Story & Lesson Highlights with Sakina Ibrahim of Los Angeles, CA

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Sakina Ibrahim. Check out our conversation below.

Good morning Sakina , we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
The first 90 minutes of my day are my favorite part. They’re sacred, intentional, and deeply personal, a soft landing into a sometimes chaotic world.

I usually start by playing possum, just lying there for an extra 20 minutes. No alarms, no rush. It’s my moment to be still. I let my mind float through the dreams I just left behind, sometimes reflecting on them, other times just letting them fade. Then, I steer my thoughts toward positive affirmations and intentions for the day.

Once I finally reach for my phone, I open the Bible app. I love starting with the daily devotional and scripture. The new feature with the short video and prayer reminder adds a beautiful touch, it grounds me spiritually and reminds me of what truly matters.

Next, I check my bank accounts. Some people find that stressful, but for me, it’s a powerful habit that keeps me focused and disciplined about my financial wellness.

Then it’s movement time. A light workout, sometimes yoga, Pilates, or just a walk with the dog. It’s less about intensity and more about connecting to my body.

After that, I dive into one of my favorite creative rituals: the Morning Pages exercise from The Artist’s Way. Three pages of free writing, completely unfiltered. It’s where I process, brain-dump, release my angers and frustrations, and clear space for inspiration to flow. No judgment, just release.

And finally, I shift into my workday, but not without a sense of clarity, peace, and purpose. That’s why my first 90 minutes matter so much. They allow me to meet the world from a place of alignment rather than anxiety.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hi, I’m Sakina Ibrahim an NAACP Image Award–nominated author, speaker, educator, and creative producer. My work lives at the intersection of arts, healing, and empowerment. I’m the founder of the Dance Arts Academy Foundation, where we bring culturally responsive arts education to Title I schools and underserved communities. I believe movement is a powerful tool for self-expression, identity, and transformation.

I’m also the producer and host of We’re Doing the Wiz, an original narrative podcast and Official Selection of the 2025 Tribeca Film Festival. The series is rooted in a deeply personal story, about the time my high school decided to stage The Wiz as a response to a KKK impersonation incident. It explores the memories, meaning, and cultural legacy behind this iconic show, and how art can become a vehicle for healing and reclaiming identity.

What makes my work unique is how I blend personal healing, cultural legacy, and artistic excellence to help others reclaim their voice, whether it’s through dance, writing, or corporate workshops. Right now, I’m developing a new audio series, taking advanced script writing classes, and working with companies and schools on building community and elevating productivity through creative expression.

My journey hasn’t been linear, it’s been shaped by overcoming adversity, finding purpose through the arts, and choosing to pay it forward. Everything I do is rooted in the belief that we all deserve access to beauty, joy, and creative freedom.

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who taught you the most about work?
The women in my family.

My mother, who worked weekends and took the bus until she could afford a car. She showed me resilience and responsibility.
My grandmother, who worked overnight shifts and still invested in my dreams, paying for dance lessons and beauty pageants because she believed in me before I even understood what belief meant.

Then there was my dance teacher Miss Carol. She stayed at the studio late into the night, teaching classes, running the business, ordering costumes, and creating a space where young people could grow and families could feel a sense of community and belonging.

These women taught me that work is more than a paycheck, it’s a path to freedom. They taught me to work for myself, to create the life I want, to buy the things I desire, and to pursue the experiences that feed my soul.

I live by this. And the life I’ve built is proof of their legacy.

When did you stop hiding your pain and start using it as power?
It happened the moment I realized my story could inspire others.

When young girls told me how my first book, Big Words to Little Me, helped them feel seen and understood, something shifted. And when women began reaching out about my second book To Begin—about self-love and healing—telling me it gave them the courage to stop betraying themselves, I knew my pain had a greater purpose.

That’s when I stopped shrinking. I realized that the life lessons, heartbreaks, and healing I had gone through weren’t just mine to carry, they were meant to be shared. My experiences became a source of power, not just for me, but for others learning to overcome their own struggles.

That’s when my voice became my medicine and my mission.

I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What’s a cultural value you protect at all costs?
Building community and knowing thyself and creating the reality you want to see.

In my work and life, I center the idea that healing, growth, and joy are collective. Whether through dance, storytelling, or education, I honor the cultural traditions that remind us we don’t thrive in isolation we thrive in rhythm with one another.

Movement is more than art, it’s communication, memory, resistance, and celebration. Socialization isn’t just interaction, it’s the foundation of shared identity and legacy. These values have been passed down through generations, and I protect them by creating spaces where they can live, breathe, and evolve.

Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
I’d walk away from my full-time job, no hesitation.

I’d focus on what truly matters: traveling with my family, making memories that last, and being fully present with the people I love. I’d dedicate my time to setting up trusts and building a legacy of philanthropy, something that could continue to give, grow, and serve long after I’m gone.

Because if time were limited, I wouldn’t waste a single moment on anything that didn’t align with my purpose, my peace, or the people I hold close.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Curtisha Thomas – Gray Segments | K.L. – Kreative Look | Mary Hurlbut

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