Sunbeam Chats

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In the latest episode of Sunbeam Chats I had a delightful and inspiring conversation with Fashion Entrepreneur Jin Forde-Codrington. She is a Fashion Designer and the Founder & CEO of J. Angelique, a fashion brand which is an expression of true Caribbean beauty. 

Jin Forde a native of Barbados, living in Trinidad has created her signature clothing line J. Angelique. A premier lifestyle brand, known for its authentic and iconic Caribbean styles for your fête, vacation, resort, party and even work wardrobe. The J. Angelique woman celebrates individuality and dresses fearlessly.  Each piece of clothing exudes vibrancy and a spirit of youthfulness, ideal for the chic and stylish woman.

In this chat, Jin gives us a behind the scenes of her fabulous and fashionable life. Her journey is one of passion, purpose and dedication to build her brand and business. Have a listen as she talks about how she runs her empire like a well-oiled machine.

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In this episode I am chatting with Jamaican powerhouse Marisa Benain, she is an Attorney-at-Law, Educator, Creative, Founder and Artistic Director of Plie for the Arts which is a culturally inspired organization, with a focus on the development of dance and dancers in the Caribbean. She was recently promoted to the position of Director National Culture & Creative Industries Council (Jamaica) in the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport. 

We had an insightful conversation about the Arts, life in Jamaica and her mission and passion for dance. Have a listen as Marisa shares her vision for the Creative Sector in Jamaica and how Caribbean people must keep elevating in work, business and life. 

Bio 
Marissa, pursued her undergraduate studies at Hunter College in the City University of New York, and completed a BA in Language Arts and Media, while holding a work/dance scholarship at the prestigious Broadway Dance Center in Manhattan, New York. Upon graduation, she returned to Jamaica and joined the NDTC, where she rose to the rank of Principal Dancer.

 In London, she pursued her Master’s degree with a concentration in Curriculum Development and Education, at the London Metropolitan University, and was an Educator there for three (3) years. Upon her second return to Jamaica, she was appointed Director, Cultural Policy and Monitoring in the Ministry of Youth and Culture, and simultaneously pursued studies in Law, and was called to the Jamaican Bar in 2016. 

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In this episode of Sunbeam Chats, I am talking to the super talented triple threat Artist & Creative, Taromi Lourdes Joseph. This was so much fun, Taromi is an absolute delight, as she gives us a sneak peek behind the scenes of life in her creative world. 

She gives us the real story of life on the stage, which calls for passion, dedication, resilience, working on your craft and sacrifices. This of course can reap great rewards in the end. Have a listen and see how this Caribbean woman has made it on the world's stage. 

Bio  

Taromi, first appeared on stage in 2005 with the Trinidad Theatre Workshop in 'Green Days by the River' playing the role of 'Rosalie' and 'Juliet' in 'Romeo and Juliet.' In 2006, she was chosen to travel to Hollywood, California to represent Trinidad & Tobago in the World Championships of Performing Arts (WCOPA). 

In 2009 she attended Conservatory for Dramatic Arts, during which time she performed and received several call backs and audition requests from MTV and the theatres in New York.  

Her award-winning films have been screened the world over, most notably at Cannes Short Film Festival. Taromi won the Best Actor Award (Female) at the Worldwide Women's Film Festival and at the Palm Bay Caribe Film Festival in 2019 for "Hush-a-Bye', a short film she wrote, directed and produced. 

In 2020 she was a member of the screening committee for the Diversity in Cannes Short Film Festival and the Screenplay Reading Committee for the 2021 Atlanta Film Festival. Her most recent work includes America's Funniest Home Videos (ABC) and Atlanta (FX, Hulu) in 2022. 

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In honor of International Women's Month, in this episode we are talking about women, with Naila Marius the Founder & CEO  of H.E.R Retreats and Events St Lucia.

Naila, is a certified life coach and has over five years’ experience as a certified event planner, she started H.E.R Retreats in June 2017.  With a passion for empowering women, she is a strong believer in the importance of wellness and self-care.  H.E.R’s mission is to – Curate escapes that allow women to emerge as her best self.

In this conversation, Naila shares about why she started H.E.R Retreats and why it is important for women to find those scared spaces for them to reconnect and revive themselves body, mind, spirit and soul. 

Set in the luscious and enchanting island of St. Lucia, H.E.R Retreats is the perfect getaway or escape for women to find and practice self-love, to deal with life's hectic pace and challenges.  

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Alvin D. Franklin is the Founder & CEO of Alvin’s Hot Sauce, an award-winning Hot Sauce brand, created and produced in the Caribbean. His  company, works with local island farmers and growers, to personally select the freshest ingredients for each batch, which includes scotch bonnet peppers, fresh papaya, herbs and spices. 

Once you partake of it, you will discover, that Alvin's Hot Sauce in its variety of flavors are like no other Hot Sauce or Pepper Sauce brand, it is full of flavor with a perfect balance of heat. Alvin’s Hot Sauce has won 12 international awards in various categories and is known and sold throughout the Caribbean and in some parts of the US. 

In this episode, I chat with Alvin about his entrepreneurial journey, business and how he has been able to make his highly acclaimed Hot Sauce.  He is an advocate for good business practise and is passionate about the need to develop and cultivate meaningful stakeholder relationships, because it reflects on you as a person, your company and brand.  

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Daya Ottley, is a Voice & Presentation Coach with over 20 years’ experience working in media. This skilled orator has a passion for sharing his knowledge and training in voice communication and runs a thriving consultancy business.  

He helps individuals, groups, communities and professionals, gain greater confidence in themselves by owning their voice and by providing them with the tools to overcome voice communication hurdles and challenges. He is also the host of "Behind the Voice Podcast".

In this episode, Daya shares his journey and how destiny led him into this life path. He offers practical advice about how to master your voice and vocal abilities, to become a better presenter in your career for presentations, meetings and as the "Voice" of your organization.  

He indicates that it is not just about your voice, but that your entire posture, mindset and yes training enhances your presentation and vocal capabilities. 

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In this episode of Sunbeam Chats, I am talking with Dellison Charles.  He is a Holistic Life Coach, with a diverse body of work experience, and for the past fifteen (15) years his focus has been building global teams, developing talent and coaching numerous individuals in several countries including Peru, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Mexico,
Argentina, Panama and Barbados.

His passion and calling if you will, to be a Holistic Life Coach, is quite evident. As he has said this practice found him and he helps others to find themselves. He shares about how to discover your purpose, why personal growth is important and how the body, mind, soul and spirit are connected to ensure that we have a holistic meaningful purposeful life. 

We also chat about curated lifestyles, manifestations and intentions.  We discuss what they really are and how you can achieve them all, to live your best life. So have a listen you will be enlightened. 

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Maria Diaz is the Founder, CEO & Principal Sculptor of Maridi Studios, where she has been creating works of Art for over 5 years. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree with Honors in Visual Arts from the University of the West Indies, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Arts and Cultural Management from the University of West Indies, Trinidad & Tobago. 

In this episode, we chat about her creative process and what it takes to be a Sculptor, who is staying relevant, creative and breaking barriers in this sector.  We also talk about the value of partnerships and the business of Art, which is very important for Creatives and Artists to survive in this industry. Plus, so much more. 

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Carla Williams-Johnson also called The CEO's Publicist is the CEO of Carli Communications, where she  helps female CEOs get to the Top – that is into the places and spaces that increases their visibility. 

In this conversation we talk about women who are powerful and talented, in roles of authority, who sometimes need a little nudge to amplify their voice and brand. We discuss why women deal with the imposter syndrome, which is quite real and can make them miss many opportunities in life and business.  

We also talk about the need to recognize the timing in your life, when you maybe required to Pivot or change lanes, to go after what really ignites your passion in life and business. Plus so much more. 

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In this episode I chat with Kiffy Greaves, Author of a memoir called “If Shame Came In Flavors”.  Kiffy is a born Communicator with over 14 years’ experience in Account Management & Communications. This island girl has travelled the globe and is a lover of all things Caribbean.

In this conversation, she shares her story, and why she wrote this book.  She recounts some of the challenging moments in her life and how she was able to navigate her way out of those dark moments. This is a true story of grit, faith and perseverance, in a world that can be quite brutal.