Check out our latest Meet A Mom interview below with local Summit mom Liza!
Where are you from originally and how long have you lived in town?
I was born in Williamsburg, Brooklyn (July 15th, 1983) and raised in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Before moving to Summit in 2014, I lived with my husband in Jersey City for 7 years. We absolutely loved it there! Our son, Ben, was born in 2012, and we stayed in JC for another two years, until we felt we needed some outdoor space of our own. We moved to Summit in 2014, when we purchase our first home at 15 Shadyside Ave. We are now on our second Summit home.
Child(ren) and Age(s)?
I have 2 children. My son, Ben, is 8, and my daughter, Sofie, just turned 5. I also have a fur baby- a pure bred Maine Coon kitty named Yaya. Her legal name is Olive, but my daughter couldn’t say Olive when she was little, and so Yaya just stuck. Does she count as my 3rd child? ; )
Favorite things to do with your kids?
We love going for family walks and bike rides in our neighborhood in Summit. Otherwise, we try to spend as much time outdoors in our back yard as possible. We have a huge back yard in town, and it is absolutely the best thing about our home.
Favorite places to eat & shop in the area?
Supporting local businesses is very important to me, and Summit has a ton of great restaurants and shops! Pizza Vita and Ani Ramen are fan favorites of my kids. My husband and I love going out to Roots, Summit House, La Focaccia and Fiorino to name a few. We try to take our kids out for lunch on Saturdays and dinner on Sundays. As far as shopping goes, you can’t go wrong with shopping small and shopping local in Summit. Tea & Oranges, Murray & Finn, Number 18, Great House, and Serena & Lily are among my favorites in town. Coffee any day of the week? Boxwood for sure! No Starbucks for me.
Favorite form of self care?
I try to carve time out of my busy week for a mani/pedi. I have always felt more put together with a fresh manicure/pedicure. If I want to indulge, I’ll get a massage at Equinox (Igor is the best!) And sometimes just a nice hot shower without the kids busting in feels like a day at the spa! Yoga, or snuggling up with a good book and a cup of chamomile tea at night are also some of my favorite forms of self care.
Are you involved in a business venture, a local organization, a creative endeavor, or in the corporate world? Please share!
Before I had kids I taught elementary school in NYC for 8 years. After having my son in 2012, I took a year off, and then one year turned in to two… you know how that goes. Eight years later I had still not returned to the classroom. While being a stay at home mom I tried to be involved in my kids’ schools as much as possible. My son is in 3rd grade at Lincoln-Hubbard, and my daughter is now in kindergarten at JPC. I’ve always been Class Mom, and have tried to volunteer as much as possible, whether it be donating supplies, to coordinating L-H backyard playdates, or heading the Lincoln-Hubbard Teachers’ Lounge renovation.
Then last year I decided to get my real estate license because I realized that real estate was something that I had always been passionate about, and something that I would be really good at. I decided to join The Lear Bray Team at Sotheby’s Realty in Summit, and the rest is history!
If you could give one tip to fellow Mom Entrepreneurs what would it be?
In the words of The Notorious RBG, “My mother told me to be a lady. And for her, that meant be your own person, be independent.” I love my husband and my children and the life that we created together, but I have always wanted something aside from that, something for myself… for me that is real estate. I think it is important for women to be true to themselves and make time to do the things that we love… whether that be having a career, knitting, baking, books clubs, or the like.
One thing people would be surprised to know about you…
I am an awful baker! I do love to cook, and I pride myself on the home I keep, but baking is not a gift I was born with. Everything that I have attempted to bake thus far in my life has been an epic fail. And a green thumb? Another gift that was not bestowed upon me. Sad but true.
How has this community been instrumental in getting you to where you are now?
Summit is such a great place to live and has so much to offer, but at the end of the day I think it is the people you surround yourself with that matters the most. I have such a good group of women that I live for- friends, neighbors, colleagues, and clients. Finding your “crew” is huge.