Creative Spaces – Interview with Najla Al Ansari, co-founder of NOT a SPACE

“It starts with the first step and the rest will follow.”

Al Faya winter annual and magical pop-up located far away in the desert where you can enjoy the breeze, live events, and peaceful mountain views attracting the sunrise explorers, sunset lovers, and the night owls under the starry skies.

WORDS: OLIVIA MORRIS

Creative Spaces

The Creative I’ve got both a creative and business mindset. Without being able to explore and create new ideas, I wouldn’t be able to run the business and vice versa. I spend most of my time being inspired by what’s out there and then strategically putting it into a plan to make sure it is feasible and makes financial sense. Especially, in our line of business and space, we rely a lot on creativity which gives us a competitive edge by always being different and ahead of the game in offering new experiences to the community.

The Philosophy I’m a true believer in doing good and it will come back to you in time. And to always go after your dreams because it’s a chance you take on yourself and you are the driver of your own future. Only you can decide what’s good for you, control the speed and be responsible for the choices you make. You are you and that is your superpower to be truly happy.

Najla Al Ansari, co-founder of NOT a SPACE, discusses cultivating communities through creativity throughout the UAE

The Story A graduate of the American University of Sharjah, UAE, I’m an Emirati serial entrepreneur and co-founder of NOT a SPACE, alongside other side ventures. As an explorer of life, I never intended to become an entrepreneur but I always had the fire in me to take risks. Venturing into my first business, a day spa that was built in 2011, was the biggest risk at only 21 years old. It was hard for me at the beginning with sleepless nights and limited resources but eventually, it all fell into place when you put the hard work into it. Now, I’m creating more spaces and taking more risks has become an addiction and I’m loving it. I believe everyone has a purpose in life and when you connect with that love, that’s when the magic unfolds.

The Concept NOT a SPACE was launched in 2019 right before the pandemic hit with a focus on creating a community to work and play, eat and shop, and get groomed. A space for all to enjoy good music, great coffee and creat-

The Advice If you’ve got an idea but are not sure if it will work, go ahead and jump right in if you truly believe in it. It starts with the first step and the rest will follow. It doesn’t come easy, but it’s a beautiful journey if you do what you love.

The Hurdles When we weren’t generating any revenue, my first business was coming down really fast and almost crashing before I re-strategized and started to look at things differently. This changed my perception of things and I learnt that we need to listen to the market more, invest in the right team and then put a system in place but most importantly, to keep moving and never stop believing.

The Milestones I’m happy with how from starting my business at such a young age to being selected as a board member at the Sharjah Business Women Council, to organizing the first and fastest growing Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival that takes place every year gathering more stories and friendships. It is NOT ing thousands of like-minded individuals, your ordinary hangout place, NOT for egos, business owners and aspiring entrepreNOT for perfection… but a space to feel free neurs. Running my own business is a fulland be you. Simply, NOT is a space with a time job now at NOT a SPACE and I have heart, one that brings wild and kind souls never been happier! together. At NOT, you can find a barbershop, a parlour, a pet grooming spa, and The Mentors a community cafe right in the centre that People from all around the world of differbrings all humans and pets together through ent backgrounds, mindsets, cultures and the different events we create and host from experiences that I meet and learn from music, fashion, wellness, sports, talks and every single minute of every single day. workshops. During winter and summer, Saying yes to new adventures all the time NOT pops up in unique locations around guides you to opportunities, experiences, the UAE. One that is most popular, is our and learnings to be better every day.

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