Business Profile: Sai Sankoh, CEO, BecauseIamFabulous.com

Sai Sankoh, fashion blogger, style guru, CEO of BecauseIamFabulous.com

With over half a million hits over the past 6 months BecauseIamFabulous.com is quickly becoming the online fashion and lifestyle destination in the DMV and beyond. Sai Sankoh, is CEO of www.BecauseIamfabulous.com and owner of the online boutique labellechic. On the eve of the site’s much anticipated relaunch Sai tells us how it all began and how she is turning her passion for fashion into a budding E commerce empire.

Interview with Sierra Leone’s No. 1 Fashion Guru: Miss Sai Sankoh

BecauseIamFabulous.com what is it?      Because I am fabulous was a space I originally created to write about my interesting dating experiences after I separated from my husband. It was a private memoir, so I could not share it with the public. But in May of this year,  I unpublished those posts, started blogging more on fashion, and opened it up to the public. Now it is a fashion and lifestyle website and I have three other fantastic bloggers that share their ideas on it with me.
Why fashion?      Why Not. Fashion says everything about me, lights my eyes up, gives me a burst of energy like nothing else can. Fashion is what I eat and breathe. It is what I use to express my sexuality, my womanhood, and my identity.
How did you discover that you had a knack for blogging/fashion?     Fashion is my life, haha, I would skip out on groceries just to buy a great pair of shoes. I believe there is so much to be learned about fashion, my whole idea of it was maxi dresses, a large pair of sunglasses and a great bag, but as time went by, people would share their inputs, and … every day is a learning process for me.

What were you doing before you became a fashion “It” girl?   I studied accounting for 3 years, but I was not passionate about it. My mom being a nurse wanted me to have a career that I would be able to make stable income from. So I went ahead and enrolled in nursing school, and did pretty well. I am currently enrolled to get my Bachelors in it. At first, I was terrified, I did not want the responsibility of having someone’s life in my hands, but as soon as I started working, I fell in love with my clients, and its one of the most amazing things, taking care of someone. Its so rewarding. But I feel a lot of people are enticed by the income, and stay with the mentality, that this is just a money making job. There is so much more to it than money. I am very proud to be a wonderful care giver.


How do you fund your fashion obsession?    I have always been extremely hardworking, and sometimes I would work 60- 70 hours a week, so I always made sure I had enough money to buy something I really wanted. Plus it helps that my boyfriends are always very successful and know I have a thing for designer labels.


You are becoming a tech entrepreneur relaunching your blog what advice would you give to others interested in following in your footsteps?  Consistency is the most important thing. I sleep with my laptop besides me. I am like a crazy bag lady, always carrying my laptop and camera around. You have to constantly produce stuff for your readers. Another big thing is Marketing. Enroll and use all types of social medias. Make use of your facebook, twitter and Tumblr accounts. The final thing is having a clean layout. The more time your readers spend on your blog, the more money you can potentially make, so having a cluttered site that is too busy, makes them lose interest easily. My new site will be launched Monday, December 12th, so check it out, www.becauseiamfabulous.com

Whats the most surprising thing thats happened as a result of the blog or connected to the blog?  The responses have been amazing. We just passed half a million views at the beginning of December. I’ve always had a fear of networking or talking to complete strangers, so having a fashion blog turns very quickly into  a discussion topic and I get to meet and talk to some of the most amazing people.


Is this your first blog. We heard rumors that you were behind a juicy gossip blog that was popular last year, is that true?   No this is not my first blog. I had a prior blog that was just about me and my friends going out and having fun, I deleted it. And  gosh, my dear Vickie you are the biggest swit mot na salone, but we both know you can’t always believe things that you hear.


How will you know when becauseIamfabulous.com is a success? What benchmarks have you set?  I feel like it is already a success because of the feedback I am getting from a lot of people, It is amazing how far we have come since May. I get a lot of emails daily from women that are inspired by the blog. It means a lot and I am touched by them. Our ultimate goal is to be ranked side by side with the top fashion blogs like Vogue and In style.


MORE ABOUT SAI SANKOH

Where are your from in Sierra Leone? Ethnicity? I was born in Kono. My dad is from Magburaka and my mom is from Port Loko.

Early life: where did you grow up? how did you end up in the US? Oh I grew up everywhere, I lived in Sierra Leone till i was 9 or 10,  I attended Tower Hill Kindergarten, until the Coup D’etat when Strasser took over. I still remember it very clearly, the soldiers, the guns, and someone grabbing my brother and I amongst the midsts of gunshots and taking us to Paramount Hotel. After that, my dad did not think it was safe so we left and  lived in London, Ghana, and before we finally settled in America. I’ve been here for the past 12 years.


Siblings? Are they much like you or very different? Haha, its shocking, my siblings are so different from me. I have an older brother Hassan, who is about 2 years older than me, but he is married with 3 beautiful kids and just lives this family oriented life. I am so proud of him, when i get married again, I want my husband to have a lot of his characteristics as a husband and father. I have a beautiful  21 year old sister Isha who is super quiet and is in school for fashion and a young baby sister Memi who is 17 and is studying Pre Med at VCU. I have beautiful and amazing siblings, and I have to admit I am the black sheep of the family, always doing the most random things haha.

Finish this sentence: When I grow up I want to be______ in a Comfortable space. Mentally, physically and emotional. 

Tell me something that no one knows about you. I hear a lot that my facebook statuses make me sound like a huge feminist and a man eater, but contrary to that, I am quite the relationship person. I believe in the fairytale happily ever after ending. I crave passion and love and just being with someone that I cant live without. When I am in a relationship, I love to cuddle, snuggle, make out , and just relax on the couch…haha and if a man is deserving, I will cater to him and spoil him!

STYLE TIPS from @SaiSankoh: BECAUSEIAMFABULOUS



If I have big breast I should wear___Depending on where I am going. If I am going out at night on a date, then i would love to highlight them with a sweetheart neckline dress, and if I am going to work, i would conceal them with a nice cashmere twinset  and a great statement necklace.  

If i want to look like i have more meat on my bones i should wear____dresses and skirts that are more structured. Peplums are great because they add volume around the hip area.

If I want to all eyes on me i should wear.____My sexy thigh suede and mesh cut out Christian Louboutins. These are definitely a conversation piece.

If I am meeting up with my ex i should wear______A strapless dress to highlight your shoulders and your breast