Alhamdulillah For Everything – Who Is Iliyah Modest Boutique?

Salamu Alaikum sisters,
I wanted to write this blog post to introduce myself as a lot of my lovely customers and clients don’t know who I am and think Iliyah Modest Boutique is a big business, which isn’t a bad thing and would love Iliyah Modest Boutique to become a big business one day Inshallah.

I am a small humble business and I am grateful for every order I get because they are turning my dream into a reality.

My name is Linda Zaarour Ene and I am 33 years old I am a revert since 2010, I am Aussie (born in Sydney) but my background is Romanian.

I have a background with over 10 years of experience working in the Digital Marketing field working in house for many big business including; Best & Less, Harris Scarfe, Kennards Self Storage, Pepkor SEA, National Tiles, Ozzy Tyres and many more well known brands.

I studied Journalism at Macleay College (A prestigious and exclusive Private College where all the well known Radio Hosts, News reporters, magazine writers studied at) and had a big job lined up at any Radio, News, Magazine business, but knew that it wasn’t my true calling.

I had loved writing and was very good at it, a teacher who worked for Better Homes and Gardens Magazine told me that she loved my writing and was sad when I left but wanted to explore advertising amongst other careers.

After deferring and taking a leap year I entered the workforce, I started temping doing all the jobs others wouldn’t do like photocopying, folding letters and placing them into envelopes, answering phones, doing admin work for so many companies just so I could get my foot in the door and build up a resume where I could find a decent steady job.

I literally started at the bottom. After working for almost 2 years temping I landed my first permanent full time contract DLook which was an online business directory and was introduced to Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) (which is now my specialty) I had an amazing manager who previously worked for Yahoo who taught me everything I need to know and told me to stick to this career as Search Engine Optimisation and Digital Marketing will change the world and that I would be a valuable asset to any business. You can see my work history on my LinkedIn Profile.

I had listened and focused on climbing the career ladder in Digital Marketing I worked with so many talented individual’s, that I’m so grateful to they taught me everything I know.

It was always my dream to start my own Digital Marketing Agency since working at Blink Digital (part of the Yodel Group which were market leaders at the time I worked there) and Ecommerce business ever since I worked at Best & Less I fell in love with it and new that someday I would be running my own Digital Marketing agency and Modest Clothing business selling Hijabs. For a long time I kept contemplating starting my businesses did all the planning, buying samples, marketing research, budgeting and everything else involved with starting my own business but never actually started it. I always had the safety net of working for a big brand with a very good salary and kept putting my dream aside. My mum who is one of my biggest supporters kept telling me to stop being scared and go for it, that I deserve more. (Thank you mum I love you so much)

Back in 2018, at the beginning of Ramadan my whole life was turned upside down. I was involved in a motor vehicle accident while stopped at a red light. A truck had rear ended my car. I spent many years seeing specialists, Physiotherapists, Psychologists, alternative doctors doing anything possible to get my old life back.

I was not able to return back to work due to my back and neck injuries and psychological trauma. My safety net had disappeared and I wasn’t sure if I would ever be able to work again.

I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia amongst other injuries and those with a Chronic Illness know how bad it is. Everyday is different and you need to learn to live with your pain.

Alhamdulillah for Islam and Allah swt, I was able to overcome all the darkness, pain and trauma I suffered from for 5 years and become the strong, independent, mum and entrepreneur I am today.

What Allah swt took away from me, he replaced it with something so much better he turned my dreams into a reality. When I was told by so many specialists that I could never work again or be a mum due to my pain Allah swt was there for me. I was able to overcome everything and prove everyone wrong.

Because of my faith and conviction, an amazing family support system I have been running 2 businesses; Iliyah Digital Marketing and Iliyah Modest Boutique and have a beautiful daughter.

I kept making dua’s to Allah swt and never once did I not believe that Allah wouldn’t grant me a chance to go back to working, being a mum and doing what I love.

I kept telling myself if I ever go back to work I would do things differently. I wanted to use my knowledge, experience and skills for good and help the Muslim community.

My main focus of my Digital Marketing business is working with Muslim owned business and helping them achieve their goals through; website design, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), Search Engine Marketing (Google Paid Ads), Social Advertising (Meta Ads), User Experience and Conversion Rate Optimisation (CRO).

I also wanted to start my own clothing business as I was obsessed with clothing and fashion from a little girl, I always used to watch Bold And The Beautiful with my mum and was so amazed with all the clothes and designs.

Allah knew that one day I would be designing and manufacturing the Jilbabs and Hijab caps that I sell to all of you.

Subhanallah, everything happens by Allah’s Qadr (will) but we are to busy to realise, life is so fast paced that the only time we realise is when something tragic happens and we turn back to Allah and see all the blessings he had given us.

Alhamdulillah my tragedies and hardships they were blessings in disguise and are the reasons why I am who I am today and have achieved more than I could every imagine.

Always turn to Allah and keep making dua,

These are two of my favourite verses from the Quran that always give me strength when times are tough and I need support:

Kun faya kun

“Be, and it is”

Surah Al-Baqarah (2:117)

Fa inna ma’al usri yusra

“For indeed, with hardship [will be] ease.”

Surah Ash-Sharh (94:5)

Inna ma’al ‘usri Yusra

“Indeed, with hardship [will be] ease.”

Surah Ash-Sharh (94:6)

Thank you to every single one of you who have played a part in supporting me, whether you placed an order, or where there for me when I needed a shoulder to cry on. And the most important thanks is to Allah swt for blessing me with everything.

Always chase your dreams no matter what and never take no as an answer, you all have what is most important by your side Al-Mu’tee (The Giver) Allah!

Alhamdullilah for everything!

May Allah swt grant you all endless blessings, Ameen.