Whether it is for a new surfboard, refreshed beachwear or a delicious wake-up beverage, Sea N’ Soul Surf is the place to go. The unique shop is located in Malibu at 29575 Pacific Coast Hwy Suite J.
Since its opening in July 2022, Sea N’ Soul has grown to welcome a group of regulars that come in routinely for coffee, surf rentals or just some time to unwind and catch up with the owners and community there.
Two Loves Combined
Sea N’ Soul manager Rachel Liakos said she has had two constant loves in her life: coffee and surfing. So, when the shop opened up, it was the perfect combination.
Although the shop itself consists primarily of coffee and surf equipment, Liakos’ duties are wide-ranging, she said.
“Corporates would call it operations manager, marketing manager, barista, janitor,” Liakos said. “In a small company, you just wear a lot of hats.”
Liakos is no stranger to this type of work, as she said her background has always been in some sort of food industry, ranging from bartending to restaurant managing to building businesses.
In 2020, when COVID-19 hit, Liakos said there was a time when — similar to the rest of the world — her work life was put on pause. But for her, this break evolved into something much greater, she said.
“At the time, I was also starting surfing,” Liakos said.
Challenges Arise
Liakos has been Sea N’ Soul’s manager since August 2022, working alongside shop owners John and Erica Kozlowski. Despite their success in the past two years, running a small business comes with many challenges, Liakos said.
Being unknown, figuring out budgeting, building a brand, creating a concept and choosing a location are just a handful of the obstacles one must face when opening and building a new business, Liakos said. Yet, these barriers are no match for the dedication Liakos brings to Sea N’ Soul each day.
“I think I do thrive on being challenged, but with it comes mini goals — so you always feel like you’re achieving something, even if it is small,” Liakos said. “It reminds you that — instead of in corporate, where you’re just a number or you’re just a person that works there — with this, you actually get face time with some of the biggest names and build a community.”
Building Community
Liakos said her favorite part of her role at the shop is the friends, family and community she has made in the past two years.
Opening shortly after society began returning to normalcy after the pandemic, Sea N’ Soul prioritized creating a place for people in Malibu — both tourists and locals alike — to build a community, according to their website.
“It [The shop] brings what people are striving for,” Liakos said.
Former Malibu resident Layla Polito met Liakos through volunteering at the same Malibu surf camp in the summer of 2021. Shortly after, Polito said she began working at Sea N’ Soul alongside Liakos.
“When I started working here, we weren’t that close,” Polito said. “But, we got super close, and she’s like a big sister to me.”
Polito said that although she and Liakos work together, their relationship means so much more than just being coworkers.
“Every time I walk in here [Sea N’ Soul] — even when I’m having a really bad day — when I walk in, Rachel gives me a big hug and tells me she loves me,” Polito said. “She’s really helped me a lot through the last few years and has done so much for me.”
The thing most people do not realize about her role, Liakos said, is it sounds easy in theory, but in reality, it comes with many challenges. However, when managing a small business, there are so many tiny, tedious things that many people don’t realize never go away.
A majority of Liakos’ skills and things she has learned have come from her experiences in the workplace, she said.
“I don’t have a college background,” Liakos said. “I’ve done college courses, but my jobs and the people who have mentored me have taught me things that people who go to college will never learn.”
Although she loves her role in Sea N’ Soul’s day-to-day operations now, Liakos said her experiences in the workplace have not always been easy. At the end of the day, though, she believes these experiences have kept her humble and taught her a tremendous amount of skills.
Liakos said she keeps her love for surfing alive outside of the shop and her role there as well. She recently created a nonprofit for women called “Sam’s Surf Angels” to allow women to surf with one another without fear of judgment, which she said creates a similar community to the one seen each day at Sea N’ Soul.
Liakos said that all Pepperdine students receive 10% off at Sea N’ Soul and are invited in to have a coffee, rent a surfboard or just chat and build community there.
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Contact Amanda Monahan via email: amanda.monahan@pepperdine.edu
