Name: Noa Greenspan
Occupation: Handbag Designer
I was born and raised in Israel. Moved to NYC in 2012 to pursue my dreams of working in Fashion. I graduated from FIT and launched NoaLim, my Exotic Leather Accessories brand.
How do you define a guru? Someone to look up to. Someone who’s footsteps you want to follow.
What does a normal work day look like for you, starting from the moment you wake up? Wake up, cuddle with Louboutin (my fur baby). Coffee. shower. Walk the dog, head to the subway and go to the PanAm Leathers showroom. My days are filled with exotic leather. Alligators, pythons, crocodiles and more. I check emails, ship out orders, and answer many questions about conservation and sustainability. I keep the skins and the showroom looking fresh. As the brands Creative Director, I also do regular trend research and decide which colors we should use in our seasonal collections. When my “day job” is done, my evening job begins. I use the PanAm showroom as a second studio (my first studio being in my apartment).
What does a normal work day look like for you, starting from the moment you wake up? I start working on my own projects once 5pm hits. NoaLim takes up all of my spare time. Making custom bags for clients, coming up with new ways to use scraps, like sewing creatures for my menagerie, (nothing goes to waste in the exotic leather industry) designing hats, gloves, leather jewelry and more. My brain isn’t happy if my hands aren’t busy.
Morning
What time do you wake up? My first alarm goes off at 7:20a.m. I hear it at about 7:40 and get out of bed by 8a.m.
What do you have for breakfast? Coffee. Milk, no sugar.
Do you work out? Ish… I carry my 30lb dog Louboutin down 3 flights of stairs, coz I spoiled her rotten. Then I run to keep up with her, because she is stronger than me.
Do you have a special routine to get you in the zone?
Waking up to Classic Disney music. There’s something so refreshing about waking up to the ‘circle of life’. Singing along to the little mermaid in the shower. Drinking my coffee to beauty and the beast, it keeps a smile on my face all day.
What time do you get to work? 10am. I’m not an early bird. But I am usually at the office way past closing working on NoaLim.
Noon
What do you have for Lunch? Do you even eat lunch Rarely. I’m more of a coffee all day person.
Are working lunches something that works for you? Yes. I’m not going to sit around for an hour eating. My brain is always on overdrive and my hands always have to be busy.
How much time do you take for yourself during lunch? What is time for yourself? 🙃
Afternoon
How much work are you hoping to achieve in your working hours? I plan my day out with a to do list. Break down each task into manageable increments. Then I start working on something and completely forget about the list. ADHD for the win!
Do you take a break in between? I take lots of little breathers throughout the day, but once I get started on a project and get in the zone, I don’t stop for anything. I can work for hours straight without even realizing it.
Evening
How does settling in look like for you Settling out of my day job and into NoaLim. The process is pretty seamless though, since I am using the same materials I get to be around all day and I don’t have to leave my creative space.
Do you turn off your phone when you’re getting emails from work?
No. I’m not very good at the whole work life balance thing but my life and my job overlap in so many ways it doesn’t really feel like work.
What does a normal wind-down look like for you? Glass of wine or a joint with Louboutin on my lap and some tv show in the background. After a long day of creating I need something fun and not serious to turn my brain off too. Lately it’s been bobs burgers, Rick and Morty, Central Park, Brooklyn 99, the classics lol. Even when my body is at rest, my mind is reeling creating new designs and ideas. I keep a sketch book by my bed in case I have an idea in the middle of the night. I’ve had dreams about bags I want to make. If I don’t get them down on paper right away they disappear.
To learn more about NoaLim exotics, click here for more www.noalim.com
