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Issue 9
Firhaana Bulbulia Bridging The Gap
Empowering Young Entrepreneurs
Ariana Green & Mark Ramsay Couple Six Inc. From Game Players to Game Makers
Latisha King Quality Designs
Are you working ON or IN Your Business?
DAMIEN GOODING
An Unbelievable Journey
Try me!
Wireless Networking - Growing Your Business By Thinking Outside the Box
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from the publisher A popular saying goes gain in your 20s, build in your 30s and chill in your 40s. For this issue I thought that we should look at the “gainers” and highlight entrepreneurs 25 years and younger. Starting a business full time from young has its benefits but also includes some ultimate sacrifices such as not having the pleasure of “work experience” or even completing university. One of the real gems I believe in starting so young is being able to take risks and in the event of failure, bouncing back and going again. I’m really heartened to have met and interacted with these young entrepreneurs to see the good they are doing in their own spaces. Most of the time the youth are always blamed for being deviant and not actively contributing to society. So who’s in this issue? We have the winners of our 2015, Dazzle Entrepreneur Toolkit Competition, Mark Ramsay and Ariana Green of Couple Six Inc. They have been making steady strides in game development, an uncharted field here in Barbados. On the cover is Damien Gooding, who despite having major setbacks at a young age has persevered to start KeDrew Inc, a media, marketing and talent management company and can boast of having worked with some big international names. Firhaana Bulbulia is definitely bridging the gap and at the time of this publication will be a proud recipient of the Queen’s Young Leader Award for her work in forming The Barbados Association of Muslim Ladies. Latisha King of GOME Clothing is only eighteen years old and has her sights set on taking her clothing brand regionally and internationally. WOW is all I can say, we have some home-grown talent set to do great things. Encouraging young people to reach their fullest potential as a nation is the least we can do to secure our future. Happy Reading.
Ryan Wills Managing Editor
Dazzle Magazine Barbados is a new, fresh Barbadian bi-monthly publication that provides much needed exposure to young professionals, entrepreneurs, and established businesses. It covers an array of topics and categories key to starting and running a business. It also offers practical advice on everyday living, tips for a healthy lifestyle and interviews with popular and up-and-coming personalities. Dazzle Magazine Barbados is designed to appeal to a diverse range of readers but is especially targeted at working professionals and business owners between the ages of 2150 years. We provide our advertising clients with value for money by offering them a powerful medium to market their products, offer deals and build their brand. Best of all, we give them the opportunity to be a part of a nationwide and online market place of actively engaged consumers who are ready to buy, all at an affordable price. To advertise in The Dazzle Barbados Magazine, contact our sales agent via telephone 1(246) 234 8140 or email info@ dazzlebarbados.com for more information and terms and conditions.
table of
contents Features
12. Firhaana Bulbulia - Bridging The Gap 18. Latisha King - Quality Designs 20. Ariana Green & Mark Ramsay - From Game Players to Game Makers 28. Damien Gooding - An Unbelievable Journey
The 411
25. Your Next Move Start - up Seminar LEX Caribbean 08. The Dancing Book Club
Mastering Marketing
24. 4 Time Wasters for Entrepreneurs
Professional Progress
16. Things You Will Wish You Had Done Before Leaving Your Job 26. Are you working ON or IN Your Business?
Health & Fitness
Publisher 123 Digital Limited Managing Editor Ryan Wills Sales & Marketing Orinje Nation Art Director Aldrin Henry Contributors Sacha Cabral Chamara Hollingsworth Gregory Skeete Melinda Belle Ashley Mc Lean Alana Morgan Rankin Morgan On Line Consultancies Photography Neil Springer Ryan Wills Charles Phillips
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07. 10 Hydrating Foods
Lifestyle
35. Wine Knowledge
Eating In
34. 5-Ingredient Zucchini Fritters
Firhaana Bulbulia Bridging The Gap
Latisha King Quality Designs
Empowering Young Entrepreneurs
Ariana Green & Mark Ramsay Couple Six Inc. From Game Players to Game Makers
Are you working ON or IN Your Business?
DAMIEN GOODING
An Unbelievable Journey
Gadgets & Gizmos
32. EnGenius Wireless Networking - Growing Your Business By Thinking Outside the Box
Out and About
36. Out and About
38. Words for the Wise
Try me!
Wireless Networking - Growing Your Business By Thinking Outside the Box
dazzlebarbados.com
On The Cover: Damien Gooding Cover Photo By: Dominique Henderson Bonnett
contact us
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For more information visit us at www.dazzlebarbados.com or call us at 1(246) 234 8140
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28
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Firhaana
BULBULIA Bridging The Gap pg. 12
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10 Hydrating lemon
90
Foods
%+Water
lettuce
96
%water
coconutwater
99
%water cellery
95
%water lime
90
%+water
starfruit
92
%water
watermelon
96
%water
cucumber
96
%water
grapefruit
90
%
water
tomatoes
94.5
%water
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DAZZLE 7
The Dancing Book Club
T
here’s a new creative workshop for kids, it’s called the Dancing Book Club, a fusion of dancing and reading activities. Behind this venture is Janelle Mitchell of Smart Arts Room and Teila Williams of Ayo Creative Ventures.
Tell us why you decided to start the Dancing Book Club? The Dancing Book Club was conceptualised as a need and exploration to fuse literature with movement. I decided to start this project as a cocoon for where stories and movement become best buddies. Being inducted into the world of the arts through African dancing as a child, I wanted to connect the dots as a way to link my past (dance) with my present (Smart Arts Room). This workshop series is a branch of what we do in our Reading Seeds programme but giving 8 DAZZLE
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our smarties an opportunity to embody the stories and be exposed to movement. Another prime reason was for a way to connect with fellow entrepreneurs to provide a synergy as we do what we love and continue to inspire children to believe in words and creativity. It adds to our programme structure which is in the school term as well as another revenue stream. Our legacy lives on through our words whether written or oral and dance awakens the soul by retelling its stories through the soles.
Tell us a bit about the partnership between Smart Arts Room and Ayo Creative Ventures? When I conceptualised the project it was imperative to work with another young business who is equally passionate about the arts and inspiring our next
generation. AYO Creative Venture was a nice blend for this first session. Teila and I were always supportive of each other from before we both started our businesses. This collaboration was a long time coming. As they say “team work makes the dream work” and our services compliment each other.
What does it involve and what is the age range of the kids? The Dancing Book Club welcomes 6 - 10 year olds on a FUNTASTIC journey in an interactive workshop series as we READ.THINK.CREATE and nurture young king and queens. The Easter Edition was our inaugural session which ran as half day sessions during the vacation and culminated with an inclass showcase for parents/guardians.
What are the kids hoping to get out of it?
They want to have more fun with stories and explore movement. Most of them have never attended dance classes, so having an experienced dancer instruct them on movement, and a trained creative practitioner (myself) create an original story (which will be published) as the basis for the movement inspires their creativity. The Dancing Book Club exposes them to local culture, afro-caribbean movement and bajan original stories.
What other plans do you have in the near future for other events like this? I plan to expand The Dancing Book Club as an annual workshop series working with dance instructors of various dance genres as well as older youth to widen the scope of our smarties/market reach. Stay tuned. It’s all about keeping reading fun and engaging for children. Exploring new ways to keep edutaining them is our main objective at Smart Arts Room.
Our “smarties” as I call all my participants hope to become more expressionistic as I like to term it.
ADV E RT I S E WI TH US To advertise in The Dazzle Magazine, contact our sales agent via telephone 246.234.8140 or email info@dazzleBarbados.com for more information.
www.DazzleBarbados.com www.dazzlebarbados.com DAZZLE 9
4 Time Wasters for Entrepreneurs By Sacha Cabral
B
eing a successful entrepreneur requires insane time management skills and the ability to keep your eyes on the prize. Why? Because you’re the boss. For many of us, 24 hours without structure can feel confusing. No set time to get to work. No particular time to end work. You’re calling the shots. This is where a lot of entrepreneurs struggle. They spend all of their time working but not necessarily working on the right things. The things that will drive their business forward. Making the most of your time is critical to ensure you’re hitting your goals.
Obsessing Over Social Media It’s natural that your new business must have social media pages. Maybe the bulk of your business is tied to these pages. Either way, obsessing over social 10 DAZZLE
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media is a great distractor and downright waste of time. You need to be in tuned and aware of your social presence but you also need to be directing your efforts to what’s making the money. Modify alerts for social media so you’re seeing only what you need to see. Time block periods during your day to interact and update social media.
Over Networking
All that Admin Stuff
Let me not undermine the power and necessity of networking, especially for entrepreneurs. However, there is such a thing as over networking. You need to get out a lot but that doesn’t mean attending every single thing. Your primary focus each day should be working on growing your business. Based on the needs of your business, determine how much face time is required. Some is definitely required but don’t over network to the point that you’re talking about a product you haven’t built credibility for.
Running your own business comes with its own administrative tasks. As an entrepreneur, this may not be your strong point. You may prefer to work on developing and implementing new concepts or interfacing with clients. Keeping your books straight
and paying bills probably doesn’t make that list. If this is not your strength, you’ll spend too much time emailing invoices, bookkeeping, etc. Delegate this action to a software, a part-time accounts manager, or a kind and able family member. The purpose of delegating these tasks is to focus on growing your business, not just keeping it ticking over.
Email can be a nightmare for most of us. As an entrepreneur, you’re pulled in way too many directions to allow emails to take up too much of your time. Unsubscribe from emails that are irrelevant, ensure certain emails pop to the top of your list (like online orders), and make time to filter through the remainder. If you spend all day deleting, sorting, and responding to emails, you won’t be making any time for business development.
Sacha C. is a life coach, writer and speaker who works with emerging entrepreneurs and dream chasers to monetize their talent. She authors a weekly blog at www.sachac.com. Her topics include entrepreneurship, marketing, motivation, and interviews with featured entrepreneurs.
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DAZZLE 11
Firhaana BULBULIA Bridging The Gap By Celia Collymore
A “
nd you ask and ask again and eventually there comes a point in your life where you can’t keep asking for things. If you know that you deserve it, then you should be able to stand and take it for yourself.” The saying “Small in stature but big in heart”, holds true for a humble, wise, energetic and fearless young lady, Firhaana Bulbulia. Dazzle sat down with this 21 year old power house on International Women’s Day to simply understand her true essence and passions. We definitely had a fun time chatting with her and were very impressed and inspired by her drive to live out her purpose with sheer openmindedness, hard work and tenacity while affecting positive change at the grass roots level for gender disparity not only in Barbados but the Caribbean. “I am extremely passionate about girls’ rights, girls’ education, girls’ inclusion in society and having access to basic quality education. Involving girls in decision making processes and letting their voices be heard. I think that sometimes people are fearful of having girls reach higher levels in society and I think that my passion really lies in breaking down that sphere. The development and progress of any society and any community relies heavily on the education of its girls. I don’t believe that there is anything to fear when girls are able to be themselves. “
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From childhood we start to experience life and see things differently when we begin to interact with people from different socio-economic, cultural and religious backgrounds. Although our experiences may be different, our struggles may have been similar and are still very relevant today. And for Firhaana this was no different. “Often times when you are a young person you try to disconnect yourself from that which makes you different from everyone.” The challenge for Firhaana growing up as a Muslim female in a predominantly Christian society is that she experienced a lot of misunderstanding about who her cultural background and who she was as a person. Nothing prepares us better than time and experiences and once Firhaana started to listen to her inner voice, reflect on her strengths and weaknesses, got comfortable with who she was, the possibilities were limitless. When Firhaana graduated from The St. Michael School in 2010 to pursue her Bachelors in Psychology at the University of the West Indies Cave Hill Campus, shortly thereafter in November, she formed The Barbados Association of Muslim Ladies. “It was an opportunity for young Muslim ladies to get involved in project planning activities. There are special projects within our communities, however the organisation is also open to anyone, any woman, regardless of her religious denomination.” “The organisation came out of necessity. At the time you saw boys in the Muslim community forming their own associations and them going out doing their own things. They got to play sports and all these things that promoted their development and there really was nothing like that for the girls. For the record, “when I was younger, I dreamt of being a cricketer on the West Indies team. I taught my brother all his cricket skills”, recounts Firhaana with big smiles. Initially, the organisation was just to promote social development and have a safe space for girls to come together and do things that foster sisterhood and connectivity. However as the world began to change with the use of social media and more issues impacting women were more apparent, they became an organisation focusing on advocacy. Ideally, The Barbados Association of Muslim Ladies want to be a voice for many. It is really about bridging that gap between the wider community and that was important to increase understanding and integrate more.
In 2015, Firhaana was elected and took up the role as Vice Chair of Policy & Advocacy for the Caribbean Regional Youth Council (CRYC) designed to manage all the youth councils within each Caribbean island. “The experience so far has been extremely pleasant. For me personally the success I see is that you don’t see Muslim women taking up positions of leadership on those types of level. It really opens the doors for more girls to realise that they can take part in national, regional or even global development initiatives.”
fun facts
Loves reggae Like to write raps A Henna Extraordinaire Addicted to chocolate cake
In celebration of International Women’s Day, Firhaana eloquently highlighted two women who have made a huge difference in her life and continue to lead the way. “I have been fortunate to have a mother and grandmother that are equally educated who are very strong and very intelligent and both of these women I have seen stand on their own two feet and be able to do things. They work extremely hard and they support me in whatever I do.” For our young leaders and aspiring entrepreneurs, here is wholesome advice from Firhaana, “Speak up. No one is going to know what you are facing, what your challenges are. If you see things that are affecting someone else that might not be necessarily be about you,speak up about it, that’s the only way that we are going to affect change.” So what’s on the horizon for Firhaana? Having taught children with special needs at Charles F Broomes, she is completing her studies to gain her Post Graduate Diploma in Primary Education. We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Firhaana on her most recent accomplishment. She will be travelling to England this June to collect the “Queens Young Leader Award”! We wish her every success on her journey!
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//Feature
atisha L
KING
Quality Designs pg. 18
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//Feature
DAMIEN GOODING
An Unbelievable Journey pg. 28
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DAZZLE 15
Things You Will Wish You Had Done Before Leaving Your Job –By Gregory Part Skeete 1 of 2
I
n 2015, I made a decision to leave my engineering job in the manufacturing industry in pursuit of continued personal and professional growth. As you know, making major career changes is rarely an easy choice but I decided to pursue an entrepreneurial path. This issue, I’d like to share the first five (5) of ten (10) things which I’ve learned. I hope they add value to you, whether you are considering taking a similar step or already self-employed on a full-time or part-time basis.
1) Make A Blueprint A smart action aligns with an objective. Without an objective, there is no way to evaluate the effectiveness of your actions. This is always my starting point with clients and I try to apply it to myself as well. When we 16 DAZZLE
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have a big picture view and a design for our lives and businesses, it makes it much easier to make decisions in the present. Most importantly, become extremely clear about why you want to even bother building these life and business plans. Is it to realize personal potential, feed your family, for a worthy cause or simply fame and
fortune? Whatever your why(s), it will be your spiritual guide and the key to maintaining your will.
2) Understand Yourself It also helps to know your strengths, as they are usually linked to your passion and what you do best. Are you a starter or a finisher? Have you taken a personality profile? Are you the dreamer or an administrator? Are you naturally more of a technician, manager or entrepreneur? You need all types to make a business work, and it’s critical that you know which areas you excel at and where you should recruit help.
3) Get R.E.A.L. Follow your dream. Live your passion. They both sound great and many coaches and speakers use them to the point that they have become clichés. Leaving your job is not simple or easy. All of us have financial commitments and more importantly, we have other people who depend on us. You need to know where you are, where you want to go, and what you need to get there. I use a planning method which also considers Relationships, Equipping, Attitude and Leadership.
4) Strengthen Your Relationships One of the most important things you can do is strengthen the bonds with the few people who genuinely care, support, encourage and believe in you. It’s also a great idea to forge relationships with various business networks and mentors who will help you along the way. Tough times are guaranteed to lie ahead and you will need good people in your corners.
5) Learn On the Job If you plan to become a business owner, being an employee or volunteer is a great place to learn. Instead of just ‘doing your job’, look around and observe how the organization is operated. One day, you will be the person responsible for your operation and team, and your experience and ability to see the big picture will be essential to your success. To be continued… Look out for Part 2 in the next issue, with the remaining five (5) points. In the meanwhile, I’ve put some action items and resources in a free guide which you can collect at www.lifeengineer.co/dazzle. Remember, knowledge is potential until put into action and becomes power. Wishing you success! Gregory Skeete is an author, engineering professional, globally certified personal development specialist and founder of Pilly the Pelican and Life Engineer. GregorySkeete@JohnMaxwellGroup.com
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DAZZLE 17
atisha L
KING Quality Designs by D.J Simmons
S
o you just saw this really cool shirt on Instagram. How do you get it? Easy! The number to contact on Whatsapp is right there. The initial contact is professional and your excitement builds as you anticipate the delivery of your fresh design on an urban cut T-shirt. It arrives, and all you can say is wow! You marvel at the quality of this stylish addition to your wardrobe from Gome designs, but also when you meet the owner of the business eighteen year old Latisha King. And wow is exactly what Gome is going for. Graphically an original mind explosion. This story behind the driven student of the Springer Memorial must however inspire and intrigue. Long before Latisha’s cutting designs made their way onto your new shirt, they stole the hearts of various students one day as she stepped through the school gates with her customized creations as unique badges accentuating her style. “Where you got those from?” The question was repeated again and again until in a short time, all were sold! When someone suggested; I would love to see this on a shirt, the gears in Latisha’s head started turning and her passion for graphic art mixed with her entrepreneurship desire catalysed the birth of the Gome brand on November 29th 2012. Obviously the idea of making money off her craft was attractive but the idea of sharing her art with the masses was the real driving force.
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factors combine to catalyse the drive in this Bajan woman to thrive as she explores the Miami scene.
fun facts Latisha is Apple everything. From iPhone to MacBooks, she is a lifetime supporter of the brand. Two months after her sixteenth birthday Latisha obtained her driver’s licence. Mainly because she needed to deliver her shirts. Latisha achieved a Grade One in Entrepreneurship at CAPE and placed sixth overall in the Caribbean! With no formal training in business other than secondary school, Latisha was exposed to the adventure of being an entrepreneur working with her mother and her store, Platinum Look Boutique. Three traits that she recognised along the way were passion, leadership and commitment, three qualities very evident in the young lady. Actually to showcase her commitment, soon Latisha will be venturing off to Miami to further her training in graphic art, but unlike some business owners who may abandon their trade in pursuit of studies, Latisha has already sown the seeds for Gome to excel and evolve as she expands the business beyond Barbadian shores. The opportunities to lower productivity costs while maintaining quality excites her. The fact that at times Barbadians tend to recognise their own only after they excel internationally is not lost on Latisha. These
You are right to assume that given her age this young lady has a firm grasp on social media and understands how important it is to growing your business. Being able to run promotions and interact real time with user queries and reviews definitely surpasses simply hitting the streets with flyers in her opinion. Through these online media she has been able to build a strong network of not only a growing customer base and potential distributors of her product, but mentors in entrepreneurship as well. One of which is Dazzle Barbados’ Managing Editor Ryan Wills himself! Through surrounding herself with strong people and a quality brand Latisha is well on the way in developing a successful business. Which in her definition, not only relates to maintaining the entity financially, but also keeping customers and employees happy and motivated. Repeat customers strengthen any business. As impressive as this young lady is, all cannot be accomplished on her own. Therefore Latisha is able to work with another more experienced graphic artist, Akinwole Jordan who assists bringing some of Latisha’s designs from her mind to the screen. Gome is also supported by a small team of marketers dedicated to pushing the product. How many youths at her age have this dedication to excel in her own business? Latisha reasons this number would actually be higher if entrepreneurship was encouraged more in homes and through education and school, instead of finding a role in someone else’s company. Of course the defining factor would be the individual’s mentality. Without a doubt her teachers at the Springer school helped shape the focused woman you see today. By now it is evident Miss King is a doer. She admits to playing her own role advising fellow budding entrepreneurs sharing experiences and providing examples for success. You can’t help but be impressed with Latisha King and Gome Clothing. From the high calibre shirts, sweaters and hats you instantly recognise the confident drive this lady puts between all elements of her business. The dynamic designs and colour schemes that create your smile show you that you need Gome even before you know it! How this brand decorates your character is not a fluke but through carefully crafted creation. When you consider how far this young lady has come plus her perpetual potential, all you can say, is wow...
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ARIANA GREEN & MARK RAMSAY
COUPLE SIX INC.
From Game Players to Game Makers By N. L. Bowen
M
eet Mark Ramsay and Ariana Green, two young, innovative, gaming enthusiasts and co-founders of Couple Six Inc., a game design studio in Barbados and winners of the Dazzle 2015 Entrepreneur Toolkit Competition. They officially established the company in June 2015, and won Dazzle magazine’s entrepreneurship challenge. With great passion, ambition and profound knowledge of the gaming industry, these qualities have enabled them to be trailblazers in the local industry. Mark and Ariana met while in 1st form at Harrison College. They possessed similar gaming interests and became best friends ever since. This pastime was later transformed into a game creation venture, and with Mark’s belief that they are ‘completely unemployable’, becoming entrepreneurs is perhaps their destiny. Throughout their journey, there was tremendous encouragement from family. Ariana’s father is an entrepreneur who operates a CXC and computer school, and he supports her completely. Mark’s parents were relieved that he chose this field, and his father encouraged him to defer graduate studies to focus on the business. Acknowledging that Barbados has a culture of game players and not game makers, this dynamic duo is set to change that atmosphere with their unique business concept. It is their goal to translate Caribbean stories into video game format, because as Mark states ‘if we don’t tell our own stories, other people will.’ They created a game entitled ‘Le Loupgarou’, a Caribbean themed video game still in its testing stages, but which thrilled the gaming public. With this positive feedback and their bold ambition, great things are in store for Mark and Ariana and their exciting new business Couple Six Inc.
What type of business is Couple Six Inc. and why was it created? Couple Six is mainly a gaming company that focusses on the creation of Caribbean themed video games that are fun, engaging and dynamic. They also focus on
different viewpoints of being human, with complexed characters and those of colour, etc. We also offer freelance work, websites and advergames. It started first as a project, because we wanted to combine our backgrounds and professions to create an endeavour. We wanted to create the games we want to play, i.e. those that showcase our culture. We had the same concept with different people, but they were not committed to the cause. As a result we became partners and created the business. The company was also created because of our desire to protect intellectual property.
Why was the name Couple Six chosen? We wanted a name that signifies the Caribbean, and a game that’s played a lot in the Caribbean, especially in Barbados is dominoes. Couple six is used to start that game, so we thought it fitting for one of the Caribbean’s first gaming studios to be called that.
What type of financial support or assistance from agencies did you receive? We received support from the BYBT (Barbados Youth Business Trust) and YES (Youth Entrepreneurship Scheme). They assisted with showcasing the game at different events, such as Animae Caribe in Trinidad and AnimeKon in Barbados. Also, since we are young (21 and 22) we didn’t have the capital or means to establish the business, so their financial support was really valuable. They also helped with legal fees and the company’s incorporation.
Were there any challenges establishing the business?
in
About a million!! None of us had experience in making a game. There were issues with working as a team, because we were used to working alone. Also there were lots of trials and errors. In the game’s testing period we held a play testing session and the arrow
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DAZZLE 21
keys were not going in the direction players wanted them to go, so this confused players. Another was that certain requests to agencies were denied arbitrarily and it took a long time (about 6 months) to get incorporated.
Do you believe that because of your young age, you were not taken seriously when seeking certain types of assistance? Yes, we definitely had that experience and especially when they saw my (Mark’s) blue hair and nose ring!! However, the counterpoint is when they see what we are doing, they become excited about the project and their perception of us slowly changes.
As friends and business partners, how do you balance friendship and work? We learned to accept each other’s differences and to communicate more effectively, especially if something is bothering us. There are three people in the business and in order to be successful, we decided to be truthful with one another. We now work and think as a team and not think individually as we were accustomed to doing before. We may take a Saturday off and go somewhere independently, or as a group.
What advice would you give to those who want to become entrepreneurs/ business partners in this type of business? Since it is a lot of work, you cannot do this alone, so you should partner with people you love. A benchmark is if you don’t look forward to Skyping or talking to them on the phone, it may not be wise to work with them. Make sure that you have similar goals. Knowing and understanding the person you are working with is important.
fun facts
Joshua Clarke is the third team member of the company. He is trained in graphic design and illustration and is the Artist who creates the designs and web content. Ariana is the Lead Programmer/ Project Leader. She is in charge of the art direction and is a self-taught programmer who studied Fine Arts at BCC. Mark is the Lead Writer. He completed his degree at the UWI in English Literature and is a trained writer. Le Loupgarou is a story-driven stealth game where you play as a terrifying monster being hunted through the hallways of his own memories. 22 DAZZLE www.dazzlebarbados.com
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DAMIEN GOODING An Unbelievable Journey pg. 28
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DAZZLE 23
Empowering Young Entrepreneurs By Melinda Belle
I
was fascinated with numbers from an early age. I struggled with subtraction, but my love for numbers was never discouraged by my brief challenge.
When my parents arrived home with the groceries after shopping, I would sit on the floor and pretend I was a cashier cashing out items at the checkout counter. I often added up the items on the receipt just to ensure: 1. They acquired all of the items 2. They paid exactly for what they purchased Little did I know I was being set up for my passion; my calling in financial planning. While in primary school, I decided to start a business. I had just received my knitting badge from the wellknown movement Brownies, and thought I could make money with my newly acquired skills. I created purses using the knitting I so cleverly put together. I placed a FOR SALE in my parent’s patio and waited patiently for a sale. I saw a car drive past our house and thought to myself; I am going to get a sale. Unfortunately, I did not make a sale that day. My business was short lived. Now that I look back, I am proud that I found the courage to be a business owner. Age was not a deterrent for me. My confidence was grounded in that I knew how to get it done and executed it excellently. Children are not too young to learn about money. And I will take it a step further and say children are not too young to start companies. This is a sure way for them to learning about investing from an early age. Business ownership is a form of investing and should be encouraged amongst our young people today. If
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there was ever a time to empower them to make money, it is NOW.
What they should know: 1. They have value The talents, gifts and insights they were born with, could make a difference and bring solutions this world needs. Therefore, who they are, is someone of value. 2. They don’t need to be rich Making money is not only for the wealthy, just like financial planning is not only for the wealthy. You do not need to have money in order to have a financial plan. They too can develop a plan on how they are going to make money. 3. They could build a business with the resources they have I started my company with zero dollars. No, I did not have a bank account and did not have capital to invest into my company. I was the main human resource when I started. By staying within means, I used the company sales to build the company through budget friendly means, email blasts and social media.
Let’s encourage entrepreneurship for our youth! Melinda Belle is the Founder and Managing Director of Astrape Finance, the caring, knowledgeable, trustworthy, financial company guiding you to financial stability and prosperity through education, sound planning and advice. melinda@astrapefinance. com
Your Next Move Start-up Seminar- LEX Caribbean
By Ryan Wills
L
EX Caribbean held its first breakfast summit for start-up entrepreneurs at the Courtyard by Marriott in March this year. A packed room of both young and mature business persons eagerly awaited the featured speakers who brought expertise and experience to the morning’s proceedings. They were; Andrea King, Director of the Cultural Industries Development Authority, Erica Smith, CEO of COSCAP and Melanie Jones, Tara Frater and Lalita Vaswani of LEX Caribbean.
Lex Caribbean is a full service law firm that can advise across a very broad spectrum of legal disciplines and deal under one roof with a myriad of different legal scenarios and issues. Typically, with start-ups they see the need for advice on structuring, corporate commercial issues, finance, private equity and IP. They also deal with entertainment and media law issues. Being a Caribbean firm with offices in Trinidad & Tobago, Jamaica and Barbados, they are also ideally placed to advise start-ups with a Caribbean vision.
The event was conceptualised by the well-known law firm because it felt that in order for the Barbados economy to be sustainable, entrepreneurial business must become a vibrant pillar of the economy. Melanie Jones, Partner at LEX Caribbean conceived and set up the firm’s Entrepreneurial Business Unit (the “EBU”), which is dedicated to providing expert responsive legal advice to start-ups at significantly discounted rates. As part of the work they do, they engage in activities designed to grow and support the ecosystem, including attending and speaking at entrepreneurshiprelated events and putting on seminars like this one. In addition, they work with other organizations such as the Barbados Entrepreneurship Foundation (“BEF”), of which she has been a director for 5 years.
With the summit behind them, the team at LEX clearly sees this as an investment in the future of entrepreneurs and, as such, in the future of Barbados as an island with a sustainable economy. They are looking forward to planning, and speaking at other events like this one and expect to host at least two more seminars this year. They really welcomed the participation of event sponsors, Barbados Public Workers’ Cooperative Credit Union and their subsidiary Capita Financial, and look forward to working with them again. To read the full article please visit http://lexcaribbean. com/publications/your-next-move-entrepreneur-sseminar-interview-with-melanie-jones.html
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Are you working ON or IN Your Business? by Chamara Hollingsworth
M
uch like the journey through life, the entrepreneurial journey has a tendency of providing you with opportunities to grow or to remain stagnant. Often, your growth depends tremendously, on the choices you make. As an entrepreneur, it is easy to get too caught up with fulfilling the roles of chief, cook and bottle washer, often aiming to be all things to all people in the name of a sale, allowing opportunities to truly build the business pass you by. It becomes easy to identify with the business as an extension of self, a true representation of dreams to be realized. The attachment to the business, so great that it is difficult to see or think clearly about what is best for the business and the consumer, sometimes coming to the 26 DAZZLE
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point where the business and the individual become one and the same. “I am my business� often being the phrase heard.
Where do you draw the line between your personal and professional lives? Michael Gerber sums it up “The most important thing to remember is that your business is not your life. They are completely separate entities that have different purposes and functions. The purpose of your life is not to serve your business, while the purpose of your business is to serve your life. When you realize this, you can detach yourself from your business and begin working on it rather than in it, and build a business that will work without you.”
The difference in these activities can mean the difference between remaining in the home space or transitioning to ownership of a mini mart chain.
The question then is, “What really is the difference between working in your business and working on your business?” Working in your business means to complete the day to day tasks of your business, whilst working on your business means to do the activities that will develop and evolve the business. This difference is critical to the life of your business. If you own a home based shop where transactions take place at a window, spending 40 hours a week selling to customers and completing inventory management, is spending 40 hours working in your business. This is maintenance.
This can also mean the difference between owning a business that functions only when you are present and one that runs just as smoothly when you are not around. As an entrepreneur, the key is to find the right balance between the ‘ins and ons’ of your business to create the growth that is needed to succeed.
Ask yourself these three questions: 1. How much time weekly do I spend working on my business? 2. How much time weekly do I spend working in my business? 3. What adjustments can I make to create a balance that is beneficial to the growth of my business? Chamara works with professional and entrepreneurial women who have a vision of becoming a better version of and creating a better life for themselves, but are uncertain of how to get there. She helps these women to find their true core, embrace their self worth and chart a clear path to their dream.
Conversely, spending 10 hours weekly creating systems and marketing activities, is spending 10 hours working on your business. This is growth.
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DAMIEN GOODING An Unbelievable Journey By N. L. Bowen
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amien Gooding is a young entrepreneur who has reached great heights at a relatively early age. With an incredible career and life journey, he is no ordinary 24 year old. Damien is the CEO of KeDrew Inc., a Barbadian based media, marketing and talent management company. With subsidiaries and representatives in Miami and New York, its clients range from corporate, local, regional and international. The company has propelled the careers of various talented individuals ranging from modelling, creative arts, and entertainment. It has also recently been crowned the ‘youngest’ Barbadian media company to shoot a large scale 3.8 million dollar jet campaign overseas. However, Damien’s journey has not been all smooth sailing. From birth he faced various health challenges (6 major operations) which embodied a lack of selfconfidence and social skills, later resulting in being victim to bullying throughout most of his secondary education. Fortunately, with the support of family and his driving ambition to be self-sufficient, Damien’s life drastically changed for the better over time. During his free time of early teens, he developed a website ‘Rihanna Daily’ with partners in Poland and Brazil generating worldwide interest, which later included a label executive who discovered a series of local talent such as Barbadian superstar Rihanna. He was subsequently offered an opportunity to work with their camp and became immediately diverged in the world of entertainment and music business. With low self-esteem vanishing, this experience laid the ground work for the future establishment of KeDrew Inc. Damien details an unbelievable yet exciting journey. He boasts a diverse range of clients, from Roc Nation, Universal Music, Baje International, Grammy nominated singer-songwriter Shontelle, emerging Jamaican sensation Samantha J, Shannon Harris of Elite Model Management, BTMI, Flow Barbados, and many others. Equipped with these achievements, experience, and great level of determination, the sky may not be the limit for Damien as his business continues to evolve.
Who is Damien Gooding? I am a young minded, easy going, but very ambitious individual. I always look out for other people before myself, and this lends to the field of business that I am in. I always had a hustler mentality and never had a traditional day job. When I was younger I use to make my own money by selling mangoes…and later at secondary school, I sold various games and discs for extra cash.
What type of business is KeDrew Inc. and how did you become involved in this business? KeDrew is a full-house media, marketing, and talent management company made up of young creative professionals. We focus on the branding, development, promotion, execution, and success of our clients and their respective projects. Currently we have 3 main components previously mentioned in addition to our recently launched subdivision, Omega Model Management, and the KeDrew Music Group coming later this year. I was a huge fan of Rihanna and as a hobby, I developed a website around the age of 13 called ‘Rihanna Daily’ to journalize her career successes with team members from Poland and Brazil. As her career grew, we attracted mainstream attention quoted by several major networks such as MTV and BET. At the time I was also into photography and started simply capturing visuals at events, at one of these events I managed to take a photo of singer-songwriter Shontelle and shared it with her via Facebook, she loved it! She later found out more about myself and connected me with Evan Rogers, her production label at the time, who also discovered Rihanna. Things moved so swiftly and I was given the opportunity to work with them in the field of digital marketing for all of the company’s portfolio, which also included Hal Linton and Vita Chambers.
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After making great strides, I decided to form an independent firm which thankfully most of the clients and artists also continued to work with me to represent them. I needed a company name, hence KeDrew was officially created. It is my middle name, which is a combination of my father’s and grandfather’s names.
Given your age, how were you perceived by business executives when they first met you? Our corporate clientele was always hesitant, but I believe age is just a number. I was groomed to believe that nothing is impossible, and was always prepared and positioned myself to know what I was talking about. Once I’m able to showcase my portfolio and work, it usually tends to speaks for itself.
As the CEO of the company, how do you balance your personal life and work? I consider myself a “workaholic” so I don’t get much personal time. I usually wake up around 7 a.m., and until about 3.00 a.m. the next day I am still working! Sometimes I only have one meal a day which my mother and colleagues would often need to remind me to eat something! I always look forward to when I’m able to kick back with my friends, sometimes I enjoy myself too much and become “twisted” especially around Crop Over season, but those who know me understand these are the only times I’m truly able to relax and find my balance.
What are your plans for KeDrew Inc.? We are always looking for new ways to expand our services and network. Currently with the help of our recent additions on Omega, we currently possess a social media network following of 250,000, which my immediate goal is to continue equipping ourselves with a number of social influencers to surpass 1 million followers to spike the interest of international advertisers and brands alike. We are also working towards launching the KeDrew Music Group with more information to unfold soon.
What advice would you give to young people who wish to become entrepreneurs? - Have patience as well as confidence in yourself and your method of doing things. 30 DAZZLE www.dazzlebarbados.com
- Take rejection as a lesson learnt and know that you will have time to grow. - Be selfless and willing to give more than what is required of you. - You need to have a strong team and focus on those who have your best interest at heart. - Knowledge is key! Seek advice and don’t hesitate to ask someone a question if you need help.
fun facts Early in Damien’s career his classmates at the Lodge School laughed at him and were in disbelief when he told them about Rihanna Daily’s mainstream popularity and his upcoming meetings with entertainment executives. The mangoes Damien sold as a child were actually picked from a neighbour’s tree! When Damien first saw Shontelle he took her photograph simply because he thought she was pretty. He didn’t know that at that time she was the co-singer of the popular Barbadian soca ‘Colours’! KeDrew’s 1st photographer Alex Jackson, is currently the most followed Barbadian international photographer on social media.
ADV E RT I S E WI TH US To advertise in The Dazzle Magazine, contact our sales agent via telephone 246.234.8140 or email info@dazzlebarbados.com for more information.
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DAZZLE 31
Wireless Networking - Growing Your Business By Thinking Outside the Box By On Line Consultancies
T
he ability to access data and content from the Internet from anywhere at any time from a growing array of wireless devices including laptops, tablets and smartphones is quickly becoming a critical requirement. However, throughout the hurricane prone Caribbean region, the nature of our buildings and infrastructure from our homes to offices encompasses reinforced materials such as concrete and steel. While this is a great foundation for our structures, it poses a significant disadvantage in our ability to access wireless signals efficiently with the average consumer grade router as signal often dismisses significantly, resulting in poor Wi-Fi coverage to our devices. Luckily with creative deployment of Engenius’ s wireless networking solutions (Access Points, Bridges and Routers) we can now easily enhance our wireless coverage and productivity due to a higher antenna transmit power and longer range coverage technology.
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Indoor Wireless Access Point, Dual-Band N600 High-Speed, Long-Range, Ceiling-Mount Wireless AP Offers Greater Multi-Floor Penetration EAP600
With Dual-Band, 11n concurrent speeds to 300 Mbps on each band, the EAP600 is a network workhorse. This top selling AP simultaneously supports both 2.4 and 5 GHz bands for peak 11n speed and performance, improving video streaming and large file transfer rates. Utilizing Band Steering, the EAP600 automatically
802.11g access points. For small-to-medium-sized business networks and for larger homes, the ECB350 provides superior throughput, performance and unparalleled wireless range.
detects and shifts Dual-Band-capable clients to the less congested 5 GHz band, greatly optimizing overall network bandwidth.
High-Powered, Long-Range Wireless N300 Indoor Access Point / Client Bridge with Gigabit Expand Your Network ECB350
The EnGenius ECB350 is an ideal solution for expanding an existing network and increasing bandwidth to support additional users. This 2.4 GHz Wireless-N Indoor Access Point/Client Bridge that features up to 29 dBm RF Tx (transmit) power for long range coverage, wireless speeds up to 300 Mbps and a Gigabit Ethernet port for connecting to a switch or router. The ECB350 delivers up to 6x faster speeds and 7x extended coverage than lower-power, legacy
EnGenius Technologies, Inc. is an industry expert in wireless communications and radio frequency (RF) technology. The company pioneered “Affordable Long-Range Wireless� communication solutions, and creates wireless voice and data products for home, SOHO and SMB use that are versatile, feature-rich, business-class and affordable. Available at our SuperStore Locations: Clermont, St. Thomas | SkyMall, Haggatt Hall, St. Michael
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DAZZLE 33
5 INGREDIENT
Zucchini Fritters
Yield: About 14 fritters | Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 5 min
ingredients 4 Cups Shredded Zucchini | 2/3 Cup All-purpose Flour | 2 Large Eggs, Lightly Beaten 1/3 Cup Sliced Scallions (Green And White Parts) | Vegetable Oil Sour Cream, For Serving (Optional)
method Place the shredded zucchini in a colander set over a bowl and sprinkle the zucchini lightly with salt. Allow the zucchini to stand for 10 minutes. Using your hands, squeeze out as much liquid from the zucchini as possible. Transfer the zucchini to a large bowl. Add the flour, eggs, sliced scallions, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper to the bowl, stirring until the mixture is combined. Line a plate with paper towels. Liberally coat the bottom of a large sauté pan with vegetable oil and place it over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, scoop 3-tablespoon mounds of the zucchini mixture into the pan, pressing them lightly into rounds and spacing them at least 2 inches apart. Cook the zucchini fritters for 2 to 3 minutes, then flip them once and cook an additional 2 minutes until golden brown and cooked throughout. Transfer the zucchini fritters to the paper towel-lined plate and immediately sprinkle them with salt. Repeat the scooping and cooking process with the remaining zucchini mixture. Serve the zucchini fritters topped with sour cream (optional) and sliced scallions. 34 DAZZLE
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DAZZLE 37
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