It’s been 5 years since I decided to pack my bags and leave Canada and head over to the land of my birth. It’s been an amazing eye-opening journey thus far and I feel like the stage is now set for some major changes. With all of the opportunities and advancements in tech that will allow us to live better lives, it still amazes me that we are blaming the culture, but never change our approach to further move us in a healthy direction.

Think about it for a second. How many times have you heard the phrase, “That will never work, Trini’s don’t like that”? It’s a phrase that is slightly crazy to me because it’s always said when someone want’s to do something different and the crazier thing is that people tend to become dejected by this phrase and pack their idea neatly away in a box, quickly to be forgotten.

I started off in 2016 blogging about smartphone technology because there was (and still is) a massive information gap in a very important market. The blog turned into me opening a store, which closed a few months later because I realized that I was having a much bigger impact creating content and educating people on the applicational use of these devices. Which then turned into me working with some of the biggest companies throughout Trinidad.

With all of the knowledge I have acquired on this journey, through books, podcasts, meeting people and seeing some of the great solutions that tech entrepreneurs have built right here in Trinidad, it really got me thinking about my own purpose & what’s the next logical step for me and my brand.

I have realized I have become heavily sought after for advice on tech, branding, life or just people generally wanting to run ideas by me. I have started to really think about how I can impact the culture in a more meaningful way that aligns with my skills, gives me fulfillment but also provides value to the region in a big way.

It has lead me to start documenting my journey and lessons on my personal blog and I’ve been thinking of what are 5 ways everybody could do in their respective fields to impact the culture in each of our homes in the Caribbean, so we can continue to push the Caribbean forward.

Here are the 5 ways I intend to impact our Culture:

1. Teach More – The world is moving at a much faster pace than formal education will ever be able to keep up with. With technology and solutions being built every day, there is always something to be learned week by week. I want to focus on using my platforms to teach more in the fields of technology, entrepreneurship, mindset and leveraging technology to build your brands. The more tech-savvy our country becomes, the more self-reliant it can become.
2. Learn More – Everyday I am constantly reading books, articles, listening to podcasts and an open ear for new things hitting the market. I keep seeing the importance of constant learning popping up all over because the more information I take in, it has allowed me to help so many of you that reach out and looking for answers. Getting a degree isn’t enough, we need to be learning each and every single day if we want to thrive in the digital age. If you are not learning, you are dying.
3. Collab – Collaborations and partnerships are going to be the key for real change in the Caribbean. As I continue to work on myself, it allows me to vibrate higher and position myself amongst people that I can work with to create a more impactful solution that will ultimately help everybody else.
4. Be Creative, Not Cautious – There are not enough people here willing to do what is necessary to flip the norm on top of it’s head and cause a major paradigm shift. I am! With everything happening in the world and in our past, we are playing from behind. That’s not a bad thing, but there is a huge disconnect between the people who understand where we are headed and those who are trapped in a very archaic way of thinking. I will no longer be cautious but very creative with how I find solutions to help push forth the conversations and showcase solutions, here in the Caribbean.
5. Be Genuine & Authentic – Let’s keep it all the way 100! I would say 99% of people are so focused on making the money that they are not concerned with what they sell or offer the public. Everything they do screams cash grab. Have you realized the influx of “coaches” we have on the market now? It’s like they have all failed in what they were doing prior and decided to become a coach. We have wayyyy to many people focused on simply trying to make money and have no regard for moving the region forward. I want to see more people with a genuine care for our people, doing whatever we can to build our countries in the Caribbean. If this is not your goal, you may as well hop on a plane and go become another cog in the big machine of the US/UK/Canada.

This is the evolution of my brand and how I want to show up for us here in the Caribbean all 2019. This is how I intend to make my presence felt and make my impact on the Caribbean.

How are you intending to make your impact and pushing us here in the Caribbean forward?