Sevil Amangeldieva: "I will not let external factors influence me: the crisis will strengthen us"

There are many proverbs associated with the number 7 in the Kazakh people. Since time immemorial, a true nomad has "seven treasures", and his smart and beautiful wife is considered as one of the priceless treasures. Today a nomadic woman is not limited to the traditional role of a housekeeper, both physically and mentally, and is ready to explore previously unexplored areas and fields of activity. 

At MUSEOFNOMAD, we spoke with Sevil Amangeldieva, owner of the boutique store Seven_life, one of the most vibrant representatives of nomadic women.

- Sevilla, did you choose nomadic number 7? Why did you call your boutique store Seven_life?

- Because seven is seven days a week, seven different images for every day. These are the seven aspects of a woman. Every woman can and should be different. Today it's sexy, tomorrow it's sporty, the next day it's super classic, and the next day it's romantic. In Seven_life store you can always find clothes for every occasion. We don't just offer clothes, we offer a way of life. That's why we encourage our customers to share our values with us. Our customers are modern nomadic women. Girls who know the brands we bring. These brands are popular overseas, but we still don't know. And we are the only representative of many brands. That's why modern nomadic women who don't sit still and actively travel come to us for their favorite brands.

- Excellent. What do you imagine a modern nomadic woman to be like? What does it look like? What do you do, what are you interested in?

- That's a good question. I guess I consider myself a vibrant representative of nomadic women: I travel a lot, both for work and vacations. For example, I can be in four countries a month. Today I've been to 26 countries and made many friends around the world. Is she a nomad? Of course, he's a global citizen. This girl is very dynamic, modern, she knows exactly what she wants, without stereotypes, with a very broad outlook. In general, I think we should try to travel more. Because on the whole, it broadens your horizons, allows you to get rid of some circles. When you travel around the world, you see completely different people who are not afraid to express themselves, to be different: conventionally, green hair and lip piercings. No one blames them for that, no one stigmatizes them, because everyone has the right to express themselves and everyone is very tolerant. Of course, we want to achieve this in Kazakhstan as well.

Because clothes are a way of self-expression. And in my first years as a retailer, I had a lot of experience in this respect. I brought in several new interesting brands, but from a commercial point of view, it was not very profitable. For example, in Europe and Moscow, when it was fashionable to wear dresses with sneakers, we all wondered: what is this? But now this look is widespread. In general, the modern nomadic woman is, first of all, a woman confident in herself, financially wealthy. He follows his dreams, realizes them, wants to be the best version of himself. He cares about global issues. That is, he doesn't just revolve around his world, but also thinks about environmental problems or global warming.

- Nomads have always been in close contact with nature…

- Yes. So today's nomadic woman does something not only for herself and her loved ones, but also for the environment, the planet and humanity as a whole. And is characterized by a high level of consciousness. He understands and feels why he came into this world.

- You came into the business consciously, what was your way to success?

- Let's start with the fact that I came into this business with no experience. I had no idea about retail. Now, looking back, I tell my employees and friends that's unacceptable. Don't enter a river without knowing how to cross it. I've been through some very difficult times, and really only my persistence, discipline and constant search for knowledge saved me. The retail industry needs a deep dive and understanding of what is happening to you. If you have a firm grip on your plate, you have the ability to change things quickly. Another principle I follow is quick decisions and quick action. I think that will lead to success. Of course, it's a strong team. My business, as a real retailer, is like a living organism. Every cell is important there.

 - So, a business is a combination of many factors, and should we fully integrate each of those factors?

- Yes, an owner should always be aware of all the components of their business. It's finances, marketing and shooting.

- The work of the salespeople…

- The work of the salespeople, of course. Much more depends on the internal nourishment of the owner. More specifically, the development of the business is directly related to the spiritual development of the owner. If his mind is small and he thinks very narrowly, the same thing will happen to his business. That's my personal opinion.

- We talked a little bit about self-development. For you, is it a matter of time or a fashionable trend?

- I believe that this is a necessary condition for modern life. Man was born to develop. Created to do so. If you don't choose to evolve, your life will tend to be slanted. It is an evolutionary process. All we have to do is evolve. Some, for example, do it voluntarily, using all the methods and knowledge available today. These are psychology, numerology, astrology and others. Or the universe itself will make you go through crises, clearly showing you where you made a mistake and where you need to evolve. I think that's a good thing. It's important for everyone, men and women alike.

- Don't you think such questions are less interesting to men?

- I think that right now, in fact, men should be developing faster than women. Because now we can say that women are "taking" the world into their own hands. Women are in leadership positions, they are not afraid to take responsibility, they think fast, they act fast. Men should not relax, it is important to strive to develop.

- Now let's look at today. Today's business faces many challenges. These are the pandemic and the events of January of last year. How can you adapt to new situations without going astray?

- I always thought that the crisis was just beginning. At some point I decided that I would not be influenced by any economic or political factors. I took full responsibility for my business. I never let anything break me. The most striking case is the moment of the pandemic when many of my competitors and colleagues lost their business. Yes, I was aware that something was happening globally, but then I told myself that this crisis would make me stronger. My spirits helped me not only stay in shape, but also grow. Even without an online store during the quarantine, I only doubled my Instagram account. We worked, we had shipping with fitting. All in all, we won even after that situation. I was concentrating a lot, seeing and analyzing flaws that needed to be addressed. I started to improve all areas of my business. I digitized everything and made a plan. I always try to be positive, I never listen to other people's stories. What you listen to and take in begins to affect you. So I tried to find positivity in every way and find a way out. I said: "It doesn't matter, luxury buyers come to me." In general, business is about creativity. It's what makes you think creatively, and when you have problems, you're always trying to find a lot of solutions. In my opinion, external factors shouldn't influence them. Switching to the positive, I'm going to when there's a crisis.

- A very unexpected and interesting situation! I really like your point of view. On the contrary, I think that in a crisis people want to please themselves with something, to buy something for themselves.

- It is true that people always feel the need for positive emotions. We always feel special in new clothes. There's a concept of "hesitation." So, a new dress that helps us go from level to level conventionally at high swings. And if we don't update our closet for a long time, the old energy will build up. That's why it's so important to put your closet in order in time, once a season, and get rid of old, broken things.

- Sevilla, what is your favorite thing about our country?

- This is the first time you have received a request for information. Almaty is the only place where this is not a problem.  Doing so will cause the device to malfunction and result in fire, electric shock, or injury. Doing so will cause the device to malfunction and result in fire or electric shock.  This is the only way to get the best results.  If you are in the European Union, do not use the device for this purpose. Do not use the device for a long period of time. If the device is not used for a long period of time, do not use the device for a long period of time. This is the only time you can use the device. Doing so may cause the device to fail to operate and may result in fire or damage to the device. The following are the most important things you can do to protect your health. If you do not know what to do with your eyes, do not touch them, and do not touch them with your hands or feet. Doing so may cause the device to overheat and result in fire or damage to the device. The customer is not allowed to use the device in any way.  If you are a customer and the customer is not satisfied with the quality of service, you can get help from the customer, or you can get help from the customer, or you can get help from the customer, or you can get help from the customer.

- One last question. Our edition of Muse of nomad is the music and inspiration of nomads. What do you think inspired the nomads?

- I think freedom. Freedom of movement, freedom of choice. What else inspired them? The energy of the steppe, the endless expanse, the beauty of nature, not wild, but real, special, unlike anything else. Like the beauty of a woman.

Author: Gaziza Gabi

Photo: Aidyn Ahmet, @aidyn_ahmet