My final corporate role was Commercial Director, I was the head of sales and marketing for a manufacturing and distribution company, with responsibility for sales and marketing across foods, alcoholic, and non-alcoholic beverages, overseeing a supermarket and restaurant in my region and managing all retail channels outside of hotels. The company was dominant in the hotel industry, but had little to no presence in supermarkets, restaurants, and traditional trade. My mandate wa

I returned to corporate life, reporting directly to the Group CEO of the largest food manufacturing and distribution company in the Caribbean—a diversified group with a major foods division, a finance arm, a chain of supermarkets and global operations spanning Africa, the United States, Canada, and Europe. My role was classified as Business Development Executive, and in theory, I worked on strategic projects for the group CEO. Before joining, I “ensured” that we were aligned

I moved into the non-profit sector, a role I had dreamed about. I became Director of Projects for the largest non-profit operating across the Caribbean and Latin America. My department was responsible for strategic partnerships, assessing project needs across countries and communities and overseeing marketing and communications to support impact and funding. The organization had been operating for over 30 years, with a strong reputation and deep-rooted legacy. I came in belie

I served as the Head of Marketing for a large manufacturing and distribution food company, where I was headhunted to help build an entire beverage division from scratch. I was responsible for brand and trade marketing across all manufactured products, driving and launching product innovation and building and executing the company’s first digital marketing platforms. There was no roadmap. I was given wide latitude to develop, innovate, and execute. For a season, it was one of

My next role was Regional Brand Manager – Juices for Pepsi. At the time, Pepsi had just acquired global manufacturing and distribution rights for Ocean Spray. Overnight, the juice portfolio expanded, significantly. I became responsible for all juice brands owned by Pepsi across the Caribbean and Latin America. That meant stewarding legacy brands, integrating new acquisitions, and driving growth across markets with different cultures, regulations, consumer behaviors, and level

My next role was Regional Brand Manager – Juices for Pepsi. At the time, Pepsi had just acquired global manufacturing and distribution rights for Ocean Spray. Overnight, the juice portfolio expanded, significantly. I became responsible for all juice brands owned by Pepsi across the Caribbean and Latin America. That meant stewarding legacy brands, integrating new acquisitions, and driving growth across markets with different cultures, regulations, consumer behaviors, and level

If you don’t know, I’m a Jesus lover and I believe God has shown up in my life in miraculous ways. His timing always blows my mind. I left the previous role because I knew I was NOT losing my soul over anyone. I submitted my resignation on Dec 15 th , it was my birthday, it was also a Friday and right before Christmas – bonuses and all. Sometimes I can be hot headed and I have never been driven by money (I got smarter where that was concerned… a little). That Friday evening,

After my six months at Pepsi, I was offered a permanent role but it was experimental and I didn’t think that it was the right fit for me. Before I left, I was offered five jobs and I didn’t apply for one. You never know who is paying attention, when you operate in excellence, people will notice. The next role I chose was a legacy business, well known, widely used, but in need of modernization. I was responsible for restructuring the distribution model, managing all partnersh

While living in Florida, I received a job offer to work for Pepsi in Jamaica. There was just one problem, I had never worked in a corporate role before. I also never studied marketing in school. More importantly, I didn’t believe I was qualified. When I was called to interview for the role, I was told that several people recommended me for the job. At that time, I hadn’t lived in Jamaica in over 12 years. But I said yes anyway. I went through the interview process, and I wa

One of my roles was with a successful media company in New York, overseeing both radio and magazine brands that were losing significant amounts of money. The losses weren’t due to lack of talent or relevance. Based on my assessment, the loss stemmed from theft, weak systems, poor controls, and misaligned roles. My mandate was clear, and uncomfortable. I was charged with restructuring operations, putting the right people in the right places, and realigning the brands to elimin

Having worked on multiple major events and doing artiste merchandising, people started calling me to book talent. I later served as manager to reggae singer. This role sat at the intersection of music, legacy, business, and humanity. Managing an artist meant navigating creative expression, public expectation, touring realities, financial decisions, and brand alignment, often simultaneously. Talent management isn’t just about gigs and schedules. It’s about stewarding a person

I served as an Executive Assistant to an NBA player based between New York and Miami, managing all aspects of his personal and business life outside of basketball. I oversaw bill pay, property management, and the day-to-day operations of his homes and business interests. I wasn’t part of the league, the team, or the spotlight, but I was responsible for ensuring that everything around the athlete functioned seamlessly. This was leadership in proximity to wealth, visibility, an

My third major role was at a clothing company, at the time the largest reggae clothing brand in the world, and official distributors for the Bob Marley brand in the Caribbean. I served as Head of Marketing and Communications, while also managing office operations. My responsibilities stretched across brand strategy, internal systems, negotiations, sponsorships, and execution. I led artiste merchandise negotiations, launched new merchandising lines, helped produce major events

During college, I worked at a law firm specializing in immigration and corporate law, serving as the executive assistant to one of the firm’s partners. On paper, my role was administrative. In reality, I sat at the intersection of people, process, and precision , supporting high-stakes legal work that directly affected livelihoods, businesses, and families. I believed my job was to manage calendars, prepare documents, get lunch, answer phones and keep the office running smoo

My first major corporate role was as an event coordinator at a leading model agency in Jamaica, the largest in the Caribbean at the time. I wasn’t just planning events, I was helping to produce culture . From Miss Universe Jamaica to Caribbean Model Search (including Petite Fashion Model, Fashion Model of Jamaica, Male Face of the Caribbean, and Supermodel of Jamaica), from Reggae Superjam to Caribbean Fashion Week, my world lived somewhere between vision and execution. At t

We are often far harder on ourselves than God ever is. We measure progress by speed, we judge growth by outcomes, we label seasons as “failures” when they don’t move fast enough. But God does not rush what He is refining. If He is patient with the work He is doing in you, why do you demand instant results from yourself? One thing I have learnt is that God is very intentional, He is not in a hurry, He’s certainly not on our timeline .Scripture consistently shows us that God v

Scripture: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.” — Matthew 12:25 Jesus gives us a truth that speaks not only to nations, but to homes, workplaces, churches, friendships, and even our own hearts. He says plainly: Anything divided against itself cannot stand. To me, this is an invitation. I believe everything starts with SELF – we need to examine where we are divided and where God i

The rise of AI and automation is transforming the workplace, but there is one leadership quality technology will never replace: emotional intelligence . As businesses evolve, leaders who can understand, connect with, and inspire people to act are becoming the most valuable assets in any organization. EQ isn’t just a “nice-to-have” anymore; it’s the competitive advantage that sets extraordinary leaders apart. While emotional intelligence helps leaders build trust and connecti

For years, leadership was defined by title, authority, and technical expertise. But the workforce has shifted, and so has the expectation of leaders. Today, emotional intelligence, empathy, communication, and adaptability are no longer “nice to have.” They are power skills , the abilities that differentiate average leaders from transformational ones. Soft skills impact how leaders inspire, influence, and innovate. A leader who cannot listen, manage conflict, or build trust w

By Dr. Catherine Goodall Jackson The call to teach soft skills in schools needs to grow louder, especially in the Caribbean. We’ve talked about confidence, emotional intelligence, communication, critical thinking, and leadership. But here’s the question that remains: How do we actually implement this? We don’t need more rhetoric. We need a roadmap . A blueprint that bridges inspiration with execution. And we need it urgently, because the longer we delay, the more we risk rai