Local Business Shoutout: Lookeesan And Eliyco

I am not an expert on Adobe Illustrator or Canva. Much of what I learnt, I got it from Liyana. When I went for her Adobe Illustrator workshop, I was blown away with her skills, knowledge and patience. She carefully designed her lesson to cater to the student's capabilities. Till today, I still use everything she taught (all the tips and tricks) for I.A. Designs. I am so grateful to have met a teacher like her.

Let's get to know this sweet entrepreneur in her journey building her empire and sharing and teaching what she loves to others who aspire to be a graphic designer and creating a brand for themselves.

Liyana, owner of Lookeesan and Eliyco

Photo credit: Liyana

Hi Liyana, thank you for the interview. Share a little about yourself and your businesses, Lookeesan and Eliyco!

I am a self-taught graphic designer turned trainer and creative agency owner, with a keen interest in design, psychology and... cats. I love to diversify my collection of knowledge because I know that ultimately, this helps me with one thing - I’m able to spot connections and find the best solutions for my clients and students.

Lookeesan Creatives started in 2017. It is an inclusive creative skills training company devoted to nurturing creativity among learners of all levels, ages, and abilities. Through our workshops and programmes, we offer a comprehensive curriculum that covers design, business, and creative skills. Our goal is to make learning design accessible and enjoyable for everyone, regardless of their background or experience level.

Photo Credit: Lookeesan

Eliyco is a branding and design agency with a passion to help businesses build powerful brand visual identities that connect, inspire and bring people together. With over 12 years of collective experience in design, we work closely with start-ups, small businesses and big brands and help them with their logo, website and social media.

What inspired you to start Lookeesan and Eliyco?

Lookeesan Creatives began in 2017 after I decided to use my newfound Adobe Illustrator skills to venture into freelance designing. Convinced that others could make money out of the same skill too, I then ventured into training - starting with one-on-one workshops to bigger group workshops ranging from as little as 3 to over 50 participants.

The more design workshops were conducted, the more design job enquiries came in. As a solopreneur, I already had my hands full with teaching. So when the opportunity came to work together with a new designer friend named Elinur, this led to the formation of branding and design agency, Eliyco (Eli & Liy Co, geddit?)

Photo Credit: Eliyco

To add more value in our offers, we then decided to merge with another company called Reka Collective, a creative agency that now offers design and marketing services.

What routines do you follow daily?

I start my day at 5.30AM with morning prayers and Quran recitation. After journaling + planning my day, I head out for my morning walk and listen to either a motivational speech (gets me pumped up!) or a podcast (I enjoy listening to The Golden Nuggets, Mindset Mentor and The School of Greatness). Once I get home, I have breakfast and get ready to start work.

Photo Credit: Lookeesan

Can you describe a major setback you faced and how you overcame it?

A major setback has got to be my self-doubt and low self-esteem, which I have battled for almost my whole life haha. I got stressed really easily, and was afraid to take risks or commitments. This meant that Lookeesan could only grow so little.

It was only in 2022 when I intentionally set out on a journey to heal. I went for counselling and therapy, and surrounded myself with a lot, a lot of self-help stuff like books and seminars. Through therapy, I talked about childhood issues and took active steps to change my mindset - from a victim mentality to becoming more empowered.

I was also diagnosed with ADHD, which explains a lot of my quirks and struggles with focus. I'm still a work-in-progress but I now engage in kinder self-talk and build on my strengths.

What are your favourite parts of the business?

It's the flexibility and freedom to choose who I want to work with, when and where! It's a lot more productive and satisfying when you're working on something you really enjoy.

Photo Credit: Eliyco

What advice will you give to aspiring business owners?

Don't be afraid to fail! When you start anything new, it's going to be very daunting. But if you never try, you'll never know. So keep trying and if you fail, treat it as an experiment - what went wrong and what can you do better? Don't take it to heart and just keep going.

When you do things with the right intention, the right people/experiences/opportunities will come your way, really.

Also, find your support system. Very helpful to have your own cheerleaders.

What is 2024 going to be like for Lookeesan and Eliyco?

It's going to be amazing, InsyaAllah! On Lookeesan side of things, I'll be working with more partners to run more courses on digital creation - like videos, design, presentations etc.

Thank you once again Liyana for this interview! Visit Lookeesan to check out their workshops and Eliyco for a branding audit!