Meet Sajia Bidar | CEO & Founder of Made For You Studios

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sajia Bidar and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sajia, what role has risk played in your life or career?
No risk, no reward. It’s true when they say that you can’t grow in your comfort zone. It’s called your comfort zone for a reason. You’ve become so familiar with the things, people and places within those boundaries that it’s hard to imagine anything beyond it.

Two years ago when I started my business, I never imagined I would be here. At the time, I was comfortable at my day job, working in a restaurant as a bartender/server. I was making a lot of money but I never felt fulfilled. There was something missing.

I took a risk starting my business because it’s not like I was in a bad place in my life at the time. Like I said, I was in my comfort zone. It’s a huge risk to invest so much time, money, and physical and mental energy into something that you don’t know the outcome of.

Because what if it doesn’t work out? What if you lose everything? However, I learned that part of taking that risk is changing your mindset. What if it does work out? What if you find a level of confidence in yourself that you never thought possible? What if you unlock new talents, new people, and experiences you could only dream of? You have to create and manifest your reality. Setting yourself up for success starts in your mind.

I’ve taken a lot of risks along the way, whether big or small, whether they came with a reward or not–each one has lead me down a new path of discovery and self development. And that is priceless.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I was born in Pakistan in a refugee camp. My family was on the run from the war ridden country of Afghanistan. When we were finally granted our golden ticket to come to America, we came here with nothing. We didn’t speak English, and barely had any family to help us.

In life, I always felt like I was lightyears behind my friends. Culturally, emotionally and especially financially. It’s hard to create a new life when you don’t know who you are. When your only instinct is survival.

I spent a lot of my formative years trying to figure out who I was. What my identity would be as I grew up. This is so funny to say but I often just felt “lost in the sauce”, I didn’t know what I wanted in life.

It’s crazy to think that I was once born in a foreign country, and some how, some way, all the paths that I took led me here.

I am a young woman of color who beat the odds. An Afghan minority who once had nothing to her name. Now I am a woman who owns a business, a home in California, and is slowly developing her true identity. I have a great support system and I am more clear about my vision for my life than I have ever been.

I want the world to know that anything you could ever want for yourself is within your reach. Your only competition is yourself. The only person stopping you from getting what you want is yourself. The odds are hardly ever going to be in your favor, but the power to get up and fight the current is always within you.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I spent the last 6 years in Santa Cruz but recently moved back to the Bay Area. I’ve been spending a lot of time in the city so let’s start there!

We would start with brunch at Lapisara Eatery with a bottle of champagne and their incredible chicken and waffles. After brunch, we will make our way to the Coit Tower for some dope views of the city and to learn a bit about the history of the tower.

After the Coit Tower, we will head to Dolores Park with some burritos and beers and relax in the sun until dinner. For dinner we will eat at Serafina, my favorite Italian spot in the city!

Over the next few days we’ll grab drinks at Peacekeeper, the vibes in here are incredible and the drinks follow suit. Ride the cable cars through the city and stop by Union Square for some shopping and people watching. We will get dinner at Wayfare Tavern, the caesar salad with grilled chicken is to die for. Who knew such a simple thing could bring so much happiness?

The next day we’ll head to Oracle park for a Giants game. We’ll stop by Waterbar for incredible views of the Bay and of course, a few oysters. After dinner, we’ll drop by Natoma Cabana for cocktails and chitchat. Then go bar hopping all around the city. We’ll end the night by catching some views of the city from Twin Peaks.

Of course throughout our days in the city we’ll drop by and grab dumplings, bubble tea and ramen along the way.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
This past May, I went through a lot of life changing events that forced me to pack up my studio and move my life to a new city.

I closed my shop for almost two months and lost so much of the momentum I had built up over the past year. After sharing my story, my DM’s were overflowing with messages from my community. Messages of love, healing, help, advice and a shoulder to lean on. Do you know how special it is when strangers come together to uplift each other? It’s really the purest form of love. A love and care that is unconditional and truly makes one feel whole again.

So, shoutout to my community! You know who you are. Thank you for picking me up. Thank you for nurturing me in my lowest moments. I wouldn’t be here without you.

Website: madeforyoustudios.com

Instagram: madeforyou.studios

Facebook: Made For You Studios

Other: tiktok: @madeforyou.studios

Image Credits
Headshot: Tricia Mogensen