Lilia Oleinik: “My business is united by one idea – raising a healthy generation.

Woman Magazine

When we hear the phrase “successful woman,” we always imagine a certain image that pleases the eye, inspires and impresses with its charm. That’s why we chose her as the face of Woman’s June digital cover – beautiful, versatile and elegant. You, too, are invited to become acquainted with
Lilya Oleynik
.

Our heroine is the owner of the ILive healthy eating cafe chain, the ideological inspirer and creator of the ILive Center for Family Development and Leisure, a businesswoman, radio and TV presenter of the “Happy Family” program. Lilia Oleinik has made a name for herself not only professionally, but also as a mother of four children. In the interview, the heroine talked about how she manages to do everything and why it is important for her to run a creative business. We also talked about conscious consumption, the role of media in raising children, and the secrets of harmonious relationships.

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Liliya, you successfully run both a restaurant business and an educational services business. How did it happen that such different areas intertwined in your life?

At first glance it may indeed seem that the areas are different, but my business has one idea in common – raising a healthy generation. It has three bases. The first is spiritual, which includes the development of positive thinking, proper education and building harmonious relationships between people. The second is physical development. And the third is, of course, a healthy diet. I believe that all three aspects are very important in creating a happy society and family. So it was this idea that I implemented in the ILive brand. My business started with a small café 10 years ago. His mission is to feed every guest the right healthy food and show that it can be both tasty, affordable and varied. Later I opened a second café and a bakery. Here we bake delicious yeast-free bread. Anyone can buy it and use it in their diet. ILivecentre has been open for 5 years and offers adults and children a variety of classes – from counseling psychologists, creative master classes to dance, yoga, aikido and other practices. Of course, we did not cover the entire range of services in this area, but even this small part is quite in demand and made with love.

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Would you say that one of your projects is more focused on making money, and the other is more for the soul?

I don’t have a single project for business. All projects are for the soul. I’ll tell you the truth: they don’t make a lot of money. I don’t have cash registers like those who own famous restaurants. It just so happens that my hobbies have grown into a business that I now run for the pleasure and benefit of myself and others.

Right now, healthy eating, conscious consumption and development are at the peak of popularity. And you are one of the first to popularize this topic in Ukraine. How does sustainability manifest itself in your life today?

I have a simple wooden house, an area where I grow trees and flowers without using chemical fertilizers and sprayers. If, for example, I have aphids on my roses, I prepare a garlic solution and sprinkle it on them. If I need to clean my house, I use baking soda and mustard. It’s the same in consumption. Indeed, there is an overabundance in our world. Why? Because everything is available. And the human condition is such that every time he wants more – and unconsciously it is difficult to stop it. But when you think about it, you realize that you only need a few pairs of shoes, handbags, a certain amount of food that won’t go bad and you won’t throw them away. After all, you don’t have to make a first, second and third course. You can make one full-fledged one. For example, Sweetball or Veganball. This is a large plate that is filled with rice, and on top of the optimal amount of greens and vegetables or fruit, also pickles or seaweed, shrimp or fish. This, I believe, is the reduction of consumption. That’s how my family lives.

Our society is more accustomed to men holding high office, running a business, showing himself in different roles. Have you ever experienced injustice or inequality in the business world?

Everyone talks about it, but I’ve never encountered it. I believe that if a person has talent in a particular field, no one will emphasize whether it is a man or a woman. Only professional qualities and relationships between people are important.

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Liliya, you are also active in social and community activities and host a program about family relationships. In your opinion, is the media more influential on personal development now than it used to be?

I think so. And therein lies some danger. For example, it has recently become fashionable among bloggers to paint their faces, depicting the consequences of violence, and display this on social media. But what propaganda is carried by this flash mob? And why do public figures support him? Have they thought about the fact that they also have children and thus they say: domestic violence is okay. But this is not normal! And you have to be open about it. Each person must understand the messages they carry to society and be accountable for their actions. So I will never support this kind of manifestation. I’m all for creativity and a healthy perception of the world. We must be clearly aware not only of our actions, but also of our words and even our thoughts-it is how our favorable future is shaped. And the main responsibility, in addition to the parents, falls precisely on all sources of information.

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How do you manage to do everything? Since you have a large family waiting for you at home, who also need attention and care.

First of all, my children motivate me. If I didn’t have them, I wouldn’t have time for so much. After all, the more kids you have, the more organized you become. But the most important thing is planning. I have several books where I handwrite plans for the year, month, week, day. Especially when it comes to business and finance. It helps not to lose the foundation. Because sometimes you can go in one direction and forget the other. I also divide cases into urgent, important and other. But I always start the day with my favorites and pleasant ones. For example, when I come to a cafe, the first thing I want to do is look at all the flowers and check the table settings, because I love aesthetics and beauty. And only then will I start doing grocery shopping and other business matters. The same goes for my home: I love it when everything is decorated with flowers and positive emotions – then everything gets done faster.

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In view of your busyness, I think the value of communication for you is an order of magnitude higher than for others. How selective are you about the people you let into your social circle, both in business and in your personal life?

I have no selectivity. That’s one of my rules. No matter what kind of person, we should never judge people. My principle is to always listen and, if possible, help. But if 100 people a day write to me and ask for financial help – I just can’t help, I don’t have that capability. I wish I could, though. But I can help in other ways – with advice, with directions, with the organization of the event, especially when it comes to children. For example, make catering for them as a gift. I believe that while it used to be a spiritual rule, now it’s a real business rule. Good business that does not fight and compete, but rather strengthens each other.

What inspires you and gives you the strength to do new things?

Of course, my favorite people and my home. If I have a spare minute, I love to light the fireplace and play the piano, dance or sing with the kids. We can do home theater with them, paint together, or go out into the garden to play badminton. I also enjoy walking, I like to collect herbs, as well as dreaming a lot and even implementing my plans for the greening of my home region. And also to travel.

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Since we’re talking about travel, what are your family’s favorite countries or places?

It so happened that our whole family chose Greece as a vacation destination – we spend our vacations there every year. We are also very fond of our native beautiful Ukraine. Kharkiv, Odessa and Lviv are the cities where it’s nice to go for a weekend. But besides this, I can note many small favorite places: the bank of the Ros river, where I was born, Alexandria and Sofievka parks, Mezhigorie, Radomyshl Castle.

You are a successful and fulfilled person. What do you think makes a woman truly happy and feminine?

Only she herself. If she wakes up in the morning, looks in the mirror and admires herself, no matter what she looks like or what the circumstances are around her, that’s happiness. Such a woman is loaded. And she charges everyone around her with the same happiness, love and light. And if you also have people around who support you, it’s a gift from the universe.

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For many families, the recent quarantine and forced isolation were a real test of the strength of relationships. As an expert in this field, what advice would you give? How do couples maintain harmony and understanding during difficult times in life?

The main secret of harmony is respect. Respect the other person in their otherness. Maybe he wants to wake up earlier than you do, and you have no right to tell him anything about it and object. You just have to be glad he’s different. That is, to respect his freedom, his will. There is no need to impose, to reproach. If you respect the person, you will be comfortable with him in any space and society. But if you have grievances against the world and against yourself, then you will seek self-assertion through humiliation of your partner. So add more love, tenderness, joy and pleasure to your life.


Journalist: Eugenia Vlasenko

Photo: personal archive of Lilia Oleynik

 


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