Meet Ezz-Eldin Hassan: Bag Wizard at The Spindle

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ezz-Eldin Hassan and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ezz-Eldin, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
Well I was an early follower of the ‘Grind Life’ but after a couple of years realized that wasn’t sustainable to my Physical/Mental health and the health of of my relationship with my wife and 2 kids, I stayed up all hours making bags, and at times that work would suffer and I had to redo a lot of bags.

But once I slowed down, all those relationships got way better, I was making better bags and coming with new designs in the process..I think the balance is necessary..make time for the ones you love and especially yourself. Not taking care of you will destroy your business. Get rest, Love your Loves and remeber you’re already lucky to be doing what you dig..do it on your own terms and make a way to live your own life in the process of doing cool shit,

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My art is making custom bike bags, I learned from a buddy who started a pen case company, I would go super early before my day job selling Big Rig Trucks and just cut and sew, eventually starting to make bike bags at The Spindle. I basically spent the past 5 years pounding the craft into my head with many late nights and time away from family and looking forward to the journey of learning more.

The best part of having challenges is coming out on the other end relatively ok, and knowing when to cut the things giving you troubles..fail fast.
I
love learning more about how I can make my bags better and how I can get better at making them, I’m lucky cause I get to do a good bit of bag testing riding bikes and going on adventures. I like getting people into the sport as well, listening what they want out of our bags and fitting them with the best ones for their needs, as well as curating a few adventures that we take folx on as well!

All I wanna do is make a better bag than I did yesterday, I feel I’ve been doing that over the past year and it has given me more focus than ever on making the best bag I can..

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Well the city has some really cool trails to rip around on in the Emory area, or taking a cool evening cruise around the city from Marrietta ave>17th>Peachtree, with a beer stop at Halfway crooks or Elliot street, followed by a Woody’s cheesesteak and another beer, they’re open until 4 on the weekends which is solid gold.

Supremo is a heavy visit a few times a month fo sho, then just rollin’ around poppin’ into diffrent bike shops like Loose Nuts and Earl’s giving hi five’s to friends. Botanical gardens are rad, really the best part of Atlanta is the outside..just spinning our wheels and popping around to get coffee, grub, or a coldie and seeing different places that wouldn’t look at or get to by car, I live in Kirkwood so their little downtown is a party and good for family strolls

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My family for sure, My wife was pulling me through some really tough times at the shop, we got a great relationship that is contantly evolving for the bettwer and I got 2 rad little kiddos that can keep .smilin’ and wanting to show them they can live a happy life by finding their own way through it..

And my parents, brother and sister..We got through a lot, with all our family living in Egypt, we were our only support system. And I started the Spindle with my bro which paved the way for me fallng in love with making bags

And I’m lucky to have a great little crew of charachters helping me with The Spindle and the adventures we take..

Website: www.thespindleatl.com

Instagram: @thespindleatl

Twitter: @thespindleatl

Facebook: facebook.com/thespindleatl

Image Credits
photo by Nic Huey