Focus & Visual Storytelling

All right, welcome, welcome. Happy Wednesday, everyone. So we're here with Digital Growth Live. Again, my name is Emily, the host. I'm a digital marketing strategist, and I really focus on helping women entrepreneurs be seen and heard in this digital world. So my goal is to interview as many digital— not digital— many entrepreneurs, women entrepreneurs Um, to give you guys some inspiration, to give you some passion for your business, to talk to you a little bit about marketing. And today my expert is here.

Yay.

So Zaakirah, Zaakirah, right?

Yeah, you got it right.

Okay. Yes. So Zaakirah is a brand specialist, a storytelling specialist, and her company is Focused Media. So I'm super excited to chat with her, um, from a marketing to marketing standpoint, but as another entrepreneur who has been doing this for years, And seeing, um, see a lot of different trends, see different, uh, different trends in different industries and kind of get her expertise. So welcome, welcome, welcome.

Thank you, Emily. I'm so excited.

Yeah. So I am so excited to chat with you. So why don't you give like, um, your intro or tell me a little bit about your business and then we'll just jump in.

Yes. So my name's Zaakirah. And I have been a digital marketer pretty much for over 10 years now. My background is in photography. I am also a cancer survivor, so a photograph detected my cancer, and photography has just played a huge role in my life. And I studied photography at a technical high school and continued that education at an art school. And after that, it was just really learning how to use social media for other businesses because I started using social media maybe younger than I should have, but I've been there since MySpace first started.

Wow.

And so I've been there since MySpace and since Facebook started, and, uh, you name it, I've seen the, the rise and falls of social media, everything. So here I am now, uh, 10+ years later, kind of creating my own startup in a way to help other minority women up with Phocuz Media Group, Phocuz with a PH, because it's a play on the word photography. So we work with other women creatives as well to help them to master their storytelling and step outside of their comfort zone and grow their brands.

I love it. I love it. I love it. There's like so many questions that I want to ask, but I'm going to just stay focused on my first question. So photography, what I love about that, I mean, there's so much creativity. Um, but for entrepreneurs who are starting out or kind of mid-range, they're always looking to get like great shots for their website. And I'm curious what your, um, what your thought is on like getting a professional photographer versus taking your pictures on your own or buying, um, digital, um, photos online. Um, Just curious about your perspective on that.

So I do both sides of the table. I manage both sides of the table. One, as a brand photographer who the entrepreneurs come to me because they want to up their brand presence. But also I have had courses where there are just creatives who are DIYing. So they have that camera, they have that iPhone, but that's all they know how to do. They know how to set the timer. And that's about it. So in the courses I've been teaching that you gotta know the rules before you can bend or break them. So I then do spend time, you know, teaching what I also took the time to learn in school about the specific, you know, the specs of, you know, what's an exposure, what's, what's the rule of thirds and all that. But then I flip the table, I flip the script, I wear my other hat of I'm looking at who are you as a person? because that's the brand I'm trying to capture when I'm the photographer behind the scenes. So it's a little bit of both. Either way, you gotta know your industry, know what it is you wanna do. So even if it is, you know, flipping that hat back over to the course, if they are trying to just be a product photographer, they need to know who's going to, you know, use these photos and see these photos. So it's still a matter of just Knowing the who, the what, the why, the when, the where.

I love it. And those questions, the who, the what, the when, the why, are so important not only in taking your photography, right, the pictures for your website or your marketing slicks, for your sales slicks, but they're so important in terms of your brand. Um, so tell me a little bit more about that, because when I'm thinking about someone's brand and I work with different companies all over, You know, it's funny because brands change, companies change, right? Or companies change and brands change, vice versa, right? And sometimes companies are going and going. They don't realize their brand no longer aligns to where they are now in their business. So how often do you think companies should take a look at their brand and, and how do they develop that?

I say as often as necessary. Before I personally stopped, like, helping to literally build websites, instead I just focused on the branding side of things. But one of the most common questions that is always asked before they even tell us what they want on their website is— that's the question they ask. They're like, okay, I know I want to do real estate now, but I really love crocheting. And how do I know that I needed to you know, keep changing domains. So one tip that I just always give before, uh, if depending on where the client is, if it's their first website, they don't even have the domain or the hosting yet. I'm saying buy your name. That is the one brand that you have and you own and that your parents or whichever family member gave to you. So buy your name in that domain. And no matter what you become, that domain will remain the same and you can update your website accordingly. And it won't be, you know, with the exception of maybe getting married, you won't have to really change your name everywhere else, you know, no matter where else you are featured, you know, with earned or paid media. So I always just encourage people to really, uh, everything's in a name, so use your name. Use the name that we're giving to you.

I love that. I love that because I know a lot of times when people are starting a business, it's— there's so many different things that they're thinking about, um, and that kind of just— and that kind of just makes it very simple. But I've also seen businesses that are kind of more mature where they started with one name and then they end up with their name, their personal brand, because it kept on evolving. And then they just became comfortable with like, hey, this is my brand. This is who I am. And they find in this industry or just not this industry, but this culture now, your brand is becoming your everything. And so I think that's a really, really great tip.

Yeah, I agree. I think that's what personal branding is all about. And I think it's, it's even amplified in the digital space now. But even, even, even more important back when you were in school, like, people knew you by your name. Oh yeah, I know Emily because she's that girl. She's that chick, you know. So it's the same thing.

Yeah. And I think it's important too for people who are watching who may not be entrepreneurs, like, you still have a brand. Like, if you are a professional in corporate, right, right now we're on LinkedIn and YouTube and Facebook, you may be watching and you're like, well, you know, I don't have my own business, so I don't have to focus on my brand. Yes, you still have your brand. Like, it's so important, you know, what, what you're putting out and from a digital perspective on these different platforms. So I just wanted to kind of make that note. It just kind of came to me.

Yeah, and, and I'm sure it gets overlooked as well, but When you are, even if you've been in your job for a decade, if you ever think about getting a new job or you are in the market for a new job, that's where they go to first. They're going to look at your social media. So yeah, you are your personal brand.

Yeah. Awesome. So how, so another question that I want to ask is, right, so someone is starting off building their brand or like they want to, they're coming to you. They have all these different ideas, right? How do you keep them focused? Right? Because I— and it's me too. Like, I do— like, as I'm doing my own, like, business, like, I want to do this, I want to do this, I want to do this. And I'm like, okay, Emily, focus, focus. So any tips on keeping someone focused from the focus expert?

So I think it's come up a lot. You know, I'm so grateful that I attract multi-passionate creative like me. So luckily I understand where they're coming from. But I think the question that I really tend to just ask that tends to be really the aha moment for them is I have to ask them what their purpose is. I have to ask them what their legacy is going to be, right?

Mm-hmm.

So even though you may love painting right now, like, do you see your painting going into a museum? Do you see your painting being that one artwork that people hold onto that gains value? Do you see your painting in Alicia and Switzbee's house? Like, where do you want your painting to go? It's, it's always that question of what is your purpose? What is that one thing that you enjoy doing before adulthood kicked in and you had to, you know, had to do what you had to do to survive? What were you doing, you know, when you could simply just enjoy and spend time? So 9 out of 10 times, that kind of allows them to focus and zone back down of, you know what, I love writing, or you know what, I am, you know, I was that kid that got in trouble all the time at school because I talked too much. So I'm gonna just focus on coaching.

Okay.

Consulting. So yeah.

I love that. I love it. It just— go back to your purpose, go back to your why. And that kind of always brings you back to that place of like, okay, this is what I really want. Because a lot of times I think people look around and they're in comparison modes and they're like, oh, I love this about this brand. I love this about this brand. This brand is bold. This brand is playful. And it may not represent who they are, but they're trying to emulate that because they see that that person may have had success. So I think if you go back to your why, you realize, okay, this is my why and this is what I want to create. And I tell people all the time, you have your own specific unique gift. Nobody can emulate your unique gift. So even though we're both in the marketing world, you have your focus and your niche and I have my focus and my niche. That's why I love this platform, right? Because we could just come together. There's so many different things that we could talk about marketing, and you are going to be an expert in one area and I'm going to be an expert in the other area.

Exactly, exactly. And I think that gets overlooked as well, especially with us women, where we'll let FOMO or imposter syndrome creep in just because, hey, we see another digital marketing strategist who's, uh, in the digital world. Maybe they're even being able to partner with your favorite digital marketing platform, but it's just they know their zone and they're sticking to it. They know their story and they're sticking to it.

Yeah. And I love where you just said story because I was going to ask you about your storytelling expertise because I think it's so important whether you're just posting like content from like photos, written content, videos. For me, it's always about storytelling. Marketing is for me always about storytelling. So I'm curious, Just your experience with storytelling and like, how do you integrate that into digital marketing?

So I think for me, it comes natural simply because I was a reader first. I was a writer first. So I love getting stories. I love to learn about other people's stories, right? So then it's just a matter of taking what I've learned and then, okay, how can I apply it to my own life? So for me, I think that's where the love of storytelling really came from. And then, yes, not only just because I'm a photographer, that the story I want to capture in the lens, and then bringing that right over to marketing of that's how you can sell, that's how you serve, that's how you show what it is that you do or who it is that you serve by telling that story.

I love it. So I always like to say, so what's kind of like right now that you're focused on that you want people to know? Because you said you, I know you have different services. You said you had some courses. So I always like to highlight just something special, right? That's going on right now. So yeah. So what's going on and how can I support you in bringing that out into the world?

Yes. So with The 10 years of social media experience, and especially with October 2021, I observed that it's time to really hone down on building that membership community, because the membership community for me is where women entrepreneurs at all stages of entrepreneurship or side hustling still need that support. Maybe they, they do have no idea what their brand identity is. And they need that support, or they're not data— they're not data-specific and data-hungry, so they need that kind of support, or they're not legally— they're legally blonde, if that makes sense, so they need that area of support. So basically, it's just a matter of knowing what it is that you are good at and then having that community to back you up. So now that's where we are with Focused Media Group. We're going to be focused all 2022 on a membership community where women of all stages of side hustles and entrepreneurs can really come together. And it works for me because with me being multi-passionate, I can bring my photography community in, I can bring those who find out about me from digital marketing, I can bring those who find out about me from podcasts. And no matter what it is, it's all— we all have the same same desire to create and to serve. So it'll be one membership community.

I love it. And I love membership communities because it's about community. And you can get— I always say you can get so much accomplished when you work in community and you work in partnership than working alone. And one of the things that I find, especially with entrepreneurs starting out, is they're always doing everything by themselves. And then they're hitting their head against the wall and they're like, why am I doing this? they forget their why, and then they have no one supporting them. Versus if you join something like your membership community, you're there with a lot of driven people, passionate people who have the same goal. And when you forget what your goal is, they're there to remind you. And then from your experience or from— not your experience, but from them being in your membership, They get your expertise and your experience.

Pretty much. Yeah, exactly.

Yeah. It's support, it's accountability and expertise all in one. That's what I love about membership. So that's awesome that you're doing that this year.

Thank you.

Cool. Let's see what other— So we talked about this before, we chatted a little bit. I was like, I want to know about your business. I want to know about marketing. But I do business from a mind, body, soul perspective, or at least that's what I'm trying to create awareness out in the world for. Right? And one of the things that keeps me grounded is making sure that I have my mental clarity. And what do I do to get that? I'm doing meditation. I'm working out. I'm reading good books. And then I have my own spiritual practices. So I'm curious, what do you do to keep you going and keep you thriving in your business?

Yes. So consistency is super important, especially as a creative where not every day is up and there will be some days that will be down. So I think for me it's—

Yeah.

Yeah. So I think for me, morning routine or just having a standard routine is super crucial. So for me, I love music. I am a believer, so prayer is super important. And also just affirmations. So just bringing that positivity into my day when my day starts, no matter when my day starts, no matter what time or what I have to do that specific day, just bringing that positivity into my day. So I have like my set music playlist of my favorite songs. So I love popping R&B.

Yeah.

So team woman empowerment, yep. And also nutrition plays a huge role too. So I am— I strive to be more plant-based.

Okay.

So I do try to have more fruits and veggies and less meat, but it really depends. I am a woman, so sometimes I need more sodium and protein in some days of the month than others. But yeah, nutrition and what I listen to or don't listen to as soon as I wake up in the morning, which means not going straight to my email or my Slack or my social media. So yeah.

That's like, that's, that's a golden nugget right there that you start your day with like prayer and eating right and not going straight to the computer because so many people do that. And usually when we go to our computer, it's a whole bunch of stress. Whether it's good stress or bad stress, your mind is like, whoa, I got to take care of this, right? Versus starting your day in a very centered place and then you're equipped and prepared to handle more. So I love that. And I love that you say you kind of have a plant-based diet. And we didn't say we were going to talk about this, but I'm just curious, how long have you been doing that? Because I'm I'm just— I love— I'm actually a certified health coach, so I love all different dietary methodologies. So I'm curious, how long have you been doing it? Um, how long have you been having that lifestyle for?

Well, then it's perfect timing that it came up in this conversation.

I geek out on this stuff too.

Well, for me, I feel like it's been a lifelong journey. Um, and it really started with my parents because I am a cancer survivor, and One thing that I know can definitely attribute to being in remission for 30 years now is the nutrition, a healthy diet. My parents were using herbs and whatnot when I was younger and barely did not have an appetite. And even to sneak in some veggies and vitamins that I needed when I didn't want to just have them into a smoothie. So I've been on and off all my life, but I think I really, really took control of it, um, once I became a young adult because I also had polycystic ovarian syndrome, or PCOS. So I try to take control of it myself so that I can have, you know, less painful and more easier, um, uh, menstrual cycle days. So I think I've pretty much been doing it all my life, pretty much. Wow.

So, you know, So warrior on so many fronts. Cancer survivor, like entrepreneur, like so warrior on all fronts. And so thank you so much for sharing that. I'm curious, and I'm looking up because I don't know why I look up.

Make that for sure.

Yeah. As I start thinking, and I'm like, do you mind me asking about like your journey with cancer?

Sure. Yeah, I actually have a whole book out there. I should have brought that out, but I just knew we were talking marketing. But yeah, my mom and I wrote a book about it, and I have a rare childhood eye cancer called retinoblastoma. So when I say that it was a camera that saved and detected the cancer, literally, that's how that type of cancer is usually 99% detected through the flash of a camera. And I've been in remission since I was 9 months old.

Wow.

And as a result of the radiation, I did lose my hearing. I have a mild hearing loss as well. So yeah, but I've just never let that, you know, stop me. And I think, you know, thank God for my parents as well for never like letting it really be in the forefront that, you know, I'm differently abled, but it doesn't mean that I'm limited. So yeah.

Nice. So awesome. It was such an inspiration for me and so many other people. Like, yeah, that's awesome. Congrats. And I hope you many other good years of health. And I'm knowing different, like, dietary theories and stuff like that. I know that, like, plant-based, um, diets do help a lot of people who are in remission. So yes, keep up the good work and drop some more tips.

Okay, well, what else you want to know?

Um, no, I'm just curious. I mean, usually I, I talk for about like a half hour. We have a conversation for about a half hour. So is there anything else— like, you're so multifaceted— is there anything else that you want the audience to, to know about?

Sure.

So, passion, your business?

Yeah, yeah. So I think if we're talking about being multi-passionate, that's what I love to call it. Um, I think we can throw in the word travel. So although it's been kind of different since the start of the pandemic, I was blessed to go to 11 countries where half of them I had my camera with me. So I feel like for a while, one of the areas that I dabbled in were travel photography. And it's still, you know, still it plays a huge role because I feel like for me, traveling is also a self-care feature and also interesting with the nutritious journey because every country is different as far as how they, you know, run vegan/plant-based lifestyle. So travel is a huge part of me, and I really love slow travel. You know, I was blessed to go to a volunteer trip. I got to be a volunteer teacher in Ghana, West Africa. And so when I did that, it really just kind of opened the doors for slow travel. So if you want to learn how to be a good listener, good leader, and just really just open your mind to beyond your state, whatever state you live in, that— yeah, definitely travel.

I love it. I mean, I, I love travel too, and I'm not so adventurous. Well, I say that, but people tell me I am. But so my goal is, because I love people, is to visit all 50 states, um, because there's so many different cultures just within our country. But, you know, I actually think tomorrow I'm speaking to Tammy Um, she has a nonprofit called Footprints in Africa, and she talks about her journey to so many different countries in Africa. I think she said she had like 23 countries in like 2 years. I was like, something like that. I was just like totally blown away about it. And it's just like, you learn so much when you immerse yourself into somebody else's culture in terms of the food, and you don't realize it, but that does impact your business. that can grow your business. Um, so there's so many different ways that you can take care of yourself. Like you said, travel is self-care, eating right is self-care, starting the morning with a morning practice is self-care. And self-care is so important, right? Because if you're not feeling good mind, body, and spirit, your business is not going to be good.

There you go. You can't focus on your business if you're not focused on your mindset. So yeah.

I love it. And that, I mean, that was the perfect way to close. Oh my God. So it was such a pleasure chatting with you today. Thank you so much for your expertise. Um, and I did put your, um, website information in the, um, the invite, but if anybody wants to know it, reach out. Um, I know we're streaming on YouTube and LinkedIn and Facebook, so I hope everyone enjoyed this. And yeah, and tomorrow we'll have another guest. I think it is Tammy from Footprints in Africa. So that's going to be a really cool conversation. And yeah, see everybody tomorrow and then next week, Wednesday and Thursday as well. So thank you so much, everyone. Hope you learned a lot about marketing, entrepreneurship, and how women rock. There you go. That's it. Bye.

Bye.