HOW THEY DID IT:
Advice from Jamaican entrepreneurs – Latoya West-Blackwood Name: Age: Name of business: Job title: Age at which she started the business: Latoya West-Blackwood 33 iPublish Consultancy and iMagiNation Books Founder and Chief Executive Officer 30
What do you think are the most important character trait in a successful entrepreneur? Tenacity, resilience and passion.
Identify one hardship that you experienced while building your business, and say how you overcame that. I lost my mother to a rare and aggressive type of breast cancer one year after starting my business. She was diagnosed four months after I registered the business. She was very supportive on my journey to becoming an entrepreneur. It was extremely difficult to balance pursuing my professional goals while coping with the reality that the person who gave me and my dreams life was dying. That experience taught me a lot of things, but primarily about the value and fragility of life in general and how to boldly face challenges.
Describe one moment in which you felt immense pride in your accomplishment as an entrepreneur. I would actually say my selection for the YLAI Fellowship is the highlight so far. The application process was very detailed and, as I would learn later, very competitive. To be selected as one of the 250 finalists from an original pool of 4,000 across 36 countries spanning Latin America and the Caribbean is phenomenal. It still felt surreal, until we actually got to the opening summit in Dallas, Texas. Becoming an official Branson Centre Caribbean Entrepreneur was also an exceptional moment that resulted in real growth for me and my business.
How important were family/connections/relationships to your work’s success? As a mother and wife – major responsibilities – family support is very important. My mother played a huge supporting role for me up to the time of her death. My in-laws and immediate family – husband, kids, etc – keep me going with their love and encouragement. Entrepreneurship comes with many trials, failures and faith-testing challenges that can easily break your spirit and drive. Maintaining that balance is very important. You also get an ego check often, just in case it’s ever needed. What advice would you give to youth considering starting entrepreneurial ventures in Jamaica? Start, that’s the first step. Don’t procrastinate, act on your dreams and develop your abilities. See business as a way of shaping the society and future you desire for yourself and your country, a force for good. Imagine, innovate and live inspired. For the picture: Why did you choose this pic and what does it say about you? I think it captures me in my ‘natural state’ LOL! I love music, travel and celebrating my African heritage. I think this photo captures it all.