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Greetings Reader, The only thing that is constant is change. People change. Experiences change people. Even the places we carry in our memories change. I was reminded of that recently. I arrived in Ghana again for the first time since 2011. Fourteen years is a long time. And if I’m honest… nothing looks the same. The roads feel different. There's more unfinished roads and highways. The buildings feel different. There are even more buildings being built. The energy of the city feels different. But what surprised me the most wasn’t just how Ghana has changed. It was realizing how much I have changed too. The version of me who was here in 2011 was still becoming, experiencing things for the first time. It was my first sense of independence. Still learning. Still figuring out how I saw the world differently. Still discovering what it meant to move through life with intention. Still discovering the power of using my voice. Now I’m walking these same streets with a different lens. Older. More reflective. More confident. More aware of how experiences shape us in ways we don’t always see in the moment. Travel does that. It reminds you that life is not static. It reminds you that there is not one way of life. Places evolve. People evolve. And the meaning of our experiences evolves too. Take that into consideration when you observe your place in the world where there are shifts in how we travel, shifts in how we consume and create our stories, shifts in how we utilize artificial intelligence. I’ve been exploring Ghana again — taking it in slowly, observing what feels familiar and what feels new. And when I return from my tour through the cities, I’ll share more about what I experienced and what it stirred in me on my Substack. For now, I will say that Ghana is preparing for their 70th independence day which is a great time to add Ghana to your future retreat experience with me. Sometimes the most powerful stories don’t happen while we’re moving through a place. They reveal themselves after we pause, reflect and observe. Until then, I’m simply allowing myself to witness the changes while I build my network. I'm here when you are ready to book a one on one strategy session for your branding, storytelling, and advocacy by clicking here: With love, Zaakirah
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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, As I prepare to leave Ghana, I’ve been reflecting on how this trip began — and how it’s ending — and I’m realizing something powerful: This journey has resurfaced the urgent need for media. I started this trip attending a photography symposium in partnership with NYU. I’m ending it attending a community film screening at the University of Ghana. Still images to moving stories, the entire experience has reminded me how important it is that we document our narratives, our...
Greetings Reader, I'm typing this from near Atlanta, Georgia — but I'm preparing to head to Ghana soon, where my mother is now based. This trip carries a lot of weight. New chapter energy. Diaspora homecoming. Media correspondent work with Focus Black Oklahoma (NPR Affiliate). Yes — I'm already thinking about what stories need to be told from that side of the ocean for my own YouTube and Documentary Series. More on that soon. But let me know what you want to see. Facebook memories reminded me...
Greetings Reader, It’s a new season, the official start of the new year for most, and the start of Women’s History Month. This is the year to take relationships out of the group chat. Out of the comment section. Out of the algorithm. And into real life. I’ve been doing some reflecting that might empower you. Reflection Number One My podcast, See Life Different (fka Living Legacy) launched March 1st, during Women’s History Month in 2019 in my bedroom at my parents’ house for rent. At the time,...