UNSTOPPABLE
AWISE man once said, it’s better to live as a woman of value than to chase after mere success. And this is what propels Erica McKenzie, an outstanding entrepreneur who has shattered glass ceilings and ultimately claimed convictions of honour and goodness.
The tactful leader of a group of adroit and innovative thinkers at her five-year-old company, Creative Brands and Concepts, is passionate about life and all it has to offer. Growing up in rural St Catherine she endured a difficult childhood, but it taught her to stand against adversities and become unstoppable, even when she became pregnant at 16 years old.
“I was just about to finish high school so I didn’t get to graduate. It was rough, but I decided that I had to do it. I had made it that far while travelling from Linstead to Oberlin High each day, and yeah, I made a mistake, but at the same time, I needed my subjects. My mother was disappointed and it changed our relationship a little but I understand that sometimes people don’t celebrate you when you are on the rocks and not everyone can handle the pressure,” she explained.
McKenzie remembers this as one of the lowest points in her life and a painful learning exercise. She sat nine CSEC subjects a few months before giving birth and was successful in seven. Soon she picked up the pieces with the help of others who she calls ‘earth angels’.
In 2010, she graduated from the University of Technology with a Bachelor of Business Administration, and in no time she was off to the Heriot-Watt University in Scotland to read for a MBA in Business Administration and Management, General.
Now, the go-getter identifies as a hard-working being, a playful soul, an excellent guide and, most of all, a selfless mother of two.
If you know McKenzie, you should be aware of her self-driven nature and love for knowledge. Initially, she aspired to become a teacher. However, her interest