Q&A with Laila Essa
Journalist: Alaa Gamal Eldin
Editor & Publisher: Dr. Mahmoud Mansi
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lailaessa/
https://www.lailacopywriter.com/about-laila-copywriter/
Laila Essa is a trailblazer in Saudi Arabia’s copywriting and localization landscape. With an unwavering passion for Saudi culture and a natural gift for storytelling, she co-founded Taglime eight years ago alongside her husband to bring the authentic essence of Saudi Arabia to the global stage. Today, under her visionary leadership, Taglime has transformed into a powerhouse, collaborating with top-tier agencies and corporate giants in the Kingdom.
Laila is not just reshaping the copywriting landscape—she’s also redefining leadership. With 88% of her team composed of women, her workplace thrives on collaboration, empowerment, and innovation. She has successfully fused cutting-edge AI tools with human narratives, ensuring that every word resonates on a deeply cultural level while maintaining its impact.
Rooted in her commitment to the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, Laila focuses on telling Saudi Arabia’s story—rich in heritage, pride, and transformation. Her work champions a Saudi-first approach, ensuring that the Kingdom’s evolving identity is shared authentically with the world. By challenging traditional narratives, Laila has positioned Taglime as the go-to agency for Saudi brands, playing a pivotal role in shaping how the world sees the real Saudi Arabia.
The Interview:
Women of Saudi Arabia: Having your own business is perfect, but having a meaningful business that delivers your values and purpose to the world is the real win, so can you tell us more about the motivation behind starting your copywriting business?
Laila Essa: Frustration. Simple as that! Frustration that in a world where content is king, it is still being taken for granted. Strategists, designers, brand experts, public relations—all departments rely on content. Good content. Effective and thoughtful content. So why are copywriters sitting in the corner of the office, expected to churn out a thousand words a day without receiving the appreciation they deserve?
As a result, I saw brands—big, small, local, global—using content that felt detached from the real pulse of Saudi Arabia. And what a rapidly evolving nation we are! So why wasn’t our content evolving with us?
At my core, I’m still that little girl who used to read stories under her blanket with a flashlight, filled with awe at every twist and turn. That same girl wanted to build something that wasn’t just another agency but a voice that spoke to the world in a language of authenticity, culture, and change.
My philosophy is: Don’t build a business for today—build it for the next decade. I wasn’t just filling a gap; I was starting a movement to bring authenticity into a market that needed it. And thankfully, the timing was right.
I owned the narrative.
Women of Saudi Arabia: Every business journey has its own challenges, tell us How the challenges evolved from the start of your entrepreneurial journey to now, and what strategies did you employ to face them?
Laila Essa: Money. Survival. Clients.
Like every startup founder, my mind was consumed by these three elements. Any bootstrapped entrepreneur will understand the hustle—where you believe in what you’re doing, but the real challenge is getting others to believe in it, too.
I still remember landing my first client (side note: he’s still working with me to this day, Alhamdulillah). I couldn’t believe it! How could someone actually pay me to do what I love? That was one of the greatest blessings Allah bestowed upon me—turning passion into livelihood.
But then came the next hurdle: credibility. Proving that a small, independent agency could deliver at the level of bigger, more established competitors. It wasn’t just about words on a page; it was about demonstrating that a dedicated copywriting agency could be the turnkey solution for every other aspect of marketing.
Today, the challenge has shifted again. Now, it’s about building a team willing to walk miles with you—together. Retaining Gen Z employees is no easy thing, as any founder will tell you. They’re passionate, dynamic, but also restless. So, I’ve made it my mission to create a space where people can grow and groom themselves, a space where they feel seen and valued.
It’s easy to follow the crowd, but the businesses that last are the ones that stay grounded in their values. That’s the essence of building something with real staying power. Sometimes, the fastest way to grow is to slow down. It’s about taking your time, fostering the right environment, and trusting that with patience and perseverance, growth will come.
Women of Saudi Arabia: As you have been in the Saudi market for years, Are Saudi clients different from other clients? What are their needs?
Laila Essa: Saudi clients are unlike any other clientele in the whole world. They are deeply deeply rooted in culture. They’re not looking for flashy; they’re looking for substance.
But what makes them truly different is that they’re at this fascinating intersection between tradition and hyper-modernity. Their needs aren’t just about reflecting their past; they’re about projecting their future.
A lot of people outside the Kingdom don’t realize how quickly things are changing here. It’s not about playing to those old images anymore. It’s about helping brands understand that Saudi clients value quiet confidence. They don’t need their identity shouted back at them; they want it reflected in subtle, meaningful ways.
What they truly need is content that speaks to both their heritage and the bold future they’re building. It’s a balance of reverence and rebellion, and that’s a tricky line to walk.
Women of Saudi Arabia: How do you handle challenging clients effectively?
Laila Essa: Sometimes, they’re more afraid than difficult. They’re afraid of taking risks, trusting a new person, afraid of the creative process, and afraid of change. So I remind myself—and them—that clarity comes from action, not thought. It’s about getting them to take that first step, to trust in the process.
But here’s the unconventional part: I don’t believe the customer is always right. Business relationships, like any relationship, should be mutual. Sometimes, you need to stand your ground, even if it means losing a client. It’s better to lose a client than to lose your integrity.
Women of Saudi Arabia: All the world now is witnessing the great advancements in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia… How do you envision the future of the Copywriting Business amidst the rapid advancements in the kingdom?
Laila Essa: There are two possibilities: copywriting will either rise to meet the times and become the most crucial element or fade into irrelevance. We’re seeing a flood of surface-level content, but the true value will be in the substance.
There’s this obsession in the Saudi market about marketing the Kingdom’s progress, but without authenticity, all this content will fall flat! I believe the future of copywriting here will rely on how well we can tell the real story, the one that doesn’t just focus on the glitz but digs deeper into the soul of these advancements.
Not just pretty words, but storytelling with a purpose.
Women of Saudi Arabia: Is Artificial Intelligence (AI) a threat or an opportunity in the copywriting business? And how can copywriters leverage AI to enhance the quality of their work?
Laila Essa: AI is like a hammer! Yup! In the right hands, it’s a tool that can build incredible things. In the wrong hands, it can smash everything. AI won’t replace writers—it will replace mediocre ones. The lazy ones. The opportunity is to use AI to handle the repetitive tasks, freeing up time to be more creative, more strategic.
But here’s the kicker: AI can’t do nuance. It can’t feel. It doesn’t understand the quiet power of a well-placed word. Words written from the heart. So while AI is here to stay, the future belongs to the writers who know when to let AI handle the mundane and when to step in with the magic only humans can create.
The challenge for copywriters now is to stay human.
Women of Saudi Arabia: What special traits should copywriters possess? What advice would you offer junior copywriters?
Laila Essa: Be curious, not clever. Clever writers are everywhere, but curious writers? They dig deeper. My advice to junior copywriters is: Ask the questions no one else is asking. Don’t just write to impress—write to understand. And don’t fall into the trap of thinking more words make you a better writer. Sometimes the most powerful message is in what you leave unsaid.
Another thing I would beg them to understand is don’t chase trends. Chase the truth. The moment you start following what’s hot, you lose what makes your voice unique. And in a world full of noise, the only thing that cuts through is authenticity.
Be yourself. Cliché but powerful.
Women of Saudi Arabia: Should every business owner prioritize learning copywriting skills? If so, why?
Laila Essa: Yes, and here’s why: If you don’t know how to communicate your story, someone else will—and they’ll probably get it wrong. Copywriting isn’t just about selling products; it’s about conveying the soul of your business.
When business owners understand the basics of copywriting, they control their own narrative. It’s not about becoming a full-time writer; it’s about understanding the power of words to shape perception, build trust, and connect with people.
In the end, every business is in the business of communication.
Women of Saudi Arabia: Kudos to you and your spouse for setting a business together! Tell us more about your Business partnership with your spouse?
Laila Essa: Working with Bilal is like having a mirror that constantly shows you your best and worst self. He’s my best critic and the biggest supporter in the same room. The beauty of our partnership is that we don’t shy away from difficult conversations. It’s not all smooth sailing, but growth doesn’t happen in comfort zones.
There’s this unspoken understanding that helps us challenge each other without getting defensive. We decided early on that we won’t sugarcoat things. If things are not right, we will call out and say it’s not right.
At the end of the day, having a business together with your spouse is both exhilarating and tough because there’s no “off” switch—you’re living and breathing it all the time. But the beauty is, we’ve managed to build something that is an extension of us, and that’s rare.
Women of Saudi Arabia: What are the pros of having a business partnership with your spouse? And how does it align with cultural norms In the kingdom?
Laila Essa: We often ask people, “why you’re not working with your spouse when they have complimentary skills?” and this question takes them by surprise.
In a culture where family values are central, our partnership feels natural. But culturally, the idea of working so closely with your spouse can raise eyebrows (and it does!). I think we’re challenging that narrative. Marriage and business don’t have to exist in separate worlds; they can complement each other.
We make it work because we both understand that our partnership extends beyond the office. It’s about creating something that reflects both of us, personally and professionally.
Women of Saudi Arabia: Balancing feminine and masculine energies is crucial for business owners who are also spouses. How do you manage this duality effectively in your roles?
Laila Essa: There’s this misconception that masculine energy is about being tough, and feminine energy is about being soft. But what I’ve realized is that they’re just different forms of strength.
Bilal and I manage this duality by recognizing when it’s time to lead with intuition and empathy (feminine) and when to be assertive and decisive (masculine). It’s about balance, not dominance. It’s a dance, not a battle. And honestly, the more we embrace both energies, the stronger we become as business partners and as a couple.
Women of Saudi Arabia: After the new KSA 2030 vision, what’s your own vision for the copywriting business in the kingdom and how is copywriting essential to the Kingdom’s 2030 Vision?
Laila Essa: The one thing that I want people to remember from this conversation is: Copywriting will be the backbone of Saudi Arabia’s 2030 Vision.
But here’s the catch: It won’t be about creating more content. It will be about creating the right content. As the Kingdom pushes toward modernization, the world will need to see not just the surface changes but the deeper cultural shifts. Copywriters will have to be the translators of this new reality, helping the world understand Saudi Arabia’s transformation in a way that resonates globally but stays true to local identity.
My vision? To make sure every word we write tells the real story of this new Saudi Arabia – inclusive, innovative, and truly transformative.
