We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Shambrekiá Wise. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Shambrekiá below.
Shambrekiá, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s start with education – we’d love to hear your thoughts about how we can better prepare students for a more fulfilling life and career
What we strive to do at Sightseeing with Sandy is provide children and families with the most immersive opportunities available so they can see and appreciate the world. I see an amazing avenue which allows us to work with schools by incorporating the metaverse to bring the contents of our books to life. This is something we are currently working on! Stay tuned!
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
“Are we on the right plane? There are no black people on this plane.”
That’s when I knew it was going to be a very long ride out to LAX. In the midst of my empty threats to my child, I couldn’t ignore the fact that she had a point. Instead of silencing her voice, I gave her the podium. Her observation prompted a very long and thoughtful discussion about why there were not many people, but especially children who looked like her, on our plane.
She wasn’t satisfied with any child being barred from seeing the world, and after discussing some very-well thought out suggestions, we decided a children’s book series was the answer. This would enable children and families to see the world around them without them ever leaving home!
Two years later, we are half way through our first volume with four books in print, a provisional patent for flashcards that we have created to compliment the book series and we’re preparing to launch a box kit that will be subscription-based for our biggest fans! I am so excited to be doing this with Sandiya as well as my Director of Marketing, Sarina Wagle, and I can’t wait to see where we go from here!
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
Sarina:
Unlearning that everything must be perfect on the first try has been simultaneously the biggest challenge and blessing. I used to wait to present something until it was exactly as it needed to be, but during my first year of university I learned that gaining insight from others during the stages of completion was much more valuable than showing only the final product. I have grown so much during my time at “Sightseeing with Sandy” because of this mindset and the freedom, constructive criticism, and encouragement Shambrekiá provides me.
Shambrekiá:
I have to echo Sarina. I thought EVERYTHING I put out had to be perfect and without flaw. After two accelerators, almost a decade of being a business woman and a mom, I’ve learned to love my best and that those who identify with my mission and my dreams will get on board. That’s all that matters!
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
Original Question: What do you think it takes to be successful?
Responses:
Sarina:
To be successful is to understand what long term outcome you want for yourself and accept any opportunity as a lesson and a way to grow. My dad has always told me to “start with the end in mind” and that has been my most prized advice while I am in the earliest stages of my academic and professional career.
Shambrekiá:
I think understanding what success looks like for you and your business will always be very unique. For me, it’s creating the life I’ve dreamed of for me and my little girl as well as being able to give back to those who need it most. I want to inspire all kids to see the world and my philanthropic efforts will mirror this desire. This will take dedication, tenacity, and an AMAZING support system, but it’s more than attainable!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/SightseeingwithSandy
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/SightseeingwithSandy
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shambrekia/
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/SandyandZooma
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCL1YNiExNHT1dHAcTbHMmJA/videos