Mara Freedman is the founder of the social media agency, Storyd Media, working with Maria Shriver, The Sunday Paper, The Riveter, Katherine Schwarzenegger, Wilshire Boulevard Temple, and many more. A passionate storyteller, Freedman loves helping brands and individuals tell their stories and market themselves to the best of their abilities. 

Here, she opens up to Mini Bloom, about putting her career first and making the decision to freeze her eggs.

What do you envision for your future, both personally and professionally, in the next 10 years?

Professionally, I envision expanding my business, Storyd Media, and bringing on more members of my team. The pandemic has changed the way we use social media long term, and my business has only grown. Personally, I would love to find “my person” and be married with children in 10 years, but this last 2 in isolation have not helped matters much. I have devoted a lot of time to my professional endeavors during this time, and I do need to make a concerted effort to also focus on my personal. 

How did you know egg freezing was right for you? What encouraged you to take this step?

I have always known I would freeze my eggs, it was just a matter of when not if. As the daughter of a reproductive endocrinologist, I’m well aware about egg quality, timing, etc. My mother also had infertility (very coincidental that she was married to an infertility specialist), so that is a factor as well as the fact that I have a genetic condition that I would not want passed down to my children. With egg freezing, I get both the knowledge that I still have time, and that I have the ability to screen for genetic factors in the future. 

What was the experience of freezing your eggs like? What did you learn along the way?

Luckily, my egg freezing experience was relatively easy. Even though I am based in LA, I went back east to Philadelphia to my father’s practice, where his partner at RMA Philly was my doctor. I have PCOS, so my stimulation was very successful, and I was able to freeze an insane amount of eggs – 25! I am “lucky” that I have had a lot of experience with giving myself shots and having blood taken (the genetic condition I spoke about before), so giving myself the medication to prepare for the freezing and going in for bloodwork was not a problem. What was a shock was after the procedure. I was not at all prepared for the comedown from the hormones and was crying all the time. I wish that was more discussed, but we are more prepared for the bloating rather than the crash of hormones.

What do you wish other people understood about egg freezing?

I wish more people understood that while it does cost a lot of money, this is money you might be spending regardless of if you are putting off having kids. The earlier we start investing in egg freezing, the better quality our eggs actually are, and the more eggs we have. I was very lucky (once again, “lucky,” that I have PCOS which causes higher production of eggs. Too many women start thinking about egg freezing when it is too late, and they end up spending money only to get poor quality eggs or very few. I wish we started thinking about the future earlier, especially as we as a society are having children later in life. 

What is your go-to gift for the new moms in your life?

My go-to gift for the new moms in my life are a curated box of amazing goodies from Beauty Beyond LA. They are my go to for anything beauty and skincare (I literally don’t have any products not from them). They always put together the best of the best, catered for the person. And obviously, for a new mom, that box has Mini Bloom and Goldfaden MD! 

What is the most valuable piece of advice you’ve received from another woman?

I had a boss when I worked at a film studio who told me I should go out on my own, that I was too good to get stuck working there. It definitely took me a while to really believe that and to fully act on it, but thank goodness I listened! I aim to be that type of boss, the one who inspires and pushes her employees further, not lead with fear (like some other bosses I’ve had). Another amazing piece of advice Shannon from Beauty Beyond LA told me was to always wear sunscreen, even when it’s cloudy!

What is your favorite thing about being an executive and growing your own business?

My favorite thing is that I am executing my vision, my purpose, and making the calls. I have a rule in my business, “No assholes allowed.” Working for other people, I’ve had to put up with a lot of shit. Growing my own business, I am able to make the call on how I want to spend my time, my energy, and who I want to align myself with. The tagline of my company is “social media with a message.” I truly want to work with people that I am passionate about — and I am!