Angela Aaron began her journey in retail and ended up living in Prague as the fashion editor for Czech Esquire magazine. She fell deeper in love with fashion and design when she went back to Los Angeles and began working as a stylist, which gave way to a ‘big break’ into costume design – for music videos (Pitbull!), commercials, and Cirque Du Soleil, no less! Now she’s the founder and CEO of NiceSeats, a company that creates stylish, washable seat covers for travel along with other stylish accessories to stay safe and healthy. Read on for more details about her journey, her favorite spot in LA (and a funny anecdote) as well as the travel destination that’s taught her the most!
- Name: Angela Aaron
- Pronouns: She
- Location: Los Angeles, CA
- Role: Founder & CEO of NiceSeats
- Reason for Waking Up Every Day: The prospect of giving the world her invention!
- Go-To Learning Resource: Anything Sonja Rasula does
- Favorite Place in LA: Hiking in Griffith Park
- Find Out More: www.niceseats.com
Tell us about your background and how you got to where you are now.
Here’s the short version: I started my professional path in retail sales in San Francisco. There I fell in love with fashion and style. Though a series of fortunate events I found myself living in Prague and landing a job as the fashion editor for Czech Esquire. After 2 years doing that job I moved back to the states and started to work in Los Angeles as a stylist, which lead to the opportunity to branch out in to costume design, which is what I was doing right up to the moment the pandemic brought the shows I was working on for Cirque Du Soleil (Circus 1903 & The Illusionists) to a dead stop.
What has been a challenge you’ve overcome on your way to where you are now?
Finding a more positive internal dialogue. Now this is something I work with every day, but I’m learning that being critical of myself with a negative internal voice simply does not produce the best results.
What gets you excited to wake up every day? Why?
I’m excited to wake up every day because it signs are saying that the world is finally ready for my invention and I want to give it to them!
What’s the best/most important thing you’ve learned or taught yourself? Why?
Remembering that I don’t know everything. I find the more I know, the more I know I don’t know. Does that make sense? Another way to put it is learning is never going to stop, and if it does, you’re stuck.
What’s the next thing you’re going to learn or teach yourself? Why?
Well in a practical sense there are a million things I need to learn to fill my role as CEO of NiceSeats. But perhaps in a broad sense I would like to learn how to continue to build the team I need to help me realize the full potential of my company.
I find the more I know, the more I know I don’t know. Does that make sense? Another way to put it is learning is never going to stop, and if it does, you’re stuck.
Favorite resources for ongoing learning?
I really like everything Sonja Rasula does. She’s a wealth of information and has a strong network of all kinds of people around her.
What’s your favorite spot in LA & why?
Hiking in Griffith Park, but it’s a secret! No, it’s not a secret, but what I like about it is there are a lot of trails you can take where you won’t run into a soul.
Favorite anecdote about where you currently live?
One morning I had to be on location super early to shoot a commercial. I was driving up La Brea to get on the freeway at like 4:30 AM and only myself and a city bus were on the road. As we drove along, we kept hitting green lights; next thing I know we’re both going like 55 miles an hour, which felt fast on this city street. I could hear the bus banging down the road sounding like it was about to fall to pieces, but as per the unwritten drivers’ code, I kept my eyes ahead.
At once our lucky streak ended and we both hit the brakes at a red light. At that moment, the bus driver and I turned and look at one another (not something people do in cars in LA) and we both did that thing where you make a fist and pump your arm as if to say ‘yeah!’ That rare, tiny moment made my day.
Related: Check out all the amazing California cities you need to visit in this comprehensive guide!
What’s your least favorite/worst travel memory? Did you learn anything from it?
Costuming a circus in Beijing. Costuming a circus is always a massive challenge, but in Beijing… let’s just say nothing about it was clean. I learned that if you go to China, you might want to travel with soap and TP. And that’s really all I need to say about that.
Every journey affords lessons which I find are impossible to quantify. For me, going to non-English speaking places means you’ll learn more. It’s what I learn while connecting with people; the times I’ve ended up in the kitchen of people I met in France or Cuba and learned a recipe from a new friend and had a feeling we understood each other despite not having a shared language.
Out of all the places you’ve been, which has been your favorite and why?
My husband and I went to Lago D’Orta 2 years ago. The water in the lake was so clean and clear and you could see the snow-capped alps while swimming. I love it when my surroundings are clean; based on my product I’m guessing that’s not a surprise.
Where have you traveled you feel you learned the most?
Every journey affords lessons which I find are impossible to quantify. For me, going to non-English speaking places means you’ll learn more. It’s what I learn while connecting with people; the times I’ve ended up in the kitchen of people I met in France or Cuba and learned a recipe from a new friend and had a feeling we understood each other despite not having a shared language. Since it’s about relationships I can’t name a particular place; learning happens everywhere as long as you’re willing to leave your comfort zone.
- Website: https://niceseats.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/niceseats/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GetNiceSeats
