Inside the magazine, readers are treated to a detailed profile of the media personality and her rise to fame. From her early days as an aspiring vet with 26 pets at her home in Portmore, St. Catherine to her breakout on the world stage back in 2005 when she represented Jamaica at the Miss World finals in Sanya, China.  The former beauty queen, now one of the islands most sought after international hosts, has become a household name and a staple in the homes of people in Jamaica and the Caribbean at large.

The article delves into Reid’s approach to her craft and her dedication to her her family and the people that she serves. As an event host, Terri-Karelle is known for her preparation and research, often immersing herself in every event she participates in, ensuring that the audience members are able to connect the dots. This dedication has paid off in the form of numerous speaking opportunities, the most recent of them being as a TEDx Speaker at the Aston University in Birmingham.

However, it’s not just her talent that makes Terri-Karelle Reid a beloved figure. The article also explores her relatable personality and down-to-earth nature. Reid has always been open about her personal journey growing up as a child in a single parent household with a matriarchal head of the house. “This is certainly a full circle moment for me. My grandmother gave up her job in order to nurture me while my mom began her career as a flight attendant on Air-Jamaica. They have helped to shape me into the woman I am today; curious, open, inclusive, and self-aware.”

She continued, “For many of us as West Indians, the magazine has a reputation for showcasing the best of the Caribbean, from places, lifestyle, food and culture to its people. To be considered, much less chosen for the cover of the Caribbean Beat magazine is an honour.  I endeavour to make my mom and grandma proud. I hope to fly Jamaica’s flag everywhere I can, every chance I get,” she ended.

Reid is also an advocate for the minority or disenfranchised community and uses her platform to bring attention to issues such as gender discrimination, child abuse, rape and gender inequity. She has been vocal in her support of the deaf community and uses her position to amplify marginalized voices. Overall, the ‘Caribbean Beat’ piece paints a picture of a talented and charismatic woman of the world who has earned her place in the spotlight. With several upcoming projects in the works, it’s clear that Terri-Karelle Reid’s star has only just begun to shine.

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In Jamaica, we have the sayings that “every mickle mek a muckle”, as well as “one one cocoa full basket”. Simply put, it means that every little thing eventually adds up. One drop of water becomes an ocean by scale. But if this is true and this is something we believe in, why do we have a disdain for things that we think to be too small. Should money be considered such? You know…too small?

I have seen many people leave coins behind at counters, disregard them when they fell from their hands or bags and I have even witnessed windscreen wipers throw away coins. “Afta mi nuh waa nuh red money or small change. Weh dis can do?”

Before I start, I apologise to the Bank of Jamaica if they experienced a shortage of $50 notes, as well as the spouses who told me that their wives were accosting them of the $50 notes from their wallets LOL

At the beginning of 2020, I shared with my instafamily that Naima and I would try to save every $50 JMD (Jamaican Dollars) that came into our possession- not weekly, monthly or quarterly, but rather EVERY TIME we got it back as change. $50 is so insignificant right? You would be surprised! As much as I typically don’t handle cash, I realised that whenever I used cash and broke larger bills like $1000 or $5000, the change just disappeared-POOF…vanished! I would buy a soda here or there, purchase a snack and before I knew it, my cash was gone with nothing to show for it. What’s worse is that it never felt like I was spending a lot, because it was just $50. But the question is, how much could I potentially save in a year if every time, I got $50, I could save it?  Well, let’s give it a try. 

My daughter and I started and even though Covid came and disrupted our lives, many persons within the community stayed committed. It even extended to my online community members in the Jamaican Diaspora, region and all over the world. They simply did the equivalent in their currencies.

The rules of the $50 challenge were simple:

• Identify the bill we wanted to save (we decided $50 JMD) Foreigners decided to save $1-$5 (in their currency)
• Any participant was at liberty to increase the stakes. i.e. add coins or bills that had a higher value. e.g. My daughter and I eventually added $100 JMD 
• We could start whenever with the goal of doing it until the end of the year.  i.e. there were some of us who started in January and others came on later. The common goal was to stick it out till December 2020
• Do not count the money before December. What the mind doesn’t know the heart can’t take advantage of. LOL If you know how much money you are saving, the heart starts making a list go things it needs and wants.
• You are at liberty to do whatever you want with your savings at the end of the year. 
• You could do the $50 challenge solo or with your partner or friends.

In spite of COVID-19, how did we do? Some were able to save $50 JMD consistently and understandably others had to divert funds in order to survive but all in all, people stuck to the challenge. As 2020 started to come to a close, a few members shared photos and videos of what they saved and I was flabbergasted! As we welcomed 2021, more members shared their dollar amount with us, expressed what they did with them and I couldn’t help but celebrate them.

What were some of the results? People opened their store-bought and make-shift piggy banks and counted their commitment. From $1,175 USD and $945 CND to $4000JMD, $60KJMD and 90K+ JMD 49k 54k, they showed up…but not for me….themselves!

Here is what I learnt from the $50 challenge and community:

1. The $50 Challenge takes Commitment

It was never really about the money but rather demonstrating that whatever that goal is takes self-discipline and commitment. It isn’t that we lack ambition and that we aren’t goal-oriented, but rather that we lack commitment. Achieving our goals requires ACTION. So many of us talk about things we want to achieve but eventually, we lose interest, can’t be bothered, lack commitment, and fail to complete the task.  The $50 could very well represent any one goal (big or small) that you wanted to achieve. The real reward is that you didn’t make empty promises and you took one small intentional step that turned into many small intentional steps.

2. Not a Competition 

Your goals, aspirations and execution are your own, nothing to compare to others. Many took part in the $50 challenge but it was never to compete against anyone. This initiative/challenge wasn’t about getting a trophy or medal for saving the most money. It was a revelation that each of us simply had to start with one small act and then follow it up. It was a personal decision and promise we made to ourselves. Some of us collected more than others but each person can feel proud of his/her accomplishments. For most of us, it was more than we did in the previous years. And certainly the first time, we had an actual savings plan. Participants eagerly shared that they were able to purchase that coffee table they needed, contribute to tuition, pay car insurance, home renovation. Others have invested it or banked it as a rollover. Each goal and achievement were just as valid as the others.

3. The $50 Challenge encouraged Collaboration

For those of us who lack self discipline, don’t be ashamed, that isn’t something easy to come by. It takes training and conditioning, lots of trial, error, a mindset/lifestyle shift or tremendous accountability partners. Sometimes, accomplishing a goal requires collaboration. An instafam member expressed that she did the $50 challenge along with friends. She counted $13,400 JMD, and her friends saved $12,500 and $7,500 respectively.  Another revealed that she saved $85K, while her hubby saved $90K. A mother saved $21K and her son was able to save a smaller amount. This kind of support and teamwork create collaborative efforts and pockets of legacy that we don’t even consider. We are essentially sowing seeds not only into ourselves but helping others do the same and vice versa.

4. Creativity

We are all different, so are our goals and aspirations. It means that we won’t all approach the same task in the same way. A classic case of “where there is a will, there is a way”- some participants got empty gallon water bottles and created piggy banks. meant that they were willing to use what they had to get one step closer to their goal. Others took it a step further, they understood that based on their personalities, they had to not only seal their water bottle caps, but they also found ways of wrapping the bottles so that they wouldn’t be tempted by the sight of the money. When it comes to achieving goals, sometimes we can’t look at what works for others, we have to create ways that work best for ourselves.

6. COVID-19 

The big fat elephant in the 2020 room was the novel Coronavirus. Some members weren’t able to meet their goals because many lost their jobs, were furloughed, or had to take salary cuts. Many felt terrible that they had to borrow from what they already started saving. My thoughts to you are, life happens fast and your goals might have been interrupted, but how amazing it is that you were able to have access to a little disposable fund all because you started 2 months before. That’s a great example of preparing for the unexpected. Begs the question, “what if you hadn’t?”

I hope that 2021 will be kinder and more favourable to you

So how much did we (my daughter and I) save? A whopping $6000 JMD. LOL We visited Grace Kennedy Cambio in New Kingston to exchange her coins using their automated machines and then took all her cash and lodged it in her bank account. With school restarting face-to-face, inevitably, she will resume getting her lunch money that will create more saving opportunities. As for me, it’s been a great teaching and bonding lesson. My hope is that she will not only save money but respect it.

All the best with your financial journey, whether it’s a water bottle, old pan, store-bought piggy bank or the actual bank, pace yourself and know that you have an entire community rooting for you.

Thank you to everyone who shared their photos and videos. It was a motivating to see the participation

Feel free to share (in the comment section) how much you were able to save. And no worries, remember this is you celebrating your small or big wins.

Cheers,

T-K

The post The $50 Challenge: How much did you save in 2020? appeared first on Terri-Karelle.

Your first job isn’t always your dream job

Your first job, or any job you have now, may not be your dream job, but an attitude of excellence will make any job you step into a dream.

That was my attitude when I stepped into my first summer job at Sandals Montego Bay more than 20 years ago. And when they recently asked me to return to host their employee awards ceremony, dubbed the “Prestige Awards”, I decided to tell that story.

I was 18 years old when I got my first summer job at Sandals Montego Bay. I worked from 8:30am – 5:00pm, and then again from 8:00pm – 10:00pm each day, and got only one day off. Guess how much that job paid me…

$2,000 JMD (the equivalent of about $20 USD per week, at the time). I was an entertainment co-ordinator/ playmaker for the summer.

Attitude, Mindset and Approach are everything

I know what you’re thinking. Crazy, right? That’s what my classmates at the time thought too. But I saw something in this job that they didn’t.

This role wouldn’t define me. It was simply a starting point – a stepping stone to launch me to where I am today. And what better place to do it than one of Jamaica’s most well-known prestigious hotels!

No matter what the job description may have been on paper, I was going to take it, kick ass at it and soak up all the knowledge I could. The opportunity to have that experience was worth way more than the $2,000 they would pay me.

Show up regardless of role

So I did just that. I showed up on the first day, eager and ready to work. After my first week of “shadowing” a coworker to learn the ropes, I was on my own for the next 7 weeks. During those 7 weeks, I was named Employee of the Week six times. Not only did I do my job as best as I could, I went above and beyond by assisting in areas that weren’t in my job description or core competence.

With added bonuses and tips, I ended up making more than the original pay. Way more! And that money helped fund my dream to study veterinary medicine in Cuba.

Good work ethics create bigger opportunities

At the end of the summer, the General Manager, Horace Peterkin called me into his office. He had learned my name because it kept popping up on his radar. That’s when he asked me to stay on full time. If I wanted a career in Tourism and Hospitality that would have been a great opportunity. An opportunity created while doing a summer job. I ended up having to decline the job because of my studies, but upon leaving, he let me know I’d always have a home at Sandals.

Honour the small roles in the first job, they shape the bigger ones

It’s really easy to say you don’t like a job, especially your first job. Perhaps you don’t like your boss. The pay is measly, the hours are long, the list of complaints go on and on. And if you feel that way, you should keep looking for a different job. But until you find it, as long as you have this job, do it to the best of your ability and get as much from it as you can. Because you don’t work for your boss or your salary, you work for your resume.

You are not defined by the role they assign you. You are not defined by the paycheck they give you. The only person that defines you is you. Do the job you are given to the best of your ability and that will be all you need to take you to the next step, and the one after that. You don’t suddenly become excellent when you get to the top, it’s the excellence that gets you to the top. You have to start now.

Excellence is unconditional

So many of us strive for university degrees and certificates to prove our worth and demonstrate our “excellence”, but papers don’t mean anything if you don’t have the right attitude, the right mindset and the right approach. And when you have the right mindset – that you will do the best you can at every role you are offered – then you will realize that you can excel in any role.

For those of you who fear failure, those who think they’re not good enough, you’re so great you don’t know it yet, you just have to claim it. And even when you fail at something (which will happen), it does not make you a failure. It simply means you’re learning the valuable lessons that will allow you to grow!

The world is full of stories of people who started from the bottom and grew into exceptional careers, simply because they believed they could. That could be your story too.

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