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!
One Day Before My Birthday Here’s What I’ve Built So Far
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Reader, Twas' the day before my birthday and it is always a private party. It’s a pause — a moment to look behind me before launching forward. While I get ready to celebrate with cake slices, sparkling juice and rom coms, I wanted to send a snapshot of the stories, work, the stories, and the threads I’ve been holding over the last 350 days. So here are things to watch, listen to, take action on, and read. If you want to read: My year-end recap is now live on Substack — a five-minute read reflecting on Kenya, family & lineage, and a decade of creative work. It’s the clearest articulation of how I’m closing this chapter and preparing for what’s next.
If you want to listen: I pulled together my Top 10 most-listened-to podcast episodes, spanning from when the show launched to now — along with my six media correspondent segments. These conversations hold the themes I keep returning to: storytelling, health, identity, creativity, and what it means to build something honest over time.
If you want to watch: My YouTube channel is where long-form conversations, replays, and experiments live. Watching (and subscribing) is one of the simplest ways to support work that takes time to grow and edit and film.
If you want clarity: My 1:1 strategy sessions are still 40% off until December 29. This is for you if you want clarity around what works best for you when utilizing AI — especially in brand building, storytelling, and content systems that actually fit your capacity and goals.
I’m grateful you’re here to witness me entering act three. Continue to see life differently with love and happiness.
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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!
Greetings Reader, Can you believe it's the Final Friday of December? We’re standing at the edge of the year now. Not fully finished, not yet begun — just aware. This is the time of year I pay attention to what’s still echoing: the conversations, the risks, the places that stretched me, and the ideas that refused to let go. Sitting with what actually happened for me this year? What changed me and shaped me? What am I no longer forcing and letting it just flow? After three decades on this...
Reader, We’re officially 8 days until my birthday, and this year feels… different. Some years/birthdays ask you to celebrate. Others ask you to lock down and lock in because change is coming. This is one of those years. The last two times I felt this exact shift were both seasons that transformed me: 2011, when I was temporarily living with my uncle in the Washington D.C. area, grounding myself before stepping into photography school and a new creative identity. 2022, when my parents took...
Greetings Reader, This season has been full of pivots, clarity, and unexpected blessings. We’re closing out the year with intention, coherence, and community and I want to make sure you don’t miss the opportunities unfolding this month. I put back on my live streaming hat and I recorded three sessions. 1 - Travel Tuesday with the people that I met up with when I spoke at Black Travel Expo in Atlanta back in June. Watch the 1 hour conversation here 2 - International Persons with Disability Day...