Thursday, February 25, 2016

The 18th Annual Africa Business Conference at Harvard Business School

One of my main goals for "Sincerely, Samuella" is to share my personal and professional experiences with the world. 

Over the next few days I will be at Harvard University attending the 18th Annual Africa Business Conference. Of course I am taking my Canon along and will be capturing everything from the panel sessions to the keynote addresses to the after party featuring Iyanya and Sarkodie. Yup. The King himself (Sarkodie) is expected to perform. Talk about a conference being LITTTT!  

I'm excited for this conference and can't wait to meet and connect with amazing people from all over the world. STAY TUNED! 

You can also follow the conversation on Twitter and Instagram: #HBSABC2016 @HBSABC

Monday, February 1, 2016

NEW WEBSITE COMING SOON!

Hi loves,

Hope you are all well! Just wanted to post a quick update about this site. I am currently in the process of transitioning to a new hosting site and I finally purchased my own domain!

The new site (www.sincerelysamuella.com) will be launched by mid-February and the new site will feature my personal blog posts and also detailed recipes from Samuella's Kitchen. Once the new site is up, I will create another post and will let you all know.

In the meantime, please enjoy these promo pictures my amazing team put together! Sending you all lots of love! 

Sincerely,
Samuella






Saturday, January 2, 2016

#21 from 21 Before 21: Do something completely crazy and out of character

Ever since I was a little child I have always had a huge passion for helping people and I devoted my middle school and high school years doing a lot of community service initiatives and serving others. So for this item I thought long and hard about what I could really do and I decided to do something that is very out of character for me: I decided to have two photoshoots.

For me, having a photoshoot is something that I have always dreamed of but never thought it would actually happen. If you have read the other post on being physically fit, you will have read that I had a lot of self-esteem issues growing up as a child because I was big and people made fun of me a lot, even my own family members. 

Even till this age I am not completely happy with the way that I look but I can definitely say I am over the part where I did not even want to buy shorts and skirts some years ago mainly because I was big and I always thought "it will not look right on me."

Doing a photo shoot might not be completely crazy and out of character for some but for me it is such a big deal and it is a good way for me to end this #21ThingsBeforeITurn21 journey.

For the photo shoot, I did a contemporary & regal shoot in the States and did a Kente version when I went to Ghana. The photoshoot in the States focused on Samuella's Kitchen and my professional self and I was privileged enough to have a concept planner and everything turned out so well! Amidst finals, planning my trip to Ghana, working, and cooking, it was nice having someone else oversee the entire photoshoot from beginning to end. 

Planner: Daniel Kontoh Boateng (IG: @_quasikay)
Photographer: Enoch Eshun (IG: @_enoche)
Hairstylist & MUA: Karen Kardes (IG: @karenkardes)

The first shoot was done in Philadelphia and at King of Prussia; Hyatt at the Bellevue in Center City and Hyatt House at King of Prussia, respectively. 

A few pictures from the first shoot can be found below and the pictures from the Kente shoot can be found here.

Thank you all for going on this journey with me! I had an amazing time, I got the chance to complete some things on my bucket list, and of course I learned a lot about myself!

Sincerely,
Samuella
























#19 from 21 Before 21: Visit a castle

This post is similar to #9 on my list so click here to view that blog post.

As I stated in that post, I visited Elmina Castle and it was an emotional experience for me. I have included more pictures for your viewing purposes. Enjoy!

Sincerely,
Samuella

#9 from 21 Before 21: Take a road trip

This item is similar to #19 on my list because taking a road trip to Cape Coast is a definite must for anyone who travels to Ghana. 

Cape Coast is not only filled with beautiful scenery, it also has a RICH history and every time I visit it feels like I am transported back to many decades ago. 

The plan was to visit Elmina Castle and Kakum National Park but on the way we got lost multiple times due to poor signage and by the time we arrived at Kakum National Park it was close to 4pm and they had closed for the day. I was quite upset because I was looking forward to exploring the area but everything really happens for a reason so I give all the glory to God.

The first place we went to was Elmina Castle and even till this day you can still feel what happened there. No matter how old the building gets, I strongly believe what happened there can never be completely removed. 

During the tours our tour guide locked us in one of the cells to experience just a tad bit of what my ancestors went through and I could not stand it. I had to hold back my tears and quickly asked him to open the door.

Elmina Castle is definitely a place to visit if you ever get the opportunity to travel to Ghana. Here are a few pictures from the trip. Enjoy!

Sincerely,
Samuella