The Value

We all have a story to tell and a lot to learn from one another. Technology makes conversations and linkages possible more easily, as long as we are willing to listen.

In this Season 5 finale, we talk to filmmaker, storyteller and digital media specialist Adrena Ifill, about how to share your story, learn from your history and find your own space in the world and in business. Adrena speaks to the importance of engaging and leveraging the power of the diaspora and making history every day.

Get ready to take notes as she shares wisdom for creative entrepreneurs and all business owners on how to determine your worth, price your services, find and interview your clients, and maintain control and power over your professional journey in these more volatile economic times.

Adrena Ifill is an award-winning digital media producer and lecturer. She takes history off the shelf and makes it come alive!

Her firm, Ifill/DoubleBack Global Group, specializes in preserving and producing culture and history projects. 

Who are you?

Why are you here?

These were the questions posed to Akosua Edwards by a female-driven collective in rural Uganda, where she had gone to take her knowledge as a successful accountant to give advice and guidance to grow their business. Little did she know she would be the one who ended up learning the most, uncovering new truths about the meaning of success, purpose and self-love.

The answer, she found, was that “You are here to give out the gift the universe put into you.” Identifying her gift has taken Akosua on a journey from unemployed accountant to successful author and award-winning social entrepreneur. Tune in (LINK IN BIO) to hear Akosua speak powerfully about the impact of a strong community, the freedom that comes from releasing those things that do not drive your purpose, and the role that business can play in creating not only commercial success, but also significant social change.

Money may not buy happiness but it sure does give you options!

On this episode, financial planner Melinda Belle reveals simple strategies for debt management, and also shares some tips for budgeting, saving, and giving your money purpose and direction. Find out how to improve your “financial self-esteem”, the power of tracking your spending, and why you should really stop comparing yourself with others.

Ever wondered how you can build a business with zero dollars?

Tune in to find out!

Aldwyn Wayne is the Founder and CEO of WiPay which provides innovative solutions for e-commerce, online payments and facilitating digital transactions for the unbanked.

In this episode, Aldwyn speaks about the need for challenge and competition in the technology space, and the need for input and innovation to elevate the industry in the Caribbean and beyond.

Tune in to hear the challenges faced when making his place in the financial space, the power of knowing your worth, making your own path and always working toward and expecting success and excellence. Don’t miss Aldwyn’s take on leveraging the potential of the Internet for wealth creation, and his inspiring, practical advice for all aspiring entrepreneurs who may see obstacles instead of opportunities.

Resources:

WiPay Caribbean

Keron Rose returns to Caribbean Power Lunch to share his journey from mobile expert to digital entrepreneur and talks with Kevin about why he was driven to start keronrose.com and where his vision will take him next. Keron pulls no punches as he lays out the reasons why many entrepreneurs are not seeing success, the key steps to building the right brand partnerships, and reveals the systems he uses to find his passions and figure out his next moves as a solopreneur.

Learn about the power of “niching down”, getting specific and being consistent. Do you how to identify the correct online platforms to grow your business and the reason why everyone, even students, should and can have a website? Get ready to take notes for this class on building a digital business, making money while you sleep, and making a business idea a reality in the Caribbean.

A Journey to Self through the lens of Angel Joseph - makeup developer and owner of Imagine Makeup - a Trinbagonian beauty company that provides makeup services and products for the Caribbean.

Angel bares her soul and tells her truth in a way that she has never told it before. More than makeup, Angel strives to reveal the beauty of her clients - both on the outside and the inside.

In this episode we delve into an idea crafted by a young black woman, Charielle Plowden. Through her upcoming podcast "Positive Paychecks", Charielle desires to become her audience's financial friend as she helps them navigate their spending, investing and money habits. Her personality can turn a mundane topic like finance and make it fun. 

Listen as she uncovers her compelling story of an anxiety-crippled little girl to a powerful presenter as she takes us through her journey to financial education and investment advisory. 

Jessica Alexander is what we call a Lifestyle Curator. Her company Sa Nou St. Lucia sources and packages the very best of Saint Lucia, both in terms of quality and the look of the products. Sa Nou focuses on what the customer not only wants to get but how they want to feel. The boxes are visually invoking as well as emotionally invoking. For Saint Lucians, at home or abroad, they could be a piece of home, evoking memories and nostalgia. For others, the custom, artistic products, and elegant packaging make people feel special and see the variety of high-quality offerings from Saint Lucia. 

In this episode we discuss:

• How Sa Nou Saint Lucia Started
• Quality Assurance
• How to Identify and Serve Your Market
• Jessica's Story of the Renegade Pitch
• What Does Your Support Network Look Like?

Christian Lecorps grew up in Haiti without reliable electricity. He was 4 when his bedroom caught fire during a blackout, and 7 when he almost got electrocuted.

20 years after that fire,  powered by the passion of changing the fate of younger “Christian”s” and of anyone who would face the same issues, he got his degree in Electrical Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (Massachusetts, US).

Atlas Prime NRG was then born from that unstoppable desire to make a difference. Atlas Prime NRG aims at making all the small islands, and developing states, energy independent, assist in reversing climate change, and prevent extreme weather patterns to effectively saving billions of lives.

Atlas' solution is called CARIES which is short for Compressed Air Renewable Integrated Energy Solution. The startup aims to produce drop-in replacement for diesel and natural gas electric generators in developing markets that has negative emissions, the highest capacity factor in the energy industry, and can be scaled up to the size of power plants to power entire cities and islands.

"Appreciate people", these are the sentiments echoed by Gabriel Martino - a phrase he often heard growing up from his father, a tradesman.

On this episode of Caribbean Power Lunch, we hear how an immigrant investment banker bought a granite company in Maryland after flipping houses in then-distressed Baltimore. Gabriel used his storytelling abilities and his most unique attributes as a means of setting himself apart from competitors to win contract negotiations with top hotel chains across America.

His message is "shoot your shot; you can't hit if you don't shoot". Gabriel shares stories of some of the shots he took (business ventures he pursued) and how they worked out for him. He defied all odds and stuck to his guns. His investment strategy when it comes to real estate: buy low in distressed communities, remodel, refurbish then resell high. As he puts it "where people see crisis, I see opportunity".

Kevin Valley dives deep with transformational life and motivational coach / Hollywood actor Darius Marcellin in a compelling interview. Darius is Trinidadian born but moved to New York to chase his dream of becoming a basketball player for the Knicks. That dream was laid to rest when he received a full scholarship and stipend to attend St. Francis College in Brooklyn, New York. His passion for entertaining still lingered and he discovered an opportunity to ignite his passion plus get paid through club promotions in the New York City nightlife.

Understanding that building social currency or wealth is important in today's society, Darius sets out to build rapport with some of the hottest celebrities Kanye West, Sean Paul, and Trinidad and Tobago's homegrown Machel Montano. Listen to this interview to learn how Darius moved through the ranks from flipping iPhones on his visits home, to cleaning houses in New Jersey, to an actor in Hollywood and restaurant owner.

In this interview, you will hear how he attributes much of his success to vision boards and vulnerability. Darius and Kevin provide a road map to anyone trying to penetrate the acting industry in NYC or Hollywood and for persons interested in events, specifically nightlife.

Kevin Valley gives a tell-all to Dhano Mc Nicol on the We Are Crayons podcast of his journey from timid dreamer to tenacious podcaster.

From a tender age, he always had an innate curiosity for human behaviour and applied to study psychology. Little did he know, the University of the West Indies determined his destiny and placed him as a banking and finance major. Growing up in a family of investment banking siblings and a father who was a minister in the ministry of finance it was a "no brainer" to follow in his family's footsteps amassing over 10 years in the financial services sector.

However, Kevin's inquisitiveness and desire to understand people never left him and he ignited that fuel through his podcast Caribbean power lunch. Drawing from the likes of his favourite podcasters Kevin added his own unique flavour to highlight the journeys of black entrepreneurs and business owners throughout the Caribbean.

Kevin tears down the taboo of black-owned businesses and tells us how he transformed grief into a force to propel him towards self-efficacy and opened up new possibilities and opportunities for himself.