The Messy Parts with Maryam Banikarim

Episode: From Fired to Fashion Powerhouse: Jeweler Marla Aaron
Release Date: February 9, 2026
Guest: Marla Aaron

Overview

This episode of The Messy Parts dives deep into the “messy,” nonlinear journey of Marla Aaron—founder of Marla Aaron Jewelry, known for her innovative and now-iconic locks and hardware-inspired pieces. Host Maryam Banikarim guides Marla through an honest, at times vulnerable discussion tracing Marla’s tumultuous path: from being fired and divorced to founding a thriving jewelry business in her 40s. Together, they explore resilience, self-belief, the agony and power of starting over, and the importance of carving one’s own unique career path—even when odds (and naysayers) stand stacked against you.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Early Years and the Power of Discomfort

• Resilience Rooted in Upbringing

  • Marla discusses growing up with divorced parents, moving from Missouri to New York, and identifying as a "latchkey kid"—experiences that instilled self-reliance and a comfort with discomfort.
    • “I think all of that alone time is really good, creative time. I think I had a very rich life alone.” — Marla, [04:01]

• Craving Adventure and Curiosity

  • Marla was compelled by a desire to experience the unknown, which led her to Argentina as an AFS exchange student at 17:
    • “Meeting these two young girls from Venezuela who are still my friends to this day, it was like another world ... I just decided I wanted to go to South America.” — Marla, [02:37]

• Early Signs of Agency and Initiative

  • Applied to only one college (Syracuse), more focused on travel than planning her future in a conventional sense, and leveraged her senior thesis on the Hispanic market for her first job.

2. Falling (and Pivoting) into a Career in Advertising

• Entry into Media and Advertising

  • Began in Spanish-language radio in NYC before moving to Spain to work at Elle magazine—illustrating Marla’s willingness to “throw herself into the fire” and take big risks.
    • “I was 23 years old and I got like 6 replies and I went to Spain and I got the job with Elle magazine... I didn’t know it was Elle magazine.” — Marla, [08:35]

• On Being Proactive and Unapologetic About Taking Chances

  • “You just need to do those things. I mean, the proactivity. You only get one chance in life. Right? It’s not like we get multiples.” — Marla, [10:42]

• Career “Messiness” and Constant Reinvention

  • Marla’s trajectory included shifts between journalism, marketing, and advertising, each time adapting, sometimes driven by necessity (e.g., needing a reliable paycheck as a single mom).

3. Navigating Professional and Personal Upheaval

• Divorce, Layoffs, and Emotional Low Points

  • After a marriage ended and she was fired from Departures magazine following 9/11, Marla recounts feeling overwhelmed:
    • “Like a sucker punch. Like the worst sucker punch. Like, I'm never going to get up again.” — Marla, [17:25]

• Choosing Survival over Passion (Temporarily)

  • Took a job at the Interactive Advertising Bureau out of necessity, found the work uninspiring but used evenings for creative pursuits.
    • “Having that job that was really boring for me...fueled me.” — Marla, [18:26]

• Juggling Single Motherhood and Creativity

  • Marla discusses the challenges and solitude of being a single mom, and how limited alone time, even while raising her son, kept fueling her dream of becoming a jeweler.
    • “I’ve been thinking about jewelry design for a very long time ... I love jewelry. I always have, I always will.” — Marla, [19:19]

4. The “Hobby with a Dream” Becomes a Business

• From Side Hustle to Passion Pursuit

  • Marla spent years making jewelry at night, using lunch breaks on 47th Street, New York’s jewelry district.
  • The pivotal moment: At the Cannes advertising festival, after a literal mishap (a burnt arm), Marla hit her breaking point:
    • “I want to make jewelry. I want to quit my job and make jewelry. But everyone says that's absolute insanity.” — Marla, [21:16]
    • Created a PowerPoint for her husband outlining why she needed to quit.
    • “I could tell I was at the breaking point ... So [my husband] was like, 'okay, yeah'.” — Marla, [23:37]

• Taking the Leap: No Regret, Only Relief

  • “So happy… I felt like I could do this. As disorganized and sort of chaotic as I am as a person, I had a very clear notion of what the collection would be.” — Marla, [23:42]

• Vision and Value

  • The concept: modular, hardware-inspired jewelry; for women to remix and personalize pieces.
    • “It is for women to be able to wear with their own jewelry, use the jewelry as tools to make other things ... It's still the same for me.” — Marla, [24:15]

5. Early Stumbles and Persistence

• Initial Failures with Wholesale

  • Tried door-to-door sales to jewelry stores—nearly all rejected her or ignored her.
    • “They wouldn't even say no. They were just like, who are you and what are you?” — Marla, [25:33]
    • “That felt terrible. But ... I knew the idea was so strong. I can't express it to you. Otherwise I would just be like, they're crazy in my head.” — Marla, [25:41]

• Moment of Truth: It's Not a Hobby

  • Turning point during a consulting pitch:
    • “Mary was standing, and she was wearing my jewelry… CEO said, yes, I do. I have a question about the necklace you're wearing ... This is not a hobby.” — [27:27]
  • This clarity led Marla to fully commit and drop consulting gigs.

6. Age, Reinvention, and Embracing Change

• Never Too Old to Pivot

  • Launched her company in her 40s.
    • “I’m 59 years old. And I know when I hear that number, I’m like, wow, I’m really old. But I don’t feel like—I still feel like I’m 17.” — Marla, [29:12]

• Unlocking Growth with Instagram

  • Originally wary of social media, Marla’s sons taught her Instagram—which enabled DTC sales and global reach.
    • “At dinner that one night ... I want you to show me how to use the Instagram, they laughed very hard. And then they showed me...” — Marla, [30:17]
    • “One day … they're like, you have a blue mark by your name... I guess I’m not so bad.” — Marla, [30:35]

7. Growing the Business, Managing and Learning

• Scaling Up

  • The hardest but most transformative growth step: hiring the first employee.
    • “Once I hired one person, then it all changed ... the first person was the hardest for me to hire.” — Marla, [31:50]

• Loneliness and Leadership

  • Entrepreneurship is lonely and filled with self-doubt.
    • “It's very lonely. I mean, it's so extremely lonely. In many ways, making the decisions are lonely, you know, all of it.” — Marla, [32:48]

• User-Experience as a Differentiator

  • Obsessed with details—jewelry, packaging, and even customer experience (see the "sea salt butter cake" in a custom box).

• Managing Generational Shifts in Staff

  • Focused on empathy, inclusivity, and valuing all voices:
    • “I believe that everyone is trying to do their best in their own way. And that looks different.” — Marla, [35:30]

8. Experimentation, Failure, and Responsible Innovation

• Willing to Try and Fail

  • From vending machines for high-end jewelry to unique marketing stunts, Marla embraces the possibility (and necessity) of failure as part of innovation.
    • “I'm willing to try lots of things and fail...I think we have to.” — Marla, [36:03]

• AI in the Business

  • Cautious early adoption via customer service tools, but wary of its misuse (e.g., generic AI-generated cover letters).
    • “If the COVID letter has I love your rebellious approach ... Like. Oh, God. Like, Gemini wrote that.” — Marla, [38:08]

9. Giving Back: Lock Your Mom Initiative

• Supporting Single Moms
  • Initiated “Lock Your Mom,” gifting silver lock necklaces to single mothers for Mother’s Day and hosting events for unhoused single moms.
    • “Being a single mom was the most complicated and rewarding chapter of my life. ... We give sterling silver heart locks ... to single moms. And we've been doing this for 10 years.” — Marla, [39:00]

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On Fear & Compartmentalization

  • “Always, Mariam. I'm always scared. I'm scared going into work today. I'm scared of everything. ... But it just must be done.” — Marla, [11:45]

• On Messiness as Growth

  • “Getting fired.” (as her biggest mess that became her biggest growth) — Marla, [40:24]

• On Advice for Young People

  • “Travel and get lost. But I don't mean travel and stay at a hotel. I mean, like, go. Go to the end of the earth.” — Marla, [40:31]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Taking the Leap from Day Job: [00:00], [23:42]
• Childhood, Travel, Early Independence: [02:14] – [05:46]
• Starting in Advertising & Proactivity: [06:01] – [09:23]
• Moving to Spain & Cosmopolitan Launch: [11:02] – [11:37]
• Personal/Professional Messiness (Marriages, Job Loss, Single Motherhood): [12:44] – [19:19]
• From Hobby to Full-time Business: [19:19] – [24:15], [27:27]
• Rejection and Persistence in Sales: [25:33] – [25:54]
• Instagram and Selling Direct: [29:37] – [31:12]
• Hiring and Scaling: [31:50] – [33:04]
• Managing a Young Team: [34:47] – [35:54]
• On Failure and Experimentation: [36:03]
• AI, Technology, and Recruiting: [37:24] – [38:44]
• Lock Your Mom Initiative: [38:53] – [39:39]
• Rapid Fire “Messiest Moments”: [40:09] – [40:48]

Conclusion

Marla Aaron’s story, as crafted in this conversation, exemplifies the spirit of The Messy Parts—embracing career detours, personal upheaval, uncertainty, and the grit required to build something lasting. Her advice to “travel and get lost” resonates as a metaphor for career and creative exploration. Above all, Marla reminds listeners you’re never too late (or too scared, or too unqualified) to bet on your own dream.