Meet: Naina Hussain
Founder of: bynaina.
Tell us about your business:
I create artwork inspired by South Asia: its people, its culture, and its colors.
What was the best piece of business advice you were given when you were starting out?
The best piece of business advice that I was given was given to me by my parents: don't ever feel demotivated, put your work out there, and surely someone will notice!
Knowing what you know now, what would you have done differently when you were first starting out?
I'm not sure if I'd want to do much differently; I think where I am now is because of the challenges, and experiences I've faced during my entire journey to where I'm at right now, and I'm excited to learn even more moving forward. I believe I took a really long time to completely immerse myself into bynaina, and I'm glad I took it slow because I am a person who's practical, and hence, it was when I was taking everything slow, that I truly understood who my customers are, and what they are looking for through my work.
Name the biggest overall lesson you've learned in running a business?
The biggest overall lesson that I've learned in running my business, and one that I'm still trying to learn is that there will be ups and downs; that's how business is. Therefore, during the point at which you're going through the downs, it's important to hold still, to still continue creating, and not get demotivated by anything. Another door will open. Instead, take that time to reflect, and strategize the next steps.
In moments of self-doubt or adversity, how do you build your resolve?
In moments of self-doubt or adversity, I take the time to absorb and reflect. I am a huge proponent of planning my next steps, even though I like to mostly take things as they go, and move with the flow. So whenever I doubt myself, I take a step back, look at my past work, and see the development my work has gone through, and use that as motivation.
How do you balance your workload? What does self-care look like for you?
I try to workout at least three times a week, and during times when there's a huge workload on my end, self-care unfortunately ends up taking a back-seat (which is really bad, and something that I definitely do not recommend). But I believe that a good night's sleep and water can fix anything! Staying hydrated, and sleeping well really helps me stay afresh.
Discover more:
@bynainah
