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

Hi Lama, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Growing up in an entrepreneurial family, I always knew that I wanted to work for myself one day. I had built a career designing for some of the top brands in NYC before moving to California. I’ve always been a creator and storyteller and I liked the idea of being able to build my own path as a female entrepreneur and offer empowering design solutions to my clients.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
LYD Studio is a 360-degree design studio offering branding, digital, media, brand consultation and design education. We work with clients in the initial stages of brand strategy all the way up to art direction and brand production. We pride ourselves on offering a wide range of services to our clients. Each client has their own unique style. Some clients come to us with a very particular vision and others are more open to experimenting. LYD Studio is unique because we take the time to understand our clients business goals and ensure we involve them in every stage of the creative process. We work hard to find the best design solutions for their business to succeed.

I’ve always been resourceful and passionate about helping others. With LYD I wanted to create a design studio that provides clients with the type of support that helps them connect with their target audience, along with design resources and education to help other entrepreneurs who are starting out based on my experience and journey as a designer and founder. I’m excited to continue growing LYD and making new professional friendships along the way.

My journey to entrepreneurship was not linear, I graduated from college with a business degree and had zero knowledge of the design industry at the time. I was always into the arts and practiced painting as a hobby. As I got older I fell in love with typography, editorial magazines, brand logos and color psychology. I loved the emotional impact design has in influencing people’s choices and knew design was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I taught myself how to use design tools by watching youtube tutorials and taking on short courses here and there, then got my foot in the door designing the User Interface of an educational software tool for a bootstrap startup. From there I built my portfolio and started working as a contractor for different brands designing websites and logos. This eventually led me to several dream jobs as a senior art director. I got to work with fantastic people and had amazing mentors who encouraged me to develop an intrapreneurial mindset and think outside the box.

Entrepreneurship is not easy, if it is then everyone would do it. I started LYD Studio in the middle of a pandemic without being fully ready and risking the comfort of a monthly paycheck and a stable job. I was itching for something bigger than myself that could push me out of my comfort zone so I can become a better designer and have the freedom to do things on my own. It turned out to be the best risk I ever took. I believe that you must take risks to better yourself and your career. Everything in life comes with some risk, you need to decide which risk you’re willing to take.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Santa Barbara is a small town that packs a lot! Here’s a few of my fav things to do for a long weekend! 1. Beach – Go to East beach and enjoy a dip in the ocean or catch a volleyball game with some of the locals.
2. Coffee – Head to CAJÉ on Haley street for their amazing coffee lattes and their cute space.
3. Workout – Grab an early full circuit workout at F45.
4. Restaurant – Flor De Maiz is a cute Mexican restaurant, try out their Ceviche and Margaritas.
5. Cannabis Distillery – Head to Coastal Dispensary for some 420 friendly gifts.

Website: https://lyd-studio.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lydesignstudio/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lydstudio/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lydesignstudios

Image Credits
Photographs by Ryan J Leone

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