Today we’d like to introduce you to Nakia Samuel.
Hi Nakia, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
As an adolescent, my parents kept me involved in extracurricular activities whether in ministry, sports, community involvement, academia, etc. This overexposure to activities both within and outside of my comfort zone allowed me to see the areas that I thrived and those that I struggled with. In the areas that I thrived, I honed in on those skills and they eventually revealed my passion, which is helping others and aesthetic creativity. If I can combine those and do something to bring a smile to someone’s face or help them gain prospective, knowledge, and growth, it was worth it.
In 2020, my team and I established A Good Shepherd’s Multipurpose Center, hosting events that celebrate life’s most precious moments. Opening an event space was a dream of mine as I loved coordinating and decorating events, however, I never placed any real action behind it simply because I’m a perfectionist. It never seemed like the right time because I wanted everything organized just right, God placed me in a circle of friends that were entrepreneurs and they helped me to understand perfection is not necessary, just do it and everything will take its necessary place. There will be struggles and hurdles to cross, it’s all a work in progress. Now we are venturing into our third year of business and expanding our operations, creating a one-stop-shop experience for clients to host birthday parties, baby showers, anniversaries, dinner parties, etc. As owner-operator, my goal is to create a premier events space for the community to host celebrations for years to come.
Starting A Good Shepherd’s Multipurpose Center proved to me that I can do anything and make it a success with hard work and dedication. Since establishing the multipurpose center, I have taken on other projects to expand my reach and continue to bring joy to others. Understanding my purpose and desire to help others in my community, I chose another avenue to reach the masses by curating the A-B-C roadmap to generational wealth: acquiring assets, building equity, and converting investments. I am a Licensed Real Estate Professional with Combs Premier Realty Group, servicing all Florida markets. Working with families to achieve the dream of homeownership is just the beginning of the journey with my clients. I build long lasting relationships helping families build their financial portfolio for generations to come through real estate.
In addition to these accomplishments, I am a published children’s book author. “Big Beautiful Puffy Ponytail” and “A Friend Like Kaleigh” for the first two books of Kiana’s Adventure Children’s Book Series in memory of my daughter Kiana Samuel, who passed away in 2016. She was full of joy and brought joy others with her infectious smile and laughter, all while being confined to a wheelchair. This series not only allows me to educate children in our community and bring a smile to the face of young readers, I am able honor Kiana and the impact she had on my life and the lives of others.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Navigating entrepreneurship has not been easy, but as President Theodore Roosevelt said, “Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty.” When we overcome difficulties and obstacles, we appreciate the victory that much more. As stated, I am a perfectionist. I overanalyze everything, evaluating outcomes prior to execution. Due to seeking perfection in everything, I battle with myself constantly when making decisions because I had grown accustom to following a designated plan based on regulations and policies and seeking validation for ideas and decisions prior to making them as an educator and working in corporate America. In entrepreneurship, you create the policies, regulations, and systems. You don’t always have someone to validate your decisions or aid you in putting voice to your ideas. I’m learning to build a team around me for each of my business ventures to ensure success, help with the brainstorming process, and amplify ideas. I had to truly learn that no man is an island, you’re going to need people in your corner. I am working daily to find the balance or being the boss and receiving assistance from my team to continue to grow.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
As emphasized, I wear several hats. I am the owner-operator of A Good Shepherd’s Multipurpose Center. As owner and operations manager, I run the day-to-day operations of the business from sales to coordinating events. What I am most proud of with this business is how this business has grown in such a short timeframe, servicing the community and building a reputation of excellence in the events industry. With the multipurpose center, we aim to give clients an elegant backdrop for any event within our community. In addition, to being the backdrop for events, we are a one-stop-shop, offering all necessary services to make any celebration a success.
In addition, I am a Licensed Real Estate Professional with Combs Premier Realty Group. I curate the ABC roadmap to generational wealth, specializing in helping homebuyers acquire assets, build equity, and convert investments. My relationship with my clients is personal. I invest in my clients the way I would like someone to invest in me. Our relationship doesn’t end at the closing table, the goal is to generate a financial portfolio through real estate.
As an individual, I am known for my children’s books, for my work ethic, and motivating individuals to achieve everything they desire. I am most proud of setting myself apart from others and not being afraid to take on the things that I am passionate about. I truly aspire to be of assistance to everyone I encounter, whether it’s hosting an event and making their moment special, helping families achieve stability and financial freedom, or empowering my community through education.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
My biggest advocates are my family and friends: my mom, Pamela Lovett, encourages me through ups and downs; my dad, Anthony Bonner instilled in me the mentality of hustling because nothing in life is given to you; my bonus dad and pastor, Rodney Lovett, Sr., guides me in my spiritual walk which is present in all I do; my brother, Anthony McCutcheon, never allows me to make any excuses; my friend and business partner Dwayne Sheppard for presenting me with the business opportunity to become an entrepreneur; my mentors and real estate brokers Emmitt Combs and Leroy Thompson of Combs Premier Realty Group for guiding me in growing my real estate business and being a source of encouragement and strength; and my late daughter Kiana Samuel who showed me that life is short, so make every moment count.
Pricing:
- A Good Shepherd’s Multipurpose Center – Starting rate is $975 for an 8-hour rental. All rental require a $200 refundable security deposit. Contact us for event specials and decorating specials.
- Big Beautiful Puffy Ponytail (children’s book) – $16.00
- A Friend Like Kaleigh (children’s book) – $16.00
- Big Beautiful Puffy Ponytail and A Friend Like Kaleigh Bundle (both children’s books) – $30
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/nakiatheaikan
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nakiatheaikan/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nakia.samuel
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/nakiatheaikan
- Other: https://www.agsmultipurposecenter.com
Image Credits
Jonnae Bailey Photography
Kenneth Lamour Photography
Tremaine Wright
