We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Norah Shazad a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Norah with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
My work ethic comes from my resilience, and the mindset that I have due to my previous trauma. For many years of my life I had been working on self-discipline and that is the biggest reason as to why my work ethic is so high. I consistently push myself to become better and place myself in uncomfortable situations so I’m never too settled and that is what has made me become more successful.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I am the owner of a streetwear clothing brand named Azure Co., this was established in November 2021 and through consistency, it is growing pretty profoundly. I am also the author of three poetry books (Scarlet Rose & Growth, Caged Thorns, and Sparked Flame), I started writing poetry when I was 14 years old due to my fathers death, and it has eventually led me to perform and submit to poetry competitions.
Currently, I am planning on dropping new sweatpants, a graphic tee, and a tote bag for the summer, and I have some exciting plans in mind for the winter. I am also continuing to write poetry, but have just published Sparked Flame back in June. Azure Co. is also working on partnering with other businesses and gaining more recognition overall.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
3 qualities that were the most impactful to my journey would be self-discipline, distance from my peers, and consistency. With self-discipline, it doesn’t matter what you “feel” like doing, it’s you forcing yourself to get up and do what you have to do now to set yourself up for the future. With distancing, this is just my coping method from a lot of situations but it allows me to focus on my tasks without having the pressure of talking with my peers. Consistency is a major key because I am a firm believer that no matter what you do/are passionate about, as long as you are consistent with it then you would truly succeed. This means being consistent whether things are going the way that you would want them to or not. All three of these qualities really go hand in hand as well.
For individuals that are early in their journey, it really just takes you wanting it bad enough for you to change your lifestyle. Creating a habit is difficult within the beginning but the more you get used to it, the more you grow and the easier it becomes. Whether that is being consistent in dropping products, going to the gym, reading, working, etc. always push yourself to keep going and never rely on others.
All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?
As a recent college graduate, there are certain situations where I am still getting used to this new “adult” lifestyle of working while also trying to keep my brand together, as well as keeping good relationships with my peers and getting closer to God. Most times it feels like there are not enough hours in a day for me to get my work done, maintain healthy relationships with others whilst also staying healthy and that is the part that I am still trying to figure out day by day. I am excellent with time management and that has been the biggest reason as to resolving some of these issues with creating a needs-based schedule and communicating.
Contact Info:
- Website: a3streetwear.com
- Instagram: @a3streetwear
Image Credits
Marwa Taha
