Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Na’ziya Lewis. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Na’Ziya thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Folks often look at a successful business and imagine it was an overnight success, but from what we’ve seen this is often far from the truth. We’d love to hear your scaling up story – walk us through how you grew over time – what were some of the big things you had to do to grow and what was that scaling up journey like?
Consistency, consistency, consistency. That’s the only way you will ever be able to grow. Alot of people tend to give up the first time something doesn’t work, but nothing happens overnight. I had to be willing to apply myself, willing to learn and be teachable. As a business owner, you have to know your business inside and out. This way, you’ll be able to see what is, and is not working for the growth of your business so you can adjust and move accordingly. One thing I will say is very important with any business, is networking and marketing. Not every opportunity is just going to come to you, sometimes, you have to put yourself out there and seek them. Don’t be scared. And stop comparing yourself, or your business to the next person(s). Whether you are running a business of the same sort or not, not everything will work for everyone! You need to do your own research and find what would be best for you going forward. Be innovative, be different. Running a business, there will be nights you may lose sleep trying to think of the next big idea, times you feel overwhelmed, and these are not things that most people understand, or are ready for. Balance is extremely important, and without it, this will make elevation within your business difficult as well. I didn’t always have a schedule, sometimes going into things without even having a plan. But Eventually, I understood that this would not work and I needed to have some type of order to keep things running smoothly. Often finding myself over booked or missing opportunities due to not being properly prepared. Now that I have a better scheduling system, and understanding from experience, this has made things alot easier and I am able to do so much more within my business without feeling so burnt out. Don’t be afraid to talk to people and introduce your business to them, you never know who you may come across that can help you in the long run. Those connections are important, and so is having a solid foundation, and trust. Bringing me into my next point. In any business, your attitude needs to be positive. Yes there will be difficult customers, yes you may get frustrated, but being able to control yourself and remain calm and level-headed is important. No one wants to work with someone who comes off as rude, passive aggressive, or loses their temper at every minor convenience . You will lose business that way and you definitely will not be able to maintain one, so remain professional at all times, and if you need a moment to recollect, go away, get yourself together and come back ready to present yourself in the best way.
Na’Ziya, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
My name is Na’Ziya, also known as Ziyaa lanai. I am a 17 year old fashion designer, model, hairstylist, music artist, youth mentor, entrepreneurial instructor and more. My main occupation as of now is fashion design. I am a very diverse designer, creating just about anything. From custom hats, decor to clothes in many styles. Urban wear, street wear, formal wear, something elegant or even something chic, there really is no limit. I feel the diversity and uniqueness within my business sets me apart from most. I like to be different, and I do my best to keep my styles creative. Rather than following popular trends, I like to come up with things that you probably wouldn’t see often, encouraging my customers as well to let their imagination be as wild as they want it to be when it comes to the clothes they request me to create. I am very happy with the loyal clientele that I have acquired. I have people that will only come to me for majority of everything, simply because they trust me to create to their exact request. Not only this, but everything is custom. So if there’s a need for a certain fabric maybe due to sensitive skin, or simply preference, I use whatever is requested, that way there’s no concerns about comfortability, as my ultimate goal is to create clothing that people will feel comfortable and confident while wearing. Clothes are made to the individual’s exact measurements, this way there are no concerns about whether or not the garments will fit. This seems to be one of the features everyone loves the most. Aside from everything being fully customized…down from the fabric prints, extended length for those who are on the taller side, no request is too much. Though, it is important to note that pricing does vary depending on request.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
Something I had to unlearn was, the belief that just because you don’t come from a high place, or a better position in life, you shouldn’t think as big as those who do. I didn’t come from alot, but I came from enough. Throughout my journey, there were people who would tell me that my dreams were too big, or that I wouldn’t be able to achieve certain things because of the point I come from, so I often pushed my bigger dreams to the side, or lowered them to something more “attainable” but overtime, I realized, this is only a tactic to keep people stuck in a poverty mindset. I’ll say, I started from the bottom. I didn’t always have everything that I have now and had I listened when people told me not to think past that point, then I would have never obtained it. Always think bigger, no dream is too large. Regardless of where you come from, if you work hard enough, and strategize correctly, you can do it. It will be difficult for sure, there were some days where I would question if i’m even doing the right thing, or if i’m just wasting my time, but in the end…every effort will be worth it. Don’t make yourself smaller to help others feel bigger, I made that mistake. You are not a product of your environment! But rather a product of the decisions you make, and the route you choose to go. Go big!
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
I would say, my professionalism and work quality definitely helps alot with building my reputation within my market. I am often the youngest in any room that I step into, so it’s very important that I keep in mind, regardless of age, I have the same capability and will be held to the same standards as everyone around me. People often comment on my maturity level, how great my work ethic is, and the quality of my performance. Building this trust and having such an advanced bio, opens doors to so many opportunities that typically wouldn’t be offered until older age. People see how well I am able to handle such important positions, and with the way I still know to conduct myself in a professional manner, they know that they can trust me with even more. These are positions at levels of professionals who have been in the industry for years so it’s definitely amazing to be offered these positions so early on, and I am grateful for each opportunity, as each one, in a way helps to shape and build that reputation. I have worked with so many people that there are always references pointing back to me, opening doors to more opportunities through the simple action of word of mouth recommendations. This has definitely played a huge part in building my market’s reputation as well, more people will be interested in working with you if your reviews are always top tier. And although it’s important to be open to new people, I don’t associate myself with just anything or anyone, because simply having that negative association can throw your reputation out the window and ruin alot for you. I’ve witnessed it first hand. When you are building anything, you must be careful with how you represent yourself, and how those around you are representing themselves because that will also point back to you!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/naziyalanai_/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556871758971
Image Credits
Adriana lanice
Theaznmedia