Meet Nadia Marina | La Jefa

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

Hi Nadia, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Honestly it all started with the realization that I was not yet building anything that I could leave to my two children. Morbid I know. I just think that things shift when you become a parent and you start to think what you want to model for your children, how do you want to support them, and how can you continue to support them after you’re gone. The fact that we only have a short time here on earth really puts things into perspective. So I started thinking of how I could be my own boss, do something I love, be of service to my community, and still be home for dinner every night. I love connecting with people over a delicious drinks. I love introducing people to new flavors. I love providing opportunities for my community to rise up. Most of all, I love that I can create a safe and inclusive environment for everyone to meet and grow in.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Starting your own business is always hard but starting it with almost no money seems impossible. Luckily for us the stimulus check we received, my scrappy talents of sourcing free or super discounted items on the internet, and the generosity of my community allowed me to get just enough together to get it started, even if it is just as a pop up. This journey has been incredibly humbling. I have learned that starting small actually gives you the freedom and space to be creative and to learn through trial and error. I have had invaluable feedback, advice and validation from my customers and other entrepreneurs. I have discovered that people really do love and care for each other, they want you to succeed and they will do all they can to help you when you are open to receiving it. It seems fitting that this journey was started with the intention of being of service to the community and has been powered every step of the way by my community. From people sharing discount codes for inventory, providing free childcare so I can prep, reaching out with more opportunities to pop up, giving free business advice, and spreading the word about my cafe through word of mouth and social media, almost everyone has contributed to my success. .

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?
One of the things I love so much about LA is that there is always so much to do. As with any big city I think it is important to include a healthy dose of touristy things as well as neighborhood finds. To prep for our long week I’d take my friend to get a facial and lash lift by Delenia Garcia at The Little Gem Studio, just so we are glowing and ready for every adventure. Our days would include things like getting coffee from Moby’s and Pricilla’s, doing workouts with Stefanie Barboza at The Barboza Method and yoga with Joe Kara, having a picnics with the kids at the Observatory in Griffith Park and on the beaches of Pointe Dume. I’d go shopping at Tansy in Burbank for plants and home decor and hang out with new author and friend Megan Rosenbloom and chat about her first book, DARK ARCHIVES. We would have dinner at LA Cha Cha Chá and get drinks at Idle Hour. Ice cream, my favorite food, would definitely be in the lineup with stops at McConnell’s, Salt and Straw and Wanderlust. Oooh, and I’d definitely have to get her chart read by Graham Breitenstein at Drunk Astrology.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to dedicate my shoutout to my incredible husband for taking this leap of faith with me. Also huge shoutout to Shawna Christian of Tansy in Burbank who said yes to me when my cafe was still just an idea in my head and who has been my mentor and support since.

Website: https://www.plantatecafe.la/

Instagram: @plantatecafe.la

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/plantatecafe.la

Image Credits
Brittany Woodside Photography