Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Courtney Vardar. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Courtney, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Parents play a huge role in our development as youngsters and sometimes that impact follows us into adulthood and into our lives and careers. Looking back, what’s something you think you parents did right?

I am fortunate to have contrasting parents. My father is a banker, lives in his left brain, logical, logistical. My mother is an Interior Decorator, lives in her right brain, creative & intuitive. They’ve both supported me in all my entrepreneur endeavors, and their have been many, and encouraged me to think bigger. When I opened my first store, my mother helped me with everything, buying, decorating, ect., but still gave me space to make it my own. When I was thinking about closing it 12 years later, it was my father that brought me to reason. His definition of insanity, ” doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results “, helped me decide to close that door, and open another.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am the owner and co-founder of Nida Lu Handmade. We work with artisans in Turkey to make handmade shoes using a 700 year old Turkish shoe making technique. We design in house and use 100% organic leather and natural dyes. In the last couple of years, I’ve started designing clothing again and am slowly adding that to our selection. All my clothing is made with vintage Suzani fabric made by women in Uzbekistan. We have the garments made in a small town in Turkey, Seydisehir, where my in-laws are from. I love working closely with the artisans and supporting Turkish traditions!

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

My business partner is my husband Suleyman Vardar. We met when I was backpacking through Turkey after college. He managed a famous tree house hotel in Olympos, Turkey. It was love at first sight!

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

When it was time to close our brick and mortar, I had to trust that our Nida Lu shoes would be enough to support our family. It was a grand lesson in detachment, letting go of the past, the store I had grown and loved. Closing that door gave me room to focus on Nida Lu Handmade.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.nidaluhandmade.com
• Instagram: NidaLu Handmade
• Facebook: Nida Lu Handmade

Image Credits
IM Photography