We had the good fortune of connecting with Noura Saif and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Noura, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Crescent Moon Bookstore came from a need for my own children. There was no one place to find great quality curated books for Muslim kids. Literally within a week of having the idea, I built my own website and started gaining inventory. Still almost 5 years later, it a passion to bring the best books from around the globe to families everywhere.
What should our readers know about your business?
I genuinely curate the collection I carry. I have read all the books (over 500 in my store). I love having the knowledge of what is inside and what kid it would be perfect for and how they can use it in every day life. It’s truly a passion to help educate others. For me, what sets my store apart is such an eclectic selection from all over the globe. I love finding indie bookstores, publishers and authors and shining a light on their brilliance. The hardest obstacles is with Covid and shipping delays over the past year. It’s been a struggle to keep everything in stock. Things continuously get stuck in customs for months. My legacy is that of my children and the children that I have spread knowledge to. I package every book myself and make sure it looks like a gift so they are excited to get it in the mail. It truly makes me the happiest.
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?
We actually just moved to Charlotte from Birmingham and haven’t had a chance to explore anywhere due to Covid. We’re a super cautious family and try to only go out once a month. There’s lots of space for my 3 kids (all under 7) to play. We’ve come up with some great games at home every day we play. Hopefully soon we can go out and explore all that Charlotte had to offer.
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?
All of the authors and reviewers of the books I carry who are now dear friends (even though we’ve never met). They are the ones I turn to for advice or the inside scoop on the next big thing or just to bounce ideas off of. They’re my family now. We all know each other kids and birthdays. It’s like having our own little network of mom entrepreneurs.
Website: crescentmoonstore.com
Instagram: @Crescentmoonbookstore
Facebook: @Crescentmoonbookstore
Youtube: @Crescentmoonbookstore
Other: TikTok @Crescentmoonbookstore
Image Credits
These are the branding images from my website and social media