Issue # 11 June-July 2015
PUBLISHERS’
NOTE
Every Issue we are faced with the task of finding which or what brand is On The Brink, there are sleepless nights labouring over what’s next, what’s new. In this technology driven world, new ideas race at us daily making it hard to find that product or brand that will stand the test of time. When companies you have grown up hearing about take that turn and reshape an old industry and re-position themselves to become the next big thing...again, that’s when we celebrate because that’s the testament of a true brand. This issue is about one such story, and because of this story we have dedicated our entire issue to world of Fashion. Our main On The Brink story features Ms Safia Cooper and the Pulse Group. The memoirs of her honing her skills at Red Stripe before launching out to take her rightful place as the princess of the Pulse Fashion Empire. Pulse has been at the helm of fashion for the past 30 years, however Safia, daughter of founder and visionary Kingsley Cooper, is that “who’s next” personality in the fashion world and she is On The Brink of changing the way we relate to fashion and stamping Jamaica as the fashion capital of the Caribbean. This issue also goes a bit deeper than fashion shows and fashion designers showing off their lines. On The Brink goes behind the showroom into the back office where the business world meets beautiful designs. Have a great read.
Christopher Goulbourne
Kahlil Harris
...of Marketing, Technology & The World of Business
CONTENTS
ON THE BRINK Beauty Talk with Marsha Julian...........5 Facebook Likes; The Dead Metrics.......7 Samsung Galaxy S6 Launch.................8 Army of One Charity..........................10 On the Brink Expert Marketer.........13 Runway Rockers................................14 Whats the Buzz.................................18 Who is Safia Cooper.........................20 8 Things Great Marketers Do..........22 Dress Like a Boss............................24 Who is next w/Kaci Fennel...............26 The Marsha Juilian Story: From Negril to New York Fashion WeekSocial....................30 Catherine Goodall:- The story......32
Beauty Talk with Marsha Julian What
is your
trick?
#1
beauty
Drinking lots of water, getting adequate sleeping and take good vitamins. Beauty begins with you, its is very important to do these steps first, then use makeup to enhance your beauty.
What
is a must have makeup
accessory to have on?
A little lipstick or lipgloss is a must. Is it also very important to have sleek natural looking eyebrows, nice brows will do the face justice!
EDITORS’ NOTE
S
SUMMER & TOTAL FASHION ummer is here! In Jamaica this means many parties to look forward to, beach days and some high fashion moments to kick start summer. What’s more fashionable than a magazine? The runway for starters and
CREDITS
Publishers Monumental Partners Ltd. 9 McKenzie Close Kingston 8, St. Andrew Tel: (876) 969-2646 Email: info@monumentalpartners.com Website: www.monumentalpartners. com
from a business perspective.
.................................................................. ..... Managing Editors Kahlil Harris Christopher Goulbourne Tanya Sue Brice ..................................................................
Not only is this issue fashion forward with
Editor Jheanelle Maturah
Caribbean Fashion Week’s runway comes every year just in time to welcome summer. This issue ‘Business Faces Behind Fashion’ provides the OTB team with a unique opportunity to delve into the world of fashion
an exclusive interview with Pulse’ Safia Cooper or its coverage of the 15th staging of Caribbean Fashion Week, it launches two new features to On The Brink catalogue. We present the Expert Marketers piece and the OTB Marketer featuring Catherine Goodall from Lasco Distributors. We hope you enjoy the new additions and summer 2015!
Graphic Design Kristopher Kerr Contributors Krishana Davis Jheanelle Maturah Ewan Campbell Photography JDash Photography Copyright 2015 Monumental Partners Limited .................................................................. Facebook: OnTheBrink Twitter: @OntheBrinkJa Instagram: OnTheBrinkMag Website: www.onthebrinkmag.com
Features: • • • • • • • • • •
GAME CHANGER
Email Marketing Asked to describe ‘We Are Mail’ in three High email deliverability words, General Manager at Monumental Partners responded with “High-Quality, Gears traffic towards your website Connectivity and an Engaging Experience”. Easy to use customizable templates The email platform has implied thus far it will Ongoing technical support be a game changer on the market. Feedback and report In an increasingly virtual age, email marketing is Time saving still one of the fastest way of informing people of Cost efficient your product, brand, promotion or simply a news alert. With the market rapidly changing and a new Emails won’t get spammed must have social media app flying on the market in Partner benefits available the blink of an eye email marketing stands firm as an effective means to market.
The ‘Why’ for email marketing is no longer a question, it’s now about the how and to whom. ‘We Are Mail’ answers both questions. By providing this platform that ensures your target market is reached, informed and engaged.
The Dead Metrics
Facebook Likes
With the emergence of social media or Facebook as is known by most, came the flood of businesses to the online marketing realm. Suddenly marketing budgets everywhere made way for a new cost ‘social media marketing’. Between Facebook Ads, Twitter Ads and Google Ads, a fortune has been made off of companies like ourselves seeking more ‘exposure’. Talking Facebook now, a lot of effort and $$$ goes into generating likes. While focused on interactions and a loyal following, many companies turn a certain tunnel vision (especially when they’re just starting out) as a strong measure of how well their company is doing on the social side of things. Please note if your goal is to have a ton load of likes just to feel good about that fact then keep heading in that direction. If your intention from the start was to have a direct, organic audience right in front of you to push your ultimate message, then buying Facebook likes will do little or nothing for you. The days of the popularity contest are over. The reality? Well, for example your page has approximately one million likes and you gained these likes through Facebook ads. The majority of these likes aren’t active users or even real users and will have almost no interaction on your page. The real fans on your site could just be round 5,000 users. As the likes go up the engagement goes down. From a marketing perspective fake likes won’t add any major value. If you’re spending valuable dollars to have a dedicated team create content, pushing ads and creating most of your campaigns through Facebook, you could be wasting your money. Your reach will look somewhat like this: Your target market lives in the desert and you are trying to sell them a high fashion ski jacket.
Victoria Kristine
Country Club
Summer is officially here and I’m all ready for the Country Club! I would say this is not your typical Country Club outfit, but when has typical ever been in style?? ;) As soon as I laid eyes on these shorts, they reminded me of Julia Roberts when she wore a similar pleated pair in Pretty Woman. Even though that movie was filmed over 20 years ago, her outfit in that scene has always stuck with me, which is why I was so excited when I spotted these ones! I started building an outfit in my head and this was the end result. Of course I could have easily paired the shorts with a traditional white blouse,
but I wanted to add a contemporary flare to a classic feminine look. These high-waisted shorts are perfectly pleated in the front creating a more sophisticated look and feel. I paired them with my tailored bra top, an optional dark blue fitted jacket, white heels and my infamous round white cross body purse that you guys have seen a million times now! Sorry, but I love it so much and it goes with almost anything :P
Samsung has brought many one-of-a-kind cutting-edge core technologies to market with Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge, providing well balanced, best in class technology in the most beautiful package. Craftsmanship dominates the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge design. With these devices, we are setting and defining a new standard in mobility. This required novel processes and new technology to use beautiful materials without sacrificing the overall functions. The Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge are both elegant and powerful devices that perfectly capture what we love most about technology and design. Why was the decision made to open a Samsung Experience Store in Jamaica? We understand that local customers love Samsung and value its portfolio of products capable of meeting their daily needs. We wanted to provide a personalized service with a highly qualified team to offer Jamaicans a space in which they could have immediate access to Samsung’s latest technology. What do you think is most important feature of a phone to consumers at this time? It depends on the needs of each person, the kind of work they do and their lifestyle. For some it could be the fact that the battery lasts longer and the phone can be charged with any wireless pad. For others, the immense possibilities offered by the camera are a very important feature to consider. For me, from an enterprise level perspective, the security features are very important, and the S6 with its defense-grade security and data protection through the Samsung KNOX platform is top notch. What are the expectations of the Jamaican market? For Samsung, the Caribbean region represents a very
important market. We have a strong interest in continuing to grow in Jamaica through a portfolio of products that can adapt to the demands and needs of local consumers. We are talking about all kinds of products - from our revolutionary curved TVs to our most powerful smartphones. Is this (Jamaica) a platform to take over the Caribbean market? Jamaica is an important market in the region. Just a few weeks after the global launch of our two new leading devices, the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge, we were presenting both models in the country. We intend to continue solidifying our position in the market as part of our strategy for the Caribbean and keep on bringing our complete portfolio of products designed to create an intelligent home, where technology is the connection point. What is the marketing plan from Samsung for conquering Jamaica’s market? We work closely with our distributors to meet local market needs. It is in our best interest to bring a value proposition and the most revolutionary technology through the most innovative portfolio. Samsung has been able to set
standards with its line of Home Appliances, plus its audio/video devices are intended to further improve the lives of consumers. How does Samsung integrate itself into Jamaican businesses? We know the market really well and we offer a large portfolio of solutions suitable for every business size, from small businesses to large enterprises. How does the Samsung marketing strategy differ in the Caribbean from that of North America? The strategy is adapted to the characteristics of each market. The Caribbean is a much more concentrated market, where certain products do not gain traction as well as in North America. Each market has its own reality and we craft our strategy to respond to it. What was your experience like in Jamaica? I feel like home in Jamaica. My first time visiting here was five years ago on a business trip. Since then, I have been visiting frequently, trying to absorb as much of the culture and customs as possible. I truly enjoy the food and overall atmosphere. What has your experience been working for Samsung? It is a very enriching experience. Samsung teaches you new ways of doing things and constantly challenges you to better yourself, overcome all obstacles. Therefore, you try to re-invent yourself everyday in order to grow as a professional and as a human being. Personally, what is your favorite feature of the Samsung S6 Edge? It would be hard to choose just one. It’s like asking a parent to pick their favorite child. But I must mention the camera, which I find amazing. And the design is a true work of art. I’m not lying when I say that right now it is my “can’t live without” companion. Device highlights include: • • • •
• •
Crafted from metal and glass (Gorilla Glass® 4) on both sides of device (curved glass technology for Galaxy S6 edge) Innovative glass crafting technology for more depths of colors Faster camera ever allows you to start taking photos in less than 0.7 seconds by just pushing the start button twice from any screen. Expert level photo control that’s intuitive with features including super bright F1.9 lens, embedded Auto Real-time HDR, smart OIS, and IR detect White Balance for enhanced picture quality, even in the dark. Embedded wireless charging solution compatible with any wireless pad in the market – WPC and PMA certified. The fastest charging technology available today, 1.5 times quicker than the Galaxy S5; fast charging 4 hours of usage after 10 minutes of charging.
Army Of One – Takes on Drews Avenue Primary School as our Labour Day Project Marketing Consultants, Monumental Partners Limited adopted the Drews Avenue Primary School’s beautification project this past Labour Day 2015. With the creation of the company’s charity ‘Army of One’, we have been able to annually to serve others alongside partners focused on change. The day’s activities commenced at 8:00am with members from the Monumental team, teachers from the school and community members out and about bright and early on a quest to beautify the learning environment. The four integral areas for transformation were beautifying the school through repainting, a green area project, full campus cleanup and the creation of an undercroft? area for kids. The implementation of an undercroft for students to have their first cafeteria-style area to enjoy their lunch was a favoured focus by the Drews Avenue Primary School’s principal that stated, “I am extremely grateful for the support and this much needed contribution.” Speaking to the scope of work undertaken, General Manager at Monumental Partners Mr. Christopher Goulbourne mentioned “this labour day signifies a collective effort for our company, the community and school to demonstrate our commitment to taking care of our children, and the environment in which they learn.” Councillor Patrick Roberts for the Molynes Garden’s division came out to show support and had a hand in painting areas on the compound alongside a muscle force of 100 volunteers. Monumental brought out its top clientele as partners in the Labour Day initiative: Hardware & Lumber (Rapid True Value and AgroGrace), Derrimon Trading Company Limited, Cal’s Manufacturing, Nestle Jamaica, World Brands Services and Tastee Jamaica Limited. In keeping with the national ‘Labour With Love’ theme the Army of One Charity through this year’s partners crafted and gifted care packages for all school staff members and community members who came out on the day to lend a hand. Moving forward Monumental Partners has pledged their support to assist with the school’s current nutritional program. A subsidy will be allocated on a monthly basis to assist those students affected by the limitations of previous programs. Labour day remains an opportunity to rally persons together for worthy causes. All volunteers came out displaying their commitment to enhance the area, leaving the school with a facelift and a spirited feeling.
EXPERT MARKETERS ASK KAHLIL HARRIS (MONUMENTAL PARTNERS LTD.) Everyone wants to know: What is the best way to get ‘my’ prospective clients to call me? Well isn’t that the big question? There is no one size fits all to this question. Its about knowing your target audience studying them and finding out what’s the best way to reach them and then make your brand accessible for them to reach you. A networking moment has presented itself. Swap cards later or now? Get that information now is always my mantra; always strike while the iron is hot. Never leave an opportunity to chance get it now because you never know when you will get the opportunity to speak with this person again. Then follow up, that’s the key the follow up.
ASK EWAN CAMPBELL (POINT GLOBAL MARKETING) Is Social Media over-saturated? Predict the future impact of this for brands’ exposure. I don’t believe social media is over-saturated just yet but there is a lot of content being shared, so much that if you message and content delivery isn’t powerful enough it may not grab the users attention. As companies look to increase their brand’s awareness o, the window of opportunity to make an impact online will be much tighter and companies social media spend will have increase by at least double in order to get the necessary exposure. What is the future of Guerrilla marketing in Ja? In light of the fact that local companies don’t have the big marketing budget as international agencies, brands will now have to look more at penetrating the market with various and innovative Guerrilla tactics. However companies should be mindful of their strategies as if not executed properly can backfire.
RUNWAY ROCKERS
- Jheanelle Maturah
“…favourite moments from CFW 2015? I took a selfie with Billy Ocean [laughs], when V Bozeman sang ‘What is love’, Cedella Marley’s collection on the runway, driving past the CFW sign for the first time on Knutsford Boulevard and then living through 10 days of fashion”. Safia Cooper, one of the newest business faces behind fashion sat down with the OTB team to spill just how she pulled off her 10 days of fashion, and how she plans to top project Caribbean Fashion Week 2015. The event that couldn’t be missed paid off easily, indicated by a quick glance on social media to see many patrons left with similar favourite moments as Safia. In its 15th staging, Pulse Investments celebrated their own milestone of their 35th year in operation. But just how was it pulled off? Safia praises her team for their hard work and determination along with the many very very talented designers for bringing it all together. The planning for a production as large as this dates back by many months to conceptualization and creative ideas being thrown around. The decision to add V Bozeman to the lineup, Safia reveals, was all but difficult. The swift and stunning rise of the hit show Empire has left even Jamaicans in a frenzy. Surely it would be enough to bring any character off the show and reap the rewards. V Bozeman though is a triple threat (did you mean treat?), singer, actress and model. This now is why Cooper tells us V was at natural fit to feature. She walked the runway and returned once more for a stunning performance that truly demonstrated her vocal potential.
Fashion Featured night one wrapped with the emerging designers, night 2 turned to the master designers showcase and the final night was left to rock the runway and share the stage with Billy Ocean and his band. Three nights banded together has brought into focus one of Caribbean’s hottest events and has displayed the talented regional arms of fashion and high quality entertainment under the stage lights of one runway. The decision to take the 15th anniversary to the next level made it a lifestyle event that featured spas and restaurants. But this event is really about the designers and Pulse has never forgotten this. “The launch of shopcaribbean.com in 2014 presented an on site platform for designers to showcase their looks and have the pieces purchased right off runway” Safia also highlighted “this online portal is the thrust to help the designers get to a more commercially savvy business space”. The 15th staging of CFW highlights some of the loyal partners associated with the event. Commenting on the partnerships Safia is quoted saying “the brands that stay with fashion are truly fashion brands that understand the industry like Audi which is all about style and understand the importance of the aesthetics, appeal and how to fit their brands in a lifestyle product which is fashion”.
Sydia Valentine in Harambe by CEDELLA Marley
V Bozeman During Her Performance
Khalil Marks in I SAY U
Sedene Blake in Lydia Arnaud Lawrence
HILO FOOD STORE LAUNCH CALS
DARBY
JBDC SMALL BUSINESS EXPO
1. Elevator Pitch (n.) A quick way to communicate your expertise in a compelling and concise manner. The goal being to pique someone’s interest in an unexpected setting while leaving a lasting impression. 2. Culture Fit (n./v.) To possess the skillset that falls in line with the current or hiring company. This may involve faking it to making it. 3. Career Branding (v.) I.e. Commitment to the cause. This involves marketing yourself in a professional environment, painting a picture of your career accomplishments and skills to convey aptitude and expertise. 4. Side Hustle (n.) The Side Hustle AKA the sometimes under the quiet hustle. Commonly an avenue to earn some extra dollars on the side, which entails taking on a second or third job in your spare time. The side hustle gives us all the opportunity to explore other talents without quitting our day jobs. 5. Recareering (v.) Recareering or Career 360, whichever you prefer. To change one’s career, often very late in life. This isn’t and average job change, but a move to an entirely different career path with the goal of following one’s passion, increasing money or influence in life.
“At pulse we have a very dynamic business and each day we have an idea and make it happen and you have to be resilient and flexible. No task is too small or too large�
SAFIA COOPER - Jheanelle Maturah
Who is Safia Cooper? Her slender and sexy physique coupled with being the daughter of one of the Caribbean’s iconic males in fashion, Safia Cooper can easily be mistaken to be a Pulse model.
Managing major aspects of the Pulse portfolio, she is everything but a model. Her journey to the family business spans a 14-year period, all of which has been spent in marketing. She doesn’t deliver on the expectations of a marketer at first glance. On looking, she is reserved, appears quiet and too modest to play the part. Strike up a conversation with her and the game has begun, she easily demonstrates her business knowledge, innovativeness and knack for slangs as you would expect of any seasoned marketer. Her story starts with a certain internship, news of which was brought to her during her final semester while studying at the University of the West Indies.. and with keen interest and an application to follow Safia got the gig that shaped the next 11 years of her life. She participated in a program at Red Stripe mainly in the sales and marketing department and spent her summer conceptualizing brand activities and dealing with issues with the brands and finding insights to deliver growth to the brand. Not surprisingly, this lead to permanent employment and a plethora of marketing positions held at the company including a brief stint in Brazil working on the Johnny Walker brand.
Her arrival at the steps of Pulse while not noted on record was expected by the public. Safia describes the motives behind her move to the
fashion giant company and links this to her father whom “…at the time he was interested in taking the next step at Pulse and he wanted to position the company within the entertainment and primarily the fashion industry”.
With the decision to crossover made, Safia’s day one on the job arrived. She describes this as an interesting transition moving from a fast paced company like Diageo to a similar fast moving environment where decisions are made and you action them immediately.
The emotions that came with working alongside her father were vastly different from the average employer. She recalls spending the day “getting into his mindset and psyche. And getting more of an understanding into how he thinks in the business space and clearly defining my role so I could align myself with a hard working individual”. But when it came to pressure on the job, Safia went on to say “it’s a whole different level of responsibility and accountability. [At another company] Things slide and you still have a job. [Here] You are your job, you define your success and you define what you wake up to in the morning so it’s a whole different ballgame. You are responsible not only for your success, but the success of others and of history and what brand the company stands for”. When considering the limitless global capabilities of the Pulse brand and the success in its 35 year history Safia has her work cut out for her and she declares she’s up for the job as hard work isn’t new to her. So what does the next generation of the family business have up her sleeve? With a familiar confidence as we’ve seen in her father, Safia, “….we must ensure we continue to spread our wings. For Pulse to be able to survive 35 more successful years, we have to be able to capitalize on our global reach”. Her portfolio focuses on entertainment and marketing with her first stage of transformation coming through Pulse8. This project led by Safia, was started with the team “looking at widening their footprint in the entertainment industry”. With Pulse8 came the resurgence of Superjam who brought back popular Wednesday and Friday night activity to the Kingston social scene.
Additionally included under her portfolio is the company’s real estate leg much to do with the Villa Ronai property and the Trafalgar road complex.
Color Festival A big undertaking by the Pulse team was that of the color festival, another project sparked by Safia’s arrival. Pulse now holds the franchise for this event not only in Jamaica but in the Caribbean. Dubbed the “Happiest Festival in the World” is documented as a unique experience where thousands of people are dressed in white dancing to music with hourly “big throws” throughout the event. “Big Throws” are the moment when thousands of people throw coloured power in the air at the same time. “Big Throws” were a very big hit in Jamaica as Safia saw a similar success with “MVP Fridays” and “Pepperseed” on Wednesday nights at the Pulse8.
New Look, New Feel Having successfully laid the footprints to revitalize the Pulse brand in the entertainment industry, Safia focuses on living up to the legacy of her father. Her own approach to leadership is somewhat in contrast to the Kingsley Cooper way. She speaks to her calm nature and ability to read people well and give them clarity where they need it. Truly speaking with her, she is the embodiment of this
nature. She goes on to say her easy way of dealing with people allows her to show them her vision and bring them into it. A strategy that is clearly working for Pulse as seen at this year’s Caribbean Fashion Week. So what’s next for the Pulse mogul in the making?
Besides a marketing plan to take over the entertainment industry, continuing to rule the fashion industry and grow Pulse’s real estate, Safia has many personal goals set for herself.
She tells us she will be pursuing a degree in Law though she doesn’t see herself appearing in court anytime soon; she would most likely be studying International or Business Law. Starting a family is also on the radar for some time in the future and as for any advice to young professionals considering a marketing internship at a fast moving company, Cooper provides the following message: “Grab the internship, they’re great, can direct your life, but don’t get fixated on marketing. And if you think its about the camera and photos you see in a publication you’re wrong it’s a business role and you will never be successful if you don’t understand what makes the consumer spend that dollar that they don’t want to spend. Truly being strategic is key and you can’t just sponsor a party. Ideally you are acting as the general manager of your brand. Be very determined, be very focused and be logical. Apply some street smarts.
Though we truly believe street smarts isn’t what’s taken this leading lady to such praiseworthy heights. Our advice to young marketing hopefuls is to look to a mentor such as Safia Cooper.
8
THINGS GREAT MARKETERS DO EVERYDAY
As marketers we all have habits that we do everyday. These habits are often more important than we think. They build our discipline and these daily rituals firmly channel that positivity into our brands. 1. Goal Oriented Set goals in place for your marketing efforts that will define your success. Stay current and look for insight on how current developments in the industry affect them. 2. Address a Target Audience Right now you’re thinking you knew this already. But is your target audience clearly, clearly defined? Are you able to answer the question ‘where can I find my target audience right at this moment?’. This can be done by creating a marketing persona / buyer persona. This profile will guide how, when and where to communicate with your audience. 3. Catchup With the Team & Build Content A daily 10-minute update with the marketing team, where each member presents a status report. Updates about challenges will be discussed, key projects to be rolled out and changes on existing plans. 4. Social Listening Spending time to listen to what is being said about your brand and the industry in the media is key. Taking advantage of opportunities to prove ourselves to consumers in the press or through social media can be quite valuable.
5. Innovate Being innovative will involve trying new things and setting new ideas into motion. 6. Future In the rush of things we’re usually just relieved we made it through the day. Often forgetting our present failure to outline plans for tomorrow puts us right back where we started. 7. Run Your Numbers Every marketer has certain numbers that determine the success or failure of elements of the marketing campaign. Always watch the numbers and measuring the performance of campaigns. 8. Observe the Competition Do a little bit of snooping on your top competitors. This may involve listening to the conversations about them in the media, social media included, tracking Google Alerts for their brand names or even subscribing to their email lists.
…..And not just any boss but try your actual boss! The common trend is that we place our faith in those around us who are similar to us. More importantly to how we perceive the organized version of ourselves to look –whether or not this person exists in reality. This being said, it makes perfect sense to dress like ‘your boss’ or ‘a boss’ to get that promotion you deserve. We came up with a few pros as to how dressing like a boss can get you that promotion. - This is a smart way to get noticed and accepted - It may subconsciously influence colleagues/bosses to see you as management material - The perception will tap into a wider culture within the organization - Again, as humans we are drawn to people like us While climbing the corporate ladder is still about hitting the targets and being appropriately right for the position, stand out from the rest and step into some new shoes….and let your new classy corporate shoes take you to the top. And here are a few tips for doing it the right way: - Research! Research! Research! Take a look around the company and the industry if you can. See the what the standards are and add some flair. A step up, not down by the way. - When in doubt, overdress. If you walk into a room wearing your suit and tie and you realize you’re overdressed you can always lose the tie and even your jacket. What you couldn’t do was if you had walked in with a polo shirt on, somehow dress this up. - Remember the entire look So if you’ve decided to go with a suit, you can rock sports socks or sport shoes. The entire look has to flow and this includes your facial hair as well. Give these tips a try and tackle that corporate ladder.
Who’s Next?
with Kaci Fennell This issue we feature Miss Jamaica Universe 2014 Kaci Fennell in our Who’s Next Column.
1. What are some of the peak moments in your life since winning the Miss Universe Jamaica 2014 title & the Miss Universe competition?
Just being able to travel to so many different countries and meet so many different people from various cultures, its all so exhilarating. I’m definitely having the best time and year of my life.
2. Have you walked in any fashion shows since becoming Miss Universe 2014? If yes, which ones? & Describe the experience.
I have, I was blessed enough to have been invited to walk in a few shows in Puerto Rico for San Juan Moda a few months ago and I will be walking in the upcoming Caribbean Style week to be held this June is South Florida as well as Caribbean Fashion Week here locally in June where I will be wearing some pieces from Uzuri International Designs.
3. Candidly describe how & why you got into modeling.
Modeling came to me in time when -as a developing young lady- I was intrigued by anything that would provide me with the opportunity to entertain. A series of fortunate situations and opportunities that spontaneously came my way is responsible for my jump start in the industry.
4. How do you keep your bombshell body?
GYM! Hard work and dedication, knowing what it takes and just doing it with zero complaints. Like Nike, I just do it! haha
5. What are your thoughts on the public’s response to Miss Universe Jamaaica not winning the grand Miss Universe 2014 title?
This is a question I get everyday and to be honest I have no thoughts about it anymore. That moment has passed and gone, and myself and the franchise is just looking to find the next best girl to pass the baton to.
6. What is the one product that you can’t live without? My phone! ha.
7. What is your guilty pleasure?
Fried chicken, food food food. Haha.
8. Finish this sentence: Happiness is…
Loving yourself, appreciating your life and being compassionate to others. The happiness stew is never complete without those ingredients, NEVER!
9. What should a man never do on the first date?
Drink too much. You need to be alert and present.
10. Is there any place you’re dying to see? Paris!
11. If you could cook dinner for someone dead or alive who would it be? Why? I’d love to cook for Mazie from Creative Cooking, haha. We all grew up on that show and watching Mazie and her guests throwdown in the kitchen. 12. What is next for Kaci Fennell? fenmade.com
Ready, Steady,
Go!
If only it were so simple to take care of our cars: ready, steady and go. True car fanatics are easy to spot, they tend to love their old school cars, or have a special name for their car, look for ways to modify the performance, take care of their cars like no other and you can NEVER EVER bring food inside the car. All the above are needed to have true bragging rights over your car. For car lovers, SOL has some great news. They recently introduced the Shell Helix Ultra with PurePlus Technology. Though quite a mouthful to say, this fully synthetic Helix Ultra range of premium lubricants will provide key benefits that meet the needs of modern engines. First off the lubricant is the first motor oil designed from natural gas. But to what advantage is this really? To break it down it’s a revolution, 40 years in the making as they say. The Shell patented PurePlus Technology is an innovation that delivers a crystal-clear base oil with virtually no impurities. Essentially Shell Helix Ultra is a high performance lubricant technology.
Next up, in three words: Superior Engine Cleanliness. Not following? Shell Helix Ultra with PurePlus Technology contains special active cleansing additives that work to help protect high-performance engines from deposits that hinder power and performance. Still not following? It’s really really good for your engine, that’s the message summed up. Its been designed to give you the ultimate active cleansing power. While we’ve always trusted the Shell brand, some of us still need to know just how do they do it, right? And to answer that question…. you must travel to Qatar where you will need 500 million man-hours to design and build the plant. Not to worry though its only 900 trillion cubic feet of natural gas you will need which will flow to the Shell processing facilities by two pipelines. Following that its fairly simple but only if you get it right. You will need to heat the Methane Gas with Oxygen at around 2650°F to turn it into SYNGAS. You know SYNGAS…..a fuel gas mixture consisting primarily of hydrogen, carbon monoxide and very often some carbon dioxide. Now back to the process, the SYNGAS which you’re now familiar with is then turned into long waxy Hydrocarbon liquid that undergoes further processing and there the liquid is distilled into 5 different gas-to-liquid products. Onto the final stage now, Shell’s innovative active cleansing additive is added at their blending sites around the world and that’s how they make the oil that’s best for your engine. And if all this isn’t enough for you to cross over to the SOL side, know this…. it’s tried, tested and recommended by the best…you know the best, a.k.a. Ferrari.
The Marsha Juilian Story: From Negril to New York Fashion Week
The Marsha Julian story is as great an inspiration and measure of determination as you will hear in a while. Growing up in Negril, Julian soon became frustrated after completing high school and seeing no employment opportunities coming her way. She reflects on this time as her ‘skinny period’ and after seeing one Pulse advertisement after the next she starting whispering into her mind she had what it took to be a Pulse model. Amidst much negative feedback once sharing her dreams of becoming a model with those around her, she gave it a try. Travelling to Kingston for the first time, she walked into the Pulse walls prepared for auditions. She recalls being immediately connected with former supermodel Romae Gordon and Pulse tycoon Kingsley Cooper who took a special liking towards her. It was this entrance into the modeling industry that cemented beauty, modeling and fashion’s place in her soul. ‘A love affair that started in her younger years, she felt the trio always sat well with her. This love affair sparked by Pulse created a longstanding special bond seen recently at Caribbean Fashion Week 2015. Citing Pulse as the first meaningful place to actually see and believe in Julian’s potential, her beauty line Marsha Julian Cosmetics (MJC) was a sponsor of the highly anticipated fashion week. Previously Julian has worked on events with BET, models at Miami Fashion Week, Material World and New York Fashion Week. Given her background with Pulse we could clearly see this venture held a special place in her heart summing up her participation as due to “ the amazing support from Kingsley over the years, my love for beauty, fashion, modeling and the opportunity for exposure”. The now very much grown up Marsha Julian reflects on being a role model to other females involved in Fashion Week and providing much needed support. So after all these years we had to ask what advice would a successful model turn cosmetic entrepreneur give to the younger generation, fresh out of high school with no job prospects. Julian simply says “Ladies, sometimes it is difficult to spot the light at the end of the tunnel, its ok, life is a challenge and you should never give up. You must put in a lot of work to earn the best result, nothing is impossible with strong determination”. Though education never hurts as Julian rightfully mentions modeling doesn’t last long for everyone but with education, no one can take that away from you. Its no surprise that some of Julian’s proudest moments involved getting her first degree, then her bachelors. On an even brighter note, Julian speaks now from a place of reflection on her journey saying “now it is such a great feeling to just sit back and reminisce on where I was and where am at currently…Life is great and I am loving it!”
Brink Featured Marketer: Catherine Goodall Catherine Goodall is, as recently as January 2015, the new addition to the Lasco family. She has taken up the post of Marketing Manager of beverages and is already impactful in her new home. Hitting the ground running, she describes her new role in one word ‘amazing’ and commends her dynamic new work environment. The idea of dropping yet another bottled water brand into the market may seem like the wrong move with a potential drowning out in the market. Irrespective of this, Lasco has done it and done it right. The success of iCool couldn’t be predicted but this caught the OTB eyes from early on. Catherine comes into Lasco, managing the iCool portfolio, Lasco Food Drinks, Lasoy Ready Milk, Milky Soy and Oats Porridge. She has been in this field for some time now and with a strong record. She is fundamentally, an incredible person. That by itself is enough for the OTB team to have her back. We went ahead and asked her a few questions: What has your contribution been to the iCool brand efforts? I came at the right time when all the innovation was taking place. So with all the new flavors coming out I had a chance to be on the development team. We think the new flavors coming out are great….how does the team decide? We think of what is gonna be a wow factor for consumers and this leads to a lot of trial and error until the entire team is satisfied. What is your favourite flavor? iCool – Tangerine Lasco food drink – Strawberry
What is most challenging about your job? I have an overwhelming portfolio. Lasco food drink is a staple in Jamaica and it is our flagship product. Having to manage a product such as that and a new [beverage on the market]….it is very difficult to manage the time. How do you remain innovative with marketing trends? Thinking about where the gaps are, what it is the market demands and satisfying that demand. Any advice for anyone interested in the marketing field? It’s something you have to love and have a passion for. It’s something you have to live. You are becoming the brands that you represent. Especially in Jamaica people tend to associate brands with people. People can tell if you love your brand or if it’s just a job. I believe it makes it much easier if your brand becomes your lifestyle. Its something you have to do 7-days a week all the time. …then, how do you relax or find time? [Laughs] The beach is the most peaceful place to relax. And quiet time is important. As soon as I get home though, unless I have something to do, I just shower and drop in the bed, no matter what time. What are your mornings like? [laughs] days start at 4:30am at the gym and I get in at 7:00am and go straight into a meeting.