Association of Female Executives of Trinidad and Tobago

Increasingly I am finding that more and more women are stepping out of the box, the comfort zone of a desk job and stable income to venture into the high risk world of their own businesses.

As frightening as the prospects can be, it is truly a rewarding and challenging experience. Additionally, the experience is enriched as women begin to network in a positive way such as to facilitate business and economic growth of the entire female business fraternity.

Indeed the vision of business woman Lara Quentrall Thomas made manifest in the Association of Female Executives of Trinidad & Tobago (AFETT) has provided an avenue for several women to further that business interests via networking. Furthermore, these types of organizations serve to boost confidence levels.

Serving on committees, engaging in Share, Show and Tell sessions and essentially immersing oneself into the activities of these types of organisations, can draw out the more introverted individual and place them in the heart of the organisation where they can make an invaluable contribution to the fraternity and in so doing bring attention to their own businesses.

While I have not been able to fully participate in AFETT given my international travel schedule, I have seen a number of women grow into their own and have admired from a distance as their businesses blossomed.

A number of female entrepreneurs work well within the office walls, but instantly retreat into the shadows when faced with a large crowd or a public speaking opportunity.

Surely one way in which to expand business would be to let others know that you exist by becoming more visible. Women must learn to channel that resourcefulness for which they are famous into their own soul so that they can evolve to the next level.

There are a number of females, who can serve as mentors, coaches and motivators. In mentoring younger females and even younger males, women will find that they work on their own inadequacies while inspiring younger ones to achieve their goals. Continuous improvement will occur because as you build others you will necessarily need to build up your own skill set in order to continue to keep ahead of the game and remain an inspiration to others.

Secondly, women entrepreneurs need to relinquish their fears. Fear is known as the greatest thief of dreams. Fear of the unknown and of taking risks can prevent women from experiencing lifetime experiences and capitalizing on once in a lifetime opportunities. Many women are afraid of going alone on projects, of taking leadership roles in team presentations and assuming responsibility for major company ventures. How else then can you expect to be noticed? How else can your competence be recognized? Indeed, nepotism, favouritism, personal biases and money under-the-table aside, I sincerely believe that your competence will always set you apart and place you into a category above the rest.

Once you conquer your fear, you are liberated and everything under the sun becomes achievable. You take responsibility for your actions and create your own future. You do not give power to the circumstance or to the people around you and anything that you desire becomes easily within your reach because you set into motion, by virtue of your positive outlook the sequence of events that create wealth in your life.

Build as you grow. This is perhaps a requirement that should cross both genders. It is not necessary to demean others in order to shine. I firmly believe that if you create a whirlwind of positive energy around you, the people around you, will inevitably be swept in and upward and when the dust is cleared they too would realize that they have grown in some way.

Most women are natural nurturers and this characteristic, channeled into the people of your own business can only serve to push your business forward with a crew of loyal and committed minds.

Women need to dig deep into their innermost beings and draw on that innate strength that makes them the sewers of the earth because it is time to reap the harvest.

By Lisa Wickham,
MBA (Distinction)
CEO E-Zone Entertainment Limited