Born in the Caribbean and presented to the world, The Value is a business show for entrepreneurs, business owners, and investors interested in building and investing in companies that are scalable and highly valuable. The show is hosted by Kevin Valley, a Chartered Business Valuator and business consultant who has spent over a decade evaluating companies for debt and equity investment. During this time, Kevin found that while many business owners possess the passion and zeal to build enterprises that solve big problems and change the world, their business models and practices had common blindspots that prevented them from being attractive to investors, and able to command high valuations. Kevin thus decided to use his voice to educate business owners at scale while working with investors to source profitable opportunities. The result is The Value. Do enjoy.
Episodes
Tuesday Feb 19, 2019
Tuesday Feb 19, 2019
Alian Ollivierre develops dynamic people, enterprises, and winning strategies through consulting, training, and coaching.
Alian has over 10 years' experience working in London and the United Nations sphere in legal, international policy, consultancy, portfolio and relationship management, non-profit and corporate, across various sectors.
Her core strengths are strategy, communication, planning, and problem-solving, especially within the professional and enterprise framework.
As the Director at Gateway International Inc., a training and consultancy agency for professionals and enterprises, Alian systematically develops curricula and delivers training programmes for regional and international agencies that serve employees, entrepreneurs, and leaders.
In this episode, we discuss:
- 5 Steps for Business Idea Generation
- How Employees and Employers should think about Partnerships; and
- Why Identity is Paramount
Tuesday Feb 12, 2019
Tuesday Feb 12, 2019
An engineering professional, award-winning author, globally certified coach, trainer and speaker, Gregory Skeete helps people and organizations of all types and stages achieve peak performance through his company Life Engineer Inc.
In this episode, we discuss:
- 5 P’s to turbocharge your professional performance,
- 3 Lessons from Entrepreneurship that can boost job performance,
- A different approach to Leadership, and
- Living your life by design.
Be sure to share this episode with someone you think can find value in it.
Tuesday Feb 05, 2019
Tuesday Feb 05, 2019
A former state prosecutor, Shelly-Ann Gajadhar is a career and professional development coach who specializes in helping people discover their purpose in life, and walking boldly into that purpose through her company Alphastute.
In this episode, we discuss:
- Shelly's key tips for finding purpose in our lives
- Shelly's personal journey of finding her own purpose
- Education vs. Academics
Be sure to share this episode with someone you think can find value in it.
Tuesday Dec 11, 2018
Tuesday Dec 11, 2018
Who is Toni Thorne?
- Entrepreneur who started her first business at age 7.
- Self-starter: “If I say I’m going to do something, I find a way I get it done.”
- “The hardest thing is to start.”
- Pursue what you are interested in and what will energize you: “You have to be very clear in what you want from life.”
- Motto: “Be true to yourself.” – you are your own biggest obstacle.
Experience of Business
- Pursue Your Interests:
- Know Your Business Inside Out
- Believe in Yourself
- Align Your Interests
- Finding a Mentor
- Understand and Embrace Failure
- Favourite Failure Story.
Black Entrepreneurship
- There is a mindset issue which is keeping Caribbean businesses, particularly Black businesses, from growing as they should: “People would rather own 0% of nothing than 5% of something.” – instead of collaborating and supporting one another, they would rather compete.
- The Black experience in Barbados, a predominantly Black country, is one in which Black people are treated as minorities and racism is an endemic issue
- Upper financial class does not reflect the racial composition of the country, which affects the level of entrepreneurship and business entry
- Experiences of being Black worldwide are unique experiences
- A study on the business loan process conducted by Harvard University revealed Black entrepreneurs in the USA have to deal with much more stringent policies and procedures than White entrepreneurs with similar or lesser qualifying requirements. This experience of different rules for Black business owners and Black entrepreneurs is also true in Barbados and serves as an obstacle which Black entrepreneurs have to determine how to overcome.
- Black parents have until recently tended to be more conservative, encouraging children to follow a more secure, traditional path and may not have supported entrepreneurship as it seemed too risky
- This stems partly from a historical experience of oppression and disadvantage which has caused them to be more risk-averse.
- That mindset is slowly changing, which is necessary to spur on generational wealth and generational business growth
- White peers may have a different upbringing and exposure to family businesses and business mindset earlier on
- Black entrepreneurs must recognize that although social structures may cause them to be at a disadvantage, they can and must then make their own paths to success, be creative in how they pursue structuring and financing their businesses and set their own goals for measuring success.
Tuesday Dec 04, 2018
Tuesday Dec 04, 2018
Lisa Wickham is:
- Godmother of the TV & Film Industry in T&T
- Executive Producer, TV Personality, Educator, Creator, Trailblazer
- “Oprah of the Caribbean”
Interview Summary
- Learn from the success of Lisa Wickham, creator/executive producer/media powerhouse. Hear the story of creating E-Zone, a ground-breaking, wildly successful Caribbean entertainment show which brought international eyes and recognition to the region. See how Lisa and her team took film and live show production in the Caribbean to an international level and changed the landscape, while also developing local talent and always coming up with new concepts.
- Exclusive: Mini Master Class on Film Production
Key Interview Points
- Start Early – nurture passion and focus and build character in children
- Creativity and business are not mutually exclusive and can benefit from one another
- Strive for excellence and operate at an international standard. You are not bound by the limits of where you are, you are only limited by what you can conceive.
- Go outside your comfort zone – pioneers learn many lessons the hard way, but they also raise the level of the game by taking chances
- Be memorable - Anytime I do something for the first time, I think “How can this be remembered?”
- The path to success is not always guided by strategy and planning – sometimes you have to look for the serendipitous opportunities and be prepared to capitalize on them.
- Guidance, mentorship and continuous learning are essential
- Be driven by passion, and think about how to do new approaches, new content, and break ground. Reinvent and retool as necessary to stay current and relevant.
Key Lessons Shared
- Think Outside the Box
- Be Committed and Focused on Excellence
- Build Character from An Early Age
- Know Your Stuff – Do Your Research
- Expand Your Worldview
- Learn From Your Elders and Mentors
- Never Settle
- Be Passionate
- Reinvent to Stay Relevant
- Be True to Yourself – Be YOU
- Speak Your Future Into Existence.
- Mantra: Work Hard. Play Harder. Pray Hardest
Detailed Interview Notes
Early Beginnings
- From age 3, started travelling internationally and became culturally sensitive, saw what was possible beyond T&T
- At 6 years old, started on Riki Tiki reading a poem, then received own segment at 13 years old
- Followed that with Nescafe Party Time (“T&T’s Got Talent”), live broadcasts, morning shows, Dateline, and more
- Has been involved in media ever since. Currently producing and hosting the Now Morning Show on TTT, which is transforming the landscape of morning television
Mother of a Creative – Nurturing an International Contributor
- Daughter Gabrielle is also a creative powerhouse. Started at age 5, produced/directed a production for children at Little Carib at age 6, and has grown in that focus
- “Children need to be able to grow in their own space and have conversations about their identities with their parents”
- Nurturing years are important to build children into “international contributors”, who can “Stand as an equal to anyone anywhere in the world, have international conversations and experience life at a global level even though they might have been born in Trinidad, a little dot in the Caribbean.”
Bringing Right Brain and Left Brain Together
- Loved media from an early age, but media was not considered a serious option. Lisa went against the grain, following her passion and developing skills, even though there was no concrete plan
- Pursued management studies at university but never left media - continued to appear on television while studying and acquiring new and different skills
- Received MBA at Warrick University – many classmates went on to banking and finance, but Lisa applied the strategic problem-solving skills from her MBA to the challenges of developing a creative industry in T&T
- Leveraging these combinations of skills and experience, Lisa was able to dovetail creativity and business by becoming a producer/owner of her own shows.
Becoming an Owner: The Transition
- Lisa patterned her career after Oprah Winfrey, observing that she was owning and executive producing her own content, which Lisa then did with E-Zone, a regional entertainment show that was blazing the trail for Caribbean-centered and produced content.
- The move to owner and producer was not strategic but seemed more like a natural transition. Sometimes the opportunities come through serendipity
- "I knew if I paid for it, I owned it". Had to become creative to fund and cover all the costs of production.
The Story of E-Zone: Pioneering and Trailblazing
- E-Zone was the first of its kind in the Caribbean. This was not a news show, but focused on entertainment and transformed the way entertainment was shot and highlighted and presented
- Fostered Intra-Caribbean tourism through E=Zone which showed in 22 Caribbean countries and on BET-J in the USA
- Used product placement and integration as part of the strategy to cover production costs – that was not the norm at the time – this was a pioneering move
- The success of E-Zone showcased Caribbean content and brought international media which negotiated deals with the countries directly, which meant E-Zone was cut out of the markets which they had introduced to the world
- It was naivete and a lesson learned on my part – We should have been charging, but as a pioneer, you are breaking ground and building relationships
- The media industry has to balance between creative expression and business structure and acumen.
Being a Media Pioneer and Trailblazer
- Many of her ventures and approaches were the first of their kind in T&T
- The lack of technology did not limit creativity. Make your own opportunities.
- There was a time when the tv station did not have the equipment to do on-screen presentations. If Lisa wanted the audience to follow points during an interview, she created her own PowerPoints and ran them during the show
- This created the need, and showed what was possible, and on-screen presentations are now possible because local tv stations have the technology
- It is the job of pioneers to see the possibilities beyond what exists.
- Being the first player in a space has its benefits, but you can also be usurped by new or more powerful players in the space. No one stays on top by staying the same. Stay current and be creative.
- Think: “How can I reinvent myself and my business? How can I reorient to navigate a new space?”
- Seeing the possibilities to grow and attain an international standard, Lisa and her team introduced international-level production of live shows to T&T, starting with COTT Music Awards in 2007/2008.
- For that show, they imported lights, equipment and internationally-trained specialists
- They had to teach the local artistes what it took to create a show on an international stage – changed expectations and asked people to rise to the occasion, to prepare differently. That was met with some resistance, but those who were able to see the vision were able to benefit from it.
- Once Lisa and her team were able to show that it was possible, other competitors appeared in the local space to try to top it – that effort and excellence raised the level of the game.
Creating an International=Quality Media Industry in T&T
- There was a time when T&T had one TV station – that has changed, but attaining a level of international quality is a journey that takes place one step at a time
- In today’s world, media can be created on a phone, self-produced and distributed through alternative channels. There are many avenues for creativity, but you have to be very good to stand out in a saturated space
- There are schools and online programs where people can train, and the industry continues to grow
- Growing the industry to an international standard will require collaboration, and will be taken one step at a time.
- No one is actually self-made. Everyone relies on the people around them
- It is important to have competent, trained personnel in the space who can create excellent work
- It is important to train, to mentor, to nurture
Developing Talent: Creating Master Classes
- My purpose in life is to develop others
- Creating workshops bringing international experts to T&T shows what is possible, and raises the level of skill in the country
- Lisa did not keep her network and contacts from her international experience to herself but invited those experts to come to Trinidad
Conclusion: Mini Master Class on Film Production
Tuesday Nov 27, 2018
Tuesday Nov 27, 2018
Carver Bacchus is the Managing Director of Sustain T&T, a social enterprise producing and exhibiting educational film content in the areas of environment and sustainability. He has over 15 years of professional experience in the areas of Management and Marketing, in both the public and private sectors.
He leads Sustain T&T in providing branding, communications and visibility services to agencies with a public education mandate, informing audiences about issues affecting them, like climate change.
Green Screen - The Environmental Film Series, is Sustain T&T’s marquee event, bringing environmentally themed films and discussions to communities in Trinidad and Tobago on an annual basis.
Tuesday Nov 20, 2018
Tuesday Nov 20, 2018
Ms. McKenzie is the founder and managing consultant of the Caribbean Mindfulness Institute (CMI). She received her mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) training from the University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine (UCSD), widely considered to be one of the preeminent thought and research leaders in the field of Mindfulness Studies. MBSR uses a combination of mindfulness meditation, body awareness, and yoga to help people calm their mind and body to better cope with stress, illness, and pain.
In this episode we discuss:
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Makeda's Journey to Mindfulness;
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Meditation;
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The Science of Happiness;
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The Power of the Pause;
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Class: 5 Weeks to Peace;
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Mental Body Scanning & Self-Awareness;
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Making Mindfulness a Business;
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Winning Business: Turning "NO" into "YES"; and
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Next Steps for the Caribbean Mindfulness Institute.
Learn more at:
Tuesday Nov 13, 2018
Tuesday Nov 13, 2018
In this episode, we talk to Kerwyn Valley; CEO and majority owner of KCL Capital Market Brokers Limited, and Founder and Managing Director of Aspire Fund Management Company Limited. Aspire is a small-cap private equity management company focused on growth-stage private sector investments throughout the Caribbean.
In 2004, Kerwyn joined AIC Financial Group in Trinidad and Tobago to develop the Group’s regional Trade Finance Division. In 2008, Kerwyn became CEO of AIC Finance Limited and in 2010 he was also appointed CEO of AIC Capital Market Brokers Limited. In February 2011, he led the successful management buy-out of AIC Capital Market Brokers which has been rebranded as KCL Capital Market Brokers Limited.
Episode Flow:
- Moving from Employee to Owner
- Weighing the Risks
- Building Generational Wealth
- Creating Wealth in the Caribbean
- Overcoming Fear
- How to Identify a Good Business
- The Importance of Providing the Money in the Middle (Putting Professional Capital to Work)
- Questions From Social Media
Tuesday Nov 06, 2018
Tuesday Nov 06, 2018
Nicole Greene is the founder and owner of Dream Life Distributors where she sells exquisite 18K fashion jewellery and genuine sterling silver for the sophisticated and fashion-forward lady.
She has been in business since 2003 and has been able to drive its evolution within that 15-year period. Nicole often draws from her natural talent of sincerely connecting with people to ensure they look and feel absolutely fabulous.
A proud mother of 3, Nicole also provides coaching and guidance to fellow Mompreneurs, and as discussed in this episode; a budding author.
In this episode, we discuss:
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The "Ah ha!" moment that led to Nicole's entrepreneurial endeavours;
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How work ethic can trump formal education;
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The gap filled by Dream Life;
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Genius Innovation in selling - Wine & WhatsApp; and
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Advice for entrepreneurs - doing what you M.U.S.T.
Links:
Monday Oct 29, 2018
Monday Oct 29, 2018
Here we take a deep dive into Social Innovation in the Creative Sector with Candice Lela Rolingson.
Candice is an accomplished innovator and business developer who’s always been passionate about tourism, creative industries, and technology. She has successfully launched ventures in film, fashion, beauty, wellness & lifestyle, in addition to facilitating business model development and branding strategies to various business products and individuals.
An international award-winning Executive Producer with a talent for research methods, Candice has developed exceptional skills in project managing the production of documentaries, feature films and commercially-branded entertainment for web & television advertisements, events, media and motion pictures. Moreover, she specializes in Caribbean Film Locations and Tourist Destination Management for international productions.
In this episode, we discuss:
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The concept of Social Innovation;
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Why Social?;
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The vision, creation and production process, and impact of the film "Positive and Pregnant";
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Location Management;
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"Our Ethiopia" short film series;
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Building awareness of local creative projects; and
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The Caribbean's role in Global Diversity.
Links:
Monday Oct 22, 2018
Monday Oct 22, 2018
Kyle Lequay is a Sports Marketing and Business Development Specialist with over eleven years' experience in the industry.
As President of the Beach Soccer Association of Trinidad and Tobago, Kyle is responsible for the development and promotion of beach soccer in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. Beach soccer has made significant advancements with Kyle at the helm, including generating sport tourism activities such as the annual Tobago Beach Soccer Championship, which has brought in players from more than twenty countries since inception.
As Strategic Marketing Manager for WI Sports Limited, Kyle envisioned, developed and implemented concepts to increase viewership and audience engagement, strategies that significantly and positively impacted the Company’s presence. Kyle also held the position of Marketing Manager for the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA), concurrently with the post of Project Manager for FIFA’s Income Generation Program. Under his stewardship, the FIFA Program successfully implemented its deliverables and acquired significant public and private sector sponsorships, an activity that has contributed to cultivating critical relationships for the TTFA.
Kyle boasts of an impressive list of significant sporting contributions locally and internationally including:
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Sponsorship Manager for the Caribbean Premier League (CPL);
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Marketing Manager for the Local Organising Committee for the FIFA Women’s U17 World Cup 2010;
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Program Coordinator for the DC Scores, Washington, D.C.; and
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Sport Marketing Officer for Digital Sports DC/Kimsey Foundation, Washington DC.
He is also a Certified Arena Operator for the U.S. Indoor Sports Association, a Member of the North American Society for Sport Management (NASSM) and a Member for the Sport Marketing Association.
Kyle is also a graduate of Howard University, School of Business, Washington D.C.
In this episode, we discuss:
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The origin of Beach Football (Soccer) in Trinidad and Tobago
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The Sports Tourism model and its impact on a country's athletics
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The transition into Cheerleading - Cheer in the Sun
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Finding opportunities in Sports Entertainment
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A lesson in Resilience - how Kyle acquired the World of Dance Franchise; and
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What you learn from managing a Sports Bar
Links:
Tuesday Oct 16, 2018
Tuesday Oct 16, 2018
In this episode, Kevin is joined by specially invited co-host Osei Wright-Alexis, and our featured guest; Hans Des Vignes, Owner of Hand-to-Hand Productions.
As a radio and television presenter, Hans Des Vignes is one of the most respected personalities in media in Trinidad and Tobago.
He has produced and worked on some of the top shows that promote soca in Trinidad and Tobago from hosting TV broadcasts for Soca Monarch and Machel Monday, as well as hosting and even producing Carnival Acoustic, Promenade Countdown, Synergy TV's De Scene and Synergy TV Soca Star.
As an event host/hype man he has also been featured in some of the biggest events in Trinidad and Tobago and has been hired throughout the region and the world.
As a manager of artists and promoter of music, he has worked with the HD family as well as helped nurture and promote the next generation of soca artists.
He is also respected as an individual that knows a hit when he hears it.
Hans can be heard daily on Trinidad and Tobago's #1 radio station Boom Champions 94.1fm and seen during the Secondary School's football league regionally on Sportsmax and CNC3.
Topics Discussed:
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Awareness and presence of mind
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Perspective and growth
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Becoming the greatest version of yourself
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Ownership, and
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Building structure in our lives.
Links: