Densosia Charles
Joe Knows
Neither an upbringing in a family of limited means nor severe illness to her father could undermine Densosia Charles’ daring faith as she looks to her professional future with unshakable optimism. Being the first among her relatives to attain secondary education, Densosia started an ever-evolving career at Sandals 13 years ago as a waitress to become the resorts Ultimate Team Member for 2011. This she revealed came from a childhood ambition of working in St. Lucia’s most dynamic tourism industry. “I had to start working very young to help out with the expenses at home to make sure that my family’s financial future was viable so university was out of the question at the time. But it was an exciting opportunity to join Sandals as I wanted to for a very long time,” said Charles. Deeply rooted in her bones is the belief that opportunity is always an open door away. She constantly surveys the professional landscape with much courage and a conquering spirit. With a motto “never say never” firmly anchored within, Charles compensates for her lack of academic opportunities with an unrivaled work ethic and superior ambition. “My faith in life assures me every day that I can do it,” she adds. “No setback will be allowed to discourage me nor any challenge will be able to distract me.” Like great painters, she moulds mental images of her professional life and herald its bright destiny refusing to lay her advancing brush idle. A comfortable wage in the restaurant wouldn’t be allowed to obscure her view into complacency but instead fuel her enthusiastically into higher ideals. She explains, “Well, the time came when I longed for new challenges and had new aspirations so I began to cross-train in different departments and fell in love with weddings.” As head of her church’s family life outreach program, she remains a sterling conduit of community involvement with messages that provoke others to reach for a closer relationship with their God. And whilst divine inspiration commits Densosia to the community and her job, the Sandals Halcyon Ultimate Team Member is most fond of being a wife and a mother of two loving children.
Hardly anyone knows his real name isn’t Joe, but ask for ‘Joe Knows’ and any taxi or minibus driver in the tourism business will tell you where to find him. Josiyah Castang started off as a tour guide with one of the island’s main tour operators, Cox & Company, where he learnt the ins and outs of the island’s rich tourism offerings and shared with visitors the facts, figures and stories of St. Lucia. He soon discovered he wanted to do more. He looked ahead and realised people visited for many different reasons such as the mountains and rivers, culture and cuisine or to swim and dive in our waters. The rather unassuming and quiet Joe had sufficiently mastered his knowledge of St. Lucia’s tourism business so that there wasn’t a question he couldn’t answer. People began to refer to him as “Joe Knows” - and hence the name of his first bus charters as he branched out on his own. He established a company with the same name, established a website, opened an office at Corinth, printed business cards and launched Joe Knows Tours, a touring company offering complete island tours. The main difference between Joe’s and other local tour companies is his fleet of powered motorboats – each of which is also named “Joe Knows” with the numerical order of their acquisition. He’ll therefore respond to your e-mails or calls, pick you up in the Joe Knows bus at the airport or dock and take you on an island tour of your choice or his recommendation, for a land or sea tour, or a combination of both. His satisfied clients are then happy to spread the word both here and abroad, recommending their experience as one they would do again. Joe has gained the respect of his peers in the way he has carved his own little niche in a part of the island’s tourism industry that many others complain about being either too competitive or intense.
BusinessFocus Sept / Oct
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