Hi! I'm Zaakirah (zaa-key-ra) I help you Go from where you are (stuck, stagnant, scared) and where you want to go in your business and life (freedom). I provide Black and Indigenous creatives with strategies that empower them to achieve their goals through branding and storytelling, and marketing.For the last 20 years, I've been storytelling by any creative means necessary; photography, writing, film, and podcasting.I check all the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility boxes.I’m a visually impaired, hard of hearing, cancer survivor, chronically ill Muslim Woman. Knowing your history helps you propel and prepare for your future. Entrepreneurship is ownership, and flexibility is key. Sign up for my semi-weekly newsletter!
Essence Fest Recap and Disability Pride Month
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Reader, I just got back from Essence Festival — and I’m still processing. I spoke at two activations, both filled with people who showed up ready to listen and talk about disability, inclusion, and what it truly means to be empathetic to other communities. It was powerful. And in both rooms, I kept hearing the same thought echo in my mind: we need more of this. We need spaces to belong, to rediscover ourselves, and to feel empowered to keep going. Here is the link to watch the 3 minute recap: Here is the link to watch the full 17 minute See Life Different: Reimagining Inclusion panel discussion I moderated. There were bright spots. I got to meet Lachi, a blind singer songwriter, who spoke on the author’s stage and had her book, I Identify as Blind featured. I got to meet Dr. Munirah Bomani, a Muslimah who vended at BeautyCon and took the stage Unbothered and Well, in addition to the We Love Us Stage (Pictured in the middle - to the left is a Muslimah first time attendee and then there is me in the long blue scarf). Representation showed up — and it mattered. There have also been some visible improvements in accessibility since I last attended Essence Fest in 2024, such as more ASL interpreters, which I’m genuinely grateful for. But a gap still remains. At the venue level, there were no clear instructions for attendees with disabilities. On the content side, captions were largely absent from social media coverage. Small things — but not small to people like me who need them. Two years ago today, my Facebook memories reminded me that what I’m building has been in motion for a while. This is a manifestation coming to life. So I’m building it. If you’re ready to make your content, your workspace, or your events more accessible for people with sensory and other invisible disabilities, and also build your brand so you too can speak on stages, I’m available for consulting. Next week, I’m hosting a free webinar — See Your Content Different — and I’ll be sharing more details about something I’ve been quietly working on that I think you’ll want to be part of. Join me July 16 at 7pm Eastern Time. Click here to Register. P.S. It’s July — Disability Pride Month. There’s no better time for this.
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Your Branding and Marketing Therapist
Hi! I'm Zaakirah (zaa-key-ra) I help you Go from where you are (stuck, stagnant, scared) and where you want to go in your business and life (freedom). I provide Black and Indigenous creatives with strategies that empower them to achieve their goals through branding and storytelling, and marketing.For the last 20 years, I've been storytelling by any creative means necessary; photography, writing, film, and podcasting.I check all the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility boxes.I’m a visually impaired, hard of hearing, cancer survivor, chronically ill Muslim Woman. Knowing your history helps you propel and prepare for your future. Entrepreneurship is ownership, and flexibility is key. Sign up for my semi-weekly newsletter!
Reader, I'm thinking about the news of actress Hayden Panettiere's passing. I knew of her music from Disney Channel days, most people know her from Bring It On or Nashville. My favorite song of hers is My Hero is You. In May, she released her memoir This Is Me: A Reckoning and shared her story publicly of being a child star and dealing with grief. Her passing is a reminder of something I've often spoken of: Heal, but also don't wait to tell the story. Don't wait to create the thing. Don't...
Reader, June this year, I had the opportunity to attend SXSW London 2026. SXSW (South by Southwest) brings together people from across technology, culture, media, music, film, and entrepreneurship to exchange ideas and shape what’s next. While the conference did an excellent job accommodating my hearing and vision dual sensory needs, accessibility is still treated as an add-on in most media, event, and experience design, when it should be the starting point. Being in that space reminded me...
Reader, Apparently, I have a pattern I hadn't named out loud before: I tend to move to a new place roughly every two years. I find myself packing boxes and luggages, moving to a new place, and stepping into a new season of life. I don't intentionally plan it that way, but looking back, it's a rhythm of embracing change, trusting the process, and creating space for what's next, while intentionally choosing a lesser known historically black city and neighborhood that has Black owned businesses...