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!
Legacy, Connection, and Returning from Family Reunion with Full Heart
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Reader, This past weekend, I attended my maternal family's 80th reunion, and I left feeling deeply inspired. There is something special about being surrounded by people who look like you, think like you, and understand the importance of legacy. I spent the weekend listening to family stories, laughing with cousins, and being reminded that I come from generations of brilliance, resilience, and service. One of my favorite memories wasn't a grand moment at all. It had been three years since our last Bailey Casson Family Reunion, and in those three years, I lost four immediate family members. I carried that with me all weekend — quietly, the way grief travels when you're in the middle of something joyful. We were in a line of cars on the way to the park for our cookout. We drove through neighborhoods that our elders used to drive. A line of cars to a cookout. Not a funeral. After the losses of the last few years, that felt like everything and I just sat with the gratitude of it with my favorite songs blasting in the rental car bluetooth. The reunion also reminded me how much I enjoy producing experiences that bring people together. As the Communications Committee Member, I found myself slipping back into my event management skill set—making sure things were accessible, paying attention to the energy in the room, and helping create a seamless experience for everyone involved. I managed the Zoom experience for our reunion, ran the YouTube livestream, moderated the chat, supported camera transitions, and collaborated with the production team at the historic A.M.E church that my family often frequented with their OBS studio — all while being a family member present in the room. I was the unofficial DJ, watching the energy of the crowd and adjusting the music accordingly. I was making sure virtual attendees felt as connected as the people standing right next to me. Along with making sure that the cousins who were the volunteer photos took photos of everyone who got dressed up for the banquet dinner, seamless, accessible events don't happen by accident. Someone has to hold the back end so everyone else can be present. I'm currently reopening space for virtual event and seminar management clients. I handle breakout rooms, translator coordination, slide sharing, chat management, presenter support, and livestream coordination — so that facilitators can focus entirely on delivery. I'm currently working with Landmark Worldwide and have capacity for additional clients. If you have a webinar, conference, workshop, or community gathering coming up and you need someone who runs a tight, accessible, human-centered virtual experience — reply to this email or book using this link. I'm also still accepting 1:1 mentor sessions for creators, speakers, and entrepreneurs navigating accessible storytelling, media, artificial intelligence and visibility. Book using this link. If you're writing a book—or you've recently published one—and aren't sure how to market it to reach your goals, I can help you strategically plan your launch, build your audience before it's finished, and create a marketing strategy that extends beyond release day. Reply to this email. This month has already held so much — Essence Fest, Disability Pride Month, and the reunion. I'm full in the best way. our gifts don't disappear when life gets busy. Sometimes, they simply wait for us to return to them. Legacy isn't only about remembering those we've lost. It's also about showing up fully while you are still here. Now focus on finishing your projects. Now is the time. If you've been thinking about booking, now is a great time to reach out.
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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...