Today we’d like to introduce you to Shaymah Ali-Kparah.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Shaymah. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Bonjour Dallas!!! I know you may think it’s hard to pronounce, so you can just call me Shay!!! The whole brand of Shay La Vie was a concept I came up with a few years ago with, for if I were to ever create a “brand.” It started as a little joke/saying between friends and family. Anytime that I was asked to speak, host, event plan, or act as a stand-in therapist the conversation would always end with “Shay La Vie” productions or Courtesy of Shay La Vie. In French, a common phrase is “c’est la vie” (That’s Life), but in my case and with my own unique twist I love to say “Shay La Vie !” and yes I speak French!!! I always found it endearing and was optimistic that one day, I would have a brand and be paid to for my services. Now that I think about it, I’ve been praying for moments like this for years and thankful that in 2018 I decided that I would take a leap of faith. Blogging/Influencing is something that I’m fairly new at, but I am really enjoying the learning process of it all and can’t wait to see where it goes. I have a strong passion for travel, culture, education, food, fashion and a ton of different things but wanted to be sure to share my findings/learnings with others one post at a time.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Last summer I met JaLisa E. Vaughn a Dallas Blogger at her Meet & Greet and requested to meet with her separately so that I could just get to know more about the influencing/blogging industry from behind the scenes. I just wanted to know a little more about what I wanted to get into. I had many doubts about it being an over saturated market, I don’t have the right equipment nor can I afford it, my following is low compared to all those that I look up to and so on and so forth. She assured me that all my thoughts, feelings and opinions were valid but that I needed to start anyway. I think the best piece of advice she’s given me was don’t aspire to be ______ (insert whatever it is you are wanting to pursue) just be. In my case, it was an influencer/blogger/YouTuber, she said once you start you are. That advice really hit home for me. Obviously, there is a multitude of steps to becoming an influencer/blogger but you have to first define what is most important to you and your respective goals, as well as various things in life but the point, started and eventually, you become what you set out to be. The best thing you can do is focus on your purpose and your lane, traffic is a lot smoother in your own lane.
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
Currently, I serve as Corporate Administrator Assistant for a local church in Dallas, where I get to have my hands in many different pots like finances, event planning, customer service, data analysis, marketing, and course clerical work. However, I do a multitude of things, I specialize in K-12 outreach and engagement but through that, I found that I am passionate about different things and for me, it’s about tapping into the skills I’m good at and being afraid to try new things. A lot of times I’m contracted to be a public speaker, topics include but aren’t limited to our diversity and inclusion, k-12 education, curriculum & instruction, marketing, college readiness, and faith. I also asked to assist with event planning, I’ve have been able to successfully plan events that range from 10-4000+ individuals, the events have been summer camps, banquets, conferences, university travel trips, seminars and most recently, I’m learning a little more about the wedding realm. This may seem way off but I get pure pleasure out of organizing and so closet organizing is something I’ve played around with but I’m considering adding that on to my services. Obviously proud of my education, my morals and values, my culture and all that jazz, I’m most proud of myself for believing in Shaymah(me) and not giving up on her. I still can’t believe that I did it, that I’ve finally decided to do a better job of branding myself, starting the blog, YouTube channel and falling in love with who God has called me to be.
What advice would you give to someone at the start of her career?
As a world-renowned theologian, Beyoncé Giselle Knowles once stated: “ We all have our purpose, we all have our strengths.” Don’t let people force you into whatever box they see you in, you are more valuable than a checked box and so is your purpose. You bring more than you realize to the table, your experiences, education, and opinion is what has you at the job that you’re in so don’t try to be anyone else. Try new things, learn to love who you are and it’s okay for your passions and desires to change and grow as you evolve. You are fearful, wonderfully, uniquely and intentionally made!! Be sure that you are a reflection of who you needed when you were younger. Ask all the questions, it’s better to ask than to assume, to become a lifelong learner, it will get you far. Finally, be sure to be a blessing to those you come in contact with and remember Shay La Vie… see you on Instagram, YouTube or ShayLaVie.org.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://shaylavie.org/
- Email: contact.shaymah@gmail.com
- Instagram: @shaymah.ali
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shay.alikparah?ref=bookmarks
- Other: www.pinterest.com/shaymah.ali
Image Credit:
Brandy Glover, Stephen Singleton & Thara Jamal (All the photographers)
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