 The panel, the discussion, an objective and impartial view of the issues of interest to you. Nation Beat is on now. Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed guests and participants, welcome to our International Women's Day panel discussion. Welcome to our special invitees here today, the students of Sir Arthur Lewis Community College. Today we gather to celebrate the achievements, resilience and indomitable spirit of women across various spares, particularly in entrepreneurship within the context of a developing nation. The theme for this year's International Women's Day, Invest in Women Accelerate Progress, encapsulates the essence of what we aim to explore today. As we delve into the stories and experiences of our esteemed panelists, we will uncover the many trials and triumphs that have shaped the journey of female entrepreneurs and the genius behind policies which directly invest in females, as investing in women has tremendous multiplier effects for our economy, our society and our families. In our midst we have extraordinary women who have dead to dream, dead to challenge a status quo, and dead to carve their paths in the often treacherous landscape of business. From innovative startups to established enterprises, they have navigated through with courage and boundless potential. But our discussion today isn't solely about success, it's about the journey. The obstacles overcome, the barriers broken and the lessons learned. It's about acknowledging the systemic challenges that disproportionately affect women in entrepreneurship, paid access to finance, their networks or resources, and finding solutions to create a more equitable playing field. As we embark on this dialogue, let us reflect on the responsibility we hold to foster an environment where every woman, regardless of background or circumstance, can thrive and contribute meaningfully to society. Let us celebrate not just today, but every day the strength of women. Thank you once again for joining us on this auspicious occasion. May our discussions today inspire action, ignite change, and pave the way for a future where every woman's dream is within reach. I would like to introduce our moderator today, Ms. Monde-Louis, who will take us through today's proceedings. Thank you. Thank you, Ms. Daniel, and thank you, St. Lucia, for joining us for this 2024 Export St. Lucia and Ministry of Commerce panel for International Women's Day. This evening, I have the pleasure of introducing and interviewing four beautiful, strong, talented women who dared to do this on their own, to step out and to really develop businesses, like C.O. said, in this really treacherous business world. As a business woman myself, I speak from first-hand experience, and some of the stories here today, I'm sure, will remind me of my days in the trenches. So with no further ado, I would have our participants, our panelists, introduce themselves starting from my immediate right. Hi, so I'm Christine Samuel. My brand is Christie Creation. I'm a retired teacher, dancer, and now an entrepreneur making bags. Thank you, and welcome. Good morning. My name is Shonda Labiola-Alexander, and I am the founder of Abbey's Exotic Blends, where we create vegetable chips, punches, condiments, and snacks. We're located in the Kareleg building in San Susi. Thanks for having me. Good day. I'm Korea John. I'm the owner of Cree Skatering, and I also have three other businesses, which is Cree's Events, Planning and Decor, Cree's Grab and Go, which was launched last year. And I'm also the marketing manager and co-owner of JC's Honey Production. I'm from beautiful and wonderful town of Viewfort. What is this? Thank you. Thank you very much. My name is Lisa Sharmos-Fringer. I am owner of Mona Lisa Handenbody. It was a beautiful venture for me to open Mona Lisa Handenbody as a spa. I do massages, manicures, pedicures, nail extensions. We also do waxing, and it's like coming underneath one umbrella and getting everything done. You walk in and you get everything that you don't have to go anywhere else. Okay, thanks for that. Lisa and her one-stop spa shop. But Lisa, since we were on you, could you tell us how did, what inspired you to open your business? Okay, in 2020, COVID came, as we all know, and it was a little challenging for me because I lost my job, obviously. In October 2020, I had the opportunity to give hand. My husband decided, okay, he's going to invest in me. I was doing people on our side. My clients were in house, so how I was doing clients here and there when the country finally opened and I decided to open my spa. Okay. Yeah, but it was a small spa. I was only doing massages at the time and only manicures and pedicures. And now you do everything. No, I do everything. So was it that you already had the skill to expand? Yes, I've been a spa therapist over the past 21 years. And I started as a nail technician, but I moved into massage therapy and waxing facials and all of that. So could we say COVID provided an opportunity for you? Oh, yes, it did. A wonderful opportunity to step out of my comfort zone. Yes. It was a big leap of effort. Fantastic, fantastic. And I know a number of people also share a similar story. And I guess the takeaway from that is during the adversity, there's always... There's always a civil lining. Yes, indeed. To overcome. Indeed. Thank you for that. And I'm sorry, I will call you Abby because I really thought that was your name. But Ms. Shonda, please, many of us know you for your delicious snacks. We know probably people call you Abby too. I don't know, but I call you Abby. That's the name on the streets. But tell us again about your journey. And I know I remember seeing you at the MSME grant loan facility and really listening to that awe-inspiring journey. And you were with us today and we're celebrating, so please. Somewhere in 2009, I became a single parent. And that was a push for me because I had to decide whether I was going to fall or whether I was going to get up and run. And I sat down one night, I got my pen and paper and I wrote down all the things I thought I could do best. And everything was in the kitchen, in the household, of course. And I decided to start with $2 planting. And I purchased my $2 planting. I went home, my solutions have heard this story so many times. I fried my, with a knife, I sliced my planting and put them into the ice lolly bags, tied them up and stick them on the door. And they all sold out the very first day. I went back to town the following day, I bought $5 planting. I purchased $5 planting and it all sold out. And then day number three, everything I've done, it was not intentional. People, customers pushed me into it. I had, I suffered from migraine headaches, terrible migraine headaches. So I went into town, I bought $5 planting. When I got home, I got off the bus and I told my son, I can't see, my head is hurting me so bad. I gave him the planting, I asked him to put it in the fridge. And he put it in the cupboard. So I went to sleep and I couldn't get up. So I woke up next morning. And when I went to check on the planting, they were right. So I said, oh my God, what am I going to do? So I tried it anyway because ripe planting is really good. Everybody likes ripe planting. So I decided, okay, let me try this. And I tried it. And guess what? So loud. Wow. So that is how I started with the ripe planting chips. It's not something I knew how to do. It was a mistake that really boomed. And today we supply 1,500 pounds of planting on a weekly basis. Wow. That's good. It's phenomenal. I will move to my immediate right. And I mean, she needs no introduction. Anyone in signature who does not know Christine Samuel? Where have you been? But this is a new phase of your life. Should we say, and tell us what? Well, the people who know me, they know me as a dancer. So you're talking about 45 years of being a dancer. And in 2016, I knew it was time for me to wrap up because there was so much things happening around me that didn't allow me to continue the dance. I had my own dance school, dance company, invested millions. And then in 2016, I followed up as a teacher slash dancer. And then I decided, OK, what am I going to do next? The trial started with not having anything to do for the summer because, you know, I taught children to dance every summer and nothing was happening. And I, you know, I decided to go to town. And then I decided, OK, they have some fabric at home and I'll make a bag. I made one bag. I called a friend of mine and she said, I made a bag. She said, Auntie Christine made a bag. I said, yeah. And then that one bag, from all the excitement of that one bag, I went to town in the afternoon at Stardust and I bought fabric, bought back home, and I made eight bags. And whole and beyond, those eight bags have developed to what it is today. If you only see the first bag, you will never believe that I would have been making the kind of bags I'm making now. I mean, the bags are all over the world, all over the world. It has been nine years since I've been making the bags. And I don't think I'll turn back. No regrets being a dancer, but this is the most phenomenal thing that has happened to me. Seeing every woman wearing a Christie Creation brand, that's phenomenal. So I'm happy. That's amazing. That's amazing. And Kria, you know, I left you for last because you multi-talented. You have several businesses under your belt. And please take us through your journey of entrepreneurship. Okay. I first started entrepreneurship in, I would say, in my mom's kitchen. I was going to school and for me, it's always, I'm going to make my own money. So I started baking little cakes, started taking what's in the kitchen, baking and saying I'm going to sell it at school. Will you see my bag? I would leave the school books in the school, but nobody knew what I was going to school with. And I started baking little cupcakes, going to school with it, buying sweets, going to school with it. Also, I got to be friends with most of the boys in school. And during the free time, they would want a classroom or some place where they can play games or dice or cards. So that was me bringing it in, knowing because I got to make the money. That's have always been my passion. Always, I need to do something to help somebody out. And after that, I went into finding a job after school. My first job landed at Partyshark. It was a Jamaican company, came to view for it. And they needed a baker. And a friend of mine told me about it. I was skeptical a bit because I wanted to try something different. So I said, okay, I went, started working there. I learned the Jamaican way of doing bakes, doing the fish cakes, the Jamaican soups. The cocoa tea, the style of making it. And all of that inspired me. After when they said they were closing down to castries, I made a decision to go straight into the hotel, into the hotel industry. And there were two options, either being somebody on the floor serving the guests or the person in the kitchen. And I chose the kitchen. And everybody wonder why. For somebody who has that spirit in them, why want to go to the kitchen? And being there, working there, learning the different techniques, styles, I decided, okay, there are persons who want this feeling, but they don't have the money to come to the hotel to have these dishes, the meals, the cakes. And I decided, okay, I'm going to, when the company said they were making some changes in persons in the kitchen, I went on vacation and I decided, let's take the shots. Nice. So from then on, I've started. And I can see now, I'm very proud of what I've accomplished, what I've accomplished because a lot of persons, being a young person, they would tell me, I would not make it. Especially from Viewfort. When I tell people I'm from Viewfort, persons would tell me, you're from Viewfort, you show you're from Viewfort. I would watch on Facebook for every course, everything they had. And trust me, I would be there. I would call, I would, if the money is $600, I know I have six cakes, I'll multiply the money I have to make to reach there. It can be wherever, what time, I will be there. And with that, I must say, I have that drive and that potential and I always say you have to be self-motivated. Right. Most important. Very inspiring, Kriya. And thank you, thank you for that contribution. And I think a thread that I got from everyone's contribution is that there was something that you needed to do. There was, you were at a point in your life that you had to make a decision. And I think I heard that from all of you, really in terms of your transition into entrepreneurship. And Kriya, I will go back to you. You spoke with such confidence. You seem to have always believed in yourself. But with all of that belief, I know the opportunities that we spoke of, they probably were few and far between. How did you overcome some of these obstacles that presented itself to you during your quest for entrepreneurship? I would say, with all of the struggles and trials, I would sit down, reflect on, okay, if I go for this opportunity and it's not been given to me, what next and what else should I do? So no matter you have, I had this goal of wanting to do this particular thing, I would sit back and say, okay, it was not my time. It was not for me. And throughout this, I have had my broken days where I would say, why am I not getting the opportunity? Why isn't it not for me? I would sit back. Yes, there are times I would cry. I'll break down and say, I'm giving up. But I must say one thing that inspired me through it all was I'm from Viewfort. And persons would say, if you're from the ghetto side or from this particular place, you will not make it. And that's one thing that pushed me, that I'm from Viewfort, especially from the area that I was brought up, that I have to make it. I must show persons and show the world that no matter your background, no matter where you're from, you will be that shining star and you will put the place that you're from on the map. Wow, okay, wow. I think this is a good time to take a break and I need to dab my eyes a little bit. But thank you for that contribution here and St. Lucia, please stay tuned with us as we explore these mighty women for international women's day. Please stay tuned. Export St. Lucia is the national trade export and promotion agency of the government of St. Lucia. By spearheading the island's national export development efforts, we work toward continuously increasing the value and volume of St. Lucia's exports. At Export St. Lucia, our team of qualified trade professionals promotes and expands the presence of St. Lucia goods and services across the globe. We offer a range of services including the provision of up-to-date trade information, trade promotion and export marketing, export facilitation and export development support. We provide invaluable support to our clients, including small and micro enterprises at absolutely no cost. After all, through our work, the agency aims to increase the profitability and sustainability of St. Lucia's businesses. Export St. Lucia is making a direct and tangible contribution to St. Lucia's economy. Over the past 10 years, Export St. Lucia has transformed the trajectory of several businesses founded by passionate entrepreneurs with the zeal to achieve more. We look forward to each new export and the opportunity to introduce a wider audience to top quality, authentic St. Lucia products. This is why we embrace the philosophy of excellence at home and abroad. For more information, contact us at info at exportst.lucia.org or call 1-758-468-2145. Happy International Women's Day to all our women in St. Lucia, especially our business women, our entrepreneurs who have made us proud. This year's film for International Women's Day is Investing Women, Accelerate Progress. And I must tell you that this film conforms and echoes the philosophy of the Ministry of Commerce and the Government of St. Lucia. We have proven this in the programs that we've had within our MSME loan grant program where our women have been given an opportunity to thrive. When you think of our digital program where we try to bring our women up to date in terms of e-commerce, when you look at what is happening within the Ministry of Finance and the Prime Minister with our youth economy, where again we are supporting our young persons, especially our women, to seize the opportunity to move forward. Our business women in St. Lucia have made us proud. Whether it's in the area of tourism, when we think of persons like Mrs. De Stam, who have paved the way, Mrs. Beaufort Palm, when you think of Souffre, Mrs. Erolain Lamontime, when you think of persons in other parts of the community, I think in the manufacturing sector, I think of people like Mrs. St. Rose, who have been a role model for us in the business community. So today I salute all business persons, especially all of you sitting there in the studio. You've made progress. I think of what I have seen in terms of Mrs. Revigates from moving from one level to the next level. I think of all the persons doing the tamarin boards. Now I see with the help of experts in Lucia and Ms. Daniel, you've got new packaging. I see us doing things, whether you are a vendor, whether you are seamstress, participating in our fashion economy, whether you are somebody who has an idea and is ready to thrive. I tell you, we have women who in the business community will now only be business persons. They are also role models, being parents, being mothers, fathers, partners. Essential role in keeping the fabric of our society together. So today I need to tell you, as the Minister for Commerce, I am extremely proud to be your minister. And I can tell you, and today I commit to continue working with you and for you so that together we can rise. Together our economy can rise. Together we can transform the lives of our children, the lives of our families, and together we can have a better solution. So I join all of us in saying Happy International Women's Day, and may God continue to guide and bless us. I thank you. Some of you may not know, but Honorable Hippolyte herself is an entrepreneur-businesswoman. She has a flower farm. And again, there's really great, great business. When we left for the break, we were talking about some of the challenges. And Shondel, I know you spoke about your son, and again, men, you told him to put it in the fridge. He put it in the cupboard. How have you, as a mother of three, handled motherhood and managing your business? Because I know my mother, she's a businesswoman too. I call her Monica. That's not her name. We were very much a part of her business. She made tamarind balls, so I had to peel tamarind. My brother had to grate coconut. So how have your children really stepped in in terms of assisting in the business? And how have you made the time to be a great mom and a successful businesswoman? First of all, I think it may not fit in for you, but it does for me. Determination is the word. I was a teenager when I got pregnant. So I had something to prove. I was very determined. I wanted my parents, my family, everybody around me to see that, not because I got pregnant as a teenager, that life stops. So I really pushed and put myself out there to do my best every single time. But I will not say I am lucky, because I work very hard. But I had a community behind me. And when I say a community, I don't mean where I grew up. People I worked with, my family, my friends were really supportive because I did so much. Today, when I sit down and I look back, I ask myself the question, girl, how did you do that? Because I worked at a gas station on the Shousey Road for 16 years. While I was there, I took up a job at SNA Insurance Brokers. I did courier services for them. And then I heard of a job, a lady who, a family, wanted somebody to take care of their mother at night just to sleep with her. And I was earning $800 a month to sleep there. So I did that. So I worked at the gas station. I worked with Chef Pat's catering. I worked with SNA Insurance Brokers. I sold chips at the time to only M&C, all five stores at the time. And it balanced off because my parents were parenting my children. I was making enough money to give everybody a phone. My daughter learned to pray with a doll. I bought a doll for her that prayed with her at night. I would be on the phone at 7 o'clock to ensure everybody was watching the news. And then in the morning during breakfast time, everybody would have to give me a piece of the news because I wanted them to sync with what was happening. So I parented my kids from work. I broke a lot of rules at work because I wasn't supposed to be on the phone but I had to be there for my kids even though my parents were there. There are certain things I ensure they did like praying, watching the news, doing their homework, take a photo and send it to me. Let me see what you've done. So they knew. And my daughter was a little parrot too. She told me what the boys did. So I was privileged to have good friends, good family, good support. I was able to do all these things because when I leave work at 8 p.m. at the time, it was 8 p.m. I leave work at 8 p.m. at the gas station. A friend would pick me up, drop me to the other job and it just worked out so smoothly. I had great people in my life. And thank God for that. Fantastic. And to you, Christine, I know you spoke about the transition that you had to make after 45 years of your career as a dancer, as a teacher. And I know sometimes our society can be a bit cruel in terms of ageism, but she's been there. Everybody knows Antichristina and she wants to do again. How have you navigated, if at all you've had to navigate that sort of transition from a 45-year career and now brand-new bags across the world? The transition was difficult. It was difficult. You always feel like you have to prove yourself because age seems to be a factor for me because I might be looking young and everybody goes, but I'm almost 60 years old. You understand? So age always seems to be a factor for me in that reference. But I have worked really, really hard to be where I am with the bags right now. When the opportunity came for me to get the bags out there, I was not in St. Lucia because I was so angry with the system that I was... because my life was always dance, so living and moving from that transition from being a dancer to a designer was difficult. I was in Canada at the time and I got the call saying that was from Sea Island Cotton Shop saying that we want you in the shop. We want Christie Creation's brand in the shop. And I didn't know what to do at the time. I was like, okay, when I get back to St. Lucia what would happen? It was a hobby, so I didn't tell myself I'm going to be a bag designer. My husband has been that support for me. But everything that I've done so far for that transition, my husband has been there. I've been a lot of help from the family, my children, because when you're making bags it means you're up all night making bags. I have to ensure that going through that transition and that the product is good. It is good. And if I'm going to sell bags and if I'm going to be a bag designer or jewelry designer it has to be something that has to be really, really good. So I took the leap of faith. I took that leap of faith and I'm happy that I did it. I'm happy that it's paying off for me right now and I will not stop working harder. And yes, I might be looking young but it's a long journey to get where I am today and it's not easy. Sleepless nights, I stay up until four, five o'clock in the morning making bags because I have to make sure that my production is excellent and that when it gets out there people are happy with the product. The support with my children, I have three children, people don't know that, I have three beautiful kids and my husband never goes to bed until I go to bed. So if I'm making bags six o'clock in the morning, he sits there until six in the morning until my production is done so I am grateful for that. So it's hard work but people hard work pays off. It does pays off. Alisa, I know earlier on you mentioned also about your husband's assistant to you, what do you feel is for you that having that sort of support I know Shonda spoke about having the community, having her parents and for you, what kind of support have you been able to garner and not taking anything away from you for your desire, your leap of faith but how has support your village, what has your village been like? So my village is what have me here today to be honest. My clients, for one, my husband they saw the potential in me. I can start from when I was working at Sandals. I've been in the industry for over 21 years so I worked with Sandals and while I was there that's why I transitioned into massage therapy. It was Mava Eugene at the time who saw my love for massage therapy and she's like Alisa, you should go and get your certification in massage therapy. I said I'm a nail technician, I'll just stick to doing nails and pedicures. She said no, no, no, you're very good at doing massage course. So that summer current sprung came from Relyne Spann and she's the one who, I did her pedicure and I did a foot massage for her and she's like, why you didn't sign up for the massage therapy course? I tell her I want to be a massage therapist so she'll be usual, I tell her no and she's like this is a do the course. So I went ahead and I I did it. I got to the fighting back in 2004 or 2005 they were about and I fell in love with massaging. I love the look on my client's face after getting the massage done the relief the release of stress and the comfort that they get coming to me to get the massages done and nails and pedicures which is everything. But this is my support my support is most of my clients they don't want to give me a push to open to be honest because as I said I was doing house to house going to everybody home doing a pedicure or the massages carrying my tables all over the place it was really challenging back in 2020 because you know money was tight and we were trying to I have three children as well I have two boys and a girl and in 2019 I had my last son so he's five and in 2020 it was only a year and some. So it was hard it was really really hard starting off and with the support of my husband being the one who moved the children and as I was building and changing and trying to figure out what I want how I want the place to be he helped me financially he helped me emotionally he told me to calm down because I'm somebody I'm always in my head so I think a lot and I overthink things so he's like relax write what you want to do make sure you make your goals and it just took a while for my clients my clients have had over 20 years some have been with me for 20 years since I started some just started with me some started in 2020 and it's I can tell you the love of my clients and the love of my husband is what have me here today I'm very very grateful Fantastic Lisa and I know that your business comes with tools has there been any support that whether it be exporting to the government and I know you mentioned your husband and probably not probably definitely your own resources into the business how what kind of support have you been able to get and was it easy what was the process like so fine man surely when I went to the bank when I went to the bank in 2021 I was trying to expand not expand but I wanted to get some new I wanted to get a new massage table and I wanted to get a few other things and go to the bank the bank asked me for a guarantee three guarantors the same amount of money I'm asking for they asked me to deposit I'm like if I had that kind of money I wouldn't come to you so I said if I had that amount of money I wouldn't come to you I would just use my own money to do what I needed to do and well the loans officer was like I was doing it and then I went to other lending facilities including the credit unions and stuff and it was really really hard to get financial assistance here as an entrepreneur it's really hard they needed a background check they needed you to do a financials for the past last year and the financials were coming here so obviously I needed an accountant to do so and it was hard for me in 2023 when when I got the email and I got the message I honestly did not look at it I mean very very honest I did not look at it but I had a client who came in and she told me listen you read about the MSME program I said yeah I saw it I got an email from minister of commerce and I just brushed it off she was like you don't want to do it I said I don't know and I said okay I'll try and then I did that and to tell you the truth I moved from a small space so now big space beautiful and it's everything I had in my head that I wanted to do that I'm doing now so now I have a hairdresser I do nails, I do massages I do waxing and I'm now in collaboration with Taken Spa her name is Ginny Charmaine and it's it's exactly what I want to do and I'm looking forward to the future okay Mona Lisa that is really fantastic that's fantastic because we have one minute left in this segment I will stick up in and we'll take a break and I'm returned to here ladies we only have 20 more minutes left so we'll take a break and we'll be right back so now we have a look at the transparency of the government of St. Lucia by spearheading the island's national export development efforts we work toward continuously increasing the value and volume of St. Lucia's exports at Export St Lucia our team of qualified trade professionals promotes and expands the presence of St. Lucia goods and services across the globe trade information trade promotion and export marketing export facilitation and export development support we provide invaluable support to our clients including small and micro enterprises at absolutely no cost after all through our work the agency aims to increase the profitability and sustainability of St. Lucia businesses Export St Lucia is making a direct and tangible contribution to St. Lucia's economy over the past 10 years Export St Lucia has transformed the trajectory of several businesses founded by passionate entrepreneurs with the zeal to achieve more we look forward to each new export and the opportunity to introduce a wider audience to top quality authentic St. Lucia products this is why we embrace the philosophy of excellence at home and abroad for more information contact us at info at exportstlucia.org or call 1-758-468-2145 welcome back to our panel discussion for International Women's Day Invest in Women Accelerate Progress we just left off with Mona Lisa giving us this really inspiring testimony of her growth of the financial difficulties that she went through and ultimately accessing the MSME Loan grant facility by the Ministry of Commerce and I know that facility guarantees you a 70% grant and 30% loan but now we have with us Miss Jennifer Rigoberto from Rigo's Naturals so can you tell us about your endeavors okay my name is Jennifer Rigoberto owner and founder of Rigo Dolls Spice now most people know me as Rigo Dolls Spice but moving forward the new name is Rigo's Natural because when I started this business like I started dressing dolls with dry leaves so that's why I end up with that name Rigo Dolls Spice so could you tell us about your business then well I started this business in about eight years or nine years now since I'm into it but when I started after I left school I was working in for a short period of time in a slaughterhouse with my grandmother at New Nyan where they used to slaughter chicken but it was for a short space of time so I saw this young lady had a doll selling dressed out with ribbons and crochet so since somebody have a lot of I'm very talented I know that so I say okay I'll buy that doll I bought that doll for twenty dollars so I bought that doll home and I say you see what I'll do I'll re-do it I'll re-design it so I decided to do that so I say okay I'll try something new so at the time I bought the doll and I bought it home I didn't start on it right away so a few years on the road I went and worked with my husband in construction I say actually half of my life at mediation parts that's what I'm handling and while working with him on construction sites sometimes I'll say okay in between I'll hold the doll with me I'll dress the doll with dry leaves most of the time when I cut the bamboo to do props I'll take the leaves I'll dress the doll with dry leaves mangoes I'll incorporate with the Madoass on construction sites while the men are there working so because I'm a very strong headed woman so I say okay so in between I'm doing my thing so when I re-do it I say to myself okay you know what to do try something else so I decide after having the market for the doll for about four five years I say I really don't have the taste for it again so I'll leave it alone so I work in the construction not sorry I work in the hotel industry restaurant for eight years and a few years down the road my husband tells me you know what happened you should come and work with me so I went to the chef at the time I was working in the hotel I said chef can I get six months time off he said janitor for what I said I just need six months time off I have another mission to work on so he said to me well if so I'll not trust you because when you come back you'll want another six months again I said okay but he told me it's okay so I took the six month time off and I went and looked at my husband up to what they like to them never regret never regret because to see mother of two you have to get up early even though it's raining or not Sunday holiday you passing I have to be walking down on the weekend sometimes early morning I have to leave home and I'm seeing like some people are there home and you're saying what it's not an easy task but I say okay be focused the rest will follow so okay I'm going to give him and today financially he's supporting me when he can because with construction he'll have it ups and downs so I said to myself like since I know construction have it ups and downs what else I'll do so I decide to stop the dolls and I say okay what I'll do my grandmother used to plant ginger, turmeric she was a garden person so I say okay what I'll do I'll take I dig some ginger some turmeric roots and I grate it I dried it and I grind it so when I grind it I give it to a few friends to sample so I got good feedback on that so I say what else I'll do I say okay I order a hundred t-bags and I tried it in the t-bag forms so when I tried in the t-bag forms I gave it out to sample I got good reviews so I say well it seems I'm doing something good so I said okay so what I did after I buy the hundred t-bags I give it out to sample so I reorder 500 so in order in 500 again so I say okay after I tried the turmeric I tried the ginger let me try the sour soup leaf I'll try the rosemary into powder form and then put it in in the t-bag as well so I said okay I tried it I said let me take it into masi so when I took it to masi for them to sample and look at the packaging and they told me well they'll get back to me so a couple days after that they did get back to me and they told me well management have approved it so the other flavors I have bring it to them so I did so you enter it in the system and they told me well okay so they told me what outlets want to start to deliver because at the end of the day sometimes not all outlets they will approve it too but they approve it in all the outlets fantastic they approve it in all the outlets and I said okay and then from there I started supplying all the masi outlets so a couple years after that I started with the shakers the spice shakers I have the t-form and I have the powder form so I'm getting good reviews about that up to what they like to do because as I was saying previously in the sorry when I was saying when they had the hand over for the new packaging I remember clearly when I just started with my clay pouch I remember one year I went in three outlets three masi outlets and take out all the cinnamon packaging on the shelf because at the time I wasn't comfortable with it and I'm saying like I cannot do otherwise so I'm saying to myself what I'll do now when I go and take it out on the shelf I repackage in it now when I re-dream the tears running but nobody not seeing it so I repackage it and I bring it back on the shelf and at the end of the day it's a course it's a course you cannot reuse the label you cannot reuse the packaging you have to be forward really have to be strong so I remember one year I went to mini trade show at the financial center on one guy from and when he looked at my packaging because before I had the shakers he looked at my cinnamon, the tumeric the bay leaf the packaging I had it in I had it in a screw size container and he said to me like a heifer oh my god I said but anyway moving forward is a lesson a lesson so I went online I did some research and I ended up getting the shakers on Alibaba and then I messaged a supplier and he responded to me and from now up to what they like today that's what I'm using you said that you received some packaging, some branding was that from export was that from export this packaging was from export because I'm not somebody I'm always at export you will swear I have a chair there they should give you one the moment I step in can I assist you one thing with the stuff export once you see I opened it and you hear about the belt do thing can I assist yeah I like that about them so when I got this packaging from export inclusion, ITC and the government of inclusion I said lord you just have to be strong patient and because if it was if I had another passion in what I do it would already give up long time already give up very I have a strong belief like the passion I have is not something I just adopt something from small I have growing up with it growing up with it very nice and Priya for us I know you spoke very passionately about being from few thoughts how have you been able to build your business expand I guess to the island how have you been able to use any technology within I heard my lady telling me she went on Alibaba she did her research how has technology played a part in the growth of your business technology have played a very good part in my business because starting off I was not that to say interested too much in being the face of my business or posting on Facebook I would say thank you to my little brother he's the technical genius he's always and he always pushed me and tell me I have to post or he would I would move the photos he would be the one doing his background work and posting for me sending it to friends and they would be posting on Facebook on the page this have been the way I started first off of my business in posting and having friends who abroad who went to school with me or persons who know me from the community who would post and said that I'm baking I'm doing different things so technology have helped me and when technology helped me a friend of mine called me and told me he know that somebody was very driven for what I want I have potential why don't I face a financial institution I said boy a young person with not that much of a background of having that much of savings because everything I make I invested back in the business to buy something else to add to my business my first experience was going to the credit union so that's why I opened my first business account and when I went the gentleman looked at me he asked me what's my age because he think that's a young person in the early 20s coming to the financial institution and he told me the least of things I would need when I looked I said go into my mother go into my father which one would sign for me and when I went back he told me he could not assist me with the financial background the money they have and have to spend back the bank said they would not be good guarantors okay there must be someone that will help me I went home start calculates what would I do how would I get that support then I went to my partner at home and he told me he's going to sign for me he was a business person himself in the host industry he went to the bank he knew the gentleman he said okay I think you can sign for her but not for the amount she wants she has to start at a thousand five I said a thousand five what that's doing for me then he said that's what we can give I said no problem I'll make it work so with that thousand five I bought puns and what I did was the company had the some activity for cruelty I baked the cupcakes and I gave it to them that's my way of saying thank you you helped me in a bit and this one was your prize I said no that's okay I'm blessed blessings will come and through that I have had a relationship with them and the financial institutions always tell me he's no longer working there but he always calls me and tells me there was an opportunity he would call persons overseas my cake would be in the States and I'm in St. Louis and I don't know where the cake is located and I would say from Farmers Credit Union was where I started with that first help they gave me and they have looked for clients for me and then this have helped me and when I said okay that's not the only way I went into working part time so no matter I have a business I said to make money to put into my business I'm going to work for somebody but not for long so every time I go working for a company I work and invest in my business I buy equipment I buy something I see that is in need I look at my market what is needed what's the different styles, different techniques and I said okay last year when youth economy came around somebody I baked for and planned above the party was in the States and she started filling up the form for me she don't know anything about me that much and then she called me and told me Kriya I saw something they say it's youth but I think you will get through and she said to me again Kriya I could not complete it I started it for you but do it I said youth economy okay I think about it I stayed about a whole month or even opening the form that she sent me the link and I did afterwards and the back of my head was I've never gotten that assistance but I will just take a shot when I got this call and then the person tell me calling from youth economy and her name is Janine I said youth economy and asked me the question did I fill the form I did and she told me the steps they're going to call me and I had the phone by me I was excited for the first time I'm going to get something that I've worked hard for I'm going to get this help and I must say with youth economy last year when I got that first phone call I think that's my best friend yes youth economy have helped me a lot and in saying that when I said youth economy helped me a lot was I went through a phase last year in March when this incident happened in View Fort and it was just after women's day when I got that call the person who was the person who called me to tell me I would make it since I got that call I would make it her life was cut short so I said to myself my cousin is gone and she was just spoken to me the same day to tell me I would make it it will work there is no hope in that because I lost some hope some faith in that losing this person and when I got the call back from youth economy who gave me that drive back gave me that build back you will make it you will get there and every single course every single advertisement post I see youth economy have I would tell a friend tell somebody and I would apply for for this stuff I'll give somebody else a chance and know about it and I would say working with youth economy they being my support system I would say from last year is magnificent for me working with them with the training I have gotten the funding I have gotten buying new stuff for my business is very helpful to me also signed up for a mentorship program and I said but they said you have to do the business planning before you get into mentorship so let me see if it will for me it was like let me see if I would get through and when I got through I would see when everybody see the mentor contacted them and I see him to myself my mentor have not contacted me I said okay I knew who he was but the day for me to meet him I could not and when he contacted me he told me his name and everything I said okay he works for Exports and Lucia so that might be one way for me to start of exporting my cakes pastries and stuff but in meeting my mentor and meeting with him once a week talking to him on the phone he became a friend to me not just a mentor and in talking he used to tell me career you have a lot of other products you do not just your cakes why don't you market everything and working with him he got to know I'm into honey and he told me how do you have time to do all these things and I would say Jason Pada was the one who gave me a push in exporting I export honey for him yes and when he told me there is an MSME loan did you apply I tell him yes I applied but you already know I don't have the name as yet but I think I will I think I will he said I will apply for you I said no I have done it and I was not too invested too much in having the high hope that the MSME loan would come my way because I was more into the youth economy I was doing trainings and stuff with them when they called me in November when they called me from Ministry of Commerce because I signed up to do the Taiwanese trade show and so remember your name came up for the MSME loan but the equipment that you want you won't be getting all of them we will be picking out a few that we can help you with I told him okay not a problem it's still a help for me when they called I told him I'm on my way to a meeting but I will be in castries six o'clock I think I didn't sleep so six o'clock I was already in castries came to the office went to doing what I have to do and back on a bus to view for because I had an order to do some meals and then they called me back tell me what we told you were giving I mean it's not that we're going to give you anymore we have to remove the equipments I told him that's not a problem it's okay it's good when they told me well we will call you back to let you know if the equipments are still available for you I told them that's not a problem when the company called and told me and things were not there I said okay so with both of them they've been very helpful but youth economy and export St. Lucia I must say thank you for that career and we're due for a break so please stay tuned as we wrap up our internationally women's panel Export St. Lucia is the national trade export and promotion agency of the government of St. Lucia by spearheading the island's national export development efforts we work toward continuously increasing the value and volume of St. Lucia exports and export St. Lucia our team of qualified trade professionals promotes and expands the presence of St. Lucia goods and services across the globe we offer a range of services including the provision of up-to-date trade information trade promotion and export marketing export facilitation and export development support we provide invaluable support to our clients including small and micro enterprises at absolutely no cost after all through our work the agency aims to increase the profitability and sustainability of St. Lucia businesses Export St. Lucia is making a direct and tangible contribution to St. Lucia's economy over the past 10 years Export St. Lucia has transformed the trajectory of several businesses founded by passionate entrepreneurs with the zeal to achieve more we look forward to each new export and the opportunity to introduce a wider audience to top quality authentic St. Lucia products this is why we embrace the philosophy of excellence at home and abroad for more information contact us at info at exportst.lucia.org or call 1-758-468-2145 Welcome back St. Lucia and unfortunately we have to wrap up to these international women's the panel Investing Women Accelerate Progress and I would just like to give everyone a two-minute opportunity to really maybe use the time to encourage someone or promote your business whichever or both I'll start with you Christine Before I promote my business I need to say also thank you to Export St. Lucia because they assisted me internationally with the business, Christie Creations the brand to do a survey on the brand which helped me today for the brand to expand to other countries I am grateful because my brand has expanded to Seattle and Cotton Shop Howard Turner State Ladera the one in Souffre Jed Mountain and I always keep in touch with Export St. Lucia to let them know what's happening in my business where I'm traveling where I'm going to represent St. Lucia in fashion shows that they give the full support and I want to thank Export St. Lucia in closing what I'm doing right now I'm expanding the business at home because my business is at home I have decided to invest in my own art workshop which will be opening soon because I do a show every single year that's my bag seven I have my own space I'm using that money to develop my own atelier so my clients will feel very comfortable when they come home to get the best of the brand so that may be opening soon so thank you Export St. Lucia for your love and I look forward to continue working with you Thank you very much Chandel Well like Christine I think the brand is very much out there in the public domain so I don't want to talk too much about the business now I would like to thank my family Export St. Lucia the Ministry of Commerce the ITC for really making my dream come true I'm actually almost at the end of the tunnel with the help of the ITC who is always my printer went down and I would call Mr. John and say you know I have something to print come come girl you can get and it's done so they are there to support and that is really great for me I have two great opportunities coming up next week Tuesday I leave for Washington DC where I am going to be visiting the Ministry of Commerce in Washington we are going to be having a two day conference I think that's a great opportunity for my business that was done with the Ministry of Commerce and the OAS I return on the 15th and then I'm off to Dubai on the 18th of this month as well where I attend the International Women's Conference this one is big this one was done with the UN Women and the challenge here is to return to St. Lucia and mentor young women so this is what this initiative is about and I have chosen the youth economy to give back so for those of you young people out there I see a fellow who is coming to college there a dream is not a dream if you don't wake up and step out if you stay in bed your dream is not going to be realized so you need to get up every single day whether it rains whether it pours, whether there is lightning and thunder whether you stayed up all night and when 5.30 strikes the clock get up and get out that's the only way your dream is going to be realized and today I sit here confidently simply because I became pregnant as a teenager and I had something to prove since then that I can do it and I am doing it thank you very much and St. Lucia unfortunately that is all the time we have but I do encourage you to follow each and every business here probably a good place to start off is the export St. Lucia Facebook and Instagram social media accounts and also exportstainlucia.org and you can find I know most of these businesses and also how can I forget the prime minister's baby youth economy internet and also youth economy St. Lucia on Facebook and Instagram thank you again for joining us for this International Women's Day panel and thank you to lovely ladies for you know again inspiring me and bringing me through my journey too as an entrepreneur I know that it's nothing easy but thank you St. Lucia and all the best for International Women's Day