At 27-years-old, Shekita Walcott is discovering who she is and finding her footing in the business world. At present, she’s an assistant project officer with the Barbados Coalition of Service Industries, a job she never imagined she would be doing but loving it.
But how did she get to this point? Shekita, a former student of Coleridge & Parry School and Harrison College, pursued studies in international trade policy.
“I did my bachelor’s at the University of the West Indies, (UWI) Mona Campus. At the time I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do; I just knew I wanted to be a diplomat. So I knew I had to study political affairs and economics and trade development. It was pretty interesting. Going overseas was the best thing I ever did. It was a little difficult to adapt to at first,” she recalled.
Following that, she did her master’s in the same field at the UWI, Cave Hill Campus. However, job offers were not exactly flooding her email, which left her feeling disappointed. But it also caused her to take “a risk of a lifetime”.
“Despite what people think about having a degree and getting a job right off the bat, I had to do two internships in the field I wanted to be in. I was feeling a bit discouraged at first because I had a student loan to pay back. But I wanted the experience. I did a second internship in St Lucia. It was a bit risky because I was leaving home and just getting a stipend and I had to pay rent, buy groceries and those types of things,” she said.
That risk propelled her into the job she currently has.
“From there they kept me on as an assistant project officer. I came back to Barbados in 2016. I now work at Barbados Coalition of Services. It’s a very small organisation.”
Shekita’s focus is on helping entrepreneurs navigate the business world.
“ It’s really hard for entrepreneurs to get started, especially if you are a service provider. Because you don’t sell a tangible product, it’s harder for you to market yourself and so on.
“I’m more into looking to develop small businesses. I came from an entrepreneurial background. My parents own two stores and my younger brother owns a store as well. So business is a part of the family and I really wanted to help small businesses to develop their capacities so they can grow,” she said.
And as entrepreneurship runs in her blood, it was only a matter of time before she started her own business as well.
Shekita is now the proud owner of InStyle Barbados, a fashion accessory brand.
“I always had an interest in fashion. And my parents are entrepreneurs, so that aspect runs through my blood. So it was only a matter of time before I got into it. Earlier it wasn’t the right time because I was so caught up in pursuing my professional career. Then I realised more and more my friends would ask me to help them to find something to wear to an event or help them to put together looks. I started selling earrings, now I’ve expanded to necklaces and bags. It’s been going pretty good so far,” she said.
But as with all things, it wasn’t always smooth sailing and at points Shekita wanted to give up.
“It wasn’t easy. Actually, for the first six months I didn’t get one customer. I wanted to give up. I thought that it wasn’t making any sense but I stuck with it,” she said with a laugh.
She told EASY magazine she is amazed at how much her business continues to grow.
“What surprised me the most and how I finally realised it was growing was when brides would contact me to provide accessories for their bridal parties and then of course when I started to get customers from all across the region such as St Lucia, Trinidad and Martinique,” she added.
She said one thing she’s learnt from her parents is to never give up and she doesn’t intend to quit. Her goal is to see her business continue to grow.
“You may go through a dry season when things are really tough but you just have to remember that you can do all things through Christ. You may not be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel but things will always get better. My parents work extremely hard; they don’t take any off days. So while praying is important, you still have to put in the work,” Shekita said.
Juggling her professional career and her business while still trying to have a personal life is hard at times, she admitted.
“Sometimes you’re so tired you forget to put in the time with your own business and market it and reply to customers, but I’m truly grateful.”
She said she still struggles with time management, but is making a concerted effort to work at it on a daily basis.
“I want to grow personally. I’m at a place where I’m grateful for what I have but I still have a lot of growing and maturing to do. I don’t have it all together. I just want to come to a place where I feel satisfied spiritually, professionally and personally,” she added.
In addition to all that, Shekita is also currently studying to obtain her licence in project management and hopefully do a PhD in two years.
“I don’t want to do anything without God’s input. I always remember that God will never give me more than I can handle and I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. I just want to be a good person overall, a good daughter, sister and friend,” Shekita said.
She offered some advice to others her age who, like her, were seeking to figure life out and become successful.
“Never be too hard on yourself. When you make mistakes, or things don’t go as planned or when life gets tough, don’t give up. Always remember that with God, you can.” (DB)
