Meet Ama Appiah

We recently connected with Ama Appiah and have shared our conversation below.

Ama, thank you so much for joining us today. Let’s jump right into something we’re really interested in hearing about from you – being the only one in the room. So many of us find ourselves as the only woman in the room, the only immigrant or the only artist in the room, etc. Can you talk to us about how you have learned to be effective and successful in situations where you are the only one in the room like you?
I was blessed to be the daughter of a mother who was fearless in the face of racial and gender discrimination. I am also the daughter of an immigrant father who faced racial discrimination in various forms. These two people always told me that I was the most intelligent, brilliant and creative person on the planet. Of course that’s not true, but it created a sense of self-esteem in me at a young age that made me automatically assume that anyone that had a problem with me because of my race or my gender must have had a personal problem he or she needed to resolve.

As an attorney and a graphic designer, I have encountered several experiences of being the only person in the room that looked like me, or one of the few. Although I don’t consider myself a representative of all people of color and/or all women, I would be naive to think that I’m not categorized or stereotyped based on my race and/or gender regardless. I typically walk into any room like I belong there. I do not have time, nor the desire, to worry about anyone’s insecurities and prejudices about my presence in a room. Whether or not I am good at what I do is a result of the time and energy I put into my work, and the presentation I put forth. It has nothing to do with what other people that look like me have done, would do, or could do in the future.

I strongly believe that you can’t go through life worrying about being the only “one” in a room if you have goals to achieve. You have to be able to interact authentically with people from all walks of life if you want to be successful. You can’t let the possibility, or the reality, of being the only “one” in the room prevent you from putting your best foot forward, and from having new and enlightening experiences on the road to success.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I have been a solo practitioner based in St. Petersburg, FL for almost 20 years. My main areas of practice are currently entertainment law, copyright and trademark law, and appeals. I am also a graphic designer. I started by design business in 2020 during the Covid shutdowns.

I enjoy having both careers because they satisfy both sides of my brain and overlap. Helping other creatives set up their contracts for film production, or reviewing contracts for music performers to help them understand what they are agreeing to by signing record label contracts, or assisting artists and writers to copyright and trademark their brands, and create contracts to carefully exploit their rights in their work, has been very fulfilling for me. It’s been a great opportunity for me as an artist to meet amazingly talented people and to have played a role in fulfilling their dreams, and creating their brands.

Coming up for me in the creative field, I have exhibits in June and October 2024, as part of a collective group of artists. The June 2024 exhibit is called “100 Women Artists in Art History 2024,” and will be displayed at the Dunedin Fine Arts Center in Dunedin, FL. The October 2024 exhibit is called “Medusa in the 21st Century,” and will be displayed at the Gallery in the Carrollwood Cultural Center in Tampa, FL. I have also been blogging on my design website (aappiahdesigns.com), featuring local Tampa Bay artists in blog interviews. I’ve really enjoyed interviewing some incredible artists from different creative industries and from different backgrounds. Finally, I continue to accept clients for graphic design and commissioned portraits, as well as volunteer graphics and social media for local nonprofits.

I continue to accept new clients for my law firm by appointment, and will start a new blog on my law firm website (amaappiahlaw.com) focusing on topics in entertainment law, copyright and trademark law.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
The three qualities that have been the most impactful in my journey have been empathy, humor, and self-esteem. Regardless of what stage of life I was in, or what challenges I was experiencing, these three qualities have consistently helped me to respond to the circumstances.

I would advise anyone early in their journey to understand that everyone is coming from their own set of life experiences. Empathy can help create a bridge to understanding from where another person is coming from, and visa versa. Humor helps break down barriers. If you can laugh about yourself, or about a non-serious situation, it helps to lower the anxiety and stress levels of an issue. Self-esteem is important to know who you authentically are as a person, your morality, and what aligns with who you are and what you want to be. Don’t settle for less than you deserve.

Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?
I typically feel overwhelmed when I think too much about a problem or an unresolved situation. When I feel this way, I slow my thoughts down. I do this by slowly taking a deep breath inward, holding it for about 4-5 seconds, and then slowly exhaling. Other methods I use to slow down my thoughts are meditating and going for walks.

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