The primary ingredient for success

CARLA WILLIAMS JOHNSON

Did you know that the Caribbean has seen a significant increase in women-owned businesses over the last few years?

One survey published in 2015 reported that there are 228,000 self-employed females and, from what I’ve noticed, that number has increased exponentially in the last five years.

While covid19 has threatened a few of us, if it’s one thing I know about my West Indian ladies is that we are very resilient and can adapt quickly to changes. As my mentor says, "People don’t give enough credit to the entrepreneurs' most important skill: resilience.” We've been through so much and have dealt with so many things that this pandemic is just another obstacle to overcome....and we will overcome it.

Our experience has taught us that nothing is certain and things change at a moment's notice but the fact that we're still here, still moving forward, still putting ourselves out there, speaks volumes about the true anatomy of the resilient entrepreneur.

Just a few months ago, I was featured in Buzzfeed, where I spoke about the single most important trait that all business owners must possess: grit. Very often that's the difference between success and failure – the ability to stick it out.

The fact is, while grit is a necessary component in handling whatever life throws our way, grit together with grace is the winning combination for ultimate success.

Trust me, I understand that covid19 can have us questioning our abilities and every single decision we make, but here are five ways to help you flex those "grit muscles" so you can regain your entrepreneurial superpower:

1. Remind yourself often why you got into business and let that fuel your fire to continue. Trust and believe your "why" is the most powerful ingredient in your business because that is the thing that keeps you going when you feel like giving up.

2. Share your story and share it often. What you're dealing with isn't a weakness, it makes you human. Our story makes us relatable, builds us up and gives others the courage to do the same. Especially now, be real and honest with your audience and let them know that you’re going through the same things as they are and how you’re overcoming it.

3. Don't dwell on past failures, instead use them as stepping stones. We've all been through the mental torture of things that we should have done better BC (before corona) but guess what, we learned the lesson and moved forward.

4. Believe in yourself because you know who you are, what you do, who you help and how to help them. That's all that matters. Draw on that strength and keep going.

5. Trust your gut. I saw someone post on social media that now is the perfect time to check on the difference between your intuition guiding you or your trauma influencing you, and I thought that was so powerful.

Don't let outside influences mess with you. Listen to your instincts and allow that to lead you. Having the confidence and the desire to follow through will be much easier once you feel aligned and at peace with the decision you’ve made.

Lastly, I want to say to every single woman reading this, that you are amazing and you’ve got to embrace your uniqueness and let it shine through every single thing you do. We Caribbean people are different just by our culture and the way we speak, but trust and believe me when I say it’s that very thing that the world wants to see and will crave more of. It’s that "Caribbean flavour" that has helped me grace the global stage and I promise you can too. Show up, show off and take your fabulousness internationally.

So while we're all going through this together, understand that you do have what it takes because you're still here. You can do it because you have the courage and resourcefulness to navigate through all of this and although it might seem that by our very nature, we women have to work a little longer, try a little harder and go a little further than our male counterparts – we’re up for the challenge.

Carla Williams Johnson is a media marketing specialist based in TT. She founded Carli Communications, which offers advertising and marketing advice to entrepreneurs and business owners.

She's been asked to share her knowledge with numerous publications, including Forbes, Huffington Post, Buzzfeed, Home Business Magazine, Thrive Global and Barbados Today. She has been named one of the marketers to follow for 2020 an was recently awarded Best Promotions Company – West Indies at this year's Media Innovator awards compiled by Corporate Vision Magazine of the UK

Website: www.carlimedia.com Follow her at: Facebook: carlicommunications Instagram: carlicommunications