Meet Princess Sarah Culberson | Founder of Nonprofit Sierra Leone Rising, DEI&B Speaker, and Author

We had the good fortune of connecting with Princess Sarah Culberson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Princess Sarah, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
I believe work and life balance is extremely important for our wellbeing. At the beginning of my career, all I wanted to do was work, and I felt guilty going out of town for a vacation because I was worried I would miss something. I know sometimes when we are starting off in our careers we have to take time to really focus on our work life. However during COVID, I started to learn deeply about things that are important and things that aren’t, especially after losing my mom during that time. It has made me take pause and think about what is really important and what’s not. Because of this I am shifting my work-life balance to focus on family. I’m still very busy working, however I take time out to go spend time with my dad, my siblings, and my friends and I have realized how important and vital that is to my own wellbeing. And I have to say that I don’t have it all figured out and I am still working on the balance, but I do feel like I am doing much better than I have in years. Work-life balance is always a journey, just make sure you are taking care of yourself, your wellbeing, and those you care about most.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I have always been an artist and a creator. I started off getting my Bachelor’s of Arts degree in theatre and then going on to getting my Masters in Fine Arts in classical theatre. I have taken my love for the arts and applied it to my life as an inspirational, leadership, and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEI&B) speaker. Speaking in corporate America, internationally, and even to college and grade school students, I have had to learn the art of sharing information to a wide variety of audiences. It’s not always easy to know how to navigate the global challenges within each of these environments. Some groups are ready for these tough conversations and others are not. I have had to learn to meet people where they are in their personal journeys and support them to keep growing and moving forward in an empowering direction. As someone who is biracial and trans-racially adopted into a white family with a birth family from Sierra Leone, West Africa, I have gotten to learn the beauty of differences in cultures and the immense importance of learning about each other to allow us to grow in unity as one.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I grew up in Morgantown, West Virginia and was always surrounded by nature. When I think of visiting my favorite spots, I think of ways to connect to beauty and nature. The first thing to do is take them on a hike up to the Hollywood sign early in the morning before it gets too hot outside, then head over to Malibu to experience the ocean, the mountains, and the beautiful nature that California has to offer. Next we go on a bike ride through Venice to Marina Del Rey along the beach, and later on hop over to the Descanso Gardens in La Cañada Flintridge and walk through the flower gardens and stop for tea in their tea house. Afterwards we drive to Burbank to go horseback riding and let them take in the city around us. In the evening, we drive up to the overlook on top of Mulholland and take in all the lights of the city below. We’ll top it off by heading over to Salt & Straw for some yummy ice cream!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
When I think about where I am now, it’s because of so many people around me. First and foremost, my parents have always been a huge guiding light for me. My family, my Morgantown, West Virginia community, my friends, you know who you are, and all of my teachers growing up from Mrs. Kaire in second grade through my professors in graduate school. Dr. Maya Angelou when I had the opportunity to sit with her at dinner as she shared many gems about life as well as how to write a book. Ambassador Shabazz who has been a mentor in my life since my early 20s and helped me understand the rollercoaster ride that life can be. My loving, amazing, and powerful boyfriend George who always reminds me of who I am and what is possible.

Website: https://sarahculberson.com/

Instagram: @IamPrincessSC

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamprincesssc/

Twitter: @IamPrincessSC

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iamprincesssc/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsmZiIbsOjzmQNoiJxt18gg?view_as=subscriber

Other: https://www.sierraleonerising.org/ https://read.amazon.com/kp/embed?asin=B005BP0F86&preview=newtab&linkCode=kpe&ref_=cm_sw_r_kb_dp_5E9GT79JW5ZE57B07JQT

Image Credits
Ahlyia Rios-Lopez Monika Sed Von Raees George Lewis