Dazzle Magazine Issue 17

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How to Start a Side Business and Earn Extra Cash

Shoe Smarts – Choosing Footwear That’s’ Right for You

Heidi St. Clair

Child Care Visionary & Gutsy Entrepreneur

Marvelon “Stixx” Mitchell

Master Drummer & History-Maker

Issue 17

8 Tips to Lose Weight and Keep it Off

Coach on a Mission

Peter Philogene

taking Youth Football to the Highest Level

Leslie Collymore

AIM-ing to take Digital Marketing to New Heights

Try me!

lim i t ed

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Leslie Collymore AIM-ing to take Digital Marketing to New Heights pg. 38

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DAZZLE 5

from the publisher Greetings to all and thank you for picking up Dazzle Magazine issue 17, our second issue for the year.

S

uccess does not come overnight. It takes hard work, discipline, education, dedication and experience to achieve your goal over a period of time. Any great business idea needs to be developed and nurtured to become successful. In order to ensure a business succeeds, business owners or managers need to pay close attention to their operations and they must be able to deliver a quality product or service consistently.

Dazzle Magazine encourages young entrepreneurs and aspiring business owners to continue working at developing your business and never give up, even when times may seem difficult.

Do your utmost to produce a quality product and top-class service in order to satisfy your customers. More importantly, keep working at it continuously.

In this issue, Dazzle Magazine features four young passionate individuals from various backgrounds who took the plunge by starting their own businesses. Their unique stories are a testament to what many others like them have demonstrated entrepreneurial success is possible.

Please feel free to recommend any young entrepreneur who you think should be featured in Dazzle Magazine. You can contact us online at www.dazzlethemag.com/contact-us or on Facebook via www.facebook.com/dazzlethemag. With that said, I wish you happy reading.

Please feel free to “Like� or leave feedback on our Facebook page (fb.com/dazzlethemag) Rankin Morgan Publisher/Managing Editor

Dazzle Magazine is a new and dynamic Saint Lucian bi-monthly publication that provides much-needed exposure to young professionals and entrepreneurs, and established businesses.

It covers an array of topics and categories key to starting and running a business. It also offers practical advice on everyday living, tips for a healthy lifestyle and interviews with popular and up-and-coming personalities.

Dazzle Magazine is designed to appeal to a diverse range of readers but is especially targeted at working professionals and business owners between the ages of 21-50 years. We provide our advertising clients with value for money by offering them a powerful medium to market their products, offer deals and build their brand. Best of all, we give them the opportunity to be a part of a nationwide and online marketplace of actively engaged consumers who are ready to buy, all at an affordable price.

To advertise in Dazzle Magazine, contact our sales agent via telephone (758) 452 0123 or email advertising@dazzlethemag.com for more information and terms and conditions.

table of

contents Features

16. Peter Philogene - Coach on a Mission - Taking Youth Football to the Highest Level 24. Heidi St. Clair - Child Care Visionary & Entrepreneur 30. Marvelon “Stixx” Mitchell - Master Drummer & History-Maker 38. Leslie Collymore - AIM-ing to take Digital Marketing to New Heights

Professional Progress

22. How to Start a Side Business and Earn Extra Cash 28. How to Improve Your Chances of Getting a Bank Loan

Mastering Marketing

27. Use TripAdvisor to Boost Your Hotel and Travel-related Business

Publisher Rankin Morgan Editor Tony Williams Sales & Marketing Alana M.I Morgan Art Director Aldrin Henry Contributors Reginald Andrew Emma Anius Gareth S. Jules Alana Morgan Rankin Morgan Oliviann Weekes Anthony Williams Shoe Rehab Photography Randel Harry Aldrin Henry

Health & Fitness

12. Increase Red Blood Cell Count With These Foods 14. 8 Tips to Lose Weight and Keep it Off 20. Shoe Smarts - Choosing Footwear That’s Right for You

Lifestyle

35. A Beard - Mens Guide to Beard Grooming

Gadget & Gizmos

36. West Tech Shipping Aiming to Revolutionize Freight Delivery to St. Lucia

Issue 17

facebook.com/dazzlethemag

8 Tips to Lose Weight and Keep it Off

How to Start a Side Business and Earn Extra Cash

Coach on a Mission

Shoe Smarts – Choosing Footwear That’s’ Right for You

Heidi St. Clair

Child Care Visionary & Gutsy Entrepreneur

Marvelon “Stixx” Mitchell

Peter Philogene

taking Youth Football to the Highest Level

Leslie Collymore

AIM-ing to take Digital Marketing to New Heights

Master Drummer & History-Maker

Eating In

42. Appleton & Reggae Medley

Out & About

44. Out & About

Instagram

46. Saint Lucia Main Stage Jazz 2016

On the Cover Leslie Collymore

Try me!

contact us

For more information visit us at www.dazzlethemag.com or call us at 758.452.0123

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38 16

//Feature

Leslie Collymore AIM-ing to take Digital Marketing to New Heights pg. 38

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DAZZLE 11

CHARD BARLEY GRASS COLLARD GREENS

CELERY

BLUE-GREEN ALGAE GREEN JUICES SPINACH

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WHEAT GRASS

//Feature

Coach on a Mission

Peter Philogene taking Youth Football to the Highest Level pg. 16

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8 Tips to Lose Weight and Keep it Off

By Emma Anius

Do Something You Love The secret to enjoying exercise is actually no secret at all. As the saying goes - find something to do that you love and you will never feel like you’re exercising.

If you love to be in the water, then try a water sport.

If you love the outdoors, go for a hike. There is truly something out there for everyone. You just need to find out what your fitness passion is.

on other unhealthy calorie-packed items. When you begin to feel hungry just grab one of your fruits and munch away. Problem solved.

Have Vegetables with Lunch and Dinner Having a balance of fruit and veggies in your diet is very important as they contain the vitamins and minerals our bodies need to keep healthy and disease free. They are also very low in calories, which is a nobrainer when it comes to trying to keep your weight under control.

Take a Walk with Your Significant Other

Eat at Least Two Fruits a Day Not only are fruits incredibly good for you, taking two fruits to work a day will stop you from snacking 14 DAZZLE

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Social interaction is an important factor when it comes to working out, so bringing your partner along when you go walking won’t only make it more enjoyable, it will also help you stay connected and keep both of you healthy. This is also a great way to stay motivated and keep at it.

Develop S.M.A.R.T Goals Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timed.

When you are setting your goal make sure you tick out all of these categories and there will be no stopping you. If your aim is to lose 20 pounds by the summer, start to break it down by determining how many pounds you need to lose weekly or monthly in order to keep you on track and motivated!

No Excuses Excuses are some of the main drawbacks for people trying to lose weight. Instead of coming up with reasons why you ‘can’t’ do it, focus on reasons why you can and should. There is nothing more important than your health, so making sure it is your number one priority should take precedence above everything else.

Drink More Water

Stay Consistent

Water is often overlooked when it comes to weight loss. We generally tend to focus on the foods we eat but it’s important to note that the drinks we consume are often loaded with calories too. With every meal, make sure you have a glass of water to drink. It will help to reduce any added calories you may have gained from consuming juices or alcohol.

The benefits of working out will become apparent only if you are actually working out. Doing the 5K fun walks whenever they come around is not an adequate form of exercise. Aim for at least 30 minutes minimum for 3-5 days a week at a moderate to vigorous pace. Keep at it and watch the pounds fall off, and your energy levels soar.

Starting on a fitness journey can be hard work and quite daunting but pretty soon you will wonder how you ever lived without exercising when you realise how good being fit feels.

Become the face of fitness you’ve always wanted to be and follow these 8 simple steps to begin your weight-loss journey to better health.

Find your happy place today at the

International Pony Club

Visit or call for Horseback Riding Tours & more Beausejour,

Gros Islet

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(758) 452-8139 (758) 450-8665

DAZZLE 15

Coach on a Mission

Peter Philogene

taking Youth Football to the Highest Level

W

By Reginald Andrew

ith all the added dimensions and applications being engineered into sports, the art of coaching and sports development have taken on a new twist in this modern era.

No longer can professional coaches be content to just get players going through the regular drills and exercise regime. Adopting strategic and scientific techniques is vital to enable them to transition into a fully fledged coaching career with the ability to nurture highly skilled players.

P

eter Philogene is keen on helping to push for the overall development of professional and semi-professional players from a football league standpoint.

Coaching and sports development now require insightful delivery, excellent communication and mobilization skills and the ability to develop good rapport with young players and their parents or guardians.

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Philogene has taken up the formidable task with his sights set on bolstering the holistic development of a breed of players with excellent physical fitness and an awareness of what is at stake for professional players who are committed to honing their skills.

He is currently doing his utmost to elevate Reduit FC to a higher level in the game.

Philogene put Dazzle through the drills to give us an insight into what has become his mission.

Dazzle: Tell us how your sports business venture began?

Philogene: Apart from being involved in some landscaping business, my main focus is implementing a youth football coaching and holistic developmental programme. I’m currently attached to and a founding member of the Reduit Football Club. I got an opportunity to start our first RFC Youth Academy through my links with Gary St. Rose-then President of the Gros Islet Football League (GIFL) - who was technical administrator and/trainer for the Saint Lucia Football Association (SLFA).

At that time, the SLFA was conducting youth football coaching courses under the NICE programme. After participating in the courses I got an opportunity to do an ‘after-school youth programme’ with the Montessori Centre, between the years 2011 to 2012. Initially it was done free of charge. From thereon I began doing the after-school programme and got kids to come out and play football for about 60 to 90 minute spells.I got assistance from another NICE coach and some senior Reduit FC players and progressed to this stage.

Dazzle: Tell us about ReduitFC? Philogene: Reduit FC got underway in 2010. There was a need for a new organization to be formed encompassing footballers from Reduit Park. The Reduit Sports and Cultural Club, which was managed by some other residents, got disbanded and there was no structure to take on the responsibility of managing our football. A few of us got together and decided to do our thing. The current organization is a brainchild of mine and Richard Mathurin, another Reduit FC member.Our aspiration at the time was to have a squad of players training and playing throughout the year, and to be able to pay them a stipend. It was pretty much setting up a group of semi-professional players. This is still very much at the forefront of what we want to achieve regarding Reduit FC in particular.

Dazzle: What are the operational functions like?

Philogene: Initially, the process of getting the name registered was a bit drawn out but I persisted and got to register the name Reduit FC to start off the business. However, my dream is that it becomes a club owned by every member and sustained by its membership. We would like to see the club run akin to a credit union with more than football to offer its members. There are now tangible stakes in terms of the business and its sustainability for prospective players to participate.

Dazzle: Where did the idea of managing a football club owned by the membership stem from?

Philogene: I’ve had an interest in football from my infant and primary school days. My brother and cousins and I played football at school and we also played for a few competing teams outside of school. It may also have stemmed from my English background as I’ve always followed the football world closely, rather than just watch games and think of scores and players. Now the sport attracts lots of supporters.

No longer is it just about players and managers, it’s also about the players’ progress as professionals and the overall development of clubs. For me, it is like a marriage of my passion for football and my passion for community. Reduit FC certainly has provided me with a foundation to be pretty much who I am today and it’s all based upon a group of persons from our community working together. I have always wanted to do things within the community and to do it with football. Having a playing field in the community where we grew up was pretty much the spark that started it off.

Dazzle: What is your philosophy regarding coaching and its relationship to education?

Philogene: Discipline has to be at the forefront. In our last two matches I continued to impress on the boys the value of discipline.Thinking responsibly with the aim of getting better at the sport is an education.

You really have to want to learn how to master the game. Actually, the more successful players that go through the ranks of world-class football generally have a background of education that enables them to see past a normal level of playing.

You have to look at the scenarios and be able to figure things out. You must be able to balance your mode of play with that of your teammates. When it comes to sport or football, I feel that the schools should play a very big role in terms of establishing clubs since the clubs and associations fall short with regards to their administration and sustainability. The ability to perform at any sport is innate but the onus is on the coach to direct everything. I think we are missing out by not encouraging more youth participation in sport, not only as players but in key areas of the overall development of sports. You never know who can be a club Treasurer/Accountant, Media Person/Journalist, Medic, Secretary and of course coach/manager. The kids have more talent and ability than we may think - clubs could be the platform to let them experience these roles and could assist in choosing their careers.

Dazzle: How do you plan to communicate your plans and expectations to parents?

Philogene: At the moment some parents do listen

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DAZZLE 17

most times, and I think they can see the efforts we put forward and that we are changing things.

We’re willing to adapt and move forward on a lot of challenges. Generally, their interest is in their children coming and having fun and ensuring that they are safe and enjoying themselves.

Dazzle: What challenges do you face as a coach?

Philogene: The biggest challenge I face, and that resonates through many other academies, is the lack of a profound respect for the sport. There isn’t much appreciation of value put into football that makes you feel we can move to the next level or become semiprofessional or a professional attached to the sport in the industry.

Charles. He was the first coach who really made me understand the various aspects of the game. And there were other coaches like Patrick ‘Pattaco’ Philip of Northern United, now passed, Quintin of Lancers, ‘Gros Brown’ of VSADC, Osco - Gros Islet U19 and the current national coach, Francis ‘Baba’ Lastic and many more I could mention. Certainly, their commitment to the game has been an inspiration to me over the years and they’ve had a profound influence on me.

Generally, people’s perception of the game and the approach towards the sport,although it is getting better, I must say there has to be more commitment from and to the kids. It is hard to separate them from various technology gadgets, like the tablets and other apps that they spend their time playing with… and we must get into the habit of encouraging the kids to want to play the game, as opposed to just wanting to be there.

Dazzle: Where do you see Reduit FC in the next five years?

Philogene: In the next five years maybe we would have had a couple players on national teams. I think I have and have had a couple players who could maybe reach the age where they can be picked up by a football scout and given the opportunity to be professionals in the sport somewhere in the world.

Added to that, I would like the club to be sustainable and continuing to forge community driven members of society.

Dazzle: What has been your greatest achievement with Reduit FC? Philogene: Funny enough, it was managing the senior team to a simple 1-0 win over the then National Club Champions, Super J Northern United in a Senior Football Tournament them having most of their players fielded including the legend Francis “Baba” Lastic. We had never beaten them before and managing the team then was a proud moment for me. Also, starting the youth academy has also been a momentous occasion for me. Positive impact on just one child is a great achievement for me, I’d like to think I’ve already done that.

Dazzle: Who has motivated you?

Philogene: I was fortunate to have learnt under a few very good coaches, from as young as 11 or 12 years old at St. Mary’s College under Stewart 18 DAZZLE

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fun facts Who or what motivates you?

My family.

What other sports do you play?

Futbol, Futsal...Soccer when I’m in the US. Favourtie sports personality?

My brother - Christopher Philogene Favourite hang-out spot?

Reduit Playing Field.

Shoe Smarts – Choosing Footwear That’s Right for You

L

et’s face it, in today‘s world it’s hard not to be driven by fashion when it comes to selecting a pair of shoes! The harsh reality is that poor footwear choices can lead to unbearable discomfort and even permanent foot aliments. Blisters, bunions, Plantar and arch problems are all the result of uninformed shoe selections, all of which can be avoided by following these simple guidelines while shoe shopping:

Shop In the afternoon This will give you a more accurate fit as your feet would have naturally expanded at the end of the day.

Take a walk in those shoes It is so important that your feet are able to breathe in your shoes. Be sure to try on both sides and wiggle your toes around to ensure that there is adequate space, to avoid getting cramps after wearing them for too long.

Shoe sizes are simply guides Shoe sizes vary based on the different manufacturers, materials used and countries of origin. Therefore it 20 DAZZLE

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is imperative that you make your selection based on what feels comfortable and leaves about ½ inch between the longest toe and the end of your shoe.

Never rely on the assertion that you’ll eventually “break them in”; if it’s too snug or you feel a pinch, do not buy them!

Know your foot type Just as the shapes of different peoples’ feet are different, shoes are perfect for different people in different ways. Are your feet very broad? Do you have very long toes or a high instep? These are also things to consider as details such as wide width sizing or orthotic insoles may be necessary to get the right fit.

Style is important Your footwear should have laces, straps, buckles or even Velcro to secure them. If the feet have to make an effort to hold them in place, foot muscles might get strained. Further, shoes with very narrow front areas tend to force toes into an unnatural position which can lead to numerous injuries to the toes, ankles, knees, calves, and back.

//Feature

Heidi

ST. CLAIR Child Care Visionary & Gutsy Entrepreneur pg. 24

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How to Start a Side Business and Earn Extra Cash

By Oliviann Weekes

I

n recent times it has become increasingly difficult to not only find gainful employment but to also make ends meet. The cost of living has risen to an alarming rate and many people are finding it hard to satisfy even their basic needs. As a result, they are now searching for new and innovative ways to provide for themselves and their families.

Setting up a side business is an ideal way to do so.

A side business is any venture that provides someone with extra cash but does not serve as their main source of income. Many people who start side businesses do so while working a fulltime job. Becoming a successful entrepreneur requires time, dedication and persistence. There are a number of steps that must be taken now that you have decided to become an entrepreneur.

Firstly, you must decide what you are interested in. Any business venture that you start should be 22 DAZZLE

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something that you are passionate about. This will keep you going when challenges arise. Is there a sport, language or skill that you excel in? Many people have transformed their hobbies into successful professions simply because of their passion for the field. A creative person may become a photographer, a linguist can become a language teacher, a writer may start his/ her own blog, a young woman with a love for children could decide to become a babysitter. A charismatic,

persuasive individual may decide to become a salesperson.

operation is not a conflict of interest. Professionalism is key and you must not operate your side business within the organization you are working for as this is gross misconduct. The time dedicated to your side business must be allocated outside working hours.

After you have decided the sort of business you wish to invest in, you must register your business in the country where you reside. Here are three simple steps to registering a business: • Select a name for your business and also ensure that it is not already taken by using the Business Name Search Process.

Secondly, what is the market like for this product?

While it is important that you work in a field that you are passionate about, it is equally important to assess the demand for that service or product. Successful entrepreneurs have identified problems or needs and they have created businesses that respond to those needs. For example, a woman who loves sewing may decide to become a professional seamstress but may fully utilize this business venture during peak times of the year in her country when there is a greater demand for seamstresses. For example, prior to the celebration of Independence, people usually commemorate the occasion by wearing clothing in the colors of the flag of their country. This places seamstresses in high demand at that time of the year.

• Collect and complete the Business Registration forms as well as the Statutory Declaration form at the relevant government agency in your country.

• Submit all documents to the relevant agency along with any required application fees.

Thirdly, what are your strengths? When exploring new interests, awareness of self is crucial. It is important to be aware of your strengths as this will be of great advantage to you as you develop your business. It is equally important to be aware of your limitations, so that throughout this journey you do not try to tackle more than you can manage.

Now that your business is approved and has been registered, the bulk of your work begins. In order to be a successful entrepreneur, you must remain focused on your goals and adjust your expectations when necessary. Most importantly, ensure that you evolve with your business by using innovative means of enhancing your product/service and reinventing yourself when necessary to suit the needs and wants of the clientele that you serve.

Fourthly, ensure that your side business does not conflict with your current job. You need to understand your employer’s policies to ensure that your side

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Heidi

ST. CLAIR Child Care Visionary & Gutsy Entrepreneur “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all” Helen Keller

H

eidi St. Clair, a Babonneau Secondary School alumni had her sights set on becoming a fashion designer until her introduction to childcare. This experience commenced her daring adventure into the world of children through her business, St. Clair’s Sitting Service.

In an interview with Dazzle, the 26-year old talks about her love for the business and what keeps her going. In all things she holds God as a vital component of her life. She did not get it right initially but in her own words, steady does it.

Dazzle: Who is Heidi St. Claire?

Heidi: I was born in Gros Islet town and spent a number of years in Switzerland. I can remember some of the sights and smells from my time there but not the language. I undertook most of my primary schooling at Gros-Islet Primary, where I wrote the Common Entrance Exam. I did well and was placed at Babonneau Secondary, where I met my best friend, Nasha Joseph.

Dazzle: When you left Babonneau Secondary what happened?

Heidi: At that time my dream was to become a fashion designer so I made no plans to attend Sir Arthur Lewis Community College. Instead, I made plans to pursue my dreams at a Fashion School in London. However, when I landed my first job all fashion design dreams disappeared.

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Dazzle: What was that first job?

Heidi: It was providing assistance at a Day-care operated by Ms. Bridget. At the time my response was one of uncertainty as I had never worked with children. However, I decided to take a chance and fell in love with them. I remained on the job for approximately five months.

Dazzle: Tell us about the business you are in?

Heidi: The name of my company is St. Clair’s Sitting Services. Basically, we hire ladies to serve as nannies, who are long-term child carers or sitters, short term carers. Our services also include house cleaning, school pickups and grocery shopping. We boast a staff compliment of over 25 temporary/permanent employees, who are assigned as required.

Dazzle: What differentiates you from other care services providers?

Heidi: There is no one like us. At St. Clair’s we take care of your children as if they are our own. To ensure that our staff are the best of the best, we undertake extensive background checks. This ensures that the client is assigned a capable and trustworthy nanny or sitter. We do not see other childcare facilities as competition since there is no other service provider like us.

Dazzle: What did you do after the first mishap?

Heidi: Since I had no training in child care I went back to school to study early childhood education at Penn Foster College. My studies strengthened the areas I lacked. I also did a lot of googling. Google is my best friend. More importantly, I asked a lot of questions from people who were in business. To further strengthen my skills I am currently pursuing business management training.

Dazzle: Who were the persons that provided pivotal support to you?

Heidi: My ‘people pillars’, these are the people in my life who influence my decisions. They include my best friend, Nasha Joseph, my fiancé Mc Kenny Mc Gowan, Gregory St. Croix, Yvette Theodore, Sally Alcindor and my mom, Petra St. Clair. I do not make any major decisions without consulting my pillars.

Dazzle: Did you receive assistance from any organisations?

Heidi: I received technical assistance from SEDU in getting organised. Financially, I started with EC$150.

At the time I rushed to get everything done in one go. I thought I could become a millionaire as soon as I had the business set up, but this I learnt the hard way.

It was like someone took a long needle and popped my bubble when I realised it was not going to occur to easily.

Dazzle: What were some other challenges you faced?

Heidi: Knowing the true value of money; worrying about finance. I wanted everything right away, however I was told I had to wait. It takes time to build a success. However, it was not until I grew as a person that I understood what they meant.

Dazzle: What keeps you motivated?

Heidi: There is no one who motivates me, it comes from my internal desire to succeed. I love St. Clair’s Sitting Services and only want the best for the company.

Dazzle: What advice do you have for aspiring entrepreneurs?

Heidi: You could never have too much information.

Conduct a lot of research. Take your time, steady does it. Seek advice from people who know what they are about. You will grow as you acquire information and gain experience. Surround yourself with people who support your aspirations.

fun facts Last book read.

50 Shades of Grey.

Favourite colour?

Pink.

Favourite Food?

Anything with cheese; breadfruit and saltfish.

Dazzle: What next for Heidi St. Clair?

Heidi: I am satisfied with what I have accomplished to date. However, my short-term goal is to start a day care service and build the brand locally, then in the long term go regional.

Heidi’s inspiring story shows the resilience of a determined young lady who is set to make bigger waves in St. Lucia and beyond. She’s feisty and full of spirit, which could only propel her to achieve greater success.

Dazzle Magazine extends best wishes to Heidi in her future endeavours.

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DAZZLE 25

//Feature

Marvelon “Stixx” Mitchell Master Drummer & History-Maker pg. 30

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Use TripAdvisor to Boost Your Hotel and Travel-related Business

By Rankin Morgan

T

ripAdvisor is the world’s largest travel website, providing reviews of hotels, restaurants, attractions and other travel-related content.

It also has interactive travel forums. It reportedly has more than 60 million members who have generated over 200 million reviews.

Why use TripAdvisor?

With travellers’ increasing reliance on peer reviews to help them make informed decisions, TripAdvisor is the first website that springs to mind for holidaymakers wishing to get additional information about a particular destination, hotel/inn, restaurant or island tour they wish to experience.

Globally, travel review websites are the go-to travel resource for the majority of vacationers and business travellers and they are used by an estimated 69 percent of consumers. Next comes online travel agencies, which are popular with 57 percent of travellers, followed by tour operator sites used by 56 percent of general travellers and by 43 percent of families and friends. Magazines and brochures are the primary source of information for 30 percent of holidaymakers while 24 percent of them use social media. This means the best way to market your business to prospective vacationers and tourists is through TripAdvisor.

TripAdvisor is important!

In order to make sure that your business generates as many reviews as possible, it’s essential to encourage guests to share their experience on TripAdvisor. You

can do this by approaching them in the lobby while they’re checking in, in elevators, in their rooms, in the dining area or at the end of their tour. These are just a few ways of reaching out to them. You can also conduct internal surveys to determine the levels of customer satisfaction. Polls done through e-mails no longer work so it’s better to encourage a customer to go directly to a peer review site a couple of days after their stay.

Tips for raising your TripAdvisor Rankings • Monitor social activity to identify new customer reviews • Give staff a deadline for responding to negative reviews • Use a standard template to respond to all negative reviews • Leave a personalised message to thank people for their positive reviews

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DAZZLE 27

How to Improve Your Chances of Getting a Bank Loan

by Gareth S. Jules

Ever since the global financial crisis in 2008, banks and other financial institutions have become more stringent with their lending policies and practices.

T

hey began to reduce their lending as a result of the harsh economic conditions, rising unemployment and a lack of foreign direct investments. These developments forced the financial institutions to revisit their credit risk policies in an effort to safeguard the funds of shareholders, depositors and other stakeholders.

Contrary to popular belief, if a bank declines your request for a loan, it would be incorrect to say that they are not lending you THEIR money. Rather, they are not lending you OUR money.

Many people believe that a good paying job, a steady stream of income and no credit history will 28 DAZZLE

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automatically qualify them for a loan. However, this is not the case. Many institutions use different instruments to determine whether you fit the criteria for a loan. The most widely used tool is called ‘The Five Cs of Credit.’ These five factors are used to determine the credit worthiness of potential borrowers and the likelihood of them defaulting on their loans. Let us explore those five Cs, namely Character, Capacity, Capital, Collateral and Conditions.

Character This measure is used to evaluate the borrower’s reputation to try and determine future behavioral patterns, including the individual’s employment history, and their references. It also involves a faceto-face interview to assess the loan applicant’s character (qualitative method). The quantitative methods used include credit ratings or credit checks, which is basically a detailed list of your credit history,

consisting of information provided by lenders that have extended credit to you, the types of credit you have received, your payment history, and more.

It is very important for a financial institution to be comfortable with a borrower’s character. A mixture of a good credit history, integrity and honesty will make it easy to qualify for a loan, since these factors show the willingness and capability to repay.

ability to generate cash to repay the principal and interest on a loan and thus mitigate the probability of a debt default. Most lending institutions use financial ratios to assess one’s financial capability. In addition, a cash flow statement is requested in order to get a true reflection of the client’s receipt and dissemination of cash. Past income and employment history are also considered in determining your ability to repay a debt.

Collateral Collateral is an asset that a borrower pledges as a security for a loan. For most car loans, the car itself is the security. For student loans land can be used as collateral. Should one default on a loan, the bank invokes their lien on the property and exercises their right to claim ownership. Loans secured by collateral are considered less risky than those that are not.

Capital Capital is the sum of money one pays down towards an investment for which he/she is requesting a loan, for example a down payment on a house or car.

Banks love borrowers with a lot of capital as it is an indication of financial strength acquired through accumulated wealth over a period of time. Capital also takes into account a borrower’s overall ability to withstand volatility. It represents savings, investments and other valuable assets that can help with loan payments.

Capacity One’s capacity to repay a loan is vital to a financial institution in order to determine credit worthiness.

Capacity is a measure used to determine a borrower’s

Because of the current financial climate, most banks require some form of collateral to qualify for a loan.

Collateral is measured by its value and ability to be sold quickly on the market, or to be liquidated.

Therefore, before you go to the bank for a loan, which will most likely require collateral, ensure that your proposed asset is valuable enough to be recovered by the bank through a sale should you default on your loan repayments.

Conditions Conditions refer to the terms of the loan agreement as well as the economic climate that might affect a borrower’s ability to repay a loan. For example, if a hospitality worker applies for a car loan in an economic climate where tourism is dwindling, with no hope of rebounding in the short term, a bank might consider this a reason not to grant the loan. Conditions include interest rates and length of payment. Banks must be able to have a clear picture of the economic climate in which a potential borrower is operating and its likelihood to affect cash flow and the repayment of a loan. Attention to industry trends and economic activity is key for all loans officers and credit analysts.

Now that you know what banks and other financial institutions require in order to grant loans and credit facilities to clients, you can better prepare for your next trip to the bank, ready to answer questions relating to your application. After all, the bank would love to grant you a loan if you qualify, so that it can continue to pay you and other fellow depositors interest on your savings.

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DAZZLE 29

Marvelon “Stixx” Mitchell Master Drummer & History-Maker

by Anthony Williams

I

t takes quite a lot to be a good drummer. Almost every day you’ve got to spend hours perfecting your drum beats and your coordination.

To be a great drummer, one whose talent is sought after by international music stars, you must be able to perform with a level of skill, style and sophistication that is way beyond the ordinary.

That’s what Marvelon “Stixx” Mitchell discovered in his quest to become not just a professional drummer but one determined to distinguish himself from the pack wherever he performs, be it at home in St. Lucia or any other part of the world.

S

tixx, 30, was in his late teens when he decided that he wanted to be a fulltime drummer. He has always had a passionate love for music. After graduating from secondary school, he worked briefly and then realised that the eight-to-four treadmill was not for him. He persuaded his mother {“Joan Mitchell-Anius”} to buy him a drum set and then taught himself to play them.

Subsequently he hooked up with the band DeN5 and they did local gigs at various shows around the island, and at some of the hotels.

Stixx was then contracted to play on cruise ships.

Eventually, he moved to New York. While there, a music producer spotted a couple of his demos via social media and he was fascinated. The producer happened to be Llamar “Riff Raff” Brown, the keyboard player for none other than Stephen “Raggamuffin” Marley, six-time Grammy Award winner and son of reggae legend, Bob Marley.

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Brown showed Stixx’s demos to one of the Marleys and this led to a string of events that ultimately changed Stixx’s life. Before long he began living the dream that few aspiring musicians get the chance to experience.

Other Jamaican reggae stars like Junior Reid, Bushman, Spragga Benz got wind of his remarkable drumming skills and soon Stixx was doing backup recordings with some of them and performing at international shows.

When did you realise for sure that you wanted to pursue music as a career?

He’s currently rated as one of the most talented drummers in the business and the only drummer from St. Lucia and the Eastern Caribbean to play for one of the Marleys, Stixx is also the first Drummer from St. Lucia to play on international reggae records.

He is endorsed by drumstick company Regal Tip by Calato & telecommunications company Digicel. It’s an achievement Stixx is understandably proud of and he was more than happy to share his amazing life experience with Dazzle readers.

When I started off I used to play with DeN5 at various shows like Calypso Spectacular, Outrageous Sexy in Black, Forever Gold. Then I began playing with a band called Spectacle. I wanted to do music fulltime but there was no other avenue to do that here so I left and went to work on the cruise ships. That was back in 2006. That’s when I really started my career professionally.

Stixx: I was 18. I taught myself how to play. My mom got me a drum kit. At the time we had already moved to Bonne Terre where I had my own space. My Pap had a stereo in the living room so I would set up in front of it and play.

fun facts

Tell us a bit about yourself and your life growing up.

What band are you currently contracted with?

Stixx: I was born in Castries, resided in the CDC on Jeremie Street. I lived there for six years, then my mom moved to Bonne Terre. We lived there for 24 years. I attended Entrepot Secondary and began working soon after graduating. I worked at Cable & Wireless for one year and for one year at Digicel and then decided to do music fulltime. I am now a professional drummer.

Stixx: It doesn’t really have a name because I play for an artiste. He’s Jo Mersa Marley, the eldest son of Stephen Marley. When we go on tours or do shows it’s basically Jo Mersa and his band. We’re his backup band, usually we’re called the ghetto youths which stemmed from Stephen, Damian & Julian Marley’s record label “Ghetto Youths International which Jo Mersa is signed to.

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How did you get the opportunity to play for Jo Mersa Marley?

Stixx: I have a good friend named Lamar “Riff Raff” Brown who’s a keyboard player for Stephen Marley.

He’s produced for Morgan Heritage, Busy Signal, Stephen Marley and Jah Cure. He saw a couple of my demos and he was fascinated by the way I was playing. He showed it to Jo Mersa Marley. I was in New York at the time, so they arranged to meet me there.

They were in Philadelphia on the “Catch Ah Fire Tour” along with Damian Marley and they were coming to do a show in New York. Stephen Marley set up a pass so I could come to the concert. He put me on his VIP list.

Afterwards we met and we went to the studio. We spent a couple days together. Jo Mersa asked me to run through a couple songs because he had his album on a player or something. I was in a booth in the console. Damian and Stephen were also there. I didn’t know it was an audition. I was just messing around with the songs unaware that they were listening. They were impressed. That’s how I was offered the gig.

just handed me what I wanted. I had to show interest in something. My parents would always give me what I needed and put me in a position where I had to work for it. At first that was my biggest motivation.

What advice would you give to young, up-and-coming musicians hoping to follow in your footsteps?

Stixx: First, you’ve got to know yourself and understand the business you’re in, and the environment you’re going to get into. You must also understand what you’re being hired to do and find a balance, and determine if you’re capable of doing the job.

When you’re touring or doing one-off shows the artiste wants someone who can represent what they do. They don’t want negativity. For example, even if you can play but they see you smoking all the time and talking negative stuff or you have an arrogant attitude, they don’t like it. Basically you just have to be a nice guy and be business oriented. It’s not a bed of roses and you have to put in a lot of hard work.

Subsequently, where did you perform?

Stixx: First we did rehearsals in Miami and then we went to Jamaica where Jo Mersa was hired to do a gig at the Cannabis Festival. We then returned to Miami and worked on some other material. After that I Damian & Stephen Marley’s Welcome to Jamrock Reggae Cruise, an annual event, on the Norwegian Pearl. We performed there for two weeks along with artistes like Busy Signal, Maxi Priest, Tanya Stevens, Sly & Robbie, Bounty Killer, Capleton, Jah Cure, Elephant Man, Popcaan, Tarrus Riley, Morgan Heritage, the list goes on. After that we returned to Miami for our final show of the season at the Hialeah Park Casino, when then worked on Jo Mersa’s new single, Burn It Down. It was released in Miami and is now released internationally via iTunes and other music selling platforms, so I have to go to the radio stations for that.

I’ve played on a number of albums, including Dennis Brown’s new record “Everything Happens In It’s Own Time” which comes out sometime soon. I’ve played for Spragga Benz on more than four of his songs, with Jah Cure on an album we recorded at Salaam Remi’s studio in Miami, and with Kymani Marley and Spragga Benz.

What motivates you?

Stixx: What really fuels my motivations is my parents.

My step dad, Neil Anius - I call him Paps - he instilled in me that whatever I need I must work for it. Paps never 32 DAZZLE

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fun facts Most embarrassing moment?

Once, when my drum stick broke during my solo (laughs).

Most memorable moment?

Obtaining my very first endorsement with Drumstick Company Regal Tip by Calato at NAMM 2016.

//Feature

Leslie Collymore

AIM-ing to take Digital Marketing to New Heights

pg. 38

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DAZZLE 33

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THE CLOSE CROPPED CROPPED BEARD BEARDRESEMBLES RESEMBLESTHE THESTUBBLE STUBBLEBEARD BEARD THE CLOSE BUT REQUIRES REQUIRES A A WEEK WEEK OR OR22OF OFGROWTH GROWTHDEPENDING DEPENDINGON ONFOLICLE FOLICLE DENSITY & GROWTH GROWTH SPEED. SPEED. THE CLOSE CROPPED BEARD RESEMBLES THE STUBBLE BEARD MAINTAINANCE OF THEOR CLOSE CROPPEDBEARD BEARDREQUIRES REQUIRES MAINTAINANCE THE CLOSE AA BUT REQUIRES AOF WEEK 2 OFCROPPED GROWTH DEPENDING ON FOLICLE SIMPLE CLIPPER TRIM (1-3GAURD) GAURD)&&SHAVED, SHAVED,TRIMMED, TRIMMED,OR OR CLIPPER TRIM (1-3 DENSITY & GROWTH SPEED. NATURAL NECKLINE. NECKLINE. MAINTAINANCE OF THE CLOSE CROPPED BEARD REQUIRES A PAY ATTENTION TO THE CHEEKLINE, OCCASIONAL TOUCH UPS ATTENTION THE CHEEKLINE, TOUCH UPS SIMPLE CLIPPER TO TRIM (1-3 GAURD) & OCCASIONAL SHAVED, TRIMMED, OR OF STRAGGLER HAIRS MAY MAYBE BEREQUIRED. REQUIRED. STRAGGLER HAIRS NATURAL NECKLINE. PAY ATTENTION TO THE CHEEKLINE, OCCASIONAL TOUCH UPS OF STRAGGLER HAIRS MAY BE REQUIRED.

THEFULL FULLBEARD BEARD IS IS THE THE STAGE STAGE OF GROWTH THAT THE THAT MAY MAY REQUIREA ABUT BUT OF OF SHAPING SHAPING FOR ROUNDER FACES, REQUIRE FACES, TRIMMINGTHE THE SIDE SIDE BURNS BURNS & UPPER CHEEKS WILL TRIMMING WILL ADDFULL LENGTH TO THE THE FACE, THE ADD LENGTH TO FACE, STRENGTHENING THE JAW JAW THE BEARD IS THE STAGE OF GROWTH THAT MAY &CHIN CHINLINE. LINE. MUSTASHE TRIMMING TOP LIP & MUSTASHE TRIMMING AT THEFACES, LIP REQUIRE A BUT OF SHAPING FOR ROUNDER OPTIONAL. OPTIONAL. TRIMMING THE SIDE BURNS & UPPER CHEEKS WILL ADD LENGTH TO THE FACE, STRENGTHENING THE JAW THE FULL BEARD IS ISTRIMMING PRESENT, RELAX RELAX ONCE THE FULL BEARD PRESENT, THE &ONCE CHIN LINE. MUSTASHE AT THETHE TOP LIP NECKLINEMAINTANANCE MAINTANANCE TO TO ALLOW ALLOW THE NECKLINE THE FULL FULL BEARD BEARD OPTIONAL. BODYTO TODEVELOP. DEVELOP. BODY ONCE THE FULL BEARD IS PRESENT, RELAX THE NECKLINE MAINTANANCE TO ALLOW THE FULL BEARD BODY TO DEVELOP.

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DAZZLE 35

IF YOU’VE COME THIS FAR, THERE IS NO TURNING BACK!

Aiming to Revolutionize Freight Delivery to St. Lucia

I

n Saint Lucia shopping online has become more popular than ever as more people browse the internet on tablets, smartphones and desktop devices with the hope of finding better deals and bargains.

Many of them are now discovering that they can do so a lot easier and more affordably, and with less hassle thanks to West Tech Shipping, a locally owned freight forwarding company that is set to become a major player in Saint Lucia’s shipping and freight forwarding market.

First established in January 2015, West Tech Shipping has two offices conveniently located in Castries and Rodney Bay, as well as an office in Florida. The company is owned and run by Rashid Jean-Bapiste.

West Tech provides freight forwarding services from the USA to Saint Lucia. It coordinates shipping for consumers as well as businesses and does everything from finding the right combination of trains, planes and trucks for a speedy delivery from the U.S. to Saint Lucia, to pushing shipments through customs. They 36 DAZZLE

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also deliver packages to customers at their doorstep or workplace in the north, from Castries to Gros Islet.

West Tech Shipping also provides a package consolidation service whereby several smaller shipments are assembled and shipped together to avail of better freight rates and security of cargo.

They even offer assisted shopping services. If you don’t have a valid US credit card or you have trouble ordering online they can shop on your behalf. They are also able to purchase many hard to get products from various online and even physical stores in North America on behalf of customers, and arrange for the items to be shipped safely to Saint Lucia.

Perhaps the best part - at least for those continually connected to the internet and always on the go- is that West Tech, at its core, is an IT-focused company serving customers online and at physical locations, making access to their services easier and more convenient than ever. All transactions can be done via their website westtechshipping.com. You simply

register and create a personal account. From there you can also track the status of your shipments and when they are scheduled to arrive in Saint Lucia.

“Also we’re an IT company. We design and developed our website and even the backend to track customers’ packages etc. So on the fly, we could continue making changes to better serve you the customer, by

The West Tech Shipping team are aware that they face stiff competition in the local market from other shipping and freight forwarding companies. But, as Rashid explains, the company is keenly focused on differentiating itself from the rest, not least by its pricing structure which is nothing short of revolutionary by local standards.

“There are lots of other players here in Saint Lucia who provide freight forwarding services but we want to differentiate ourselves and make sure we offer the lowest prices,” says Rashid. “At the same time we want to keep our rates simple because a lot of the other providers down here have very complicated rates depending on the weight etc. Our rates are simple.

There are just four things you need to remember; 5, 10, 15, 20. EC$5 handling fee, EC$10 per pound, EC$15 if you want us to consolidate for you, e.g. if you shop from Forever 21, Victoria Secrets or wherever, we can consolidate everything into a single shipment and deliver it to your place of work in Castries or Gros Islet for $20. That’s all. Very simple. You don’t have to look up any rate chart or anything like that. For most people they’ll only be paying $5 and $10.”

To further accommodate its customers, West Tech Shipping tries to be flexible rather than sticking rigidly to the normal way of doing things.

“Another way we try to differentiate ourselves is that we have a lot more flexibility because we own the business end to end. We own the entire supply chain.

Many people down here operate a franchise or they deal with another company in Florida but with us we have our own location. You can call our offices in the US by simply checking our website for the telephone number. The only thing we don’t own is the planes. So we have a certain amount of flexibility and there are certain things we could do for you because of that,” says Rashid He added: “For example, a customer wanted us to consolidate their purchases but they didn’t want them all shipped at the same time. They wanted us to stock the packages at our warehouse so that they could direct us when each one could be shipped. We were happy to do that for them.

providing that kind of support from both front and backend, using our IT capabilities. You can just visit our website and sign up there with your email and account number and log in at any time.

“Anytime we receive a package on a customer’s behalf, they’ll automatically receive an email and you could log in and get the details of the package, for example the vendor or place of purchase, the weight etc.

When it ships you get an email and when it’s cleared at Customs and available for pickup you get another email. We don’t charge a subscription fee. Signing up is totally free. Also we have two locations: Castries and Rodney Bay. You can use whichever is more convenient for you. You can do your shopping and transactions from our offices or online.

Rashid mentions that, going forward, the company is looking to enhance its ability to analyze customers’ needs and respond quickly with differentiated and technologically advanced logistics solutions. In addition in the very near future it will be possible for customers to pay all their fees, shipping, duties, etc. online, thereby making it even more convenient and hassle-free.

“At West Tech we have a young, dynamic and experienced team that is a forward-looking team.

Our goal is to be the number one freight forwarding company in Saint Lucia and the wider region, tailored to suit the individual needs of each and every one of our customers. We are also committed to offering world-class services at the most affordable rates, and value for money,” says Rashid.

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Leslie Collymore

AIM-ing to take Digital Marketing to New Heights

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Leslie Collymore AIM-ing to take Digital Marketing to New Heights

by Gareth S. Jules

W

e live in an age where technology has pretty much been instilled in our DNA one way or another. Over the past decade we have seen a shift in the way companies present their products and services to consumers due to the widespread use of social media.

Just look around St. Lucia, most companies are turning to social media and online marketing as a way of not only cutting down on their marketing budget but to reach a vast number of people in a short period.

M

eet Leslie Collymore, 38. of The Morne, Castries. A former student of the Carmen Rene Memorial School and St. Mary’s College, Leslie received his tertiary education at the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College. He subsequently attended Midwestern State University in Texas, USA where he attained a BBA in Marketing. With years dedicated to honing his craft, he holds more than 17 professional certifications in Marketing, ICT, Leadership, and sports administration.

Leslie is currently the managing director of Advanced Intellectual Methods (AIM), a fast-growing, innovative management consulting firm in St. Lucia. He’s also the president of the St. Lucia Basketball Federation and recently nominated to serve on the FIBA America Marketing Committee (International Basketball Governing body).

We sat with Leslie for an exclusive interview during which he spoke about the founding of AIM, his fascinating exploits in the dynamic and exciting world of web-based strategic marketing, and his love for basketball.

Dazzle: Tell us about AIM. Leslie: Advanced Intellectual Methods (AIM) was founded in 2009, and at that time concentrated on Web Development, E-Marketing and E-Business

as it was referred to at the time. About two years ago we decided to make a strategic shift in focus to a core set of activities. We now focus on strategic marketing counsel, Innovation, customer insight, digital strategy/training, and business analytics.

Dazzle: Describe your professional journey and the establishment of AIM. Leslie: I started at the St. Lucia Tourist Board (SLTB) with responsibility for market research. Through international training opportunities, I was exposed to e-marketing. At the time, tourism was highly competitive. The internet levelled the marketing playing field and not too long after my responsibilities primarily became developing and executing the destinations online marketing strategies. Whilst at SLTB, I had the opportunity to work with Google conceptualizing marketing and destination way finding for their Mapping solution Google Earth.

After that enlightening stint, I went on to the M&C Group of companies and became the group-marketing manager at age 25. In that sector, there was no digital marketing, very different from SLTB. Based on my tourism experience I began pushing the e-marketing agenda, however the company was in a state of transition at that time and so naturally adoption was slow. Then the financial services sector came knocking and I undertook the role of Assistant manager of marketing at the ECFH Group with responsibility for Advertising &, promotion, Research, product development & Management , Digital Marketing and events. Once again blessed with another dynamic and fast paced sector since financial institutions are heavy users of technology, marketing and digital applications. After that I moved over to Digicel St. Lucia as the Head of Marketing with the executive responsibility for the Marketing function. While all this was going on, AIM was establishing itself as a

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viable standalone entity, fully staffed and functional.

After gaining invaluable experience and training from my corporate journey, I felt that it was time to devote my time and energy full time to AIM. Dazzle: What are some of AIM’s biggest achievements?

Leslie: We always take a strategic approach to our projects, spending a lot of time looking at trends and market opportunities which can create value for our customers. This year we were nominated for the Prime Minister’s Award for Innovation for developing an application called TAKE FLIGHT. The application is custom built solution which manages the reservations, accounting, engineering, feet management and pilot schedules for St. Lucia Helicopters. We also attained our global partner certification in 2015 with Constant Contact which. is an online marketing company, headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts, with additional offices in San Francisco; Loveland, Colorado; New York, New York; Delray Beach, Florida; and London, England.

Dazzle: How did you become involved with Basketball?

Leslie: Basketball is something that I’ve always enjoyed….scatch that… LOVED. I started playing at age 15 at St. Mary’s College and then played for the Morne Stars, Courts Jets, St. Lucia and abroad. After my playing days, I decided to focus my energy on the administrative side of things to help promote and develop the sport in St. Lucia.

Dazzle: How did you land the role of President of the St. Lucia Basketball Federation?

Leslie: In 2011 I met my old coach who invited me to a meeting to elect a new executive. I was invited to the meeting to vote. They started with nominees for the role of president. Persons had to give their ideas for developing the sport. I was then asked to give my opinion. At that time, I realized it was a set up. I gave them my views on the critical issues and development strategies. After that they moved a motion to nominate me. Out of fifty people, I received the overwhelming majority of the votes and the rest, as they say- is history. From there we decided to focus on five strategic pillars; governance, marketing, fund raising, finances, technical matters and tournaments.

The last 5 years have been challenging however within the next two years we are looking to have a mini-hoops grassroots program, Under 15, Under 19 and senior male and female teams. We also want to have an established university recruitment process.

Our goal as a Federation has and has always been development, hence the development of the National and Commercial Leagues. We recently met with some 40 DAZZLE

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college recruiters with a view to signing an MOU, which would guarantee basketball scholarships for our young men and women. Hopefully in the next five years we can have our first male or female NBA or WNBA player.

fun facts Favorite basketball team?

Of all time, 96-96 Chicago Bulls. Presently, San Antonio Spurs.

Black or blue ink pen?

Black.

Favorite food?

Mother’s baked chicken. You won’t understand until you try it!

Favorite vacation spot?

Malaysia. Then other Caribbean islands, we have so much beauty, culture and history in our region Gmail or Hotmail?

Gmail.

Air or sea travel?

Air. Dazzle: What are some of the major international projects that you have worked on? How did they find out about your work?

Leslie: A lot of the work that we do overseas is on research and customer insight. The first major gig that we landed was with UWI Mona. They were doing a study on the adoption of tertiary education in the OECS and the viability of establishing a four-year fully functional university. We also did a research project for a company in Tokyo, which was subcontracted by a Japanese statutory agency. The challenge was to research on the ageing of the Japanese population.

Specifically, the reasons why the Japanese youth aren’t procreating at a fast enough rate to counteract the vast number of aging persons in their population; which in turn was creating stress of social services, national insurance and the welfare state. Based on the research that we did, we found out that the young population is more interested in technology, counter cultures and virtual reality. Despite these international projects there’s truly no greater feeling than creating value for our St Lucian customers.

Locally we have worked with the Gov’t institutions, statutory bodies, large organizations, many SME and micro enterprises as well as non-profits. Working with

voluntary organizations is part of our corporate social responsibilities. The approach that we’ve taken is through ‘Random Acts’ where an act of kindness would be done randomly.

Dazzle: You recently obtained a Constant Contact Certification. Tell us about that and its impact on businesses.

Leslie: Email marketing is still one of the most effective tools for digital marketing. Constant Contact is one of the leading email marketing solutions. We did research into them and decided to become a partner, internally certifying our team members in the different modules. When that was done, we brought the service to clients informing them that this is the right way to email marketing. We are partners with Constant Contact in the region. So in effect, you can have us manage it for you or we can set it, train you or your team up and provide technical support. This certification is global and so we can provide support to clients anywhere in the world.

Dazzle: How do you manage to operate in the current economic climate?

Leslie: Very often companies look at their budgets and first thing they cut their marketing budget. Easy enough to do but not advisable as studies will show that in tough economic times one should increase their marketing activity to let the public, clients and potential clients know that they’re still in existence, still viable and still able to provide value. No doubt It has been a challenge but a strategic, persistent approach must be employed in order to deal with the issues.

Dazzle: What’s next for you professionally?

Leslie: There have been many requests to do speaking and lecturing. Currently I am an adjunct lecturer for Social media and marketing at couple tertiary education providers. And despite not being rich, I’d like to go into philanthropy. There are so many critical social needs in our society that if each one uses our resources, networks and talent to up a worthy cause it would help. Not to mention the immense sense of personal gratification we would feel.

Dazzle: What advice would you give people wishing to enter the industry?

Leslie: Learn. This is one of the easiest industries to enter, with little barriers to entry, but make no mistake It is a science. You need to understand that marketing and technology evolves and it changes constantly.

You must take time to invest in yourself and learn before you become obsolete. Do more listening than talking. Be present and understand what is going on around you politically, socially, legally. Stay humble. I always tell young people “Be a king in your mind but work like a servant.” Don’t sacrifice your self-worth.

Don’t stop working hard. Don’t be quick to dismiss.

Dazzle: Where do you see AIM in five to ten years?

Leslie: I think that you will see AIM diversify into other areas where the opportunities lie. The market will always expose certain opportunities, we just have to be humble and be responsive enough to take advantage of said opportunities. We will go deeper into neuro-marketing which is a new trend taken by innovative industry leaders, which really is fancy academic speak for understanding what are the psychological, emotional and physical factors that trigger peoples buying decisions. We live in the age of the internet of things but there is still a Digital divide in our region preventing mass adoption. For the industry to take off, we see our role expanding to include: education, advocacy and legislation to make it easier for people to have access and learn how to use digital media properly. I think that digital literacy should be part of the primary school curriculum to formalize and institutionalize the use technology in the formative years.

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dazzlethemag Saint Lucia Main Stage Jazz 2016

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