Today we’d like to introduce you to Zaakirah Muhammad.
Zaakirah, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My name is Zaakirah (zaa-key-ra) and it is Arabic for the hereafter. I am a multi-passionate serial entrepreneur – a freelance portrait photographer, brand cultivating strategist, educator, author, and podcaster. I was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and now reside in the Atlanta, Georgia area.
A camera saved my life, now I’m a cancer survivor in remission with monocular vision, also known as having the Photographer’s Eye (seeing only in my left eye). A rare childhood eye cancer (retinoblastoma) was detected by a photo my mom took. At nine months old, I was taken into surgery to have my right eye removed. As a result of radiation, I now wear hearing aids in both ears as my hearing is declining to the day.
My first camera was a Kodak polaroid camera at age five. My first digital camera was gifted to me in middle school. I studied commercial photography at my technical high school and then professional photography post-high school. I have photographed Run DMC, Eminem, MC Lyte, Jeezy, Ludacris, and more musical greats at events such as CBCF, Music Midtown, Made in America, and A3C. I shine a positive light on the dark music industry.
I have also worked part-time, fulfilling my passion for photography in retail departments of JcPenney’s and the Grand Ole Opry. It’s been a great ten years of capturing the essence of humanity. As a visually impaired and hearing impaired woman, it is a blessing to say that I traveled to ten countries! I wrote about these life experiences in my memoir, Seeing Life Through a Different Lens, and briefly talk about them on my podcast, Living Legacy. I enjoy conversing with others and learning about their stories.
Since 2018, I also have been a founder of a start-up creative marketing agency called Phocused Media Group. I am a certified marketer with 10+ years of experience as a brand strategist for 20+ small businesses and nonprofits.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has been far from a smooth road in the past ten years. I am multicultural – an Afro Caribbean Muslim woman with medical needs whose mental health comes first. Additionally, I am a minority woman in a male-dominated industry; that journey alone is a roller coaster ride. I feel like I am just now scratching the surface of realizing my worth and walking in my purpose.
I have needed to replace my Macbook not once but twice – first being left on an airplane due to fatigue, second being stolen from my car. There were years of comparing myself to what looked like success to others, fear of success, and imposter syndrome. I’ve had to learn how not to put my eggs in one basket. I’ve lost money investing in the things I should not have all in the name of keeping up with the Joneses. I’ve lost who I thought was my ideal client before taking a look inside myself to realize it was there all along. But you have to grow through what you go through. Anyone who thinks there is such thing as an overnight success has really been seeing someone working hard ten years in the making.
Phocused Media Group – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Phocused Media Group is a digital, boutique, creative branding and marketing agency. It is a play on the words Photography and Focus as originally it was going to be a media company of photographers. It later was combined to include social media advertising and photography services. Our motto is we focus on your social media brand so you don’t have to. We are known for valuing relationships, great customer service, transparency, integrity, creativity, patience, and flexibility.
We are all about empowering women, artists and supporting minority women-owned businesses to make their social media pages aesthetically appealing. We focus on developing and maintaining their brand (the creative side) so they can focus on the more important aspects of taking their business to the next level. A brand and website should easily be syndicated to something bigger than them, which can include podcasts, books, earned media, movies, and documentaries. That is why the name was chosen as a media group; we are always evolving as media evolves.
Service-based entrepreneurs know how to use social media but need extra help. I am passionate about helping women of color to succeed in the technology industry. Women have more emotional intelligence; community building, communicating, and problem-solving skills.
The thing that sets us apart is the naturally creative eye that I have and a knack for listening. I am most proud of doing my part to bridge the pay gap between men and women in the advertising industry. I am also proud of inspiring women entrepreneurs to step outside of their comfort zone and grow their businesses. Teamwork makes the dream work.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Releasing my book, Seeing Life Through a Different Lens! It is a survivor’s memoir that tells stories on how to think more positively and how we (my mom is a ghostwriter in the book) overcame the adversity of me growing and living as a childhood cancer survivor.
They say whatever you write a book about, you become the go to in your industry. I am proud to use my voice to educate about cancer, mental health, and the power of photography. The journey has not only been healing but great reflective of what career and life I have had in my young life and just how full circle things have been for me.
I self-published and learned so much about the process and about myself along the way. I utilized my skills as a podcaster to edit my own audiobook. The lessons learned along the way about the industry only encouraged me to prioritize educating others. Having published this book it allows me to fulfill my purpose of impacting others, help them to see life more differently, and inspire them to step outside of their comfort zone.
Pricing:
- Marketing Services $500 – $2000 a month
- Photography Services $250 – $1,000
- Business and Mindset Coaching $750 – $1,000
- Seeing Life Through a Different Lens $9.99 – $19.99
Contact Info:
- Website: http://phocusedmediagroup.com/
- Email: info@phocusedmediagroup.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/phocusedmediagroup/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/phocusedmediagroup/
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/phocused_media/
- Other: https://www.zaakirahnayyar.com
Image Credit:
Nayyar Photography, RCK Photography
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