Meet Esther Barajas | Entrepreneur and Special Education Educator

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

Hi Esther, maybe we can start at the very start – the idea – how did you come up with the idea for your business?
Since I was in High School I have been really into fashion. One of my electives was fashion design and we got the chance to make our own dresses and get our own models to model them for us at a fashion show created for our High School. Once I graduated I decided to pursue a teaching career instead. I got married and had my son in 2017.

Once I had my son, I began to get the idea of creating my own brand. I researched how to begin and after a few life stumbles decided to start RAD.
RAD are my son’s initials Rodger Alan Diaz, the reason why I began and my motivation to begin a new chapter in our lives just him and I.

RAD began as only an online business and then I decided to venture out into PopUps and eventually storefronts.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Since I was a little girl I have always wanted to be a teacher. When I graduated with my Bachelors I still was not sure what grade or what area I would focus on until I began to work at the sites. Working at the elementary schools I grew my love with the special education department. I began working as an instructional assistant and then transitioned into a Substitute Teacher for Special Education teachers. I began to work on different classrooms gaining experience in different levels of disability. From there I realized that was where I wanted to be, working as an educator in the Special Education department.

I am now currently enrolled in the Masters and Credential program at Grand Canyon University and pursuing my Mild/Moderate Credential. I also currently still work as a Substitute Teacher gaining more experience until I graduate next Fall.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If my best friend was visiting me we would definitely have to visit the Original Pancake House in Anaheim, CA on Lincoln Ave. for Breakfast. We would then visit the OCMA museum for walk through of the renovated museum. After, we would head to the Packing District for lunch, drinks, or dessert from the different vendors inside. We would then head out to Pacific City at Huntington Beach. We would take a walk through the beach, pier, and visit all the fun shops featured there. For our evening, we could head out to Downtown Disney and walk around the shops and enjoy some snacks. We can also have dinner there or head out to the Garden Walk. Garden Walk also features several stores ans restaurants to visit including Fire and Ice grill and Casa de Pancho. For another day we could focus in the city of Buena Park which is where I currently live. It features the theme park Knotts Berry Farm and a few restaurants and attractions to visit such as Porto’s Bakery, Medieval Times, and the Pírate Show.

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?

After my divorce I was a little lost on where my life was going. I knew I wanted to work with children with disabilities but I also always had a dream to own my own brand that represented my son and I. My divorce was a pivoting moment for me and my motivation to be the main provider for my son. It also pushed me to keep going and never stop pursuing my dreams. I now have the opportunity to take my son to PopUp Markets, he helps me restock at shops, and helps me tag merchandise at home. It truly feels amazing when he is able to recognize my brand and all the hard work we have both put in over the years.

I am a first generation college graduate and my goal is to show my son, brother, and other single mothers that life circumstances shouldn’t stop us from going after our dreams. They are our motivation that we can do everything we set our mind to. If I had one person I would like to dedicate this shoutout to it would be to my son Rodger. I want him to one day be able to read this article and understand that although life hits you with rough patches and throws you off the road we can still go after our goals. I want him to know that he will always have someone to support him and cheer him on with all his dreams.

Website: https://www.radandco.online/

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

Other: Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/radandcom/ Self Published Poetry Books: https://www.amazon.com/Esther-Barajas-Haro/e/B07TQ8L72Z/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1?fbclid=PAAaaCadATnLThe6RoTsNWp2gx_pgOZJqfBOGErlVBj5sorw3xPGCFZXHSPtI