Tune into Yourself
Tune into Yourself
Push Forward -Roxanne Colthrust, Digital Entrepreneur
In this episode, Roxanne Colthrust a Digital Entrepreneur with some twenty years experience shares with us lessons she has learned and how she has addressed challenges faced over the period.
She stresses the importance of being agile and adaptable to survive and thrive as an entrepreneur. With her first degree in economics she understands the importance of strategic mindedness - paying attention to the market and looking ahead to see possible scenarios. With this strength she was able to make business changes such as introduce remote work and reduce expenses months before the pandemic hit.
She stresses the importance of partnerships and finding your tribe in navigating the entrepreneurial landscape. Other key areas which she addresses are: valuing of services and product, having the courage to walk away from business deals when necessary and identifying your passion.
Please click on the links to view the companies mentioned in the interview:
https://www.destinationtnt.com/
https://www.sightfactory.com/
https://www.shopcaribe.com/
This podcast is available on:
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Apple Podcast
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Push Forward/Roxanne Colthrust
SPEAKERS
Roxanne Colthrust, Beverly Foster-Hinds
Beverly Foster-Hinds 00:05
Welcome to the tune into yourself podcast. This is your host, Dr. Beverly Foster-Hinds, Executive and Business coach. This programme is for persons who want to make decisions which are in alignment with their true selves, and which can take them to the next level in their career, business and life. Roxanne Colthrust is a digital entrepreneur who has been involved in communications, animation, tourism and e-commerce. Over the last 20 years, she has witnessed the growth and development of digital economies, with strategy level involvement in the animation sector, as a co-director to the Animae Caribe Festival. She has worked alongside a dynamic team in web development at integrated communications studio, Sight Factory, to bring multiple corporate and private sector websites into reality. In 2016, she partnered with husband and co-director, Philip Colthrust, to develop the tourism booking platform, Destination Trinidad and Tobago, which has amassed more than 500,000 visitors per year. In 2020, she became the managing director of Shopcaribe.com - the ultimate marketplace for Caribbean made products, with more than 150 vendors and 2000 products. Welcome, Roxanne.
Roxanne Colthrust 01:41
Good morning. Good morning, Beverly. Thank you so much for having me.
Beverly Foster-Hinds 01:44
Yes, glad to have you. You know, with 20 years of experience as an entrepreneur, you would have seen many things over those years. What would you say might have stood out for you the most over that period? Any one thing might have stood out for you the most?
Roxanne Colthrust 02:05
Sure, sure. I mean, being in business, being an entrepreneur, you know, doing work in Trinidad and Tobago, we're in a very, very interesting space. As small business people, I think the one thing that has stood out to me over the years has been the fact that you have to be agile. You have to be ready to roll, to rock, to hustler, to move. But keeping your overall plan in mind, but you really have to be able to be agile and to change things and to adjust, adapt. All those key words, I feel that, you know, that has been critical over the years. If you try to stick to notes and say we're doing it this way, it's not going to work. You know, you have to be willing to adjust to hear people out, to change... right? Sometimes it's hard for people to change. But to stay in business, to be successful in business, you have to be able to adapt to change.
Beverly Foster-Hinds 03:13
Yes, I hear you with that. Is being an entrepreneur always something that you wanted to do?
Roxanne Colthrust 03:21
That's a very good question. I mean, I think over the years, I'll say to you, that there've been bits of entrepreneurship in my childhood experiences and my secondary school experiences, I was exposed very early. I don't know if you remember Junior Achievement?
Beverly Foster-Hinds 03:38
Yes.
Roxanne Colthrust 03:39
In our form five years. I mean, that I think was my first touch of, really thinking about running a business; thinking about ownership, right? Thinking about development. That was kind of one of my first real moments where, I think we had to get together in groups. We had to find a product, we had to sell the product, we had to market the product, we had to make the books balance. That kind of, opened my eyes to what was possible.
Beverly Foster-Hinds 04:09
And did that feed into your desire and you said, well okay, yes, I am going to do business? You know, was that something that you said, Yes, that's what you want to do with your life?
Roxanne Colthrust 04:19
I took a little interesting path. You know, I was always very interested in tourism, very interested in tourism. I wanted to do a first degree in tourism. But in the 80s, early 90s, you could only do tourism in Bahamas. You know, you had to actually go to UWI and you had to go there, and my parents couldn't afford that. So I had also applied to UWI here, and I'd gotten in. So I started the first year with this, Bahamas tourism in mind, but then switched to economics. So I have I first degree in economics, and that gave me an understanding of the big picture: how economies work, how demand and supply works? I was drawn to things like health economics and those kinds of areas. So the softer side, the social skills, the bit of law that they introduce you to, the bit of communications that they introduce you to. And then I went on into communications. I went on to do Communications at different organizations, going up at different level: officer, specialists. Then I decided, you know what? I want to share these communication strategies with different organizations, but I needed companies that were willing to do things; who were excited and wanting to change their image. And so I started as a consultant. I started my consultancy in communications and PR. And that grew as we started to do more and more events, you know, corporate events, conference events. I was probably married by that time. And my husband, his company was a web development company. So over the years, we were both doing business, we were both managing our own businesses. And then probably, you know, as things grew, as things develop, we decided why not merge? Why not offer people a one-stop shop? Where they can get both communications, you know, that strategic communications element, as well as web development? And of course, as the as the world was developing, your website was one of your main tools for communication. So it was really effective. I think, coming into, as a business person, you know, you always consider the things that we are strong at. But there's so much more to business. I can be a wiz at communications and communications planning, and event planning, and execution. But you also have that business side: the financials, the strategic planning for your company, the development part, the accounting, that you always have to be mindful of.
Beverly Foster-Hinds 07:15
Now, it's interesting to me that you would have started shopcaribe.com in 2020, because, you know, it's like 2020, of course, it's still... you know, a year has just passed since we were locked down, etc. And you would have started basically, to me, in the midst of the lockdown. I mean, what was your impetus for doing that?
Roxanne Colthrust 07:43
I think... so the important clue for us is that we had started working on this concept of shop caribe, probably about a year or a little bit more, before the real lockdown started. So we had it in planning. The business plan was prepared, we had started interacting with our bankers in terms of the e-commerce part, you know, so we were lining it up. And then when, Yes, when the first lockdown in late March, early April 2020, happened, we chatted with our team and said, you know what, this is the point where we need to get going. We need to push this thing forward. Because one of the other businesses that we run is called Destination Trinidad and Tobago, and that is tourism-based. That is focused on having tourism, having local and foreign tourists, use the service. So of course, you know, by March, none of that was happening. None of that was happening. Nobody was taking a tour, everybody was in lockdown, scared to go outside, nobody going to the grocery, all that kind of stuff. And so that business dried up. So we said, you know what? This is the point where people are going to be shopping from home; they're going to be doing things from home; Let's give them this platform where they have access to things. And a key for us, was that it was not... we didn't want to do everything. We didn't want to have car parts and food, and all that kind of stuff; grocery items. We have always had - I have always had - a great interest in developing small entrepreneurs. I love going to the craft markets. I love going to the pop ups when they happen, and buying these precious little things that you really can't find anywhere else. You can't find them in the malls. A focal point for us was to find these artists, these designers, these craft people, these jewelers who make these precious things that people want to buy. And that's where the idea of shop caribe came from. It is, how do we merge? How do we allow people an opportunity to find special items - authentic, Caribbean items? We've worked very hard to curate the items so that it's not something that's bought somewhere else and repackaged and sold here. No, it is developing that small entrepreneur who's making things by hand; who is creating things from their minds, a concept, you know? Who has a design that they are now turning into reality. It's all the things that we're talking about in the world now, in terms of sustainable living, you know, in terms of lower carbon footprints, you know, so you're not making 50 items and hoping for them all to be sold. You might be doing six and selling them in small quantities as they go. It's been an exciting, exciting road. I mean, yes, you said, in the midst of this pandemic, we had this bright idea. You know there's a little meme whether people are saying, "Oh my God, the world is burning down!" And everybody's in chaos! And here we are saying, "Hi, you want to buy a dress?" And it's, you know, yes, that's the reality of what we're living in. But what do we do? Do we just ball up in a corner and start to cry and let that be our existence? No! We have to change things, we have to have that ray of hope, we have to move forward. And that's what we're doing with shop caribe.
Beverly Foster-Hinds 11:44
I like that - the ray of hope. Because you know, you're living, and that is always something to be thankful and grateful for. Because something can always be different.
Roxanne Colthrust 11:54
Exactly!
Beverly Foster-Hinds 11:55
If it is you were to think about some key highlights on your journey to where you are now, what might be some things that you'd like to share?
Roxanne Colthrust 12:05
I think in terms of key highlights, I think, along the path of being in business, you have to find great partnerships. You have to find people that you can work with, people that you can lean on, people that you can get sound advice from. It doesn't have to be a marital relationship; it doesn't have to be familial. It's just meaning, someone that you can bounce an idea off of. Someone that you can say, you know, so you've had a bad day, and you're ready to sign off that client and you want to say some bad words; somebody you can bounce that off of, who says, alright you know what, maybe that's not how you're going to approach it. Right? Someone that can give you advice, even. You know, so you're thinking about moving forward into some business area; you need that kind of sounding board? So I think along the way, a key for me has been to identify strong partnerships. People who might have slightly different skills. So you have in Asian cultures they talk about the Yin and Yang?
Beverly Foster-Hinds 13:14
Yes.
Roxanne Colthrust 13:15
Right. So it is that balance; it is that the other side. Another key point has been about savings. Has been about making sure that you try to save. It's not always possible in business, it's hard. But trying to save, trying to find those moments and those opportunities where you can invest, because you never know what's going to happen out there. As entrepreneurs, we are hugely dependent on economies, on clients, on things that are very much outside our scope of control; we don't control it. So find those things where you can make sure that you're investing. Another key element for me has been about working hard, but finding balance. Working hard, but knowing that, okay, I don't have to work until two o'clock in the morning, every morning. There may be days where I have to do it. But finding that balance has been key.
Beverly Foster-Hinds 14:16
Yeah, it's important - finding that balance. Now in terms of major constraints that you had to address along the journey, what would a couple of them be and how were you able to address them?
Roxanne Colthrust 14:30
Challenges?
Beverly Foster-Hinds 14:31
Yes.
Roxanne Colthrust 14:32
Challenges. I think, some major challenges along the way have been things like financing. You may have a fabulous idea; you may have a great, great project that you think everybody can see this need... you know, that this can be funded. The banking institutions, the financial institutions. might not quite see that. So it ties back to my point about that investment. Being able to then look at your statements, look at your account and say, "oh, you know what, I have some money here, that I can probably take and put into this." Yeah? So it’s a concept that a lot of our business associates don't have, you know? So you get hamstrung in terms of finances, to move forward. And we have to find a way to lean on our communities, to lean on our family members, you know, for investment and to move forward. Funding has been a major element in terms of how you grow. Another key challenge has been valuing yourself; valuing your work. You know, over the years, I've had clients who come with budgets and say, "Hey! If you work on this project, you're going to be made! This project is going to be your best product ever!" And it's like, okay, here's my quotation. And they go, "Oh, no, no, no. We can't pay you. We can pay you a fraction." And they think that's enough. So that's a challenge, in terms of people may not value the work that you're doing. They may not see that it is valuable, but you have to always be clear about that. You have to be clear about your worth. You have to be clear about the hours that you spend on projects. Sometimes we may spend more, and over and beyond, the number of hours that we thought we would. But we're still invoicing for what we quoted for. So you have to be aware of that, you have to be aware of what your value is, and be willing to walk away. Oftentimes, we feel so connected to a client, or connected to a project, that you don't want to walk away. But that's another element: you have to be willing to, in business, as you go along, to be able to walk away; to be willing to walk away.
Beverly Foster-Hinds 16:59
What sort of tip you know, because I'm thinking that, you have a lot of - I see it, sometimes when I talk to some of my coaching clients, and you know, their prices are too low, and that whole valuing - they don't understand that concept. I was watching, I think it was, Shark Tank last night, and they were talking about how it's so important to not price too low. It's better to price high, and then bring your prices down. But when you start low, you can't bring it up. And that is something I don't know that a lot of young entrepreneurs to me - and young not necessarily in age, but I'm talking about inexperience in being an entrepreneur - they feel that they want to come in with this low price to get the market, and not understand that, really what it is you want is you don't really want to... you want to find a space that insulates you as much as possible from competition, rather than try to compete directly against. You want to be in somewhere a little unique, you know, bring something different. So any tips you might have in trying to get people to see the importance of that? Because I've been trying to think. Because, you know, you talk to people, you tell them, and they're still like "no, no, I can't do it, I can't do it!".
Roxanne Colthrust 18:33
And particularly, we're at a tough point now, where so many people didn't do a whole lot of work in 2020. So people are just like, wow, I have to go in at the lowest point to get this job now. Case in point, I was talking with one of our associates recently and he's saying that he bid for a lot of things this year. The year started off very, very good. He bid for a lot of things, but he bid really low; he bid really low to get the work. And he got the work. But now, the amount of work that it really is, is a lot. So it's still not working out; he's still scrambling. As entrepreneurs, sometimes. yes, we do these kinds of things where we're trying to get into the market, trying to eke out, take out a piece of that market share; we're trying to control things, we're trying to manage our budgets. But valuing yourself is critical, because it's going to hurt you in the end, right? It's going to hurt you. So being able to say, you know what? This is the amount [I'm worth] I think and you have to trust. You have to value yourself, and trust that the amount of experience that I have, the kind of projects that I've worked on; my price is not unfair. It is market value, for the work that I'm doing; the kind of time that you put into it. Because you know, you can indicate how many man hours we're spending on projects, you know, critical. And so, it is about that. It is about knowing that, okay, so you know what, if I missed this one, if I don't get this job, there's another one coming around the corner. I just have to stick to my guns, interact with the clients, find out what they need, find out what their budgets are. Because of course, now that economy is changing, some areas or many organizations for us, their marketing budgets are shrinking. Marketing money is being used for all sorts of other things. You have to really work out what your budget is. So a lot of it now, I think, is more about interaction and communication with our clients. It is about taking that time to say, "hey, what do you really need? You know, you send me this request or proposal, this RFP, but what do you really need? And what is really your budget?" You know? Because we may go out there and people come and they ask for some fantastic things. In a perfect world, it would be phenomenal, it would look like... wow, that's a campaign that we'd want to work on. But here, when the brass hits the tacks, or whatever, when you get to the final decision making, they say, Oh, no, no, no we don't have that much, we have a fraction of that to spend. And so you get eliminated because they thought you were overpriced. But you're not overpriced... we were pricing for what you asked for. So key there is that communication with the client. It’s that interaction with them. As a business person that has to be part and parcel of your work, you know, that interaction, that communication, that follow through, follow up, is critical.
Beverly Foster-Hinds 22:09
You hinted at the importance of being flexible and agile as an entrepreneur. If you had to say what were three strengths that you have, that I've helped you on this entrepreneurial journey so far, and maybe that you would even use going forward: what would those three strengths be?
Roxanne Colthrust 22:35
I think, being able to read the signs. Being able to look at the environment. And part of that comes with talking to people. You know, talking to people who are in business as well, people who are working in the economy, working in government offices, government organizations, and being able to knit together from them, a way forward. So it's being able to kind of understand what's happening around you. We can't operate in isolation. We don't want to operate on our own. There are lots of things happening in the environment, in the economy, that we are not in control of. And so finding your tribe, meaning, finding people around you, that can give that kind of assessment, knowing of course, that the final thing is yours to make. But understanding what the environment holds - that's a key element. Financing is another element: finding ways to push your projects further. Finding ways... and I think never taking no for an answer is part of that. Because if we were to go by the number of people who say no to a project idea, or no to a proposal, you'd ball up and go into a fetal position and never come out. So entrepreneurs need to have that bit of resilience. But besides the drive... the get up and move everyday, get up and go after a project, get up and call somebody, get up and send a proposal, do a proposal, get up and do a budget, get up on call a supplier - that's critical. That drive, that energy, to produce and do, and achieve - that critical element. So I've talked about drive, I've talked about the ability to be agile, and even to keep moving, right? A key hashtag that we've been using is "pushing forward". Pushing forward, and that is what it is. Push has that force, that energy. But forward means that you have to focus, and you have to just keep going. You know, it's not about wallowing and thinking, oh gosh, 2020 was awful. And this Coronavirus is never going to be over and something else will come in its place. Fine. Yes, yes. All those things are true. But you have to keep pushing forward.
Beverly Foster-Hinds 25:23
How do you - I mean, I'm hearing everything you're saying - how do you maintain that energy, that drive? I mean, you've been in the entrepreneurial space for like 20 years, and you would have had your ups and downs, etc. all around. How have you been able to continue to push forward and to get that energy, to maintain that momentum?
Roxanne Colthrust 25:53
That is a good question. That's a very, very good question. It's been about a few things. It's been about prayer. You know, it's been about that ultimate belief in something that's so much bigger than yourself, you know, so much wider, greater. That eternal story about the times when you don't know what to do, but you're still succeeding and you're still moving forward; it's because God is carrying you. I think we firmly believe in that. I firmly believe in that. So that concept and that belief in something that is so much bigger gives you the energy to keep moving; that you know, it is all going to be alright. You know, that's been critical for us, critical for me. No matter. I mean, there have been some fabulous projects that we put all-nighter, proposal writing, design elements into whatever, and you didn't get it, and you feel like it's over. But you know what? It's not. Case in point: one of those stories, one of those proposals that we put in; many years later I met one of the CEO's, and he says to me, "your proposal was fantastic". And I'm like, why didn't we win? And he's like, no, you didn't win, you won us all over, you know, but whatever, whatever, whatever. They took whoever, right? Because of course, you know, companies, right? Whatever. But there you have nine people, ten people on a board, who are on our side; who are looking out for us in other engagements, to engage us. And he was like, Oh, yeah, but I'm on so and so board now and we just approved something for you all to do. You understand?
Beverly Foster-Hinds 27:52
Yes, I understand.
Roxanne Colthrust 27:53
So in the world there is just that magic is happening all around us. And we have to believe that it continues to happen for people who are of a particular mindset - you work in a particular way, you're doing the best that you can, you show gratitude, you work with other people, you engage other people. I mean, our team, we have a pretty young team of people who work with us, but we've been developing them. We have been grooming them so that they can start their own companies one day, so that they can go to the next level. And the idea behind that is about rules to development, you know, the SME sector is a sector that can propel an economy. It is the largest employer. So that's where we're act. I mean, that key thing about God directing my life is key. That balance also comes from finding a way to distract yourself. I call it distraction, right? Because you can work constantly. So is that distraction, exercise? Is that distraction, reading? Reading could be all levels, right? Reading can be the saucy, heated book, you know? It could be the Wall Street Journal. It could be Wired Magazine, it could be a National Geographic, whatever. Reading - just stimulating your mind in some way. I do a lot of gardening as well. I mean, I love having these fresh things around that you can just walk outside and pick something. So, it's about that, it's about finding that opportunity to balance your life. If the Coronavirus period, that pandemic lockdown period, taught me nothing; it taught me about the value of family. Of engaging your family, interacting with them, of finding that moment to hear that story you never really heard of from a child, you know? It's like, really? You know, you learn things about them. Maybe we have been all going about our lives nice and easy... "hi morning, how you doing? Okay, good." But it allowed us to get a little deeper; a little closer again, and I think those things are what propelled me, what allowed me to continue going.
Beverly Foster-Hinds 30:26
You would have had to make many decisions along the way, and some people say they use their heart, some people say they use their head, some people say they use their gut, some people say all three of them need to be in alignment; what works for you?
Roxanne Colthrust 30:45
I yeah, I am bending towards the alignment part, that it's really a bit of all three. I mean, there are things that we have done. When we decided to close our physical office, you know, we had an office with 10 staff members every day. It was like maintaining an entirely separate household, right? It's everything: It's lights, its water, it's the alarm system, it's food for everyone, because we would do coffee and tea and juices... it's an entire beast on its own. That needed its own management. When we decided to close that, staff were willing to operate from home, you know, operate on their own, everybody had computers, whatever. So we were just ahead of this work from home scenario that we're in now. That was one of the hardest decisions.
Beverly Foster-Hinds 31:42
When would you have actually done that?
Roxanne Colthrust 31:44
We did that, May 2019. We started that May 2019. So just ahead of this thing, you know? And it was the hardest thing, because you had all the considerations of, wow, what will our clients think? So it was a difficult decision, difficult decision to make. And did we go with our heart, head, or your gut? It was a bit of all three. It was the rational side of doing the math - looking at how the math looked, how the finances were affected because you rent and everything. It was about a gut feeling that the economy was changing; that the things that the government was doing, or private sector was doing, things were starting to slow down. And so, the heart element was that we used to have a lot of fun with our staff. You know, we would have Friday evening limes. And missing that now, you know, just being able to pass by somebody's desk and you chat about something; you engage somebody, or you even get to see what they're thinking, where they're going, you know, how they're developing. A lot of that has changed. Now, you really have to make an effort. But I think that your question about what do you lead with... I think it always has to be all three. You have to be conscious that running a business is not just about gut feelings, and let's go, let's go do this. There are some elements where I might be like that. But really, when it comes to affecting the livelihood of others. Affecting how things are to operate; you really need to assess them, assess it at all levels.
Beverly Foster-Hinds 33:29
I listened to you talk about bringing that in, and you mentioned one of your strengths - I would call it strategic-mindedness in terms of, you know, being able to look down the road and probably your knowledge of economics, your economics degree, everything plays in. And your skill and your experience over the years. If I am to throw you a curveball here and ask you, I mean, what do you think the next five years will be like, in terms of the economy? Because I was listening to, I think it was the chairman of NGC a couple of weeks ago, and he was talking about, he thinks things will pick up in the next two years, I believe it was. So that why things are not good now, he is looking at a two-year window. I mean, you're looking at this whole vaccination; tourism has been very adversely affected, of course, globally. If you had to rub your little crystal ball and say well, okay... what is a key thing you might see?
Roxanne Colthrust 34:37
Yeah, I think I'm seeing that people want to do things. People want to get back to a sense of normalcy. They want to go out, they want to go hiking with a group, they want to. But I think the reality is, is that, if it's not Coronavirus, it's something else like that, that this has opened the door to. Maybe we may have to learn how to live with a mask, you know, going out in public with a mask. Maybe that may become part of your everyday attire - just as you pick up your watch, you may pick up your mask from now on. In terms of economies, there's a desire, people want to get back to normal, as I said. So they want to be able to go out, you know, they want to be able to go to the movies, they want to be able to go to a restaurant, they want to be able to celebrate those moments with their friends and family. That may also come back. But again, it looks like you know, I think that everything is going to change. They're going to be smaller groups. People are going to want to go out. Yes, you're going out, but it's just me and my bubble. People want to be able to go to places where you can stay in that bubble. You can exist in a bubble. I don't have to isolate. Yes, I go to the beach, but it's just my bubble. We're seeing everybody else, we waving, we Hello, whatever. But we you know, we're in our bubble, right? You know, it's a concern of and thinking about, what does Carnival look like in the next couple of years? Going to a fete and passing through throngs of people. That's going to have to change. That's going to have to change, you know? So it's going to be interesting. Looking at it in a crystal ball, economies as well, I mean, we still haven't felt the full effect of this slowing down of economies - our oil and gas, the effects on the heritage stabilization fund, the amount of money that they’ve had to divert to deal with this pandemic. You know, we're hearing the numbers, but it still hasn't trickled down to us. If you're spending that amount on fighting the pandemic, what's happening? You know, that money is diverted from what? It's diverted from building projects, its diverted from, you know, other healthcare activities, its diverted from what? So there are some, I think, there are some tough times coming again, down the road. I think that people have to become more and more creative about how they enjoy themselves, how they engage, how they party, and that's going to bring some opportunities as well. From the shop caribe perspective, we're seeing people still shopping! And sometimes we will be looking at each other and we'll go like... okay, this is fabulous for us. And but it's a signal that there's still people out there who have disposable income, and who are willing to spend. And that’s world over; that there are people all over the world who still have disposable income and that are willing to spend and so, we keep developing, we keep pushing forward.
Beverly Foster-Hinds 38:07
Yeah, I like that hashtag "push forward". Because I think if we can get people... if that resonates with people, they really should push forward, because at the end of the day, you really need to keep swimming, you need to keep moving. You don't want to allow yourself to become depressed and be stuck in that depression. Because then trying to move... you know in physics they talk about a body at rest?
Roxanne Colthrust 38:40
Right?
Beverly Foster-Hinds 38:40
And when a body is at rest, it's pure... I want to use the word "hell", to try to get to move. But if you continue moving, even if you slow down, because you're tired, that's fine. But when you just kind of put yourself in this box, and you stay there, then trying to come out of that is really... is really, really very difficult.
Roxanne Colthrust 39:06
Of course, I mean, and it's on all sorts of levels. There are people out there who are saying, wow, better I just find a job - entrepreneurs who are saying, you know what? I better just go back, you know, and it's about well, yes. Everybody has to do what works best for them. But it's about using entrepreneurship as a method of changing the space; changing what's happening. Quite a few, I'll tell you, the entrepreneurs who are on shop caribe, were people who had booths, shops at the cruise ship complex, right? People who... so you know, the cruise ship complex has had no ships. And so it meant that their entire livelihood just collapsed. And so you had to find a way... well hey, let me make sure, okay, so I've come online now to sell my things. Or, you know, so it's about that, entrepreneurship is about that, it's about looking at a scenario, but finding your way out of it. Looking at a scenario, but moving a little bit to your left or your right, to find that path out; to find their path to the next level.
Beverly Foster-Hinds 40:23
I think, what strikes me a lot is your ability, like, you know, you mentioned that, you know, you were interested in tourism for a very long time. And then you had Destination TNT, the company, come about. Then I would even want to say, that Shop Caribe has a tourism element also, because it would have been servicing tourists coming into the country. But now they have the opportunity, since persons aren't coming to them, to give people all over the world, a taste of the Caribbean, which is a great little taste to have, and to kind of bring up... give you a little energy. So that's positive. So even though, I don't know, you might not have sat down and said, "I am going to do these things, because they are all tourism related". But because it is something that interests you, somehow the threat is there, there's a common thread, even without necessarily saying this is what it is I am doing... this is the path I'm going to follow. You were able to use and to do things. What, to me, people need to remember, and maybe you've done it very well in terms of broadening the whole range of abilities that you exercise, and you talk about the partnering, you know, which is also very important. And the relationships and all of these things. Now, if it is you were to give advice to a young person today who is kind of sitting there wondering, "I went to university...". Or maybe, "I came out of school with just CAPE, or with no subjects even, you know, what to do? What should I do? What path Should I follow?" What would you say to this young person that you think might help them?
Roxanne Colthrust 42:38
I think what's critical for me has been finding that thing that you're passionate about. Finding that thing that you, you know, and people want to say its your purpose; find your purpose. But I'm saying, find your passion. Find what you're interested in: are you interested in fashion, you're interested in hair, you're interested in craft, you're interested in math, you're interested in art... find what that passion is. The business, the income generating part of it, will come out of that, right? It will come out of that. I've seen quite a few young people who are very minded in terms of IT and development, and they're able to use that skill to create apps, you know? Might be something in the animation field. I've been involved in developing the animation sector for quite a number of years. And we've seen young people who might have come to a roadshow that we had. So part of developing the sector, was that we host a festival, an animation festival. Part of the festival, for many years, was that we would go out to far flung areas in the country. So we would have a bus, drive out to Toco, have a session with the young people, show a film, show them animations, have a talk and let them hear what it is about, let them meet some people who are already established, and grow from there. And what we've been able to see is that oftentimes a parent might come and say, oh gosh, take a look at what this child is doing. This child is always doing art. This child is always drawing in this little book. I don't know what to do with them. And so I've been able to see some of those young people whose mother came with a little flip book, showing you and frustrated about what they are wasting their time on. I've been able to see some of those come through the training programme at UTT, and become animators. So sometimes people write you off. Sometimes people see what you are passionate about, and they write you off. But other times, you might be so fortunate to find that person, that parent, that adult, that intervention, that says, hey, what you're doing is very interesting; Let me direct you in a particular way. Yeah? So that's a key thing for me, is finding that passion. Finding out what people are totally excited about, and helping them to move in a direction that helps them to understand and unwrap what that purpose is... what that bigger purpose is.
Beverly Foster-Hinds 42:59
Right, yes. That's critical, yes. Because a lot of times when you speak to people, they will tell you something like, “well, I don't know”. And it's like, you don't know what you like? And it's like, okay let's rewind a little bit. And maybe they're saying that because they shared what they liked with someone and the was the idea was like, “you can't do anything with that; what it is you're going to pursue that for?” And so they’re just like, well, I don't know, because they might feel their answers are not appropriate.
Roxanne Colthrust 46:09
Very often, parents are that initial voice, right? I mean, as young people, who you're talking to the most? You're talking to your peers, and you're talking to your parents. And so, as parents, we've had to really unpack those things and think about how do we enthuse, how do we push? How do we encourage our children, so that they find those things in themselves? You know, so that they are able to then grow and find that real passion and real purpose in life? So it is something that you're consciously you have to do.
Beverly Foster-Hinds 46:50
Roxanne, is there anything else you feel that you'd like to share?
Roxanne Colthrust 46:52
I think I know that your theming is like tuning into yourself… And I think that's critical. More and more, you're hearing about people who have had - young people - who have had scares or have actually found out that they have things like cancer, these diseases, these really life-threatening situations. And you're thinking, well, why? How come? And you’re hearing 20s, 30s, 40s. And that tuning into yourself, I think, matters on all sorts of levels. It matters in terms of the work and working out where you are supposed to be. Maybe that job that you're in for a number of years that brings you no joy, is not the place for you. Maybe that pain that you've been feeling somewhere that you haven't really dealt with, or went to a doctor to find out about; maybe that's what you needed to tune in to, you know? So it's things like that. I think it is critical that as human beings, and even as entrepreneurs… entrepreneurs have a special, go-get-it-done attitude. Many of us have that as an underlying kind of connection, an underlying thread, you know? There's a personality trait, and we think that we can conquer it all and do everything; keep going, keep going, keep going. And we do need to tune in and realize that regardless of the entrepreneur title, you're still human. You still need to rest, you still need to, not just rest, but also recuperate. Also give yourself a chance to get better… to regenerate. And so, tuning into yourself, I think, is critical. I think along the way, every day, you have to find some moments - it's physical, it's emotional, it's psychological, it's financial, even - we all need to. And even you know, I can go a step further to say that as women, we are everything to everybody, all the time; just constantly going, going, going. And we have to sometimes stop and think about that. Stop and realize that okay, maybe if the wares don't wash tonight, we'll be okay.
Beverly Foster-Hinds 46:50
You're right. You're right. We have to tune in. Because if we don't listen, we end up paying for it. Maybe sometimes in the short term, sometimes in the longer term. So it's critical that we take that time to reflect. Probably reflect, rest and revitalize; regenerate ourselves. It is very important. Everybody's talking now, about the importance of sleep, and how important sleep is. And I'm like, well, yes… you sleep is critical, because that's how you regenerate yourself; it's not an option. It's really not an option.
Roxanne, thank you so much. I think you shared a number of gems, and persons will hear and something will resonate with them. I want to invite them to push forward and to run with what resonates with them. Don't say, “Oh, that sounds really good” And full stop. Run with it. Take it, use it, go deeper with it, and apply it. Apply it to your life so that you can reach where it is you want to reach, quicker. Thank you very much.
Roxanne Colthrust 50:59
Thank you so much for having me. And you know, you as well. You are doing something that people don't take time to do, and that is to understand what entrepreneurs go through, and how they are able to just keep going forward. So you as well. Thank you so much, and you keep pushing, you keep going forward. Right? I want to see that book by Dr. Beverly Foster-Hinds: Tune into Yourself; I have the title and everything ready for you.
Beverly Foster-Hinds 51:52
Yeah, exactly *laughs* I love it. I love it.