Meet Jaz McBride | Artist, Educator + Eco Girl

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jaz McBride and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jaz, other than deciding to work for yourself, what else do you think played a pivotal role in your story?
Other than deciding to work for myself, the single most important decision I made that contributed to my success was taking a year off of college when I only had one semester left until graduation. That decision did not come easy. There were a lot of tears, and a lot of feelings of disappointment, considering I was so close to the finish line (and would be the first college graduate in my family). However, during that time I was able to (forced to) practice all of the skills I would need to govern myself as an adult in this wild world.

No one tells you that you will need to know how to structure your own day once your schedule isn’t packed with lectures and part-time jobs. No one mentions that you can’t eat out for every meal on a credit card, and that meal prepping is an acquired skill. No one talks about how purposeless you feel when a week goes by and you realize you never made a plan so nothing got done. During that time, I learned the power of structure and the joy that comes with creating a structure that fit my desires. I learned to prioritize health, budgeting, laundry, you name it!

Telling myself to have a seat was the hardest, but best decision I’ve ever made.

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?

Wow, I never thought a question like this would send me into a mini existential crisis *cue nervous laughter*. But I suppose what sets me apart from most is that I see myself as the epitome of the phrase “If I want to, I will!”  I consider myself to be an optimistic being. I am a creature of purpose, and I always take the opportunity to speak life into all forms of matter.

I am the type of person who does not settle for anything other than what is meant for my highest good or heals the forgotten parts of myself and my ancestors. I am direct, and loving. Warm and dependable. I am the best parts of my lineage. I desire to be a soothing balm in my community.

As far as my origin story goes, I was born and raised in Atlanta, GA by a teen mom and a powerhouse of a grandmother. I became a big sister by the age of 6, and since then (after retiring my only child days) I have always felt a calling to take care of my family + community.

I started college in January 2013 at Georgia State University, with the hope of pursuing my then passion for acting and performance. By December 2013, I had fallen in love and changed my major to an art form that would actually “require a degree”, as my now husband had put it. (Thank you, Lee!)

Fast forward to winter 2017, and we have begun working on our thesis projects as seniors in the Interior Design Program. This was the semester that I made the hardest decision of my life thus far. I focused my project around designing a building that would support food and resource insecure communities. Truly a valiant cause! However, while in the research and development portion of our projects, I uncovered so many sinister truths that they simultaneously ignited purpose and despair.

The stress of a full schedule, 2 jobs, and my heightened awareness of the underbelly of society quickly exposed so many undergrown + uncared for parts of myself. I quickly realized I needed a break, and took a gap year when I only had one semester left to graduate; a decision that shook me to my foundation.

After crying myself sick for thinking I was a disappointment and a failure, I eventually realized that I am more than the expectations of others. I owed it to myself to redefine my expectations and set purpose filled goals that would bring me closer to God and Community.

There were vital skills I needed to gain if I wanted to make the most of everyday. Mental Health is something I did not know how to manage then, financial literacy was low, and my prioritization skills were non-existent. I knew I needed a holistically healthier lifestyle, but I had no idea where to start…

I ended up taking the entire year to explore my health and hobbies. While working part-time jobs, I shadowed my mother as she pursued entrepreneurship. After a 15 year professional career, my mother had gained every skill possible to be a model of productivity. I witnessed the tools she used to manage her team and stay organized. I learned how to time manage and prioritize tasks; how to make calls, and send emails. I even learned a little bit about Creative Directing and Prop Management!

It was quite a nourishing time. And when I say nourishing, I mean in the way of the feeling you get while harvesting seeds for your next growing season. I was a first-hand witness of what it looks like for one person to wear 6 different hats, and what it takes to keep your head on straight. I just knew I would be needing these skills later…

During that year I also became very interested in mental, physical, and spiritual/emotional well being. I dabbled in veganism (not for me lol), I practiced meal planning + cooking more at home, and I began seeking more ways of integrating sustainable practices into my life.

I discovered my love for vanlife, yurts, and tiny homes. I found out how interconnected the mind and body are through meditation + yoga. And I finally admitted I didn’t actually want to become the Interior Designer I was being trained to be.

I wanted to be an artist. I wanted to create spaces that integrate, inspire and change lives. I really rooted myself during that wilderness season. Taking in every drop of information and feeding my soul so deeply that the seed of my inner child began to sprout. She rejoices to this day.

After jumping back into school and completing my thesis, I graduated Cum Laude in May of 2019. I immediately began ideating having my own business while working a rotation of part-time jobs.

One of the jobs I had was for a woman who ran her own “Think Tank” company for Furniture Producers. It was my first experience seeing someone (outside of my mother) running their own company and doing Interior Design on their own terms. I was so inspired.

Ok, so boom, now it’s 2020, and what an experience that was! I can’t deny that it was a catalyst for a variety of things, but I never thought I would witness the day the world stood still. Though it was disorienting, I am grateful for that grand pause. I finally had the time to really sit with myself and explore those “seeds” I harvested during my time in the “wilderness”. I had time to stretch + meditate daily, to practice upcycled gardening, and to reconnect to my inner child.

During this time, I developed what would eventually become my sustainable décor and design service company called Cali Rose Co.. It was something that came out of the internal conflict I was experiencing while attempting to occupy my time at home. I was trying to balance my desire to create new objects with my awareness that anything I choose to create in this world should not add to our current waste problem. I wanted to be more than carbon neutral; I had a better vision for things than a life sentence in a landfill.

I started with selling UPcycled macramé planters for people to be able to share plant clippings during the COVID plant craze. Cali Rose Studio was born out of glass and shredded sheets, and eventually expanded to being an experimental fabrication studio that makes a variety of functional décor and accessories from post consumer materials. The goal was to create new objects from the old, and to show the power of reducing, reusing, and UPcycling in our own communities.

The other side to Cali Rose Co. is Cali Rose Interiors. Through this side of the business I am able to use my knowledge of plants + sustainability, and the aspects of my Interior Design education that excite me most to help people make their spaces work for the life they want to grow into. I offer consultation services, a sliding scale of design services, and a curated selection of thrifted home décor to encourage others to seek second hand décor before firsthand.

Although 2020 took away many things, it gave me the gift of time. Cali Rose Co. has been the perfect vessel for me to grow, explore and express all the creative parts of myself while also being an environmental advocate. I’ve always been an artist at heart, and by creating this space I have the ability to create anything I can imagine from the things people thought were trash.

Currently, I am growing my skills as an Artist, business owner, educator and gardener. I engage in sustainable event organizing through a joint project called The Budding Collective, where my friend Taylor and I host Art Nights and Swap-n-Shops for the community.

I also work with Wylde Center (a local non-profit), and Georgia Tech, using my unique skills/perspective to educate K-12 students around Atlanta + Decatur. Growing young students’ awareness of the natural world around them, is my heart song. I am committed to arming our future change agents with the tools they will need to build a better future, and reminding them that they have the power to choose a better way.

It’s been a long and winding journey so far, but I am intensely curious to see where it goes and grows from here.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
All of my friends know that I am a nature girlie at heart! So they can absolutely expect us to take a walk on the beltline or hike near a river or creek. I love to go to the Chattahoochee River, Yellow River and Sweetwater Creek.

My friends also know I love art, so hopefully they visit during the first weekend of the month. That’s when the High Museum has their Frequency Fridays and free museum admission!

As far as food is concerned, I love to cook. So I would likely make a charcuterie board, brunch meal or a dinner at some point during the week. But because my kitchen is not a cafeteria lol, we would definitely have to hit up some of my favorite places. My husband and I love Ria’s Bluebird, Superica, La Fonda, and Flying Biscuit just to name a few.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to Shoutout? 

Not to sound corny, but I absolutely need to throw all the shine on my husband, Lee!

We began dating in 2013, as college sophomores and immediately he began changing my life. From advising me to switch my major from Theater to Interior Design, to sticking with me during my unexpected gap year, to bouncing ideas around as I developed my small business.

Lee has been the best life partner I could have ever prayed for. He is kind,  supportive, insightful, knowledgeable, accountable, and my favorite adventure pal. He 1000% deserves this recognition. I would not be who I am today without him.

I love you Lee!

(He’s also a great nature photographer! Go check him out! @leejabari.snaps on IG)

Website: https://jazmcb.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theycallmejaz/

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/jazmcb

Other: https://www.calirose.co/