Meet Sabiné Oh | Creative – Designer – Entrepreneur | Black, Woman, Veteran

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sabiné Oh and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sabiné, what is the most important factor behind your success?

The most important factors behind my personal success and the success of my brands are three things: my spiritual journey with Christ, my self-worth level up, and the realities that hit from the passing of my cousin.

I am prior military so for the eight years that I served, I went through so much mentally and physically that made me question a lot about who I was and what my path in life was supposed to look like. I eventually gained a stronger connection to my maker and it has helped me to not only survive hardships but thrive in everything I set my mind to.

As a result of my spiritual journey, I also started to take an internal and external look at what my self-worth looked like and where I wanted it to be. I went through a series of tribulations; I lost myself and fell into a deep depression, filled with loads of anxiety. I knew this wasn’t where I needed to be in my 20s so I worked hard to pull myself up and out of that dark place. When I moved to Europe, I started to define what I wanted and needed in my life and started being intentional about the decisions I made from my relationships to my businesses and everything in between. I have days that I fall down and honestly stay down but I remind myself of how far I’ve come and I eventually pick myself back up, tap into my creativity, motivate myself to do better, and push forward. I don’t fault my shortcomings because this is what gives me my unique life story and what has placed me where I am today… blessed with 4 businesses.

Last but certainly not least, I lost my nineteen-year-old cousin, J’Ranee, to a battle with cancer and that changed my life forever. This turned my world upside down but I started realizing that I needed to live not just for myself but for those who are no longer here with us who can longer live for themselves. Everything I do, I have her in mind. I think of how proud I feel she would be of me and how she’d be a part of my entrepreneurial stories, every step of the way. I do this for her!

There are many factors that contribute to my success and the success of my brands: The Black Society, Sabiné Oh! collection, Print x Space, and Black Miami Connected . . . but these are the top ones that instantly come to my mind. I couldn’t be more thrilled!

xo.
Sabiné Oh!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?

I was born to be an artist, I was made to be creative in every aspect of my life. Everyone who has crossed paths with me remembers me for my creativity. I’ve dabbled in just about everything: drawing, painting, curating, graphic/digital/web design, sewing, crafting, jewelry making, etc. I consider myself the Black Jackie of all Trades, master of all. As an only child, I’ve always been a loner who had to learn to keep myself occupied and entertained. When I was younger, I was envious of those with siblings but now I realize that that is why I am the way I am today… and I wouldn’t change it. I’m proud of my imagination and creativity, it keeps me going for sure.

I think what sets me apart from others is my story. Where I come from, where I’ve been, and where I’m going. People know that I am going places and I love to bring my loved ones on the ride with me. I love to learn and then share my knowledge because I strongly believe that that’s the one thing no one can take away from you. As a black woman, I understand the struggles in my community and I like to uplift where ever I can contribute the most… and for me, that is in art.

I got to where I am today through a lot of mess-ups, start-overs, and challenging my “what-ifs”. When I joined the military I knew that I could literally do anything I set my mind to! I’d be lying if I said it was easy, it’s still hard some days. Blood, sweat, and tears got me here and what keeps me stable is my spiritual, mental, emotional, physical, financial (etc.) state of being.

Lessons? Man oh man, there has been a multitude of them. For starters, you don’t need to be perfect to get started you just need to start (still learning this, haha), you’d be surprised who would support you and everything you choose to do, many being complete strangers on the internet; the mind is powerful, the body can handle more than you think, if you can’t stop thinking about it just do it, it’s not a race, etc.

I want the world to know that this is only just the beginning! I’m passionate about what I do, I’m proud of my work and I can’t wait to share more. From my travel & lifestyle brand to my jewelry collection, to my custom apparel designs, and my curation of events in my local black community, you’ve only just met me and seen the first couple chapters of my story. It can only get better from here. With the support of the world around me, my business ventures will continue to flourish. Sabiné Oh will be a household name.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?

Okay, so this question is interesting because I feel like I’m new to Miami. I moved back here in 2019, from Europe, so I wanted to preface that before I drafted my itinerary:

*Places to Eat:
– Pollo Tropical (because this is my go-to for any time of the day)
– The Licking, in Miami Gardens
– Home-cooked meal from my mom because it don’t get no better, haha

*Places to Drink (I don’t drink but if I had to):
– Wet Willies in Ft. Lauderdale
– Fat Tuesdays in Bayside

*Places to Hang Out / Visit:
– Hard Rock Casino in Broward
– All over Wynwood, especially for the street art
– Fishing down towards the Keys, Channel #2 or Islamorada
– Jetskiing at Gilberts

My best friend, Christina, and I like to people watch. We’re pretty laid back and enjoy seeing what other people are getting into. We laugh, crack jokes, and just have a good time with spending little to no money if possible. When she’s in town, we spend a lot of time riding around the city of Miami and having some great conversations. Simple gals but we’ve had some great moments.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Oh my, this list would be so long if I had the time but here we go:

– First and foremost God Almighty and my angels J’Ranee and Adrien
– My parents, Cinnamon and Frank
– My entire military family, they know who they are… special shout out to Marquita & Petra.
– My JeLyMaMaS (Maika, Maritza, Jessica, & Lydi’Ann)
– All sides of my family! My inspiration comes from the life I live.
– My still so close high school friends from “the table.”
– Honorable Kelli Thomas – Community Council 14/144, for mentioning my name to be recognized in this Shoutout Series
… and why not, my two cats Zoey and Baby, who are with me through all my late nights.

Website: www.sabineoh.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/theblacksociety

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/blackmiamiconnected

Other: Linked you to three of four of my businesses above. I can be found all over Rihanna’s great internet!

Image Credits
All images are taken by me or clients at my event.