Meet Lia Rodriguez

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Lia Rodriguez. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Lia below.

Lia, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?

My resilience comes from becoming a mother and realizing there was no option but to keep going, even on the days I felt exhausted, uncertain, or deeply out of my comfort zone.

Postpartum changed me in ways I didn’t expect. It stripped away my old identity and forced me to rebuild from the inside out while caring for a tiny human who depended on me completely. That season taught me how strong I could be without feeling strong at all. I learned how to show up on very little sleep, trust my instincts, and keep moving forward even when nothing felt clear.

Building A.ROSE alongside that transition required the same kind of resilience. I didn’t have a team or a roadmap. I just had a vision, a lot of self-belief, and a willingness to figure things out as I went. There were many moments of self-doubt, but motherhood had already taught me that progress doesn’t have to be loud or perfect to be meaningful.

I also draw resilience from purpose. A.ROSE isn’t just a product, it’s deeply personal. It was born from wanting women, especially mothers, to feel confident, feminine, and put-together in seasons when it’s easy to feel invisible or overwhelmed. Knowing that my work is rooted in something real keeps me grounded when things feel heavy.

And now, being pregnant with my second daughter, resilience looks softer but stronger. It’s patience. It’s trusting timing. It’s continuing to build something meaningful while honoring my body, my family, and myself.

Resilience, for me, isn’t about pushing endlessly. It’s about showing up imperfectly, consistently, and with heart.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I am the founder of A.ROSE, a woman-owned luxury sleepwear and loungewear brand rooted in my postpartum journey and the transition into motherhood. After having my first daughter, I found myself spending more time at home, often in pajamas, yet still wanting to feel confident, feminine, and put-together during a season that can feel anything but. I couldn’t find sleepwear that truly met that need, so I decided to create it.

A.ROSE is built on the belief that comfort and elegance don’t have to be mutually exclusive. Our pieces are designed to feel effortless while remaining intentional, using high-quality washable silk and elevated fabrics that support real life. Whether it’s late nights, early mornings, or quiet moments in between, the goal is for women to feel beautiful and confident without having to try too hard.

What makes this brand especially meaningful to me is that it has been built almost entirely solo. While I work closely with manufacturing partners who manage production, I am deeply involved in every detail — from design and fabric selection to fit, construction, and refining elements that didn’t feel quite right. I’ve spent countless hours reviewing samples, identifying issues, and pushing for thoughtful changes to ensure each piece aligns with the standard I envisioned.

I’ve built A.ROSE while raising a toddler and now preparing to welcome my second daughter, which has shaped both how I work and what I create. That balance has been challenging at times, but it’s also been incredibly grounding. It has taught me to build intentionally, with patience and purpose.

Beyond the product itself, A.ROSE represents a mindset. It’s about honoring yourself in small moments and choosing pieces that support how you want to feel. I’m also deeply passionate about community, which led me to co-found FoundHers Happy Hour, a space for women founders to connect honestly, share resources, and support one another beyond surface-level networking.

Currently, I’m focused on expanding A.ROSE thoughtfully with new fabrications and silhouettes that continue to blur the line between sleepwear and loungewear. We recently introduced a new lounge set made from a silk blend designed for versatility, and I’m excited to continue growing the brand in a way that feels aligned, intentional, and rooted in real life.

At its core, A.ROSE is for women who carry a lot and still want to feel like themselves. That belief guides everything I’m building.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Looking back, three things stand out as the most impactful in my journey.

The first is self-trust.
In the early days, I spent a lot of time questioning myself and looking for validation before making decisions. Motherhood accelerated my ability to trust my instincts, and that carried directly into building my brand. From design choices to pacing growth, learning to listen to my inner voice has been essential. My advice to anyone early on is to gather information, but don’t outsource your confidence. The more decisions you make, the stronger that muscle becomes.

The second is attention to detail and willingness to iterate.
I didn’t get everything right the first time. In fact, much of my learning came from noticing what felt off and being willing to go back, adjust, and improve. From fit to fabric to construction details, iteration has been key. For early founders, don’t be discouraged by revisions. Treat them as part of the process. Spend time with your product or craft and let it teach you what needs refining.

The third is resilience paired with patience.
Building something meaningful takes longer than you expect, especially when you’re doing it largely on your own or while navigating big life changes. I had to learn that consistency matters more than speed. For anyone just starting out, focus on staying in the game. Build systems that support you, take breaks when needed, and trust that progress compounds over time.

Overall, my biggest advice is to honor where you are. You don’t need to have it all figured out to move forward. Growth comes from showing up, staying curious, and being willing to evolve as both a person and a builder.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

For A.ROSE, I’m especially interested in collaborating with women-led brands, creatives, and founders in fashion, beauty, wellness, and lifestyle who share similar values around quality, storytelling, and community. This can look like co-created products, content collaborations, events, or shared experiences that feel natural and meaningful rather than forced.

Beyond the brand itself, I’m passionate about connecting with other founders who are navigating similar seasons of life, especially mothers building businesses. Those conversations and relationships have been some of the most impactful parts of my journey.

If someone reading this feels aligned, the best way to connect is through Instagram or via the A.ROSE website. I’m very hands-on with the brand and always appreciate thoughtful messages from people who genuinely resonate with what I’m building.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://arosesilks.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/a.rosesilks/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61568671786635
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/106048811/

Image Credits

Photographers: Kelly Popejoy – KLP Creative
Sabrina Richardson – Mak Polny Photo
Kristy Matisohn – Co-Founder of FoundHers Happy Hour