Meet Reesa, Vice President of Agency Partnerships at LTK, living in Fairfield with her husband, Michael, she credits the success of their relationship to the quality time they spend together; Saturday and Sunday lunches are dedicated to day dates. She embraced the role of mom/stepmom and has a beautiful relationship with her son Mason, now 23, living in Salt Lake City. An influencer industry veteran and community builder committed to supporting and lifting up women.
Where are you originally from, and how long have you been in Fairfield?
I grew up in California and Florida and moved to NYC fresh out of college to pursue a career in Fashion; moving to Fairfield or any suburb was not part of the plan, but a little bit of fate and a lot of love changed that. I was living in NYC, living my best fashion PR girl life, and I was traveling I had an unexpected delay and ended up being stuck in an airport bar for a few hours. Long story short, I ended up sitting next to Michael for 3 hours and then when I boarded the plane my seat was next to his. “I’m Michael; I am divorced and live in Fairfield, CT with a six year old son.” We started dating, and I moved to Fairfield shortly after meeting in 2008 .
Tell us about your Family!
I am eternally grateful for my beautiful blended family. I always say I had my son when he was 6, as that is when I came into the picture and truly embraced motherhood. Over the years, I have grown extremely close to Mason’s mom. We are genuinely best friends. We do solo girls’ trips but are blessed to spend cheerful holidays with my husband, Christina, and her family. I was lucky Christina always embraced me and truly let me be mom, was always supportive of me, saying my son vs. stepson; she took some heat from other women who couldn’t understand how she could let me say he’s my son; we always say two moms are better than 1.
One thing people would be surprised to know about you?
Although I am very type-A and organized, I am kind of messy. It can take weeks to put my laundry away, and it drives my husband crazy! I also have a hard time following directions/instructions/
One thing you wish someone would have told you about motherhood?
Kids are the biggest exercise in patience; I do not have an abundance, so it’s challenging. I find myself repeating, “It is just a moment in time.”
What’s your favorite thing about living in Fairfield?
I love the community of women…and the restaurants! When I first moved out, the only place to have brunch was Tuckers; now, we have so many options.
Best mom hack that makes your life easier?
Listen to the Mel Robbins PodCast episode, Let Them.
Tell us about your career with LTK and how you started?
I started in fashion PR, working for a fashion designer, Yigal Azroul. I then spent a few years on the agency side, working on high-profile clients like Cartier, Donna Karan, and Gwen Stefani. When the market crashed, I transitioned to digital PR and had a short stint at an experiential agency doing sponsorship sales. I also executive-produced TV show for NBC. Then, I took a massive leap of faith and joined the first management company, repping bloggers as their first manager, responsible for signing and growing the careers of the industry’s first and most successful digital influencers. I also had a hand in the growth of Create & Cultivate and the launch of Dear Media. I have always been passionate about the creator commerce space and joined LTK to build and lead their agency team. LTK is the world’s largest creator-driven commerce platform.
If you ever shop through an influencer, you are most likely shopping their LTK. We just wrapped up our annual LTKCon, where we celebrate the accomplishments of creators on the platform. Over 400 attendees, including some of our local creators, Jenna Crandall, Brittany Sansone, and Brooke of Somewhere Lately, attended. Check out their LTK’s!
Best advice for moms who experience the inevitable MOM GUILT handling a career and raising a family?
Set boundaries and protect your priorities. Personally, I would add blocks to my calendar of important dates and activities and write “DO NOT BOOK OVER.” When Mason was younger, commuting two hours each way to the city was tough.
Who has most influenced you to be the mom that you are today?
It takes a tribe, my husband; he’s the best dad and challenges me to be a better version of myself and mom and sometimes has to remind me that Mason (now 23) is not my employee and he is marching to a different drum. My sister, Sierra, is the most patient and loving mom; my best friend, Johnna, has always cheered me on, and I couldn’t forget the woman who let me be a mom, Christina. I couldn’t be the mom I am today if it wasn’t for her, literally and figuratively.
What advice would you share with a new mom or other moms?
My advice to moms who just want their college kids to text them back is to find a common subject to text about. Don’t send open-ended questions: How are you doing? But if your child grew up watching the Mets, ask him if he watched the baseball game and saw that play by whoever his or her favorite player is. Connect over passions and you will be more likely to get a text back.
We love supporting local businesses – favorite places in Fairfield to…
Have Dinner with Family: For dinner, Mason will always request Esh or Bodega for lunch
Grab a Drink with Friends: Flipside
Have a Date Night: Esh-its likely you will find us there on a Friday night
Spend time together as a Family: We love watching TV and movies together
Outside Activities: We love entertaining at home in the summer, my peonies and hydrangeas were stunning this year.
Grab coffee: Shearwater