We-speak Caribbean

There is no boss to turn to for advice or colleagues to bounce ideas off when you initially start a business and a mentor can serve as a reliable sounding board and confidante. In today's episode Lisandra Rickards Chief Entrepreneurship Officer at the Branson Centre of Entrepreneurship shares valuable insights on mentorship and choosing an effective mentor. along with Keshelle Davis, business woman and visionary from the Bahamas and Sade Jemmott from Barbados who take a look at how mentorship can help women in business.

In today's marketplace, digitizing your business is a must in order to compete globally. In this episode we meet two Caribbean designers who are successfully using technology  to support business growth and reach the global consumer including WE-Xport participant Daphnee Floreal a Haitian jewellery business owner who now receives 40% of her sales in the North American market through her website.  Forbes identified Daphnée as one of ten innovative Haitian entrepreneurs changing the narrative, in 2018.

Do you know the key steps to building and marketing your personal brand? It is often difficult to separate the personal brand from the company brand and being the face behind your brand can be daunting. In this episode we delve in to personal branding and how to deal with the fallout that can come with being successful. We meet personal branding expert Naomi Garrick and business coach Dr. Tilean.

If you're looking to export your products or services having the right brand identity is key to standing out in a crowded market.  In today's episode we'll be speaking to branding experts Brand 42 about the key principles of branding and how to build your brand.  We'll also meet two Caribbean business owners who've put these principles in to practice.

In many fields from sport to education if you want to learn something you work with a coach to hone your skills to become the best you can be. Being successful at business is no different. Today we look at the importance of having a business coach and speak to WE-Xport Business Coaches Paula Greene and Michelle Kalloo about the benefits of working with a coach, the types of coaches out there and how to find the right coach for you.

When creating a successful business innovation is one of the most important aspects.  In a male dominated world often women have to step out of the status quo to leverage business opportunities.  In this episode we meet women businesses from non-traditional sectors and explore how to overcome the challenges of running a business in a male dominated sector. 

Let's make your business a reality.Today's guests share their experiences and expertise including the challenges in accessing funding for women-owned small businesses , outline the available financing options such as Angel Investment, and what business owners needs to consider when choosing a financing solution. Our guests include: Meryl Caryn Stoute, Area Vice President, Business Banking at RBC, Jamaican Patria-Kaye Aarons who took the leap from the corporate world to entrepreneurship when she launched her company Sweetie Confectionery and Marlon Nichols, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Cross Culture Ventures (CCV) an early stage venture capital firm.

There are several obstacles that Caribbean women in business face and that’s why we created the WE-Speak series. Join us every week as we share the experiences of phenomenal Caribbean women and other experts on how to maneuver through challenging situations.