Today we’d like to introduce you to Najat Abdu
Hi Najat, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My name is Najat and I am the lead creative director and Founder of Elevada. In 2020 I helped co-found Best On The Block Entertainment, a media production company we built intentionally to focus on networking, and collaborations within the industry as well as provide high quality media for any needs. This is where I discovered and explored my love for multi-media creativity and producing.
A few years ago, I had an idea to organize a fashion based networking event while I was taking a financial planning course for events during my time at Rosen. I tabled the idea to focus on other aspects of our business at the time. During my senior year I was able to take my capstone course, led by Chris Goyzueta, that required us to start a business from scratch and produce some form of product that we could launch. I knew I wanted to pitch a concept that was unique and had not been done in the past.
Prior to my pitch, I reflected deeply on my experience as a student, free-lancer and entrepreneur in the entertainment industry. As someone who grew up in Orlando, I was always told in order to pursue my career I’d have to move. Even though this seems obvious – waiting 3-4 years to build a resume did not make sense to me. I began building doors for myself that I did not have presented to me because of my location. I took a job that taught me how to operate profitably as well as developed my leadership skills to lead teams to achieve business goals. I always said yes to any and all projects regardless of role so I could learn as much as possible. I built a body of work that reflected what I can do without the industry resources and through trial and error. Through all of these moments, I was also able to acknowledge the difficulty I faced as a woman in these roles as well, which is what inspired our launch event to be for women.
What started as an idea for an event for a senior class project – led to the creation of a brand that is rooted in connecting, particularly women, to each other in our industry here in Orlando. We had a phenomenal executive team, and was able to build a team upwards of 80 people who wanted to help bring this to life.
Elevada has now evolved into a creative agency – specializing in creative direction and event production.
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?
Navigating doubt from others—especially when it doesn’t come from within—is one of the most difficult parts of pursuing anything. It’s like you have this internal compass guiding you, but then external voices can throw you off course, even when you know deep down what you’re doing feels right.
A big part of managing that doubt I learned, is learning to differentiate between constructive feedback and unnecessary criticism. Not all doubts come from a place of wanting to help; sometimes, others project their own insecurities or fears onto you. Developing a thick skin without becoming defensive is key, but it also means trusting your intuition and having the confidence to follow your path, even when others don’t understand or support it. Don’t be afraid to set boundaries to stay consistent with what you see as the leader of a project.
As you know, we’re big fans of Elevada . For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Elevada is a creative agency that specializes in crafting unique concepts and producing unforgettable live events.
We offer 3 main services to help elevate your brand:
1) Creative Concepting: we aid you in crafting unique ideas that align with your vision.
2) Media and Branding strategy: Strengthen your approach to media and branding to help connect you with your audience.
3) Event Management/Production: We provide skilled leaders to help maintain a flawless execution and profitable return in your event.
We know you’ve got a business to run—let us take your campaigns to the next level. We deliver tailor made solutions for a seamless experience, whether it be for creative direction or event production.
Focus on growing your business, while we handle the creativity that captures attention, and brings your visions to life.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
Creativity, Inc by Ed Catmull is a great book that follows the success of Pixar animation studios. It covers the importance of a company’s culture and how it can lead to amazing results when the creative processes are protected.
A few things to take away that have influenced my leadership style when on projects:
• Give a good idea to a mediocre team, and they will screw it up. But give a mediocre idea to a great team, and they will either fix it or come up with something better.
• If you don’t strive to uncover what is unseen and understand its nature, you will be ill prepared to lead.
• It’s not the leader’s job to prevent risks. It’s the leader’s job to make it safe for others to take them.
• The cost of preventing errors is often far greater than the cost of fixing them.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elevadamedia/
Image Credits
Best On The Block Entertainment
Uphoria Magazine
