Daily Inspiration: Meet Lejla Memovic

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lejla Memovic.

Hi Lejla, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My whole life I knew that I wanted to be something extraordinary. After high school, I went to college and realized I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life. I was going for no reason. I was wasting money, my time, and my nerves on something that ultimately wouldn’t serve any purpose to me. On top of that, the 9-5 lifestyle was never something that sounded appealing or fulfilling to me, so I knew I needed to do something different. I dropped out of college and thought to myself, “what are my talents, and which of them can I use to create a name for myself?” The first thing that came to mind was desserts. So there I was, 21 years old, starting a dessert business from scratch. It was one of the hardest things I’ve done, but I was really good at it. I was amazing at creating good flavors but also with the presentation of it all.

Slowly after months and months of doing this, I lost motivation. I realized I couldn’t do it anymore. No matter how talented I was, I was extremely unmotivated. So, I tried the job thing again. I got a 9-5, and of course, I hated it. I was upset with myself because I felt as though I didn’t try hard enough. I had to do something else. Another business idea came to me- custom rugs. I’d seen so many people on Tik Tok, Instagram, etc. making these beautiful pieces of art for probably a year or two, and I always thought, ” wow. I wish I could do that.” Once I quit that 9-5, I knew I had to do something to have an income. I took the 3 thousand dollars I had saved and spent a majority of it on starting this business. As soon as I got all my equipment in the mail, a rush of motivation and excitement came through me- this is what I wanted all along. I wanted to be creative and create things that wouldn’t just be eaten and then forgotten about after a few hours, like my desserts. I’m artsy and detail-oriented so I knew I’d be great at it. I started right away, but one thing was missing- a business name. I sat, and thought, and did my research, to no avail. I couldn’t think of a name for the life of me. So, I thought, let’s do a play on words. The first thing that came to mind was, what words rhyme with rug? After jotting those down, it came to me- Mean rugs. This was a play on words for me. I have quite a “mean mugging” resting face if you know you know. So I thought this would be perfect. As soon as I decided the name, I created an Instagram, bought the domain name, and ordered labels. Mean rugs, and my skills, took off. I did so much research, watched so many videos, and practiced like crazy. Now, about a month in, I’ve created about 15 beautiful pieces, and I plan to create hundreds more.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
In my opinion, any risk worth taking isn’t going to be smooth all the way through. You’re always going to go through hardships and battles, both internally and externally. For me, I’ve struggled with several mental illnesses since a child. Depression, anxiety, and ADHD have made it extremely difficult for me in life, but I’ve always tried my hardest to push through and fight for myself. My biggest struggle at the beginning of my journey was definitely self-doubt. This is something I’m still working on and hopefully in the near future, I’ll learn to trust myself because I always figure it out. Another issue I had in the beginning, was trying to figure out how I’m going to be as efficient as possible doing this from my bedroom. I’m fortunate enough to have 2 bedrooms, so I converted my other one into a studio, and slowly but surely it’s coming together. I’ve only been doing this for a few weeks, but I’m already making great progress, and as time goes on, I’ll make even more.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I make custom rugs. As of right now, I’ve taken a few commissioned orders, but for the most part, I’ve just been creating pieces I think people would be the most interested in. For example, anime pieces have been something I’ve been doing the most of. I don’t watch anime that much, but I know it’s very popular right now, so why not take advantage. As of right now, I’ve done baby Charizard, Killua, the Akatsuki symbol and Sasuke’s eye. These are some of my favorite pieces. I’m most proud of the fact that I do my absolute best to create quality pieces and that I pay so much attention to detail. I’d never want to make something and sell it to someone if the quality isn’t superior. I think that’s what sets me apart from a lot of people. Unfortunately, a lot of people these days only think about money. I’ve never been a greedy individual, so I genuinely try my hardest to ensure that all my pieces are vibrant, long-lasting and of great quality. This is something that I will always abide by.

Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
I have an Instagram @meanrugs, which is where I post all my work. I hope to create a website in the near future so that I can ship out nationwide or even worldwide. I’ve also decided to start going to local events, such as Bien Vegano, to see if I can get my name out there. I always appreciate any love I get on social media or otherwise. It makes my day when people tell me how much they love my work. Seeing people enjoy my craft brings light into my life.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: meanrugs