Choose joy in spite of…

My chat with Donna Duncan Scott reinforced my belief in the power of possibility.

Duncan-Scott is Group Executive Director for Culture and Leadership at the JMMB Group and she lives her mother’s dreams every day.

Donna’s late mother founded JMMB in 1992 after enduring what could only be described as a personal tragedy. Her inspiring story of making the bold step and manifesting her greatness when the odds were against her, is a reminder that if you truly want something you can achieve it.

Now 30 years later, Donna and her siblings continue to ensure their mom’s legacy thrives by staying true to the foundation she lay.

In spite of her mother’s presence and protective nature, Donna’s childhood was violated. The mental and emotional turmoil that resulted from the experience followed her into her teens and adult life. It wasn’t until a major breakthrough during a personal and professional growth workshop that she came to the realization she would no longer allow her past to define her present and future.

This really candid conversation with a lady who exudes incredibly positive energy in spite of everything she’s experienced underscores the power of forgiveness, working through tragedy and not giving up on yourself.

CAUTION: Episode contains strong language and adult content.

 A lifetime ago, fresh out of university and armed with my first degree, I worked with Carrie on whaddat.com. Whaddat was a web site dedicated to showcasing Jamaican popular culture that was the brainchild of our very connected friend, Rebecca.  For me, it was the perfect diversion from frequently unsuccessful searches for a 'real job' and was also the catalyst for my love of writing.  

Back then and to this day, Carrie remains an uninhibited, transparent free spirit who lives her life unashamedly. I think at her core, she's an artist but her creativity takes many forms. She is an amazing painter and when we were kids she aspired to be a rapper. Later on, when I moved on from Whaddat and we went our separate ways, the web site served to clear the path for her stint as an entertainment journalist on local cable television, a role I think she embraced with great relish. 

 On her run as an entertainment industry 'insider', doors opened for other opportunities including marketing and advertising consulting as well as event promotion which she did for quite some time. Unfortunately, the convergence of social and professional lives that were always in over drive, aided and abetted an addiction to drinking, one with which she struggled for years. 

Today, in this current season of her life, Carrie is a restaurateur who has chosen sobriety. She has made a conscious decision to work on improving her mental health in order to become the best version of herself for herself. When we sat down to talk about her career and life as a mother (she has three boys), she also shared that she was on the road to recovery after suffering a traumatic and violent experience at the hands of someone she trusted. In spite of the physical and emotional upheaval she has endured as a result of the aforementioned incident and numerous others, she remains optimistic. 

This conversation served to remind me, a former 'Judgmental Judy' and work in progress, to refrain from making assumptions or casting judgement because you never know what battles someone could be fighting.

In this episode, I chat with photographer, Jik Reuben Pringle who makes it a point of duty to stay true to himself and his craft.

It's clear that Jik pours love into his art. His images, particularly those of women, are so thoughtfully captured. In getting to know him during the hour we shared, I realized the special relationship he had with his late grandmother contributes to this. 

You may probably see a lot of yourself in Jik so his journey should serve to inspire.  He took what some would consider a major departure from an academic journey of land surveying and geographic information science to focus on photography full time. And he has not looked back.

Perhaps you have yet to take such a bold step, still you don’t have to lament a love that you think you've lost. It’s never too late to include a little (or a lot) of what you’re passionate about in your life.

 Like this young artist, even those who are closest to you may not understand or appreciate your need to tap into your authentic self in order to achieve happiness. Don't let fear of the opinions of others hold you back. You deserve to share the vision you have of yourself with the world by unlocking your personal legend.

Want to learn more about this talented photographer who advocates for numerous causes through his art?

Follow him @jikreuben and @visualninjajik to get a peek into his world and work.

The responsibility of parenting is as rewarding as it is daunting. Every day, for most of us, has its challenges. In this current climate,  I’ve thought a lot about my children’s mental health and happiness in general. 

I met my guest, Michaela Francis in 2019 on the job and we quickly became friends, bonding over how to cope with our our insane work schedules and the unending demands of our personal lives. I realized that we shared a similar goal, to raise children who are confident, kind and well adjusted. Michaela is a great mother who prioritizes her daughter's wellbeing. She along with her co-parenting partner and her village of friends and family members make up her daughter's universe of stars who are a constant source of support. I welcomed the opportunity to chat with her about the importance of consciously encouraging positivity in the minds of our children towards building happier, healthier little humans.

Are you a parent or planning to be one? Listen to this episode to find out what we've been doing to prioritize our children's mental health. Want to continue the conversation? Follow me on @ayannakirtonhynes on Instagram and share your own ideas on the topic.

Alicia Glasgow Gentles is changing lives with the support of her hardworking team as the Executive Director of the Multicare Y.U.T.E Foundation (Youth Upliftment Through Employment). This lady, who confessed to being a wayward youth herself, has found tremendous joy and fulfillment in the work with which she's been entrusted. Evidently, it's not just a job for Alecia. She's found her true calling. I honestly love having conversations like this one. Hearing Alicia talk about the impact that the Foundation's programs has made on the lives of many vulnerable children, teens and young adults will make you appreciate and support the need for these types of interventions for underserved communities. Unfortunately, there are way too many of these, but thankfully there are organizations that have taken the initiative to do their part in advancing the welfare of young Jamaicans. The best part about this is that YOU can also contribute to effecting change and you don't have to have wads of cash or an enormous CSR budget to make a difference. Visit https://myfjamaica.org/ to find out how you can lend support through mentoring a deserving youth and follow the Foundation @myfjamaica on all social media platforms for more information on their projects.

The  Japanese connection to Jamaica is most often rooted in our music. In this episode, I talk with Maria Sano a.k.a. Bad Gyal Marie about how her passion for Jamaican music led her to establishing the largest woman-owned sound system in Jamaica. She has already been recognized on a national level for her ability to successfully engage the fastidious Jamaican audience and now she has her sights set on gaining wider international recognition for her work as a selector. 

Marie's story inspires me because it is such a great example of the importance of finding fulfilment and how critical that is to maintaining your joy. Our conversation also underscored the reality that working mothers regardless of nationality and career path are inexorably alike. We have the same struggles and goals which involve striking a balance between motherhood and career. We're all striving to be the best parents we can be as we work to ensure that we do not neglect our dreams.

Follow Marie on IG @badgyalmarie to find out about her latest projects and to hear her wicked mixes.

In this episode I have a frank chat with my good friend, Kedesha Dallas-Goode about her path to entrepreneurship and whether she has found fulfillment and happiness in owning her own business. In her words, this journey "isn’t always paved with rose petals, honey or dew". There have been some tough lessons along the way but she keeps going  because she is determined to do what sets her soul on fire. Kedesha dropped many gems during our conversation so if you have an appetite for entrepreneurship and are looking for inspiration this is the episode for you. 

To find out more about Kedesha and her budding businesses, follow her on Instagram @kdallasgoodeltd or on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/kedesha-dallas-goode-291207

Stacey Hines is my former manager and a really solid individual. Before working with her I was never receptive to being open to sharing my innermost thoughts and aspirations with my boss. However, I figured out really early on in our relationship that she had the gift of disarming even the most closed individuals. Stacey's work as a transformation strategist who shares the power of living with intention has been an eye opener. In this episode we get into a lot of things, not least of which is how a personal tragedy helped her to evolve.  It was through this experience she shed the debilitating mindset of measuring her worth through the number of hours she dedicated to her job and  discovered the importance of  finding balance in her life's various facets. This conversation reinforced that in order to access joy, you must be intentional about doing just that. 

"There is no way to happiness, happiness is the way." ~AJ Muste

To find out more about Stacey Hines visit: www.balancedbossmovement.com

Heartfulness promises to offer the world a daily practice that awakens our potential for simple, joyful existence. In this episode, I have an enlightening chat with Hearfulness aspirant, Catherine Johnson about the benefits of Heartfulness and how her life has changed for the better since she has adopted this way of being.

Learn more about Heartfulness: https://heartfulness.org/en/