially when it comes to servicing my community they deserve to access something that reflects them with quality. I put thousands of dollars of my own money into the quality and assurance of my products. As a healthcare professional. I understand that it’s important to support eye health I worked on an Optometry trial for  Life Science in the past and diabetes was the main cause to blindness to which diabetes disproportionately affects my community. That made me realize that I had to build a brand that was bigger than selling something that people wanted to wear but something that also promotes the health of it. So I had to pivot to scaling QUICK to take prescription to promote eye health as well. This was no easy feat! Finding a high quality lab to work with me was difficult because my business is so small. I invested into going to Vision Expo back in August because I knew this was a place to learn, grow and connect. And like magic I found an independent lab right here in the USA.  So proud to say that I work with and advanced optical lab that uses cutting edge technology for prescription lens and lens to promote eye health from top lens manufactures I am about quality.
I create 1 and 3 year goals and became very ambitious about those goals. It’s not just about me jumping on the trend of Entrepreneurship or a quick money grab but a legacy of entering a market of where people who look like me are virtually absent. I didn’t have the network or the following of large companies or influncers but as a Senior Cancer Research Professional I was willing to put up my own money into something I believed in to see my idea come to life. Many entrepreneurs don’t do this because rightfully so you leverage money to start your brand. And I did that but it just wasn’t enough. I didn’t know what I didn’t know and suffered a lot of losses. I lost alot of my own money.
But I don’t take no for an answer and I’m always looking to improve. I was pitching what my brand was about before I knew what I was getting into (hah). From that I landed my first retail deal, TV appearance and Audience Choice Award from a pitch competition withing 3 months of launching. That showed me it’s a place for me and my brand. It’s a place for the entrepreneurs who have a passion and don’t have to succumb with what everybody else is doing and that’s what my brand is about, doing you, and being free.
Liberated is me, I don’t follow paths of others, when everyone else is going left, then I’m going right I want to see what else is out there for me to explore or challenge myself with. I can leave my mark my own way, I don’t have to be like anybody else. I could have easily started a hairline I connected with people n Mumbai when I was in India studying, I could have started a boutique etc. Nothing is wrong with any of these million dollar businesses but I have to follow what I’m passionate about and I wasn’t passionate about those sectors the vision didn’t come to me for that it came to me for this.  I’ve always been brave enough to be myself and I want Liberated to represent or encourage people to do that; be their unique selves because you have nothing to lose when you just be yourself.
When I don’t know how to approach something I take my time to learn about it so its a constant learning process for me and from there I set high goals for my brand. It’s a reflection of those who wear it and me who owns it.
In a society driven by trends that dictate how individuals should present themselves, the Liberated collection serves as a powerful inspiration for embracing one’s unique and authentic self.  So this creation of mines is to inspires everyone to live the best life they want the way they see fit and defy societal norms. If you didn’t buy the house at 25 buy it at 45, If you didn’t go to college in your 20s go in your 30s, start a family when you feel like it, etc. This is your life be the author and let them read your story! That’s what Liberated is being free from constricting norms. Trailblaze your own path.
 I have a major task ahead of me because right now nobody believes in such a small brand unless its trending on TickTok or even know too many Black Owned prescription eyewear brand unless they see a celeb in my brand. but I’m up for the challenge to prove to the world why they should be Liberated. Its not a day that goes by that I don’t work on my business because I can see the top from where I’m sitting and I will not stop until I get there. Shout out to my niece London aka Auntie Fat for always promoting my brand lol she always encourage people to shop her Auntie’s Black-Owned brand. That means this is so much more important than tangible items. London (Aunite Fat) can see that there is no limit to what she wants to do. By far this is the most important and hardest thing I’ve done in life to date.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’ve been in Life Science and Cancer Research for 14 years. Early on i knew that I wanted to be very successful and wanted to be a business woman. Since I was a kid I would watch tv and always imagine myself as a adult who just was free and enjoying life and seeing the world. Unfortunately. where I come from in Newark, NJ we didn’t resources and education behind how to go about pursuing career goals. Everything I saw everyday was a job that helped paid bills not a career that gave you the lifestyle you wanted. I literally had no idea how to go about getting into this field but I know i had to start somewhere. Initially I wanted to be a Nurse, because I wanted to put myself in a challenging environment and see what I was made of . I’m naturally analytical and a critical thinker so it was natural for me to choose a career path that allowed me to do that. This was a weird headspace for me because my mom was CNA and she never glorified healthcare and literally nobody in my family is in either filed of Life Science or Cancer Research. So it took time, trial and error for me to reach my goals or even develop important ones.

Welp, I always sucked at Math so I never passed the NCLEX and had to change my path and stumbled into Pharma/Life Science. I was working in a call center at the time making was a ripe $8.00 and hour. I started to put my resume out there and see what happens. One day I got the call from a recruiter back in like 07 that it was an opening at Novartis Pharmaceutical and i jumped for the opportunity. At this time I wasn’t driving so i would walk about a half a mile to the bus stop catch two buses and a shuttle to work everyday all for $14.00 and hour (hahah life was simple in the early 2000s). I kept at this because I knew that if i stuck with it that I would have the life I wanted and would position myself to helped anybody around me when they needed me. Once Novartis was on my resume it was a wrap all the 500 fortune companies would hire me to for projects as a contractor, but it wasn’t easy. It was always a world full of “No’s” and intimidation from corporate America that enabled me to developed imposter syndrome but i didn’t let that stop me because i just knew that if i kept at it one day it would all pay off , I would always say to myself one day I will have access to what I want so set goals and keep going. I’ve dealt with racism, disrespect and discreditation from people in corporate America and unfortunately that helped me deal with the real world as a business women and just as a person. Til this day people don’t surprise me naturally from the things i’ve experienced in the real world. There were times I would leave from work and get a call “hay don’t come back tomorrow we ended the contract budget cuts.” Man my mind would scramble “how am I going to survive?” But I just knew i had to keep going. I had to get in a position that allowed me to help others around me.

So I kept going 7 years into the game I get laid off (life right?) so i sat down invested into resume writing, career coached and being at the top of my game. When I don’t know how to achieve something I learn about it. I mean everything from changing my linkedin profile to creating a personal website all of it. Then one day I got a call about a position in Cancer Research and truly I had no idea what this position entailed. “Cancer Research?! what is that? literally no one I know does this for a living.” Nailed the interview and got the job. Day 1 they told me I had to travel well that was different travel for work? who does this?.

I get to orientation and im immediately feeling that imposter syndrome that corporate America embedded in me for the pat 7 years. I walked out the room and called my favorite person my granddad I said “hay grandaddy I’m here at the hotel for orientation. I don’t think I can do this it’s too many white people nobody looks like me I’m not comfortable. My grandad said “that’s why you belong that room because nobody looks like you.” And it was that moment that put a chip on my shoulder to change my perspective on what this all meant. This was so much bigger than me this was an example I was leading a path I was taking and I earned the right to be in that room!

Ive seen directly how these major companies make process, decisions, etc so it is easy for me to manage so many things at once because ive been doing it my entire life. I stayed dedicated to keep going, when I got my Associate’s degree, I wanted my Bachelors, when i got my bachelors degree I wanted my MBA everything for me has to progress and its the same with my business that’s just how I am as a person.

I am most proud of building an invaluable skill set and showing others around me that if i can do this you can too. My professional career helps me invest into my business, represent my community in this field and it gave me the know how on how to develop a high standard for my products for my business as a Senior Cancer Research Professional.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Oh man my best friend did come to visit, and we tried to do as much as we could. Literally the Disney, Brunch, A silent party (which was new). I would say we are both explores im just more extroverted so when she comes back I would take her to the Highlight room for a rooftop brunch where the music and vibes are mad chill, then we can hit up Knotts Berry Farm and hop on some rides. Next day relax on Manhattan Beach or go Parasailing in Long Beach, on a kickback day we can hit up the two bit circus and play some cool arcade games, catch a live show or concert by the jazz band that plays outside of Venice Beach. Maybe go to my favorite Haunted Escape Room because I love Halloween. Eat off the taco trucks or LaLa’s on Melrose. Wine tasting in Malibu has to be on the list in fact we did go wine tasting at Kuusta the last time we paired some amazing cheese with a nice wine. The pop up museums are fun and interactive as well. We would literally be out all day

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to shout out my friends and family who are my biggest supporters and always believed in me even when I doubted myself. They are truly a major catalyst in my momentum. A few books that I’ve read along the way that I picked up from the late King Hussle aka Nipsey Hussle Contagious and the Entrepreneur Mind these books were really helpful into me defining my strategies as an entrepreneur, I would also like to shot out Vermont Slauson Economic Development center, they are really vested into growth and resources in local entrepreneurs as well.

Website: www.liberatedeyewear.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/liberated__eyewear/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/99425686/admin/feed/posts/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Liberated_inc

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Liberatedeyewear/

Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@liberatedeyewear?lang=en

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