Last week, on a gorgeous day in South Beach, I sat down with my new friend, Blimi Levy, to chat about balancing family life while running her self-made business, Eyewear 24 Seven. We talked about keeping it real, yet staying fabulous; doing it all, while taking care of yourself; and what drives Blimie in her business and personal life. 

I loved getting to know this vivacious and soulful woman, and so will you!

SAVE 30% off the retail price of all Eyewear24Seven AUTHENTIC designer sunglasses: Follow and message Blimie on Instagram, or call (917) 374-1308 and mention you saw this on Fashionisha!

South Beach babes (Blimie and I) checking out the Eyewear24Seven collection

Fashionisha: Hey, Blimie what's up?? How’s your day going?

Blimie: Amazing!!!

F: I’m really happy to feature you here on the blog! I’m all about showing off my favorite momtrepreneurs who are cool, classy, sassy, and sweet all rolled into one. Let’s start with the basics…can you tell us what you had for breakfast today?

B: I always start with my morning coffee, I cheated today and I had a mini babka muffin (laughs)... then I had scrambled eggs with coffee.

F: Love your honesty. We want to know more about you! What three traits would you say describe you the best?

B: Oh boy, I have to narrow it down to three traits?? If I have to.. sometimes it’s better not to talk too much and just narrow it down.. OK, here goes: super friendly, genuine, and giving.

F: I agree, babe. Let me ask you, when you were a little girl, what did you dream your life would be like when you were older?

B: I didn’t really know what I wanted to be when I grew up.. not everyone knows what they want to be at such a young age.. life experience changes you as you get to know yourself. You evolve as a person and then try to figure it out.

"Not everyone knows what they want to be at such a young age."

F: I love that answer. And I think it's really important for the young readers here to read that, and not feel all that pressure to have their lives all perfectly planned out. So tell us what a typical day in the life of Blimi looks like:

B: I wake up a little before 7:00... I like to have those extra few minutes before I have to wake up my kids.  I listen to some music, for me it’s always about music.  Then I wake my kids up.  I literally climb into bed with them and tickle them and give them some love. Then I get them dressed, plan our meals, give them a healthy breakfast, pack their lunches, and we’re all in the car by 7:40.

After I drop them at school, I go back home and have my coffee, change into my gym clothes, and head to my spin class. I have the best, most fun workout with all my friends. It’s my therapy.  Then I’m energized and full of positivity for the day. Then I’ll check my emails and Instagram, and do my daily posts and inspire my followers with bursts of sunshine via my amazing eyewear!  Then I’m ready for my clients. I love getting dressed for the day and styling myself, as well as my clients, to look and be the best they can be.

Being an independent business owner, my days vary. Some days I’ll have customers coming over by appointment, or I’ll be busy shipping out styles marketed through Instagram or social media. I also do various wholesale deals amongst the optical community in Florida and New York, and I work private trunk shows and boutiques throughout Florida via country club settings or philanthropy fundraisers. 

The fabulous and powerful women I meet at these events only fuel my journey towards success, and I love the feeling of coming back to these events, year after year, to greet my longtime clients who are anxiously awaiting for me to once again, style the perfect new pair of glasses for them!

After work, I get to come home to my 3 children who anxiously await to share their day with me. Dinnertime is all about giving everyone the individual attention they need. Then we gather again when my husband comes home to talk about our days. After the kids are sleeping, I’ll unwind with my music, and I usually go to sleep late. This is when my adult social life starts...I can be up until the wee hours of the night texting friends. The value of great girlfriends is priceless!

Some of Blimie's friends modeling her eyewear

F: Wow, sounds like a packed day. You’re a total boss babe and inspiration to all the other working moms out there. Who are are some of your favorite designers? What are some of your favorite brands of clothes?

B. There are so many! I don’t have one favorite. But I love Valentino and Diane Von Furstenburg for her simple and classy dresses. And I always like the Alice and Olivia collections. I also love Vivianne Westwood, and Gucci shoes are my favorite, but you can never go wrong with Zara and J. Crew.  I believe in mixing affordable brands with designer pieces, and then I'm good to go.

F. I love your passion. Speaking of which, what’s your favorite food?

B. One favorite food? Are you kidding? It used to be pasta...I feel like I’m half Italian sometimes, but then there's fried chicken! And spicy Israeli food! There are so many, but those are my favorites.

F. And your favorite blogger?

B. I only have eyes for you Fashionisha!

F. Aww I love you too! So how did you get started with your sunglasses business, Eyewear24Seven? What inspired you? What drives you?

B. Well, I’m a licensed optician by trade, and I always loved accessories. And whoever knows me, knows that my greatest strength lies in sales. I’m always being told that I can sell the Brooklyn Bridge!  Glasses are the first thing you see on a person...even before the shoes! And the eyes are the window to the soul...if the eyes are the window to the soul, then the eyewear is that perfect piece of jewelry that every woman must possess!  Each person's face is unique and special, and so is each pair of sunglasses, and I love customizing my service and finding the perfect fit to that perfect face. I love selling the ultimate accessory of the face…eyewear…24/7…that is my calling.

F: So, what makes Eyewear24Seven special and different than the others?

B: Well, I do the shopping for my customers. I pick the best of the best designers: Chanel, Celine, Gucci, Fendi, Dior, Roberto Cavalli, Alexander McQueen, and much more.  Every designer has their own unique style and I love curating my own unique collection for my special customers. There will always be that one perfect pair that matches each and every one of my unique clients, and they always end up coming back for yet another perfect pair.

The cherry on top is that I offer a major discount off the retail prices. (Be sure to check my Instagram page daily for special promotions; and sometimes I offer even bigger discounts depending on the season.) I also can offer you discounted prices for styles you may find in department stores that I may not carry, and I can even add prescription lenses to your sunglasses. I also ship all over the country.

SAVE 30% off the retail price on all Eyewear24Seven AUTHENTIC designer sunglasses: Follow and message Blimie on Instagram, or call (917) 374-1308 and mention you saw this on Fashionisha!

F. Okay here’s the biggie: How do you manage running a business and being a wife and mom…and being so damn fabulous on top of all that?

B. I do my best. Don’t we all? I try to give my husband and kids the most attention possible, while still doing the best I can for myself to fulfill my desires and achieve my goals in the business world. Happy wife, happy life!

F. Yes, I agree! Self care is crucial to being a giver. If you could have lunch with someone famous, dead or alive, who would it be?

B. Larry David or Seinfeld! Comedy is key in life, and laughter is always the best medicine. And we as members of the elite Jewish class can all relate to Larry David. In my personal life, I often find myself saying, “This is such a Larry moment!”

Also, being that I'm so into music, I would love to do lunch with Alicia Keys, because she is my favorite singer/songwriter/piano player...which is me! I especially can relate to her New York song..."the streets that inspire you, make you feel brand new..." My roots will always be in New York, but my home is now Miami. So lunch with Alicia and Pitbull...now that would be a major soul connection!

F. What’s you mantra or favorite quote?

B. Always focus on the good.

F. Ahh... mine too! There is no other way! If you could tell your younger self one thing what would it be?

B. Follow your gut and don’t care about what others think. Trust your inner wisdom; it steers you right every time.

F. So true. Can you share with us your dreams, aspirations and goals for the future?

B. First and foremost I want my children to be happy, successful and comfortable in who they are.  I hope they always strive to be whatever they want to be and do it the best they can with ambition and success. But most importantly, I want them to be happy and like what they're doing; to always have a goal. I have new dreams every day, and I feel like life experience takes me to a different level of appreciation of different things.  And when I get the feeling that I want to do something, it’s never too late. You’re not dead yet! Until you're dead, you're alive.

"Until you're dead, you're alive."

F. Love that! You have so much wisdom here for women of all ages.

So...what are you having for dinner?

B. Meatballs and spaghetti. I told you, I feel like I'm half Italian!

F. Awesome! Ok...just for fun...bath or shower?

B. Bath.

F. Tea or coffee?

B. Coffee.

F. Yoga or Spin?

B. Spin!

F. Bold lips or smoky eye?

B. Bold lips.

F. Fried foods or sweets?

B. Fried foods.

F. Love your answers...love you! This was so fun. Thanks for being here...xo

SAVE 30% off the retail price on all Eyewear24Seven AUTHENTIC designer sunglasses: Follow and message Blimie on Instagram, or call (917) 374-1308 and mention you saw this on Fashionisha!

Until next time,

xx

Sharon & Blimi

This is a sponsored post. All sponsored posts on Fashion-isha.com feature products I approve of, and all opinions are true and honest. If you'd like to be considered for feature here on the blog, please email me at ask.fashionisha@gmail.com.