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Tennille Whiskey is a certified Financial Advisor registered with the Trinidad and Tobago SEC. With over sixteen years of experience, her clients benefit from her deep expertise, personalized service, and a holistic approach to financial planning. 

Tennille is currently a Senior Financial Advisor at the Unit Trust Corporation (UTC) Advisory Department.  She is also the Founder & CEO of The Tropical Whisk Cakes 

In this conversation we are talking about Investing in Life, where Tennille shares how people should be intentional about creating wealth. We talk about the power and use of money and how to practically set financial goals which can enhance and improve a persons' overall life and wellbeing.   

We discuss how people view money which is always a personal choice. Tennille indicates that money can be like hevel (vapor or smoke), meaning if not handled well it can quickly disappear.  Therefore attaining financial freedom is a direct result of what you do and the choices you make. 

She advises that people should determine the type of lifestyle they want to live, this can be a guide for them to explore the ways to create wealth. It is however important to adopt a healthy view of what success and personal fulfilment is for each individual.

She cautions that people should not try to adopt the sometimes fake Instagram lifestyle, which can be an illusion. This desire to "look good" and possess things, travel and to create a "persona" can sometimes put people in debt, because in reality they cannot financially afford this type of lifestyle.

Tennille discuss practical ways to invest, types of products like mutual funds and others in the market. She talks about managing risk, it is true that the higher the risk the higher the rewards, however persons should be prepared to handle this level of risk. Therefore for first time investors she suggests that they should start with low risk products.  Tennille also gave some tips on balancing your portfolio and preparing financially for each stage of your life and more.   

We chat about her Gourmet Cake business The Tropical Whisk, which started as a hobby and outlet to express her creativity. Which has evolved into a  purposeful profitable business.  A revenue stream which helps her create more wealth. The lesson here is that there are many ways to create wealth. 

This conversation is insightful with practical ways about investing in your life. The key message is that we do need money to live life and specifically the type of life you want to live. However it is very important to have a balanced view of the power of money and to control its use to your advantage and to not let the love of money and a "type" of lifestyle control you.


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Bio
Tennille Whiskey, holds a BSc in Economics with minors in Finance and Accounting from the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, and an MSc in Industrial Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Management from the University of Trinidad and Tobago, 

As a multi-hyphenate, Tennille has made it her mission to empower individuals and businesses to elevate their financial literacy and achieve their financial aspirations. 

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Faith Cyrus, is a  Loctician & Microlocks Specialist and the Founder & CEO of Locsurious Hair Salon which specialises in Microlocks. Her mission is to help women cultivate beautiful healthy Locs.  She is also a certified Veterinarian. 

In this episode, Faith talks about her journey from studying veterinarian medicine to becoming an entrepreneur. Her story is about leaning into your abilities, launching out into uncertainty, trusting in your abilities and following your passions.

We talk about luscious locs (traditional vs. microlocks) and the adoption of natural hair around the world as women embrace and identify with their roots. We discuss the stigma around locs (rastas) which in some places may still not be embraced fully, however the microlocks style may seemingly be more accepted.

For the locs lovers, we talk about the transitioning process and various phases. It would appear that the way some women react to this process can sometimes affect their image of themselves, while pursing the natural hair journey.  This transition is deeply personal and some women choose to you use protective styles, wigs or the big chop; the transition experience varies for each person.

How do you maintain your locs? Faith shares the best ways suited for traditional locs vs. microlocks and how you can maintain healthy luxurious hair.

We discuss the purpose of her Hair Salon, why she started and her explicit intent to train, empower and upskill other hair dresses and locticians. Thereby creating a thriving ecosystem for the women and men who have embraced natural hair. Their message is to "Discover Hair Freedom". 

Faith's story is truly inspiring, she has shown that you can do anything you desire to do and to do it well.  A vet turned entrepreneur who is building her brand, business and people. She is helping women embrace their roots and enabling them to live a beautiful and luxurious life.

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Locsurious Hair Salon also offers classes and mentorship for persons desiring to learn how to work with Microlocks and Locs, with the intention to help women launch and cultivate their own thriving locs business. 

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In this episode of Sunbeam Chats, I am talking with the amazing, dynamic and gifted Dr. Kalifa Oliver.  She is an experienced Confidence Coach, Author, Executive Advisor, Keynote Speaker, and expert on building brilliant experiences, using  people-centered design and analytics. She holds a PhD in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from Clemson University and a Certification in People Analytics from MIT.

She has consulted for several companies including Tech start-ups, Non-profits, and Fortune 500 companies, to help them position their culture and Employer Value Proposition (EVP) - with a focus on employee experience, organizational listening, employee voice architecture and people analytics.

Dr. Kalifa Oliver is a first time author of the book “I Think I Love My Job", which  has been described as a must-read for HR professionals and executives looking to transform their organizational culture.

In this conversation we do a deep dive into the work environment, employee experiences, leadership and how to build the best experiences within organizations. Dr. Kalifa is a master builder and champion for employees and she shares how building a people centered organization can be done, to take companies from Good to Great. 

• We discuss her role as an Executive Advisor to Leaders, where she encourages them to "rethink how employees fit into their business strategy and operation, and to not see them as an expense. We chat about with the emergence of new technology, people's rolls will evolve, because organizations will always need humans. 

• We discuss what is People Analytics and how it impacts the business and people. Also the role of HR, which in most organizations is to protect the business, not necessarily the employees. 

• Are you happy at work, should your job make you happy? We discuss the myth that our jobs should make us happy, which is not the case. However you can seek job satisfaction. We delve into this area and agree that a job is a job, and we should ultimately find our happy place outside of work. 

• Have you ever experienced trauma at work? Well, trauma at work is most times the norm, however as employees we should not accept this, it is not healthy and not normal. We delve into work place trauma, what it looks like and how employees can deal with this reality.  

• Dr. Kalifa talks about toxic work environments and how it can affect entire departments and like a virus spread to create a sick organization. It is therefore important to hire the right persons within the company. 

• We chat about "being in the room" and having a "seat at the table" the importance of this and if you are in the room, what you do to help create the best work environment. 

• We discuss a DEI hire, where Dr. Kalifa reframes this into the context of the role of HR to ensure diversity from the start, thereby removing the stigma around a DEI hire. 

• Do you have an Exit Strategy?  This should be the last resort if persons are not able to thrive at work. We discuss how to carefully prepare for this transition so you can land on your feet once existed. 

Finally, Dr. Kalifa talks about her book, " I Think I Love My Job" and how it can help leaders and employees have the best experience. If however you are not having one or creating one (as leaders) and cannot say "I Think I Love My Job" then do something about it. 

Dr. Kalifa ends with this " We always deserve a brilliant work experience" 

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Sasha Wells is a History PhD Student at Florida International University (FIU) and a Graduate Research Assistant for iWitness: IPC Institute of Visual Journalism at FIU.  She is also the Vice President of the Department of History Graduate Student Association or DOHGSA. She also has a Master’s in Latin American History from the University of Florida. 

 Sasha is also a Book Blogger and Bookstagrammer of the popular Blog ‘Bahareads.’  Her two great loves are Literature and History. Bahareads is her personal blog on Instagram which features books, reviews, and interesting bookish and historical content. The aim of which is to connect with other avid readers and history lovers across the globe.

The latest episode of Sunbeam Chats, tells a tale of a Bahamian brainy  athlete, PhD History student, avid reader and Book lover. Sasha Wells is the ultimate Renaissance woman.

In this delightful conversation, Sasha tells her story as she writes in the pages of her own book of life. We talk about her love for History and the areas of work students may venture into in this area of study. Also how such a degree can add value and contribute to your local institutions and other areas in society.

We talk about living abroad in the US and dealing with issues of "race" owning your identity and thriving among your peers.

Sasha shares how she started her book blogging, the types of books she reads and the intention of Bahareads. Her dynamic content creation in the space captures the viewers and ultimately it showcases her Bahamian and other Caribbean Authors. Plus, it gives us insight about her life as a History PhD student.

Are you a e-reader, audio book listener, traditional reader or all of the above? We discuss each and how they can help book lovers or persons desiring to read, read more books.

As an avid reader what do you do with the books that you read? We chat about her Book swap events and other ways to "dispose" of books. Plus much more.

Join us on this bookish talk journey, where two book lovers chat about our love for books and hopefully we will encourage you to read more.

Bookstagram Accounts - Like, Follow, Share and Start Reading Today 

Bahareads  - https://www.instagram.com/bahareads/
LiveStyle Books  -  https://www.instagram.com/livestylebooks/

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Kadion Preston is a Tech Entrepreneur and the Founder & CEO of Caribshopper, an online marketplace for Caribbean-made goods. A native of Jamaica, who now resided in the US, Kadion's mission is to connect and help businesses and manufacturers in the Caribbean to scale, by entering new and diverse markets. The platform proudly features over 7000 SKUs from 650+ brands representing both Jamaica and Trinidad. With more countries to be added.

In this episode, Kadion shares the origin story of Caribshopper and how with his team he has been able to build the # 1 e-commerce platform for Caribbean goods. 

He gives insight on how startups can design their business model based on research, the importance of identifying the problem and how to distill the right solutions to create a viable sustainable product and service. It is therefore important for entrepreneurs to understand their sector and build the right ecosystem so that all can thrive in the space.

Kadion discusses his mindset when dealing with competitors and how it can be used to your advantage. Healthy competition can be a good thing for your business.

He discusses the Value Proposition his company offers, and says that  "People go where we simply their lives...therefore Caribshopper offers "One Place to find Everything Caribbean"

In this in depth conversation with this Founder & CEO, you will get tips on how to build your business and brand, the mindset to adopt when dealing with Giants in your sector and much more. 

The future is bright, the sky is the limit for Caribshopper, and this ship is heading into unchartered waters. With Kadion at the helm, Caribbean people can only benefit, and for this we thank and salute him.   

Bio
Kadion Preston, is also the E-commerce Subcommittee Chair for the Miami-Dade Beacon Council Trade & Logistics Committee.

Caribshopper was launched in Febrauary 2020, since then, they have shipped over 28,795 products to 48 states in the USA, as well as Quebec and Ontario in Canada. 

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Jessie Mc Barrow is an Author, Mindset Coach, Activational Speaker and
Entrepreneur, with over 15 years of dedicated service In Personal Development.

After working at The University of Trinidad & Tobago (UTT) for almost 10 years, he became a full-time Missionary, traveling around the world, and serving communities. Today he continues to serve clients globally, combining his passion to support, teach and inspire, with dynamic creative coaching techniques to help clients get breakthroughs holistically.

In this thought provoking discussion, Jessie shares about his life story, the  missionary travels and his intent to carry on the mission to help others, even as he makes his mark in his business ventures and other areas of society. 

• He talks about people living in "survival mode" and how this posture affects how we live. He says that the press for success can put additional stress on our lives, and it is therefore important to have a healthy view of what success is, because sometimes surviving another day is progress. 

• Jessies breakdowns the 4S's in Life; Survival, Stability, Success and Significance, The experience will of course will vary for each person.  

• We discuss the value of Personal Development (PD) and the ways people can engage in it, which ultimately involves managing our internal and external environment. People must be very deliberate on the path to PD, for example engaging in reading, curating the content you consume on your phone and via the media, exploring coaching, setting the right boundaries and generally being conscious about how they live their lives. 

• Jessie says that "the world does not just happen to us, but through us"  As human beings, we all want value and to experience a better life, we must also reciprocate value and to do so we must engage in personal development. 

As the Author of the highly sought after book "Ready Mindset Go" Jessie, speaks about the importance of the Mind in our ability to make the changes required in our lives. Plus, how his book can help us on this journey. 

He says that your mindset is how you navigate life in a healthy way to achieve your goals and to get to your destination.  We also discuss the difference between being Positive vrs Joy and the  impact on your mindset.  

Jessie is also a successful entrepreneur, and he indeed practices what he preaches.  He talks about how he manages his other business ventures, and continues to create and curate the life he wants. 

This is a very deep, informative and life changing conversation, I encourage you to take a listen it can change your life.  

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Khalid Saleem & Zayd Saleem are the Co-Founders of Boomerang Eats VI
This is a food delivery service operating out of Saint Croix, USVI. Their food ordering and delivery service allows customers to order from the comfort of their home, work or happy place.

In this in-depth conversation, we talk about the origins of the business, the idea of which was to initially do online ordering, which then later developed to include delivery.

Khalid and Zayd, speak about seeing and seizing the opportunity, then using their skills and resources to bring the idea to life. They talk about the importance of connecting with the right businesses and organizations like the Research and Technology Park (RT Park) of the USVI, to engage in further training, which gave them a solid business foundation to continue to build and grow the business.

They touch on the operations of Boomerang Eats, dealing with competition, the importance of good customer service and offering value to their partners and customers. They acknowledge and show appreciation for their investors, circle of friends and their team, which help them continue to build a company to last.

The Boomerang Eats service can be assessed via their App, this company is therefore pioneering the use of technology in their business on the island. As they scale, Khalid and Zayd, talk about the need to raise capital and how it can be used, across the company for enhancements in technology, operations and to improve their service offerings, plus much more.

With over 28 restaurants on the App and over 15,000 deliveries to date, this dynamic brother duo is changing the face of the restaurant and food business in the USVI on the island of St. Croix.

In this inspiring and informative conversation, Khalid and Zayd speak candidly about their business; they share about their why and reason for existing which is evolving even as the business evolves, to cater to the people on the island. They offer sound advice for upcoming entrepreneurs and welcome the adoption of Tech across the Caribbean, which makes for a more advanced region. 

Boomerang Eats VI is impacting the business landscape on the island and their story is one of vision, grit, determination and passion for food and the territory of the USVI. 

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Nikita Legall is an Entrepreneur and Brand Manager of Afro
Love TT, her company Tanex Marketing & Distribution is the Caribbean distributor for Afro Love TT and Curly Love TT, among other products.

In this conversation she shares about her life, entrepreneurial journey, professional and personal interests. Nikita talks about her tenacity for going after the products Afro Love to bring them into Trinidad & Tobago, because she saw the opportunity and gap in the market for such a product suited for Type 3c and 4c hair.

Nikita discusses the considerations for Distributors when suppling products to the retail stores, effective channel distribution, product positioning, pricing, marketing and more.

We talk about working with Brand Ambassadors and Influencers. How to choose the best fit for your brand and how to ensure that they are bringing value to your business. 

Through her business ventures in wellness and beauty; this foodie, fitness and lifestyle entrepreneur, is passionate about life. Her intention is to build a life with the things that inspire, body, mind and soul. Even as she builds her empire.

Afro Love, was created lovingly for Afro hair, from the island of the Dominican Republic, in the Caribbean. Some of the products used in the various products are Raw Honey, Shea Butter, Avocado Oil, Olive Oil,  Coconut Oil, Castor Oil, Tea Tree Oil and more. The products are carefully crafted, free from parabens, salt, silicones, drying alcohols, mineral oils and perfect for Afro hair. 

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Dekel “Bowflex Barbie” Quant is the Founder and Lead Instructor of Bowflex
Barbie & Flex Squad. Dekel's personal fitness journey started back in 2008, after enduring a personal loss. She credits fitness to getting her through the hardest time in her life and believes that her pain led to her passion, which led to her purpose.

Dekel is also the Co-Founder of the Gym Skrt, fashionably functional active wear, a chic stylish female fitness clothing line and brand.  The Gym Skrt gives the perfect fit for women who desire to look good while hitting the gym.

In this conversation, Dekel shares how her fitness journey became her business, which made her into a prominent fitness and lifestyle entrepreneur and influencer. 

She talks about the benefits of living a healthy life, by incorporating some form of fitness into your lifestyle and eating healthy. She admonishes that  as you age it is more critical to become more fit.

Dekel also talks about the business of fitness, the power of personal and business branding and how to identify the right business partners, to leverage their strengths to make effective teams.

As a celebrity instructor, she talks about working with stars like Cardi B and Alicia Keys. Plus her business pursuits, and how one must see and seize  opportunities as you manage and run a business over the years.

Dekel aims to share her passion for fitness with as many people as she can, in hopes that fitness can be as rewarding to them in their lives, as it has been in hers. Dekel's motto is  - You desreve to look and feel amazing! 

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Afiya Bishop is a Fashion Designer & Founder of Loud by Afyia. This Fashion Label with its iconic bold, bright colours and exotic prints is an expression of self-love, self-expression and empowerment.

With several collections, under her belt, designer to the stars, productions and presentations at regional and international shows, Afiya is one of the Caribbean’s brightest Fashion entrepreneurs and stars.

In this conversation Afiya shares her story.  The origins, the evolution of her label and how her business acumen has helped her build one of the most sought after Luxury Women's Resort Wear brands in the Caribbean. 

We talk about the business of fashion, the need to be versatile, to seize unexpected opportunities and the requirement to adapt to the changes in society and world like pandemics etc. to keep your business going.

She talks about her fantastic themed events, which she hosts for her community. Which is often a feast for the eyes and a place for self-expression, fun and festivity. 

Afiya's passion for creating and designing is seen in her collections, which are sometimes inspired by the dynamic, strong and fantastic women who wear her clothes.  These women truly embody the essence of her brand. 

This is a most delightful and inspiring conversation, have a listen and may we each discover how to Live Out Loud. 

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Afiya Bishop is a member of the ForbesBLK Community, and through her collaborations supporting and empowering her community, she continues to be an inspiration, for women to Live Out Loud.