‘The Distinguished’ is an annual celebration that recognises women who have made tremendous impact in various fields across Jamaica. It was first staged as a luncheon in March 2018 and since then, has become an important calendar event that allows The Gleaner’s lifestyle magazine, FLAIR to showcase female pioneers, innovators and powerhouses from all over Jamaica. The awardees are selected based on their consistently high standard, not only in their respective fields but also, the impact of their activities on wider society.

Despite graduating as a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Terri-Karelle unexpectedly pivoted into the field of Media and Communications and never looked back. With over a decade of experience in the field, she has established herself as the consummate professional, a deep researcher and articulate presenter who moderates and navigates some of the most complex discussions. Terri-Karelle has built a track record that makes her a highly respected and influential leader in media and communications. Her innovative strategies both on and offline, and creative approach to problem-solving has helped to redefine and shape the industry and inspire countless others in the field.

In addition to her professional accomplishments, Terri-Karelle has also demonstrated a deep commitment to giving back to her community with her spirited discussions around various topics via her ever-growing social media community. She uses her platforms to voice social issues and has been actively involved in numerous charitable organizations such as, Eve for Life serving as an advocate and champion for women and minorities across the island.

The Gleaner’s Flair ‘Distinguished’ Award is a highly prestigious honour, reserved for individuals who have demonstrated exceptional achievement and leadership in their field. Past recipients include some of the most accomplished and respected female leaders in areas such as business, the arts, education, fashion, law, science and technology, communications, and agriculture. Past winners include Audrey Tugwell Henry, Nicole McLaren Campbell, Keneea Linton-George, Elaine Thompson Herah, Alia Atkinson, Chorvelle Johnson Cunningham, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Leonie Forbes just to name a few.

When asked about receiving the award and what it meant for her, Terri-Karelle expressed her gratitude and stated, “I am deeply honoured and humbled to receive this award. Back in 2020 I received The Distinguished 2020 Social Media Personality of the Year award based on a public vote system and that was humbling to see that I had touched so many lives with such purpose. Now, three years later, to be awarded this honour from the panel of adjudicators it is really a testament to the hard work and dedication of everyone on my team, as well as the support and guidance of my family members and well-wishers throughout my career. I’m particularly proud to share this moment with fellow awardees who I know personally. I hope my work will continue to inspire and empower others in the industry for many years to come,” she ended. The 2023 Distinguished Ceremony was well attended by industry leaders, colleagues, and friends of the RJR Gleaner Group who all came together to celebrate the achievements and legacy of these ‘Distinguished’ women.

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Terri-Karelle first attended the debut staging of Elevate back in 2019 and subsequently hosted, moderated and participated in panel discussions and fireside chats over the years in her capacity as a media personality/entrepreneur. However, five years after her debut, Reid returned to the main stage delivering a powerful message around “Creating your Best Life.” In her brief welcome introduction of Dr. Terri-Karelle Reid, Kerry-Ann Stimpson, Chief Marketing officer at the JMMB Group stated, “this speaker is special to us not only because we get to work with her all the time at JMMB, but she was with us at elevate 5 years ago not as a speaker, a host, or as a panelist. She was there because it’s something she wanted to be a part of. She sacrificed her whole weekend for Elevate that year.” She continued, “After the event she posted a 30-minute video clip about what the elevate platform had done for her and that was something that brought tears to my eyes. And now this year, she has returned as one of our anchor speakers for our Elevate 5.0 event,” she ended. As Stimpson ushered herself off the stage to welcome Reid, the audience erupted in fanfare.  

With her usual elegance and undeniable energy, the 40-year-old entrepreneur and public speaker entered the stage to Jermaine Edwards’ hit “Beautiful Day” after which she cautiously reminded everyone that she wasn’t an authority figure who could dictate how to live one’s best life but instead referring to the topic as ‘subjective’ and one that she was ready and willing to speak on and share the principles that she has employed that has led her to continuously live her best life.

The former Veterinary doctor outlined 7 key steps that individuals can undertake to put them on a better path to living their best life. The included:

1. Defining your best life (what living your best life looks like and feels like)
2. Understanding that your breakthrough is usually on the other side of your habits
3. Outwork your self-doubt
4. Ask for help and learn to self-advocate
5. Define and establish your character
6. Don’t compete or compare
7. Pay it forward

As the presentation continued, Reid drew on her personal life experiences to further cement a few of her points to the audience and drive home the overarching message of getting attendees to practice better steps in defining their best life. However, based on the feedback from the audience and the many social media posts that littered the social space, “outwork your self-doubt’ was the biggest take away for the many in attendance. According to Reid, “We have to outwork your self-doubt. What I’m asking of you all today is that you look at execution over inspiration, execution over motivation, action over absorption and assimilation.” She continued, “we absorb every day, we assimilate every day, but we do not take action. The day you take that first step and you start to outwork your self-doubt, everything becomes easier but that takes time,” she declared. 

To end her hour-long presentation, Reid recapped the 7 principles that can be used for persons to build their best life and reminded persons, through her usually nurturing nature, of the importance of storytelling and how that can aid in connecting people and experiences. Shortly after, she dove head-first into the question-and-answer segment from attendees both in person and online.

Subsequent to Reid’s presentation, Paul C. Brunson in his address referenced Reid on several occasions as one of the best storytellers in the space and someone who assimilates well and then executes as he unpacked nuggets of information around personal brand building techniques also using real life experiences from his journey during his hour and a half presentation.  

JMMB Elevate is the financial company’s annual financial empowerment summit geared towards empowering more Jamaicans to rethink money and wealth creation.

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With a series of book tours and signings in Jamaica, Reid has finally made her debut in the Twin Island Republic of Trinidad and Tobago this past week.  The launch event took place at the Jamaican High Commission with little over 50 specially invited members of her TK Tribe. Reid, overwhelmed by the support in Trinidad welcomed her guests and admitted hastily that she didn’t not in a million years envision a book launch in another country. “This started out as a little cheat sheet which then morphed into a full-fledged book that I launched in Jamaica. Now here I am, 7 months later with my book being launched in Trinidad and Tobago. It’s surreal but I am thankful and blessed. Thank you all for being a part of my community and for contributing to my life in some way shape or form.”

The book is dedicated to Reid’s grandmother Millicent Audrey Scott who the author admitted “planted the seeds of knowledge and wisdom that made me a great brand long before I even knew that I would be one.”

The book is available in paperback and kindle formats at Amazon or via Reid’s website www.terrikarelle.com. Here are some highlights from the “My Brand Compass” launch in Trinidad and Tobago:

Event Host, TEDx Speaker and now Author Dr. Terri-Karelle Reid was all too happy to gift Jamaican High Commissioner to Trinidad and Tobago His Excellency Arthur Williams an autographed copy of her first book “My Brand Compass” at her launch event in Trinidad and Tobago earlier this week.

Out to celebrate another Jamaican female phenom in TT is Jamaican born Managing Director of the Guardian Media Group Dr. Karrian Hepburn-Malcolm and her son Zylan. Both spared a few moments with the nights leading lady, Dr. Terri-Karelle Reid at the Trinidad and Tobago launch of her debut book “My Brand Compass.

Jarrod Best-Mitchell, in addition to purchasing three copies of ‘My Brand Compass’ also managed to sneak a selfie with the author Dr. Terri-Karelle Reid.

Jane Wight (right) was overcome with joy after finally meeting the “My Brand Compass Author. Dr. Terri-Karelle Reid (left) after the proceedings of the book launch held at the Jamaica High Commission in Trinidad and Tobago.

Host of the “My Brand Compass” book launch Leisel Douglas (left) joins the author and TEDx speaker Dr.  Terri-Karelle Reid for a candid photo op.

The Trinidad and Tobago Launch of Reid’s (second left) recently authored “My Brand Compass” would not have been a success without her TT based organisers who joined her for a photo op. They are (from left) Leisel Douglas, Tisha Jack and Tynisa Scantlebury. Reid’s Executive Liaison Alex V. Sterling (right) joined the ladies for a final photo op.

Then gents were not to be left out from the book launch proceedings. Alex V. Sterling (right), the Executive Liaison to Dr. Terri-Karelle Reid is joined by Communications specialist Dike Noel (left) and Banker Andre Muir (centre).

Digital Strategist Keron Rose (left) joined the host of specially invited guests at the launch event. Here, he is pictured with Dr.Terri-Karelle Reid at the Trinidad and Tobago launch of her recently published book, ‘My Brand Compass.’

The effervescent host extraordinaire and Author of ‘My Brand Compass,’ Dr. Terri-Karelle Reid.

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The Jamaica Observer

Friday, August 27, 2021

By Claude Mills
Observer Online Writer

(excerpt)

Roman Emperor Nero once wrote that “hidden talent counts for nothing”.  And that’s why the subject of tapping into untapped potential in children is so fascinating to media specialist Dr Terri-Karelle Reid, one of two Jamaicans who will speak at TEDx Aston University next month.

The other speaker will be businessman Zachary Harding.

The theme of the event is ‘Untapped’ and Reid will be speaking on “The untapped potential in raising children holistically” on September 25 at the university in Birmingham, United Kingdom. 

“The overall theme for all speakers is ‘Untapped’, looking at how the world has been, how people have had to dig deep, try things that are very different…adapt, adjust,” she told Observer Online, adding “A lot of us have had to tap into different aspects of our lives in order to survive and even thrive in one of the darkest periods of our lives.

“When I was approached (by TEDx), I thought they were approaching me because of my ability to move from veterinary medicine and branch off into media and other areas but when they asked me to focus on my parenting style, I was blown away by it,” Reid said. 

You can read the rest of the article here

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Chris has achieved success time and time again. He did it as CEO of the National Commercial Bank and continues this legacy by consistently leading Proven to double-digit net profit growth in the billions. His success is so laudable that he has been nominated to receive the Observer Business Leader Award, a most prestigious honour reserved for the highest performing CEOs in Jamaica. He is a man that is not led only by his convictions, but the results he attains.

When asked what has led to his success so far, Chris chalks it up to one thing: training his mind. He believes that the mind is the most powerful tool a person has in their arsenal and it is the one thing that determines your success.

We spend in our youth, convinced that we need to be born with an innate ability to do things, and if we don’t have that ability, then that’s the end of the road for us. The truth is, there are the Usain Bolts and the Lebron James of the world, who are born with natural talent. But even if you don’t fall into that category, you can still train your mind to deliver the results you desire. In our hour-long chat, Chris shared a few specific areas to focus on to achieve just that. Let’s take a look at them.

“For everything you do, have a goal.”

Chris is a big believer in having SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, time-bound) goals for every area of his life. His own goal for appearing on Digicel Business Masterclass is to beat Gary Peart’s viewing numbers from the last masterclass. Ha!

On a serious note, he encourages others to train their mind to seek success in every endeavour. Even if they don’t achieve it, they’ll get the best possible outcome by working towards something, rather than just being there for being there’s sake.

“In life, you either win or you learn. You never lose.”

Every car is built with shocks. No matter how fancy, beautiful or well-designed they are, they are built with shocks to absorb the impact of a blow. Why? Because no matter how good you are, you are still going to meet bumps along the road.

Your attitude in life is your built-in shock absorber. No matter how intelligent you are or how good you become, mistakes will happen. For whatever reason, you will not attain what you set out to achieve. When that happens, you have to be able to bounce back.

While Chris has had setbacks in life – to the point where he’s had to sell his matrimonial home to keep his business running and pay his bills – he always comes back stronger. His mindset is that he doesn’t fail, he’s just learned a valuable lesson.

“Be down to earth, practical, and frank about who you are.”

One of the key tenets of a success mindset is emotional intelligence – you must be self-aware. Being frank and honest with yourself about who you are, what your strengths and what you want to attain in life are the only way you can get there.

Once you’ve identified these strengths and weaknesses, you can determine how to handle them. One thing I’ve learned, which I shared with Chris in the session, is to “focus on your strengths and delegate your weaknesses, which can be very useful in business.

However, Chris recommends that if there are areas of weaknesses that you want to improve, particularly if they are crucial to the goals you want to achieve, then you need to take on little challenges that force you to improve on these areas.

“You can’t drive a car looking in the rearview mirror.”

What’s gone is gone. If you spend your time celebrating past successes, you never get to focus on what’s next.

Chris never allows himself to get complacent. He’s always focused on the upcoming challenge. When asked what motivates him to keep going, he says he stays motivated by his stretch goal. What’s that? Growing to the level of his previous employer, NCB.

Despite his current level of success, making 4-5 billion dollars in profit with Proven, he still has a way to go to achieve his ultimate dream – being one of the top five performers in the finance market in the region, making somewhere between 15-20 billion in profit.

He encouraged viewers to keep focusing on the future by always having a to-do list, because as the old adage says, Those who fail to plan, plan to fail.”

“Don’t waste time with excuses.”

Earlier in his career, Chris remembers going to his boss, Group CEO of NCB, Patrick Hylton, to explain why he hadn’t achieved the targets they had set. In the midst of lamenting about all the reasons he failed, Mr. Hylton fell asleep. He was simply not interested. Instead, he told Chris not to waste his time giving excuses and to simply assess what went wrong, learn from it and keep moving.

That’s the philosophy Chris lives by today. He believes you must hold yourself accountable and take responsibility for your actions, and not just blame it on external factors. The only way to improve upon your previous performance is to zone in on what you did wrong and learn from it.

“Inspire and be inspired by others.”

Successful people tend to leave breadcrumbs – little nuggets of wisdom along their journey that you can use to inform your own path to success. Chris is a firm believer in following the breadcrumbs. He prefers listening to motivational speakers, because these help him train his mind.

On the flip side, he believes in giving back as much as he gets by mentoring others, and believes that mentorship can have as much of an impact on the mentor as it does on the mentee. In fact, it is from a conversation with a mentee while at NCB, who asked him why he was encouraging others to become entrepreneurs but not doing it himself, why he made the decision to start Proven.

Even though the live session is over, Chris still needs help beating Gary with views on YouTube LOL. So if you haven’t watched this episode yet, watch it here . As for Gary Peart, CEO of Mayberry Investments, here are the takeaways from that interview

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We can’t talk business without talking about money management! And who better to talk about money than Gary Peart. Not only is he the CEO of Mayberry Investments with over 20 years of experience in the wealth management field, but he’s also the Chairman of the Board at Supreme Ventures Ltd. and a Director at several other large Jamaican companies.

Gary dropped so many useful financial gems in our 80-minute chat that if you weren’t writing them down, you would surely miss them. Luckily, I’ve pulled some of the key takeaways from this episode and shared with you below. Take notes!

Have a relationship with your money

The biggest takeaway from this session – and the point Gary kept coming back to repeatedly during the episode – is that everyone needs to have an INTENTIONAL relationship with their money. 

What does that mean? In practical terms, it means spending at least one hour each month with your money to understand exactly what you have, how you’re using it and what future opportunities exist to get you where you want to be. 

If you’re a parent, teach your children about money in the same way. Have an hour with your child each month to teach them about basic money lessons and help them get good at managing it on their own.

This advice isn’t just for individuals either. It’s for businesses too! The more you understand exactly how money’s working in your business and what financial obligations and opportunities you have, the better you can plan for the future of the business and the more likely you are to grow. 

Invest, don’t save

In today’s world, the best position to be in is to be an owner. And one of the best and most affordable ways to achieve ownership is through investing in the stock market.

In the past, investing has been demonized as a risky option that exists only for the wealthy who have cash to burn. For me personally, I didn’t think investing was an option until I started to see friends around me doing it. Only recently have the conversations been happening openly about how accessible it really is.

At the end of the day, saving your money in a standard savings account at a commercial bank will give you minuscule returns, but using the same amount to invest smartly is far more likely to yield better returns in the same time frame.

It’s not something to just jump into, but the earlier you start your investment journey, the better you’ll get at it as time goes.

Money isn’t simple, it’s hard work

What does Gary think is the biggest misconception people have about money? That’s it simple, and anyone can do the kind of job he and his team does at Mayberry.

“In developed countries, one of the key persons is the financial advisor, and it’s very difficult to find a good financial advisor. In Jamaica, everyone thinks that they’re a financial advisor.”

What people don’t often see is the ridiculous amount of hours that financial advisors and experts spend understanding businesses and trends that impact the money market. It’s not something that you can just get right on a whim.

This leads back Gary’s original point of having a relationship with your money. The more time you spend with your money consistently, the better you’ll be able to see the trends and patterns associated, and make decisions accordingly.

“If you earn $1000, you should not spend more than $1000.”

Another big problem Gary sees when it comes to personal finances today is people not accepting their current financial status.

It’s easy to think that if your peers around you are spending on certain luxuries, then you should too. But making that mistake could be extremely costly to you down the road when you realize that you didn’t invest in your future wellbeing while others did. Money management takes discipline.

This isn’t to say that you should not be treating yourself at all. You can and should, every once in a while. But it is important to do it in a responsible way, especially when it comes to those big life-changing decisions that could make a serious dent in your financial future without you even realizing it. One such decision – having kids!

“The decision to have a child is fundamentally, at today’s prices, a $20-30 million-dollar decision. It’s a commitment that you’re making for the next 20 years.”

Business struggling due to COVID? Pivot!

Some businesses – like food and delivery companies – are making super profits during the pandemic, yet others – like those in the tourism and entertainment sectors – are struggling and hoping for the best. If you’re in the latter group, the question you should be asking is, “How do you pivot?”

One of the side effects of the COVID is that it has changed the way people operate. Most of us are working from home and going about our days a lot differently.  This has created opening and opportunities for smart businesses to pivot and offer the kinds of goods and services that are in need right now. So give some thought to your core capabilities, resources on hand and skillsets of your team to figure out what you can do to keep your business afloat and generate sufficient cashflow until this period has passed.

Money management also means that businesses should also be planning for the future once this stage of the pandemic is over. COVID may not go away, but soon enough, things will be back to functional normality, and businesses need to be prepared to adjust again when that happens.

Can’t afford to go digital? Don’t worry.

 While digitization for businesses is certainly important into today’s world, it isn’t all doom-and-gloom if you don’t have the capital to do so.

While some societies are heavily reliant on digital today, luckily Jamaica isn’t just yet. Here, cash is still king. Therefore, if having a digital component isn’t critical to business performance, then don’t kill yourself to get it done, but keep a watchful eye on the market trends and consumer behaviour.

However, if you do need to digitize some areas of your business, there are opportunities available. Entities such as the Development Bank of Jamaica offers programmes that may be able to help, and you can take advantage of the subscription-based services online that allow you to pay in small increments as you go, rather than making a big cash investment up front.

Money management means making the right decisions. At the end of the day, businesses shouldn’t just go digital because they think it’s the big thing and everyone’s doing it. Instead, they should be considering whether it makes sense in their hierarchy of value, that is, they should be spending the most money in areas that give them the most returns.

Want more of Gary’s wisdom?

The “Money Management” session with Gary was deeply insightful and packed with so much valuable information, I couldn’t possibly fit it all into one post. So if you haven’t already, I encourage you to go watch the full episode on YouTube. It’s well worth the time investment and you’ll even pick up Gary’s tip to save you a bundle on interest on your credit card! 

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As I sat in my dining room trying to keep my emotions together and yes, I am being hella presumptuous to write this blog before even uploading my first episode, but I think it’s important for anyone who might be in the process of launching something (anything). I am choosing to share this because it’s really more than a podcast, it can represent your new project or new season. I ALMOST shelved this idea and here are the things that were highlighted for me during this process.

Overthinking

Yes, there is procrastination and that is the beast a lot of us talk about but for me, overthinking can be detrimental. Your brain is wired to process so many different scenarios, options, alternatives, excuses, and reasons to not go through with something. You may be onto a fantastic idea and yet your brain, in an attempt to keep you “safe”, will tell you “Nah fam, stay on the shore, don’t venture out there to sea.” Thing is, if you spend all your time overthinking, the right time will never come. At some point, you just gotta jump out that plane and pull that parachute. Are all my elements in place? Nope, but by starting and launching the “Redirection With Terri-Karelle” podcast, I will learn and figure things out and land on my feet.

Starting from Scratch

Let’s be real, no one truly gets up every day wanting to start from ground zero. There is happiness, bliss and downright mushy goodness in staying in familiar territory. C’mon! I know I can’t be the only one who feels this way. After you have spent time learning something, failing, and figuring out things, when you finally attain or achieve the goal, you just want to hit that cruise control button and sail down the highway on auto-pilot. We are relaxed and we don’t have to expend a lot of time or energy learning new processes. When you decide to take on something new and completely unrelated to your core business or passion, it can be daunting. We start thinking of all the reasons why it’s a bad idea to start something new. “Lawks, mi too ole fi guh learn dis.” “I can’t bother, this is going to take up too much time.” “I have way too much on my plate.” “I will start behind everyone.” Whichever the excuse is, you realise that you honestly won’t grow if you don’t shed old skin. Even now, I am still learning about podcasts and not all days are met with enthusiasm, but I will admit I have learnt more about producing a different kind of content. Now, I am better than clueless and that feels good. Starting from scratch isn’t a bad thing, it’s necessary to move to the next level.

Underestimating Your Impact

You inspire people who you know. People who you have never come into contact with are motivated by you. You move people who are in bigger positions, offices, and stations even if you don’t know it. The only person who underestimates the impact is you. This is not up for debate. We spend most of our time, pouring into others, cheering others on (nothing wrong with that) but we downplay the role we play in the lives of others. We underestimate the power we have to use the platforms afforded to us to use your voice, share gems, lived experiences, and lessons learnt to build and help our communities. Sometimes it comes with a little vulnerability but that becomes secondary when you realise the strength you give yourself and others by stepping into your purpose unapologetically. My “Redirection with Terri-Karelle” podcast is because I acknowledge and respect the impact that I may have on generations to come. It makes the risk worth it.

Lack of Support

I don’t think anyone can be cured of self-doubt. I believe as long as you have breath in your body, there will be moments when it will creep up on you and if you aren’t careful it will swallow you whole and leave you paralysed. Our favourite motivators aren’t immune to it either, they just do whatever they set their minds to do regardless. Most of us will typically anticipate poor support and that can provoke inaction. Here’s the thing though, usually all that negative talk is in your head. Believe it or not, there are people, groups, communities (big and small) that are just dying to throw support behind you, but you are too busy convincing yourself they don’t exist. If you don’t create it (your project, business, podcast etc.) how will you ever be so sure? After launching the “Redirection with Terri-Karelle” podcast, not only did I get subscriptions and real celebration, I got messages from persons with specialised skills who want to collaborate. This means that the opportunity to collaborate with other persons, who may offer an even better perspective exists and it wouldn’t have if I didn’t put it out there. So, put yourself out there (provided you actually have the goods to back it up) and you might surprise yourself by the support you receive. Despite what social media spews sometimes, people want to see you WIN. Let me just add, that support doesn’t have to be measured by numbers (quantity), but rather quality. It’s better to have the right people to support you- and they exist.

Comparison to Others

If this isn’t one of the biggest culprits in life! I don’t know what is. Information, content, rich media is oozing everywhere. Every nook and cranny has individuals and/or companies that are competing for audience attention and eyeballs. If there is one thing we do a lot of, it’s underestimating what we have to offer, it’s underestimating our story and journey. It doesn’t matter if lots of people know your story or not, it matters that you own your story and use it as a vehicle to inspire others. We may all hail from different places and spaces but the thing that connects us all is our humanity. We connect to each other through our experiences and our exchange can enlighten, motivate, inspire others around us. You may feel as if your story is an everyday common thing but I guarantee you, your journey has been seen and lived through a unique pair of eyes- YOURS! And that, my friend, is powerful! Whatever your focal point is, allow it to resonate in its purest and truest form. So my podcast is inspired by my life and all its ups and downs that lead me to where I am today. I encourage you to build, position and share your story in the way that only you can.

There are tons more fear-based reasons that other people experience but here are my affirmations while I prepared to launch the “Redirection with Terri-Karelle” podcast :

• You are so much more than you know! Believe it!
• Be kind to yourself and be careful of the language you use when you speak to yourself
• Doing other things that you are passionate about doesn’t take away from the other things you do. You are multi-dimensional. Own it
• There is no one on this earth better than you. They might be richer, perhaps more popular, but that doesn’t equate to better. Do you!
• Even if you attend classes, do research, go to webinars, pay for coaching lessons etc. if you don’t take the step, it all counts for naught! Inaction wins and then you really can’t blame anyone else but yourself.
• Being fearful doesn’t make you a failure. It makes you human. It’s pushing through that fear that makes you a beast! Do it scared!
• Build and value your community. The idea that if you build the product and the audience will just find you is tricky. Continue adding value to your community and they will show up and show out for you!
• Wanting to make a positive impact starts with YOU! You can’t help others if you aren’t willing to help yourself first
• Starting late isn’t a bad thing. You get to learn from those who have gone before. Just pace yourself and finish your race
• Surround yourself with people who know and can guide. You can’t and won’t know everything. Big ups to Kevin Valley of Caribbean Power Lunch podcast for the late-night conversations
• Your season can come upon you at any time and you have to be ready. So start putting your things together even when you have no plans on launching because whenever the timing is right, you will be prepared.

For those of you who would like to know about the equipment I use, read more here I hope you will come along with me on this new journey (if you haven’t already). You are more than welcome to join the most amazing and supportive community ever!!! Thank you, tribe. My heart is full.

Apple podcast: Subscribe here

Google podcast: Subscribe here

Cheers,

TK

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Beenie Man and Bounty Killer, Jamaica’s dancehall giants and living legends, battled on the Verzuz platform just hours ago. It is truly hard to articulate my emotions. 3.7 million people tuned in and the veterans left us wanting more. I have been an avid onlooker since Verzuz started promoting these virtual battles. They have been a great source of entertainment as the world tries to cope with the stresses that come with Covid-19. The first attempt between Babyface and Teddy Riley was an epic fail because of data issues, technical glitches etc. but they were eventually able to redeem themselves the week after. Erykah Badu vs Jill Scott had me swooning in my living room and regretting not buying incense and candles to match their super fly zen. I missed Ludacris vs Nelly but I would not and could not miss my very own, do-it-for-the-culture battle between King Beenie Man and The General Grunggaadzilla, Bounty Killer. 

For Jamaicans, you have to understand a few things, clashes have always been a part of our culture. Generationally, it has been a showdown of lyrical creativity and quick-mindedness. Clashes can catapult the career of artistes, establishing respect, increasing popularity, reach, income and opportunity. Clashes are synonymous to Brand Jamaica. Jamaican artistes (especially Dancehall artistes), will tell you that even if their careers do well abroad, getting the respect and support of Jamaicans is the highest honour. 

Growing up in the 80s, I would have been too young to attend the stage shows at the time. The expletives, sexually suggestive or violent lyrics, scantily attired women, “colourful” characters, and the strong smell of marijuana would have been a no-go zone LOL. I am now an adult and I’ve attended and revelled at so many stage shows and witnessed the amazing prowess and unique styles of our artistes.

Beenie Man is affectionately known as the “gyal dem sugar” (ladies man) possessing flair, charisma, dance moves, and hits that appeal to men and women. He is always up for a good time. Bounty Killer has an unmistakable and unshakable voice. He commands respect and attention by just uttering his famous sayings “people dead”, “kaboom” “cross, angry, miserable.” His lyrics are harsher and go straight for the jugular of any opponent. His all-black attire and serious countenance have been a part of his signature. Over the years, we have seen him laugh and smile more while performing.

Although Beenie Man was eventually crowned King of the Dancehall in 2009 at Sumfest, Bounty Killer will forever be his formidable lyrical opponent. As veterans in the business, they have buried their hatchet, publicly shown respect to each other, and have encouraged fans all over the world to accept that their battles will be friendly ones. 

On Saturday, May 23, 2020, viewers from all over the globe tuned in to watch the first-ever dancehall, in-person battle hosted by Verzuz TV. Beenie Man and Bounty Killer did not disappoint. They delivered a high energy set for a full hour. They pulled out their catalogues that span decades, incorporated unique dance moves, and flew our flag high. Based on the comments, it is safe to say that this has been the best battle on Verzuz thus far. 

So what were my favourite moments? There were so many but let me try to countdown. 

10. The Set-up

Leave it to Jamaicans to really set a stage. The other Verzuz battles have had other participants sitting in chairs, some in studios, or some obscure places. But not Beenie Man and Bounty Killer. They represented the 2.7 million locals and 7M in the Diaspora in fine form. Authentic Jamaican clashes are identified by the set up of speakers, respective DJs juggling, old posters plastered in the background, and the presence of Jamaican flags. For this virtual battle, our veterans gave us the authentic look and feel of Jamaican dancehall culture. For us, it’s “go hard, or go home.”

9. Our DJs

 I have to take the opportunity to acknowledge the DJs who set the precedence with their amazing song selections and juggling during the warm-up session. Kurt Riley (Beenie Man’s DJ) and Richie D (Bounty Killer’s DJ) took us through old school reggae, roots, rock, and dancehall. For 30 minutes, they treated viewers to a taste of what was in store for later. The sound was clean and crisp. As they gave us hit after hit, celebrities and superstars joined what was to be the most epic battle ever. Those DJs, as simple as their roles may seem, set the stage and allowed our music to transcend borders.

8. Dress to Impress

A part of the strong brand Bounty Killer and Beenie Man have is their image. Both came out dressed to impressed. Very similar fits and colours. It isn’t uncommon to see international artistes perform in basic tees and jeans (and that’s fine) but Jamaicans will always make an effort to look their best, especially when they are presenting to large audiences. These legends have evolved and so has their fashion sense. It was a good look

8. The National Anthem

Leave it to us to be different and to strike a chord on a different level. For those who came onto the LIVE late, the battle started off with our National Anthem. It’s not just a song, but prayer and it’s something that gives us goosebumps when we have the opportunity to hear it played on massive platforms. It was a fantastic way to start the Verzuz Battle.

6. Telecoms war

With events and performances moving online, viewers have become even more dependable on fast internet speeds and solid connectivity. In fact the first Verzuz battle between Babyface and Teddy Riley was as a result of connectivity issues and glitches. It was a teachable moment that in all this planning, WI-FI connection must be perfect to provide the best, uninterrupted entertainment value. As the battle wound to a close, Beenie Man and Bounty Killer thanked the sponsors, the respective teams and the telecommunications giant Digicel for the great connection. Beenie acknowledged the competing telecom provider Flow as well, but Bounty wasn’t having it. His comment spawned laughter, tweets and social media jabs battle between FLOW and Digicel. It also shows you the power of reach and influence.

5. Police try to lock off the dance

What is a Jamaican dance or stage show without the police attempting to lock it off? This was as authentic experience as you can get. Dances are usually locked off because they have gone past the allotted time and/or surrounding areas have made reports about the noise. Either way, we have a saying “Dancehall cya stall” meaning the party cannot be stopped. Beenie Man asked the officer “do you want to be that guy” who locks off such a feel-good vibe from so many people. He made it very clear that the battle wasn’t going to end and the authorities retreated forthwith.

4. Riri Joins the Live

Bad gyal Rihanna herself entered the live chat room and we all went crazy. But it seems as if the person most excited to see her present was Bounty Killer. LOL After he delivered a tune, he acknowledged her in true Bounty style that had everyone including Beenie man, the DJs and set-up crew all in stitches.

3. Tune for Tune

Clashes are only successful if participants can select a winning playlist, be in sync with their DJs, ride the rhythm, move through various songs and counteract back and forth. Both Beenie Man and Bounty Killer are stalwarts. Their careers span decades and they are very knowledgable about each other’s skills, songs, and fan favourites. They showed us perfectly what a battle should look, feel, and sound like.

2. Beenie Man’s And Bounty’s Dance Moves

Let the memes begin! Before the clash was over, the dance moves were already made into gifs and spread all over. Typically, opponents in clashes are serious but Bounty Killer was feeling himself when he dropped that sweet dubplate that incorporated techno music. He lost his ish and I lost my wig. It was great to see him just let loose and have the music take hold of him. Beenie Man, known for his dance antics, also gave us lots to laugh at. Thanks to these two, 2020 has been saved and we all went to bed feeling a lot lighter. Of course, it didn’t tale long for the internet to do a mash-up video and superimpose it with a Jamaican gospel song LOL

1. Jamaica is the Biggest Brand in the world

A small island, the size of a dot on the world map, a third world country has the power, authority and influence of continents combined. Our culture has infiltrated and dominated in industries that range from entertainment and business to academics, sports, and gastronomy. This little island which has memories of enslavement and still experiences the effects of postcolonialism has gifted the world music genres such as ska, mento, reggae. Later on, it influenced the creation of hip-hop and many other sounds. Jamaica has birthed greats like Marcus Garvey, Bob Marley, Usain Bolt, Dr. Hon. Louise Coverley-Bennett and many others. It was fitting to close the night with ONE LOVE.

Jamaica- We are the CULTURE. We are Entertainment. We are Fashion and Style. We are Creativity. We are Lyrics and original speech. We are inimitable. We are Jamaican

So who won? It seems to be a tie on the internet. In my opinion, Killer had the advantage. Beenie did well but as a package and based on what clashes are about, Bounty presented a solid catalogue. Tune for tune selection, two dubplates, ad-libs and jabs in between songs made him the victor in my book. Either way, both sides represented 100% . Jamaica won! History was made, Bounty Killer and Beenie Man can add yet another achievement to their already impressive resume and Jamaica etches her culture and brand into the minds and hearts of Jamaicans and non-Jamaicans alike.

To watch the full battle visit Verzuz TV – Bounty Vs Beenie

Cheers

TK

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Spare the rod, spoil the child. That’s what many of us grew up hearing from parents and caregivers. They believed that physically punishing children for wrongdoing was necessary, or else their personal development would suffer. Depending on your own cultural beliefs, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, childhood experience, level of education, etc. you might also say that a good beating is what is needed to fix a child’s bad behaviour.

Admittedly, I was never hit as a child. My grandmother believed in the power of communication and stern reasoning. This is what I believe in, and how I raise my daughter.

Recently, I had the privilege of hosting the third “Dinner and Conversations” series held by the Office of the Children’s Advocate (OCA), this time under the theme, “Corporal Punishment or Positive Discipline, What to Do?”

The experts at this dinner shared the same view as my grandmother. Not only did they believe that corporate punishment was not necessary, they believed it could actually cause psychological damage.

What do the experts say?

Child-Clinical Psychologist and Professor, Joan Durrant, PhD, confirmed that children who received a thrashing were the ones who were more likely to display:

• Higher levels of aggression
• Poor conflict resolution skills
• Poor moral internalization
• Higher levels of delinquency
• Anti-social behaviour
• Poorer mental health
• Poorer parent-child relationships

Put simply, corporal punishment does more harm than good.

Furthermore, not only do children exhibit this negative behaviour in their youth, it carries on to adulthood, leading to a society where people see physical action and violence as a means of solving problems. Sounds familiar? Because that’s what’s happening in Jamaica right now!

So what do you do instead?

If your goal is to raise children into becoming responsible and respectful adults, then discipline is necessary but it is important to realize that there are other, much more effective forms of disciplining and punishing children.

Spare the rod, Open communication with your child

In communicating with your child, allow them to speak and share how they feel, then explain things to them in a way they can understand. Avoid criticism and blame, as this will only make the child feel guilty and discourage future conversations. Gently correct, support and encourage them to make better decisions in the future, rather than berating them or taking physical actions.

Spare the rod, Withdraw privileges

Should the need arise to go further, consider grounding them or withdrawing permission to use their electronic devices. Remove pleasures like watching television for a certain time as punishment. These are also effective forms of discipline that have a much healthier long term impact on children’s development than corporal punishment.

Acknowledge good behaviour

Acknowledge (and even sometimes celebrating) good behaviour is just as important as correcting bad behaviour. Children need to feel recognized and appreciated. If you praise things they do, they will want to keep doing it to make you proud. Alternatively, if they do good things, or change their behaviour after you’ve disciplined them but it goes unrecognized, they will not be motivated to continue.

It will be difficult to move our society collectively away from corporal punishment to more positive forms of discipline, but it starts with each parent making the decision to raise their children in a more constructive environment. It starts with you.

Here are a few highlights from the Dinner and Conversations event.

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The session, hosted by Ingrid Riley, featured panelists including myself, Erica Simmons, Heneka Watkis-Porter and Stacey Hines. An all-women panel that represented a range of experiences in the tech space. More than one hundred women from various backgrounds, including high school and university students, freelancers and entrepreneurs, executives and digital professionals were in attendance.

Future Trends in Technology

Technology is rapidly changing, therefore being in this space means knowing what the upcoming trends are. Women also need to ensure that they are positioning themselves and enhance skills in order to capitalize on it.

Erica, the Executive Director of Centre for Digital Innovation & Advanced Manufacturing at the Caribbean Maritime University, knows a lot about tech trends. She encouraged the audience to start positioning themselves in the cybersecurity, artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics spaces, as these are the areas that will be receiving the most attention within the next few years.

Cybersecurity in particular will be of significant importance to everyone, no matter where you are in the world. We’ve seen how devastating hacking and security breaches can be for individuals and businesses, so skills, tools and advice will be in high demand as people become more security conscious.

Expanding The Women in Tech Narrative

Another big topic of the night was about broadening the narrative about what is possible in tech and in the digital economy for women. The image we conjure up when we think about working in tech is the one we’ve seen in movies – some lone wolf in a dark room with a screen full of code. It is so much more than that!

Stacey, who started out in computer science and programmer, quickly realized that wasn’t her passion. She then transitioned to become a brand strategist, who now uses technology to accomplish many other things that don’t directly involve coding.

Heneka, who coaches entrepreneurs and business leaders, uses her podcast, Entrepreneurial You, to build value for brand and promote her business. I’m not a “techie” in the true sense of the word either, however my use of social media has become a huge driving force for my brand. Neither of these involving coding or special technical skills, and they cost little-to-nothing to execute!

Those are just a few examples of the way people are using technology to build businesses today. The fact is, technology is all around us and it’s not going away any time soon, so even if your skills aren’t directly related to technology, you can still (and absolutely should) find a way to make technology a part of your professional pursuits. Women shouldn’t be intimidated by tech but embrace it.

Knowing Your Worth

What started out as a conversation centred around women in tech itself transitioned into a much deeper conversation about valuing yourself as a woman in a male-dominated field, knowing the worth of your work and charging accordingly. Many weren’t worried about the technical aspects of their business. It was really about them wondering if they can truly achieve the success they’ve dreamed of as women in that space.

One of the biggest struggles for me on my professional journey wasn’t the transition from what I wanted to pursue versus what I ended up pursuing, it was knowing my worth and placing my value on that worth. When you are young and inexperienced and coming into yourself as a professional (especially in industries that you aren’t qualified for on paper), it is extremely difficult acknowledging, owning and monetizing your worth when you don’t even know what that is!

However, if you are excellent at what you do, you create tremendous value wherever you go. You take pride in putting energy, effort and time into your work. You invest in your professional development, you should never feel guilty about placing great value on your worth!

Many of us don’t do it because we are afraid that people won’t pay what we charge. Guess what? They absolutely will. And they will value your services a lot more because of it. If someone can’t afford you, it’s not about you. You do not have to lower your rates for them. It’s not impolite or rude to decline working with someone who can’t afford you. In fact, it’s the most respectful thing you can do…for yourself!

Here’s a clip from the event with my response.

Despite being a tech event, it really came down to women owning and claiming their power and stop asking for permission and seeking validation to be in these spaces.

So my biggest takeaway to any woman in any field, tech or otherwise, is this: Know your worth, own it, claim it and be unapologetic about it!

Check out Ingrid Riley’s blog (http://www.siliconcaribe.com/2020/03/06/event-review-disrupt-her-the-future-of-women-in-digital/)

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