Caribbean Mentors

Our special guest and Caribbean Mentor built his career in the HR field reaching the executive level. However, he branched out into entrepreneurship in 2013 and never looked back. Today he is a coach, author and global keynote speaker

Ladies and gentlemen, please enjoy the conversation with Mr. Shane Ram

Shane's Career

• Grew up in Gasparillo (Trinidad)
• Got involved in HRIS
• Got his first Executive position at age 31
• Started his own consultancy and other businesses - http://shaneram.com/
• Advice - 
  • Always learn about the business your company is involved in
  • Opportunities are often times wrapped in Crisis
  • Try to create an impact with your life

One of Shane's many articles on LinkedIn - How to choose the Right Coach/Mentor.

Super Over

• Evaluate academics before pursuing
• Follow your heart and purpose
• Golf and Family
• Success - Daughter and Family
• Book - The Seat of the Soul
• Live your purpose and Serve

Favourite Song

• Now that we found Love

Our special guest and Caribbean Mentor was place into a position of corporate leadership at a very young age and she embraced it and show no signs of slowing down. She built her career in the banking sector mainly in Jamaica and T&T. Today she is the Chief Customer Relationship Officer at the Trinidad and Tobago  Unit Trust Corporation.

Karrian's Career

• Grew up in Jamaica
• Studied Management in University
• Got her first management position at age 25
• Moved to Scotiabank in Jamaica then in Trinidad
• Moved to UTC
• Advice - 
  • Put all into any role you are given
  • Be teachable; be coachable
  • Make a meaningful connects because many things are done based on relationships.

Super Over

• Have more Faith
• Find a job that's a good fit for yourself
• Getting a job to assist the family financially
• Success - Mental Contentment
• Book - Boundaries; The Bible; The First 90 Days
• Alternative Career - Singer

Favourite Song

• Way Maker

Our special guest and Caribbean Mentor got her start in the fashion industry over thirty years ago and have remained relevant throughout the decades. Today she operates a design company which bears her name and focuses on an exclusive niche market where she caters to a cosmopolitan of local, regional and international dignitaries, public figures, models and celebrities. In 2010 she was awarded the Chaconia Medal Silver for her contribution to the Fashion Industry.

Ladies and gentlemen…Ms. Claudia Pegus.

Claudia's Career

• Grew up with her aunt who was a seamstress
• Travelled to purchase clothes to sell 
• Started a clothing store with her bother and sister-in-law
• Had to leave her job to be full-time in the store
• Started to design and produce locally
• Advice - 
  • Never turn back
  • Walk with people who know the path you would like to travel
  • Talent doesn't make money...it's how you package the talent
  • Remove the "Rose-coloured lens"
  • An obstacle is sometimes a benefit in disguise 

Super Over

• Spent more time abroad 
• Believe in Yourself
• National Award and taking care of her Mother
• Book - 7 Habits and Art of War
• Success - Joy and Happiness
• Alternative Career - Health and Wellness Consultant

Favourite Song

• That's Life - Frank Sinatra

Top 5 Takeaways from 99 Episodes

5. Your Negatives Are Not Unique

What I have realized is that some of the same challenging circumstances that we see as such a major disadvantage to achieving our success were in some instances exactly the same circumstances that some of our Mentors have been in and they overcame.

4. Work Work Work

You must be prepared to work and more so work with patience; because I have found that our Mentors understood that becoming takes time…takes years and they were prepared to go on the journey and dedicate decades to their craft before they began to see success.

3. Positive Mindset

Do we actually spend time training our minds to be positive? Spend time with yourself in silence; journal your thoughts; pray; consume positive content…all these were suggestion from our Mentors which alludes to the point.

2. Focus on Learning

A lot of people are sitting around to find their passion but you cannot find anything without looking…without seeking. And the way you find your passion is by learning; I’m not referring to academics only. In a lot of the mentors’ journey…they didn’t know what they were good at…they didn’t know what they wanted to do. They went on their journey with one thing in mind and got exposed to another area and changed direction. The one constant was they were always on the path of learning. 

1. Relationships are KEY

In most of the Mentors’ journey they explained about connecting with someone who gave them critical advice or someone who gave them a chance or introduced them to another person. What I have found is that people are for the most part very helpful and generous with their knowledge but you cannot become a nag. And do not only try to extract from the relationship but be mutually helpful as well.

Our special guest and Caribbean Mentor has worked extensively across the region with major companies in the Finance, Energy, Service, Public and Manufacturing Sectors. His work includes Visioning, Strategy Development and Planning, Merger Management, Executive Team Building and Leadership Development. Today, he is an accomplished Organisational Development Consultant and Principal of his company, Odyssey Consult Inc Limited.

Ladies and gentlemen…Mr. L. Anthony Watkins

L. Anthony's Early Life and Career

• Attended Arima Boy Government
• Parents were teachers so that was going to be his career also
• Went to Toronto to attend University
• Got introduced and pursued Psychology at University
• Returned to Trinidad and began teaching as a Guidance Counselor
• Started consultancy in 1989
• Advice - 
  • Life is about Duality 
  • Feel the fear...but do what you have to do anyway
  • There is a space for everone to meet their purpose
  • Full lions don't hunt
  • Delegate your weaknesses 
  • Anything somene does for fun...someone is doing it for money
• Road Map -
  • Do what you Love
  • What is your footprint
  • You need to be Bold

Super Over

• Be more discipline 
• Do what you love and the money would come
• Success - Touching Lives
• Book - The Odyssey of Homer
• Starting and building Odyssey
• Alternative Career - Performing Arts

Favourite Song

• Old Man and the Donkey

In this episode of the Caribbean Mentors podcast I have a wonderful chat with Career and Life Coach, Mr. Anthony Hadeed. This is the final episode in the Bonus Episode series.

Our special guest and Caribbean Mentor has a wealth of experience in higher education administration, an in-depth knowledge of curriculum development and a passion for facilitating student success. She holds a doctorate in Higher Education Administration and a Master’s degree in Education from Teachers College Columbia University, New York; an M.A. in French from the University of South Carolina; and a B.Sc. in French and Spanish from Georgetown University, Washington D. C. Today she serves in the position of President of the College of Science, Technology and Applied Arts of Trinidad and Tobago (COSTAATT)

Ladies and gentlemen…Dr. Gillian Paul.

Dr. Paul's Early Life and Career

• Attended Tacarigua Presbyterian Primary School
• Loved Languages and Art
• Wanted to be a Translator
• Got a job as a copywriter at McCann Erickson
• Won a National Scholarship
• Returned to Trinidad and began teaching at NIHERST
• Advice - 
  • Focus on learning and not just money
  • Leaders must be continously reflective
  • There are many aspects of Success that are not linked to academics
  • You may have to do some things that are not your passion in order to get to your passion
• Road Map -
  • Find out what you're passionate about 
  • Invest in yourself

Super Over

• Get more involved in extracurricular activities
• Do the work
• Watching Movies
• Book - Reframing Organizations
• Working on COSTAAT (Chaguanas)
• Alternative Career - Advertising

Favourite Song

• Feels So Good

In this episode of the Caribbean Mentors podcast I have a wonderful chat with Ms. Keshelle Davis. In 2012 she was appointed as first female Executive Director of the Bahamas Chamber Institute and also won the Bahamian Icon award in 2017. She the founder and CEO of the Training Authority.

Keshelle's Early Life and Career

• Born and grew up in Bahamas
• Attended Jordan Prince Williams Baptist
• Wanted to teach because of her Dad
• Started at a Bank as a teller
• Was inspired by Dr. Miles Munroe
• Started The Training Authority
• Advice - 
  • Focus on your gift
  • Passion is the glue that keeps you going
  • Learning to Sell is really important
  • Stop preparing and fire - Done is better than Perfect 
  • Failure is Feedback

Super Over

• Follow your Passion
• Find Your Why
• Alternative Career  - Technology
• Book - You2
• Wining the Bahamian Icon Award
• Vision | Passion | Drive

Favourite Song

• Like Ah Boss

In this episode of the Caribbean Mentors podcast I have a wonderful chat with Ms. Allyson West. She is a senior member of the Law Association of T&T and has been an integral part of many multi-disciplinary teams engaged in structuring and advising on various financing transactions, corporate restructurings and tax planning projects. She was the Territory Tax Leader for PWC but now hold the position of Senator and Minister in the Ministry of Finance.

In this episode of the Caribbean Mentors podcast I have a wonderful chat with Ms. Cassandra Patrovani. She has become a known HR professional by serving at the executive level in various industries like Media, Energy and Finance. Today she is the Executive Director of Business Development at Global Financial Brokers Limited.

Cassandra's Early Life and Career

• Grew up in Port of Spain (Trinidad)
• Grew up with her grandmother
• Migrated to England and moved back and forth for a few years
• Got an internship at Maritime to do actuarial accounting
• Moved into IT as a System Analyst and then into HR
• Advice - 
  • Attitude and Work Ethic plays a big part to advancing in your career
  • Networking is paramount; but it can also work against you
  • Volunteer in Professional Associations
  • Focus on Building Character
  • Be care of the Brand you build in Social Media

Super Over

• Measure twice; Cut once
• Know when to stand, walk or run
• Daugther
• Book - Iron John
• Leader of a Country - My First 100 days - Crime
• Alternative Career  - Oceanographer

Favourite Song

• God bless the child