Meet Sammie Sosa

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sammie Sosa a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Sammie, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.

My mother, Andrea, was an incredible source of love and encouragement. From a young age, she instilled immense confidence in me, always reminding me that I could achieve anything I set my mind to. Her unwavering support gave me the freedom to explore my creative passions and helped to develop my strong sense of self-esteem.

Sadly, I lost my mother to sarcoidosis at the age of 26, which left me feeling void of direction and assurance within myself and my abilities. My heart was shattered, and I struggled with suppressed depression subsequently to her passing. After her passing, I had to grow up fast and suddenly make decisions for myself without my mother’s wisdom and guidance I so often depended on. I grappled with an innumerable amount of guilt after my mother passed- I found myself living in the past and regretting a lot of my life decisions. However, through those very difficult moments I still found small ways to connect with my mother’s eternal resilient spirit.

Today, I am actively working to rebuild my confidence. I learned that I could triumph very dark and tough moments and I could trust myself while looking forward to the future. I continue to remember her passion for life, and I draw strength from the invaluable lessons she taught me. Developing confidence and self-esteem after such an unimaginably painful loss is still a journey for me, but I am better now, and I’m learning to trust and believe in myself and the direction of my life.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

My journey has been an incredible adventure! Early in college, I explored various engineering disciplines before earning a degree in Computer Drafting and Design in 2011. As a creative person, I enjoyed designing eye-catching outfits and creating roller coaster models in Roller Coaster Tycoon. My early exposure to computer-aided design in high school and the Adobe Creative Suite in college provided essential skills that have stayed with me throughout my life.

In 2008, I took a bold step forward and launched a clothing brand with my best friend, where I proudly served as the creative designer. We were truly ahead of the curve in the screen-printing clothing design space. I was so inspired by our work and tenacity as a young clothing brand. We later disbanded the clothing brand, but I still held an interest in design.

Today, I am the proud owner of Tuff Kreayetions, a brand that represents my vision and creativity. The name holds special meaning—”Tuff” is a nickname my late grandmother gave me, recognizing my strong-willed spirit, while “Kreayetions” playfully nods to the celebratory “Aye” found in Black culture.

As a creative, I wear a lot of hats in my business and truly see myself as a jack-of-all-trades. I easily switch between different projects and consistently deliver great results across various creative mediums.

At Tuff Kreayetions, I’m all about making personalized keepsakes that people will treasure for years to come. It really brings me joy to help others create lasting memories. My new website showcases a bunch of custom items, and I can’t wait to roll out customizable graphics and templates for other creatives to use.

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?

I’ve been told I’m a little too optimistic, but honestly, with everything going on in the world, a little hope can really make a difference. Hope is definitely an essential quality. Hope leads to faith. Maintaining hope is crucial for navigating tough times. I try my best to remain hopeful and maintain a positive outlook because it helps me reimagine the impossible

Secondly my mom always stressed the importance of thinking things through and having patience. Making informed decisions, which may require more time and persistence, has been an important part of my journey as well. Patience is super important. Things rarely happen on a timeline, so I’ve learned to stay patient and keep grinding until things work out.

And the third quality that has helped my journey is just to keep moving forward looking for ways to improve and learn something new. Knowledge is power, and with more knowledge comes growth.

My advice is -You’re going to make mistakes, but it’s all about being kind to yourself and learning from them. Those bumps in the road can really transform you. Always look up and keep improving. I’m learning to be a lifelong student.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

In the Kwanzaa celebration tradition, we celebrate the principle of Ujima, or collective work and responsibility. While celebrating Ujima this year, I reflected on how important it is to collaborate with other small business owners and artists. I’m particularly interested in connecting with Black and Indigenous entrepreneurs, women, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and exploring cultural expression. If that’s you please reach out! I love working with all creatives and find inspiration in various ways. The best way to reach me is through email at TuffKreayetions@gmail.com or by following me on Instagram at Tuff_Kreayetions. I’d love to connect! Specializing in all things designed, printed, pressed and/or customized, I would love to be a conduit in bringing your creative design visions to life.

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