We recently connected with Diana Gbeklui-Robertson and have shared our conversation below.

Diana, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

I love Africa and wanted to bring that richness to Canada with a touch of creativity and so i started a small online business January 2022. I initially ordedered a handcrafted bag, but realized it didnt meet my expectation as i wouldnt be able to carry things inside without it fallen – it was not practical. I requested the vendor to fix it and was told it can not be done.

I was disapointed and decided to find a solution. I had the raw materials shipped to me and began to research about how to build it myself to my taste. To be honest i was excited because i love enginerring things with my hands anyways and couldnt wait to see the end result, i love messing with colors and i knew it was going to be fun since i wanted 99% of my products to be handcrafted with love with a touch of roots.

On the emotional side, learning to craft with beads helped me excaped some emotional roller coasters i was experiencing at the that time. Beading stimilutes my mind and became a hobby that i enjoy so much that i decide to add it to the business,.I would normally decked myself with my handcrafted products at different functions and many people were inquiring where i got them from, and the best of my beginings was when i made a clutch for my sister for her wedding, that gain alot of interest which inspired me to sell the bags, necklace. waist beads, bracelets just to name a few at the Downsview Flea Market in Toronto Canada.

I knew this would work because of the practicallity and how customizable the bags are in meeting the desires of my clients, that no two clients has the same thing,

With other bags in the market, you have no choise than to buy whatever is availble on shelf, but with Sikapadesigns, customers gets to choose their colours, size and design which represent their true self. I love creativity, most exciting is bringing peoples ideas to light and seeing clients reactions when they see the end product.

Diana, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am of African decent, Ghanian to be precise but resides in Canada. I am passionate for fashion with a modern unique touch of African prints/designs. I spent my childhood in Ghana and came to Canada at the age of 14. Nine months after i was born, A Doctor in Ghana accidentally injected me with an expired polio vaccine which gave me the virus, almost paralyzing me but thanks to my resilience mom who took me to countless therapy sessions to regain strentgh to be able to walk. One of my aim in life is to inspire my daughters that theres so much potentials deep inside to bless their generation with, and that theres no excuse to fail in life. Yes! life sometimes will knock us down but we all have a choice to get up, keep moving to fufil our our purpose. My ultimate source is God and my favaourite bible verse is “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” 2 Tim 1:7. I strongly believe we can each make a difference in the world by impacting the youths, our younger generation with love, consistency and transparency. Currently employed with the Toronto District School Board and am also an entrepreneur.an My hobbies are beading crochet and a going for long walks. I got into business to share the creative side of me and also to solve a problem. handcraft beaded bags, necklaces, personalized bracelets, waist beads, earings etc. What set me apart from others is that my products are customized to my clients wants/needs. They choose their colors, patern and and size, I have an excellent clients feedback and through that most of my new clients are through recomendations. Detail oriented. consistancy and creativity are a must in this insdustry, What am most proud of is to see my customers excited when they see the finished products, All my clients are fully involved in the crafting from beginiing to the end and my motto is customer satisfaction and quality is guaranteed.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

I get most of my new clients from reffereals and repeated customes.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Getting feedbacks (including constructive criticism) from customers and making sure that they are well satisfied with their products.

Contact Info:

• Website: sikaprint.com
• Instagram: sikapadesigns
• Facebook: Sikapa Designs – Norvi