The Transformation Blueprint

Jason Clarke (@jasonmoc) is a serial entrepreneur and the CEO and co-founder of Idea Lab, a startup incubator and co-working space here in Kingston Jamaica. He is a very intelligent and capable business developer and you hear a lot of that come out in this episode and in the way he coaches businesses at Idea Lab.

In this episode, we talk about:

• How to solve complex problems;
• The critical centre of ethical selling;
• The ins and outs of power negotiation; and
• Using continuous learning to gain a competitive edge.

Ryan Sterling is the CEO and founder of Vertis Technology Solutions, a company which offers IT solutions in Jamaica, the region and Europe. He's passionate about helping everyone from mom and pop shops to government agencies to leverage technology and education to take Jamaica to the next level.

In this episode, we talk about:

• How Ryan used courage and drive to grow his company from just $8,000 – from his parent's couch;
• How to identify the right business partner for your startup;
• How to extract the benefits and navigate the difficulties of working with a significant other; and so much more.

Giovanni Rimann is an expert in solar energy and is the founder of Rimann Renewables and Renewable NRG Incorporated, serving Jamaica, the region and internationally as a leading contractor for renewable energy projects.

At only 23 years old, he has been involved in several high profile solar projects in the country, including the first utility-scale solar energy power plant in Jamaica.

In this episode, we talk about:

• How to gain the most from your team and your customers;
• What are the benefits of continuing to evolve your business;
• How to be taken seriously as a young entrepreneur; and so much more.

Kemal Brown is the founder and Creative Director of Digita Global Marketing Limited, a digital media agency and Accume International, a personal development company which has trained, motivated and guided several top companies and organizations in Jamaica.

He was selected as one of the Caribbean Leaders to represent Jamaica at the 19th Annual Global Youth Leadership Forum in Sochi Russia and was recently awarded the Top Performer award in the ScotiaBank Vision Achiever Programme for 2017.

In this episode, we talk about:

• How to gain a competitive edge in any industry;
• One of the biggest problems facing new businesses today and how you can overcome it;
• The under-utilized rule of highly successful people; and so much more.

Heneka Watkis-Porter is the founder of Patwa Culcha International and the clothing brand Patwa Apparel. She's published three books on topics ranging from entrepreneurship to religion and motivation and she is the host of The Entrepreneurial You, a short-form podcast created to highlight global, high-impact go-getters who are crushing it as entrepreneurs.

And in this episode, we talk about:

• How to find your life's purpose;
• How to make the transition from your 9-5 into your own business;
• How to live your best life right now;
• How to start and build your own clothing brand; and much more.

Christopher Reckord (@chrisreckord) is an Executive Director with leading IT support organization tTech Limited – Jamaica's only publicly traded IT Outsourcing & Managed Services provider. He has over thirty years of experience in the IT industry and is a regular speaker on Technology in Jamaica.

Chris is Vice President and Council Member in charge of Membership at the Jamaica Computer Society. He is a chairman of the PSOJ leading their membership committee as well. He also serves on the National Cyber Security Task Force, he's a board member of eLearning Jamaica, the Betting, Gaming & Lotteries Commission, the Jamaica Racing Commission, the Ministry of Tourism's Gastronomy Network Committee and so much more.

Chris is the opposite of one-dimensional.

He is very passionate about wine and wine education. This led him to form his own wine club and later, Jamaica's first wine bar - Bin 26. He currently publishes a weekly wine column in the Jamaica Observer.

He is also passionate about music and has been a notorious DJ (DJ Eggy) since his high school days.

And in this episode, we talk about:

• How entrepreneurial opportunities come to you when you follow your passions;
• The compounding power of persistence and consistency;
• The case for getting a university degree as an entrepreneur;
• How to become a lifelong learner in this technological age; and so much more.

Stacy Kirk is a software QA architect, coder, speaker and CEO of QualityWorks Consulting Group, an international firm that enables businesses to accelerate their software delivery at a fraction of the cost.

She has been a champion for quality and process innovation in software development for over 20 years. Her passion for diversity in technology led her to be a First Lego League Robotics coach as well as an advisor to youth-focused non-profits on technology integration.

She is a graduate of Stanford University and has shared her technical expertise at well-respected tech conferences like NodeSummit, Node.js Interactive, Agile DevOps East & West, MobileWonder Women in Tech and more.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Tactics to keep your business lean when in growth mode;
• How to tell the difference between your gut and fear;
• How to realise when you're playing small in your life;
• How to engage your superpowers and overcome your weaknesses in business; and many more interesting topics.

Kirk-Anthony Hamilton is a master architectural designer turned entrepreneur, investor and CEO of the Infiniti Partnership, a company formed based on his love for collaboration and turning ideas into reality. Through his company's community driven approach, he has been able to create opportunities by connecting high net worth individuals to the transformative ideas and teams that need them.

In this episode, we talk about:

• How to leverage your experiences in your current field to help you be a high performing entrepreneur;
• How to create a brand around you, starting from scratch;
• A redefinition of the word Mentor and how to use that opportunity wisely;
• The power and accountability of a long-term vision; and many, many more interesting topics.

Melarka Williams (@melarka.williams) is an electrical engineer turned tech founder and CEO of Ingenuity Technologies, a bespoke software engineering and quality assurance firm right here in Kingston Jamaica. He left the corporate world 5 years ago, after working with top international brands like Ericsson, to focus on helping the Jamaican tech ecosystem.

He was awarded by Development Bank of Jamaica for his innovation in the creation a mobile survey and business analytics tool.

In this episode we'll be diving into these world-changing topics:

• How to go about building a profitable business without a portfolio;
• How to transition from being highly technical to a strategic business leader;
• Why it's important to achieve stability in your life to be ready to pursue your biggest goals;
• How to train your mind to automatically seek out good opportunities and success and much more.

Jeffrey Azan (@jj.azan) is an award-winning public speaker, currently competing on the world stage for Toastmasters champion for impromptu speaking. He has a business called Select'N'Start where he uses his experiences and expertise to motivate and develop everyone from teenagers to business leaders to "change their game, to change their lives". And for the entire time I have known him, he has been a student of martial arts, levelling up to compete at the highest levels.

Here are a few of the topics we dive into this episode:

• How to tap into confidence when you feel most insecure;
• Why mediocrity doesn't surrender and is a challenger we have to fight every day;
• His father walking out on his family 12 years ago and the impact it had on him;
• The 3 resources we are all born with that can make us immensely successful IF we use them wisely and many, many more.