Naadia J. recently bought her first home, not far from, but outside the city of Camden. Where she lived for her first 29 years in a home that at one point had five generations under the same roof including Naadia’s son, Xavier. Her ties to the city remain strong to her family that remains and her full-time job as Planning and Operations Manager at a non-profit healthcare organization serving some of the most socially complex residents of Camden city. We first met in 2015 and recently attended a women’s empowerment event together. Talk of work/life/family balance was the focus and I asked if she would sit with me to talk about her most creative endeavor - Running World Designs. Naadia could have sat on the dais at that event. Not only is she a single parent with a growing professional career, she owns her own small business - and by renovating and rejuvenating pieces and experiences is making an impact in Camden in a way she never imagined.
How did Running World Designs start, what were its beginnings?
Do you remember gimp key chains? I would make a whole bunch and sell them, I always had ideas about how could I make money. As I got older living with my family I started thinking to myself, this furniture is so old, how can I make it look different. Of course, HGTV was on the rise, flea market flip, everybody was getting into ways to modify your home and my thing was I wanted to do it budget friendly and thrifty. So how could I turn this into something people would get a service out of and I could make money.
Tell me about the name.
So my name is Naadia Jahaan, my grandmother named me. I come from an Islamic background, my name is actually Arabic. Naadia meaning runner and Jahaan meaning the world so I put that together and you have Running World Designs. It’s more than a business, I am my brand.
Do people ask you about the origin of the name?
No one yet besides you. But I guess it has a ring and it draws people in, a few people that I run into they’re like “Hey, Running World Designs” or when they introduce me they say “This is, Running World Designs ” or “How’s Running World Designs” so I’m guessing it’s catchy and it sticks.
You have a full-time job working in the nonprofit world, building a career and honing your skills in space and project management, why all the effort into running your own small business at the same time, why not just have this as a hobby?
That one is a really straightforward answer, whether it’s nonprofit or corporate, there’s a rigid structure that exists and being so creative I sometimes don’t fit in that environment. So that was my intention, if I can put something sustainable together to support my family and my son, that would be a business that I stay committed to long-term.
You mention your son and I know you’re a single mom. I know his father is a big part of his life, but you are the primary parent and decision-maker. How do you throw that in the mix, how do you prioritize everything that you have on your plate?
That’s a good question and it ties into a lot of the conversations people have been having with me. I actually put my website together before I started selling furniture and one of the things I have on my page are guiding principles that I came up with and they have been very helpful in how I make decisions. If I go back to the creative piece, it’s more than just furniture it’s how I choose to guide my life.
Are there avenues in Camden that you have explored to connect with other creative people?
I am currently the secretary for the Arts, Culture, Heritage Commission for Camden City - I was recruited because someone said I’ve been seeing your work and your small business and we would love to have you on this commission. We are nowhere near where I see us being strategically but we are taking strides to see how we can better branch out the creative opportunities in the city.
Is your son aware at only four years old of the projects mom is working on?
He is very attentive to that, even when we moved he’s like are you going to put those decorations up? Where is this going to go? ...and did you bring this with you? Or “Mom made that.” So that is very encouraging for him to notice.
So your future assistant is already taking notes?
Yes!
Do you listen to music when you are being creative?
I kind of like silence. I’ll listen to music when I’m cleaning or getting my son ready for bed, but when I can have some quiet time I like that as well, so sometimes I just create in silence, like late at night. That’s when I do my best thinking.
Have you been able to envision what Running World Designs as a full-time job could look like yet?
I have thought about it. In an ideal scenario, I will be running a small business that creates space and brings people together in that space. And what I mean is I have an interest in floral arrangements so I would be doing workshops on that and I’m committed to women and mothers, so I would have kid friendly events were moms can create something and the kids can create something at the same time. And home decor, let’s do a “create it yourself” something each month. I honestly would like a brick-and-mortar someday hosting all the classes I could ever imagine.
What do you enjoy most in your creative projects?
I think it does go back to culture. I’ve narrowed it down and I like to thrift and when I do travel, I’ll always find a flea market or thrift store and pick up little things that remind me of the places I’ve been. I like learning from other people in other places and bringing that back into a creative space of my own.
What are some of these interesting places that you have visited and inspired you so far?
I jokingly said I haven’t been anywhere so I want to go everywhere, but, I have been to New Orleans. I loved it. The culture, the food, and ironically one block over from the hotel we stayed at there was an interior design firm and I was like this could be me, this could be something I could do. In Los Angeles I did go thrifting. Just seeing things that people had and no longer wanted and I was thinking “Hey, do you know what I can do with this!?!”
You should’ve bought another suitcase!
Seriously!
If you could go back to Naadia in college, and see your old self, what would you tell her?
You always had it in you, just keep creating. Create what you see for yourself, create mentally & physically, create what you enjoy. Keep doing what you’re doing, but believe in your creativity enough.
Do you have a 5 year plan?
No. I should! That’s my homework. Right now my immediate thoughts are in the next year or two I would like to be showcasing how I renovated a particular office space. I’m in a phase of selecting a design firm to work with so this would be a really nice commercial design project to highlight.
- At this point we both laugh loudly. Naadia shakes her head with a big smile.
Relationship Building Courtesy of,
Suz Art Design, PAFA