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PERSONALITY TAMEIKA FLETCHER BIRMINGHAM THE "BEADS MOGUL" HOW SHE MOVED FROM CORPORATE TO JEWELLERY DESIGNER AND BOSS OF BEADS PERSONAL BRANDING MAGAZINE THE GIFT GIVING ISSUE VOLUME 1 ISSUE 7 DECEMBER 2020 LETINA MATA FROM ROCK BOTTOM TO MINDSET COACH AND ENTREPRENEUR 5 THINGS TO CHANGE TO ELEVATE YOUR BRAND IN 2021 THE ULTIMATE CHRISTMAS WISHLIST FOR DIGITAL ENTREPRENEURS

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Page 1: PERSONALITY · personality tameika fletcher birmingham the "beads mogul" d o r s personal branding magazine the gift giving issue volume 1 issue 7 december 2020 letina mata ock m

PERSONALITY

TAMEIKA FLETCHERBIRMINGHAM

THE "BEADS MOGUL"HOW SHE MOVED

FROM CORPORATE TOJEWELLERY DESIGNERAND BOSS OF BEADS

PERSONAL BRANDING MAGAZINE

T H E G I F T G I V I N G I S S U EV O L U M E 1

I S S U E 7D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 0

LETINA MATAFROM ROCK

BOTTOM TO

MINDSET COACH

AND

ENTREPRENEUR

5 THINGS TO

CHANGE TO

ELEVATE YOUR

BRAND IN 2021 THE ULTIMATE

CHRISTMAS WISHLIST

FOR DIGITALENTREPRENEURS

Page 2: PERSONALITY · personality tameika fletcher birmingham the "beads mogul" d o r s personal branding magazine the gift giving issue volume 1 issue 7 december 2020 letina mata ock m

Editor's Welcome 3

Tameika Fletcher Birmingham: MAKING ASTATEMENT WITH JEWELLERY 5 5 things to do to elevate your brandin 2021 12 MINDSET OVER MATA: How mindset coachLetina Mata turned her life around andfounded her own business changing lives 14

The Digital Entrepreneurs Wishlist 20

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFJamila Bannister

SUB-EDITOR

Maria Ransome

CONTRIBUTORSJamila BannisterMaria Ransome

CONTACT [email protected]

A publication of

CONTENTS

Follow us on social media

D e n o t e s a c l i c k *

t h r o u g h p a g e*

Page 3: PERSONALITY · personality tameika fletcher birmingham the "beads mogul" d o r s personal branding magazine the gift giving issue volume 1 issue 7 december 2020 letina mata ock m

Editor'sNoteJ A M I L A

B A N N I S T E R

E D I T O R - I N - C H I E F

We’ve made it to December 2020! I feel like that deserves a celebration all on its own, so congratulations andwelcome to 12/20! It’s the holiday season so naturally, gift-giving is happening all around us, and having a fewsuggestions to guide you never hurt. In this issue, we interview Tameika Fletcher Birmingham and Letina Mata,two phenomenal entrepreneurs and corporate dropouts who have designed the lives they want around theirpassions. Their stories give us inspiration and their products make clever and thoughtful gifts.

If you appreciate more practical gifts, then my digital wish list is exactly what you need to get yourself someuseful and affordable digital tools and subscriptions. I used each of these recommendations personally and I cantell you that they have all been game-changers for my brand. They can certainly help you improve your visibilityand brand in the new year.

As usual, this would not be PERSONALITY Mag if we didn’t give advice on how to improve yourself, your brandand your business, so check out my recommendations for exponential growth in 2021. If you agree or disagree letme know on IG @personalitymagazine.

As you enjoy this December issue, don't forget to grab those last-minute gifts and enjoy the holidayswith your loved ones. On behalf of the team and me, thank you so much for your support this pastyear. We appreciate every reader and all the feedback. You can look forward to more amazing storiesof corporate dropouts and as usual advice on how to build your brand in the upcoming issues. Seeyou next year!

Cheers

Jamila Bannister

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Page 4: PERSONALITY · personality tameika fletcher birmingham the "beads mogul" d o r s personal branding magazine the gift giving issue volume 1 issue 7 december 2020 letina mata ock m

J O I N O U R M A I L I N G L I S T

F O R E X C L U S I V E O F F E R S

A N D Y O U R C O P Y O F

P E R S O N A L I T Y !

SUBSCRIBE NOW

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Page 5: PERSONALITY · personality tameika fletcher birmingham the "beads mogul" d o r s personal branding magazine the gift giving issue volume 1 issue 7 december 2020 letina mata ock m

W R I T T E N B Y : M A R I A R A N S O M E

This issue is all about gift giving.When you work hard all year, youdeserve to be treated. A great giftmakes the receiver feel loved,beautiful or confident and issomething they can cherish forever.All of these things can be found in agreat piece of jewellery. No oneknows this better than TameikaFletcher Birmingham, whose love forthe craft, inspired her to leave thecorporate world and enter a new onewith Bead Café, the first full-servicebead store in Trinidad and Tobago. Igot the chance to speak withTameika as she shares the brandsshe’s worked on since, particularlyher latest project Aya Styler jewellery.

MAKING ASTATEMENTWITHJEWELLERY

TAMEIKA

FLETCHER

BIRMINGHAM:

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Page 6: PERSONALITY · personality tameika fletcher birmingham the "beads mogul" d o r s personal branding magazine the gift giving issue volume 1 issue 7 december 2020 letina mata ock m

EVERY GREAT IDEA COMES FROM BEING ABLETO SATISFY A NEED

Tameika is no stranger to the world of fashionand entrepreneurship. She comes from afamily full of style and what we call theentrepreneurial mindset, with hit retail storessuch as Bang Bang and 212 Location. While thefamily’s focus was on clothing, Tameika founda love and fascination for jewellery making.

.After trying her hand at jewellery, it wasn’tlong before the opportunity presented itselffor Tameika to have her own kiosk. “I wasliterally like yeah, sure …I’ll sell beads,” sherecalls, laughing at the randomness of it allbecause no one was selling beads the way shehad in mind. “I thought to myself, do I want tosell jewellery? Or do I want to sell thecomponents so other persons like myself canactually get materials necessary.”

Tameika’s journey then began as she startedher first venture, while balancing a full-timejob at Airport Authority and a 3-month-oldbaby. Bead Café was simply a hobby, but onewith potential for growth. Within threemonths, the kiosk grew into a store, allowingTameika to have classes and expand herproduct range.

Tameika makes it look easy but looks can bedeceiving. Building her retail business didn’tcome without its struggles. She recalls thetime and effort it took over the years to buildand maintain a successful brand. She’s nowable to joke about the trauma anduncertainty she experienced when facedwith her first major competitor a mere ninemonths into her entrepreneurial journey. “Iremember crying, thinking I wouldn’t be ableto survive because they had more money andwere doing these massive TV campaigns Ijust couldn’t afford.”

She now views competition in a differentlight saying it helped her business grow. Asmore businesses entered the market,consumers became more aware that thistype of product existed. Which ultimately,was good for business.

STIRRING THE POT AND BUILDING BRANDDIVERSITY

Tameika has dipped her fingers into manypots. From opening Bang Bang Home inmemory of her mother to documenting hertravel experiences in an online magazine andblog. She has never been shy to test thelimits of her creativity and explore everyavailable opportunity, finding opportunitiesand market needs in the simplest of things.

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“I REMEMBER CRYING, THINKING I WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO

SURVIVE BECAUSE THEY HAD MOREMONEY AND WERE DOING THESEMASSIVE TV CAMPAIGNS I JUST

COULDN’T AFFORD.”

As Bead Café grew, so did her ambitions. Aninterview with T&T Guardian, became a pivotalpoint in Tameika’s life. One she describes asground-breaking, the kind of interview thatmakes you realise the path you want to take.Within the same week of its release, Tameikaresigned from her corporate job. “I walkedaway from Airport Authority to walk into BeadCafé”

Page 7: PERSONALITY · personality tameika fletcher birmingham the "beads mogul" d o r s personal branding magazine the gift giving issue volume 1 issue 7 december 2020 letina mata ock m

While Bead Café had its fair share ofcustomers, Tameika noticed childrenweren’t very interactive with her brand.Parents weren’t bringing them to thestore and when they did, they weren’tgiven the opportunity to choose beads.So, she created a user-friendly productthat could be placed in stores. “I lovecolour and I’m really good at designing,”she says, “so I broke down the processand created a kit that’s very easy forsomeone to pick up and make somethingof their own.”

This kit became known as Island GirlBeads a brand in progress that was ableto get even more visibility thanks to socialmedia. “I can’t get my product in everystore,” she says, “but I can do it on socialmedia.”

Still designing jewellery on the side, herlatest brand, Aya Styler takes a differenttone from Bead Café, focusing on creatinga retail-ready jewellery brand. Tameikadescribes herself as an idea collector.

“I do not launch everything immediately.It may seem that way, people may wonderhow do I do all these things so easily? It’snot that. I do a lot of research and a lot ofinternalizing.“ I have Island Girl beads, Ihave Aya Styler, I have Bead Café, they areall brands that are related. But I targetcompletely different audiences in each.So, I’m trying to be a mogul in beads.” Tameika envisions a website that bringsall her different brands together; creatingher own virtual marketplace where eachproduct can have its own story and space.

BRANDING THE CARIBBEAN AESTHETIC:AYA STYLER JEWELLERY

Aya Styler, Tameika’s latest jewellery brand,focuses on embodying the Caribbeanaesthetic while promising to deliver a senseof luxury, quality and beautiful design to itswearers. “What I love about Aya Styler isthat it has grown so authentically withoutme being the face of it.”

Unlike Bead Café, Aya Styler has allowedTameika to truly express herself as adesigner and translate her aesthetic intowearable fashion products. “Its twodifferent mindsets being a jewellerydesigner and being a craft store owner,”she says “as a craft owner you have to thinkmore about the person who is buying thebeads and what they will need, while withdesigning I can think about more myaesthetic and translating that to acustomer. Aya Styler allows me to be me”.

Aya stems from Japanese origin andtranslates to 'beautiful, colourful, anddesign.' These are all the things Tameikatries to give to her brand when designing. She aims to embody the Caribbeanaesthetic taking inspiration from theisland’s motifs and colours. “A customerreally did describe it best,” says Tameika.“She said, I love that ‘Caribbeanness’ aboutyour product.

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I DO NOT LAUNCH EVERYTHINGIMMEDIATELY. IT MAY SEEM THATWAY, PEOPLE MAY WONDER HOWDO I DO ALL THESE THINGS SO

EASILY? IT’S NOT THAT. I DO A LOTOF RESEARCH AND A LOT OF

INTERNALISING.“

Page 8: PERSONALITY · personality tameika fletcher birmingham the "beads mogul" d o r s personal branding magazine the gift giving issue volume 1 issue 7 december 2020 letina mata ock m

ER

SO

NA

LIT

Y M

AG

AZ

INE

|P

AG

E 8

"IT'S TWO DIFFERENTMINDSETS BEING AJEWELLERY DESIGNERAND BEING A CRAFTSTORE OWNER."

M O D E L : M E I L I N G M A C K

- T A M E I K A F L E T C H E R

B I R M I N G H A M

Page 9: PERSONALITY · personality tameika fletcher birmingham the "beads mogul" d o r s personal branding magazine the gift giving issue volume 1 issue 7 december 2020 letina mata ock m

Although Aya Styler is madefor everyone, she notes that amajority of young professionalstend to be drawn to the brand.These customers are also theones who really helpedinfluence and shape what thebrand is becoming. Aya Stylerhas seen a steady growthwithin the last few monthspushed by authentic followerswho really support the brand’sjourney as she shares theirphotos. There is a sense ofpride seeing her locally madeproduct in retail stores andbeing able to compete againstimported brands.

“I think that sometimes we shyaway from Caribbeanaesthetics maybe because ofthe perception of it, we see iton international brands, andwe want it, but when we see itin our own circle, we take it forgranted. I mean we see the seaevery day, and something

Whoever owns a piece of Aya Styler jewellery is sureto appreciate it. “I’m very personable about where Ihave to paint things, or I have to do resin or sometype of finishes. It’s something that you can give tosomeone knowing that they will cherish for a periodof time. I still have pieces from years ago and it’s stillgreat.” The goal is to eventually have a factory andproduce at a larger scale investing in a design team.Tameika aims to take the lead in establishing ajewellery design house in Trinidad, where Ayastylerwouldn’t just be a product but an opportunity foremployment and innovation for others within thelocal fashion jewellery industry.

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as simple as a banana tree is not somethingeveryone can see so they appreciate it. Why is it notsomething that we can appreciate?”

"AYASTYLERALLOWSME TO BE ME"

" I THINK THAT SOMETIMES WE SHY AWAYFROM CARIBBEAN AESTHETICS MAYBEBECAUSE OF THE PERCEPTION OF IT"

C O N T E N T C R E A T E R , M E I L I N G M A C K

W E A R I N G A Y A S T Y L E R J E W E L L E R Y

@ M E I M M A C K

Page 10: PERSONALITY · personality tameika fletcher birmingham the "beads mogul" d o r s personal branding magazine the gift giving issue volume 1 issue 7 december 2020 letina mata ock m

GROWING THE JEWELLERY INDUSTRY:STARTING THE CONVERSATION

Last month in November, Tameika held herfirst Caribbean Fashion Jewellery Summit. Asummit was something she’d always wantedto do but, was inspired to finally execute thisplan while in a meeting with YBTT (YouthBusiness Trinidad and Tobago) about GlobalEntrepreneurship Week. Her goal was tostart the conversation towards growing theFashion Jewellery Industry within theCaribbean. She saw the need for a summitwhere persons can come together, not only inTrinidad but within the Caribbean region,where the sole focus was on beading andjewellery making.

She hoped that with this summit peoplewould see themselves as more than justcompetitors but a community within thesame industry. Urging persons to look atcompetition as a good thing. “My successwould have probably died if I didn’t seecompetition as a positive,” she says. “Ithought I wasn’t good enough … I was small,I didn’t have those kinds of resources. Butwhat I saw was I could support the industryjust as much as they can.” Tameikaemphasizes the need for designers to supportone another within the industry and continuethe conversation of buying not only locallybut regionally. “You can be competitors andstill support one another within theindustry.” Tameika believes that pushinglocally made and buying from one anotheropens the opportunity to create and grow alarger local market.

With three weeks to plan, the summit was asmall but successful event. Featuringspeakers from around the Caribbean asTameika wanted to highlight it being ablended effort. “You can be your own mediaand that’s what I love about brand buildingand online marketing you don’t needtraditional media to share your info.” Thereare many forms of ‘new media’ offering avariety of avenues to get your message out.” For Tameika, a dedicated website for thesummit and promotion through social mediawas most effective. “It’s the time for people toconnect

more than ever and we are all challenged thesame way so It’ll be great for summit goers tohear other designers from different places.”

LET YOUR PASSION DRIVE YOUR PURPOSE,BUT BE STRATEGIC ABOUT IT.

With all her experience, we wanted to knowwhat advice Tameika had for creatives whomay have jewellery or other unique productsand want to turn their passions into asuccessful business.

Plan for the success you want, keeping yourbusiness goals in mind. While passion isimportant it takes a lot of preparing,researching and internalising. “Even with myfirst business I could have been ten timesmore successful with a little more structure,but I was so passionate and just dove right in.Now I am more strategic about my plansmoving into the next phase of business.”

She says be prepared to plan for growth andknow when to transition. Don’t stay stuck insomething that isn’t working.

“Most people see the creative industry astaking something visible and tangible andmaking something out of it, like jewellery. But everything comes from creativity,including the intangible. Some of us use ourhands, some of us use our brains. The morepeople who are able to truly recognize whatcreativity is, the more risk takers we are goingto have and the more development we aregoing to see in the country. Don’t be afraid todabble and experiment with whatever youfeel like doing. It will be worth it.”

You can stay up to date, with Tameika’s latestjewellery designs on Instagram @ayastyler.

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"DON'T BE AFRAID TO DABBLE ANDEXPERIMENT WITH WHATEVER YOU

FEEL LIKE DOING. IT'LL BE WORTH IT"

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Page 12: PERSONALITY · personality tameika fletcher birmingham the "beads mogul" d o r s personal branding magazine the gift giving issue volume 1 issue 7 december 2020 letina mata ock m

To describe 2020 as a blender isarguably an understatement. I don’tthink there is anyone that can say theyhave not been affected by Covid-19 insome way. There were so many lessonslearned but one of the many that standout more than the rest is that we needto stop procrastinating on the thingswe want to do because you truly neverknow when things will drasticallychange or worse when you won’t behere anymore to see your dreamscome true. So as we close out the year,there are a few things I want you to puton your 2021 agenda to get done. TheNew Year shouldn’t just be one ofrecovery but of exponential growth. For all of the downtime we had tothink, recalibrate and re-evaluate in2020, here are 5 things we should bedoing to elevate our personal brandsand grow our businesses in the next 12months.

I don’t think there is a struggle thatunifies early-stage business owners inthe digital space more than thestruggle to implement a simple systemfor content creation and distribution. Iknow because I have been there.Staying consistent,

feeling stumped on what to say, where to post, how topost or which network to be on can all feel like a jumblein your head. For 2021, I want you to “unjumble” thosethoughts, create clarity and most of all create a system sothat your life goes from overwhelm to under control andthriving. Always start with the end in mind, ask yourself,what you want people to do when they see your post,watch your video, or read your status. What do you wantthem to feel and what do you want them to learn fromyou. Most of all, what actions do you want them to take.This should be followed up by your systems for creationand for distribution. Use a calendar to map out your days,map out your posts and use a scheduler for easy postingand distribution.Content is not complex; however it canfeel that way in the absence of a direction and a plan tomake it happen. Make 2021, the year you invest in yourselfand take your content to new heights to grow yourbusiness.

One of the most important lessons I’ve learnt leading aservice based business is that creating unique products is atthe centre of exponential growth and brand differentiation. Everyone has the same 24 hours in the day to work, butsome people will only ever serve 5 people at one time whileothers will serve 500 or even 5000. The difference in thenumber of people you can serve begins with being able toscale your effort so you can serve multiple people. By doingthis, you not only show up as business savvy but you positionyourself and your brand even more strongly as the “go-to”for a solution in your industry.

5 THINGS TO

DO TO ELEVATE

YOUR BRAND

IN 2021

Written by: Jamila Bannister

IMPLEMENT A SYSTEM FOR YOURSOCIAL MEDIA AND CONTENT

BOOSTING YOUR BRAND WITH YOUR OWN PRODUCT

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Page 13: PERSONALITY · personality tameika fletcher birmingham the "beads mogul" d o r s personal branding magazine the gift giving issue volume 1 issue 7 december 2020 letina mata ock m

The new year is a perfect time to shift yourvision from focusing on short term wins withmoney you may make from one or two jobs,and move to have a long term vision for growthand development. Ask yourself, “How can I bethe “go-to” person when I’m diluting my skillsin every corner?” and “How can I perfect mycraft if I’m not focusing my energy on workthat will help me get better?” The most criticalone to ask is “How can I expect to setboundaries with clients if I say ‘yes’ to everyrequest they send my way?” Niching is not justa fancy term that is reserved for big business orsomething that will cause you to lose money;it’s an activity that is meant to help you focus,improve your skill and also protect you frommental and physical burn

Creating a successful product means that youhave fine-tuned and tested your systems,gotten some results and now you’re ready tooffer that tool to your audience. I know readingabout this may seem daunting, but it’s somuch simpler than you think. I never thought Icould write a book before I actually did it. OnceI started the information started pouring outand that’s because I knew my area of expertise,understood the process to brand building, andcould share it with you in a concise and easyway. Perhaps a book may not be what youcreate, but whatever your industry needs, finda way to package your knowledge so you canincrease your reach, scale your effort, andcreate passive income.

If I count the number of times I mentioned thisrecommendation it still wouldn’t be enough.Too often, when new entrepreneurs hear theterm “niche down”, they interpret it as leavingopportunities and money behind. Therefore,most people don’t focus on a niche until theylearn the lesson the hard way. They experienceburn out or they become overwhelmed andfrustrated from doing too much.

out.

When was the last time you got dressed up andtook a new set of professional images? Given thefact that working from home has been thereality of many of us since March of 2020, I’dventure to say that it’ been a while. In fact, itmight very well be time to update your picturesand update your social profiles. In years past,upgrading pictures every 24 months was moreor less the norm, but with our work life beingalmost 100% virtual, images are probably thenumber one way we’ll be seen by our network.Therefore keeping your images fresh issomething I’d recommend. Even if your picturesaren’t taken by a professional photographereach time, dress up and take a few selfies thatyou can use to update your social profiles.

One of the most counterproductive habits inwhich we can engage is chronic procrastination.More often than not, procrastination is asymptom of fear and anxiety. We don’t want todeal with a new or challenging task in ourbusiness so we put it off for as long as possibleand at the last moment , give it a “slap and adash”, throw it over the finish line and say we’redone. However, the result of the effort amountsto naught because it wasn’t given the time andconsideration needed to ensure that it would besuccessful. This then leads to inevitable failureand a confirmation of the fear we felt in the firstplace. It’s pretty much a vicious cycle.

Use the new year as a time to work on our self-awareness, take note of counterproductivebehaviours that may be holding you back fromachieving optimal results in your business.

IT'S TIME YOU NICHE DOWN

UPDATE YOUR PERSONAL PICS

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BANISH PROCRASTINATION ANDFEAR

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Create a system of accountability aroundyourself so that you get your work done. Thissystem should include an accountabilitypartner or mentor who can support you if youfeel like you’re waning. Use calendars andalarms to keep you up-to-date, use projectmanagement tools to map out activities andmake it a habit to measure your progressalong the way. Twelve months of consistentwork can put you in a whole new place interms of growth and earnings. It's amazingthe things you can accomplish withconsistent action and commitment.

Personal brand building and businessdevelopment mean creating relationshipswhere we can be of service while beingserved. However, having the correct tools,systems and most of all mindset will make aworld of difference between failure andsuccess. Give yourself the gift of growth in2021. I look forward to celebrating successwith you to ring in 2022.

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When life gives you lemons you makelemonade. But what do you do when thoselemons are bitter as hell ? No one can answerthat better than Mindset Coach Letina Mata,who thought she had a firm grip on life untilshe got knocked right off her feet. When shewas at her worst, she knew there had to bemore to her story.She then proves that thecomeback is always greater than the setbackfounding True Growth Caribbean. Bitterlemons turned sweet as she now changes thelives of others and helps them find the clarityneeded to grow their businesses with hercoaching sessions and her Just for Me Journal.With this issue being all about gift giving webelieve that these two things can make theperfect gift for that struggling entrepreneur inyour life.

Taking a Big Piece of Humble Pie

“Before I had my daughter there was nohumility. I was in this space where nobodycould touch me. There was no gratitude, nofundamental things that I believe arenecessary to help someone start to becomethe best version of themselves. But I wasn’teven aware of it ”

Imagine losing your job, after just purchasinga new car and having an unplannedpregnancy while in a toxic relationship. Nowimagine it happening all within the span ofthree months.

For Letina , 7 years ago , this was no imaginarytale but a recount of the most humblingexperience of her life. “I’d never had so manytrials in my life, not to that degree. It really hitme like a ton of bricks”, says Letina as sherecalls the shock she experienced. Questioningwhether this was real life. She began to wonder“What is this I’m going through here?”.

A Mindset Makeover: You have it in You.

"I started to realize the things I wanted startedwith me, I needed to be grateful for where I am.The only person I can control is myself.”

Letina began shifting her focus from “this can’tbe me” to “I have to be grateful for where I am”.She got a job 3 months after her daughter wasborn and left her toxic relationship as sherealized her change had to start with her. “I hadto shift my focus from external fussing andcomplaining about everyone else.”

“ I REALISED THE LEVEL OF SELF -RESPECT I HAD, THE LEVEL OF

SELF-LOVE I THOUGHT I HAD, THELEVEL OF SELF I THOUGHT I HAD,

WASN’T THE BEST.”

MINDSET OVER MATA

How mindset coachLetina Mata turnedher life around andfounded her ownbusiness changinglives Written by:

Maria Ransome

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In 2017, Letina had another job in qualitycontrol. She’d been there for a little over ayear and was fighting for permanency. But herperspective shifted when she read a bookcalled ‘You Have it in You’. Two days beforeshe received her permanency letter, Letinadecided to resign from her corporate job andtruly dive into the world of personaldevelopment.

Paying attention to how and whom she spenther time with, she created an environmentsuited for growth as she surrounded herselfwith podcasts, inspirational videos, andmentors. She began to refill her empty cup.“Self-love, self-care, and self-developmentbecame mandatory. A major shift was merecognizing my value system. I am to dothings that align with what matters to me.”Letina took the self-development even furtherby hiring a life coach/mentor. Her mentor notonly guided her but held her accountable.

All of those components played a part inwhere she is today. She thinks about whenshe named her company, “The actual name ofthe company was supposed to be True GrowthThrough Growth”. It was a play on words shesays, “ I lived that name because everything Igo through I grow through”.

Taking Control of her Narrative with the Justfor You Journal

The name of Letina’s popular Just For YouJournal is as literal as it gets because thejournal was initially meant just for her. It was atool that greatly helped her on her personaldevelopment journey. “It’s so funny becausethe intention behind the Just For You Journalwas not to be what it is now. That journalstarted off as me just writing in my notebook.

"I'M NOT JUST DOING THISTO WRITE MY FEELINGS ANDEXPRESS MYSELF, I WANTED

AN END RESULT"

I was doing all my inner work and personaldevelopment and I was like you know ifthis is benefitting me I am pretty sure thatit will benefit someone else.”

“The journal is a very concise tool in termsof you working on your own personaljourney and personal growth,” she says. “Itcontains the fundamental things neededto help you recognize and shift yourcurrent situation.”

Letina was always someone who journaledby writing her thoughts down freely butshe began to ask herself “What’s next?”While she did see transformations throughjournaling, she wanted something moreconcise for herself. “I’m not just doing thisto write my feelings and express myself. Iwanted an end result.” Letina put togetherall the things she had learned on herpersonal growth journey: affirmations,gratitude, goal setting, action steps thatwere aligned with her goals, and muchmore. She then wrote in her notebook forweeks which turned into months whichturned into her saying, “I want to dosomething with greater purpose.”

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Do it Scared

She had to ask herself, “What lights me up?”She then answers by saying supportingpeople and bringing out the best insomeone. There was a gut feeling, tellingher this was what she was meant to do. Shedescribes it as a loud clamouring feelingthat was just getting bigger and bigger. “Itwas like a loud take action.” She says, “Do itscared.” She figured why not share thesystem she’d been using all along for herselfand just like that, True Growth Caribbeanwas born.

“Having a life coach at this point was superbecause the panic attacks were REAL, “shesays about growing her business. Hermentor added a lot of value throughout theprocess and provided her with a sense ofsupport and more importantly,accountability. She recalls having a panicattack on her first Instagram live. “You couldjust see me freeze, I came off the phone andjust hung up the call and called my lifecoach.” At this point, Letina was crying tearsrolling down her eyes. “I’m having a panicattack!” She tells her life coach who advisedher to take two breaths and go back on. “I’mlike what!?” Letina exclaims. “ I pulled myselftogether and went back on, but I was soshamed,” she says laughing. Saying sheblamed the call dropping on her ‘faulty’internet connection.

That social media page and the followers whostuck by her, even through the rockymoments, is what prepped her journal launchfor success. “Before showing my book, Irealized I was building a personal brand,warming up everyone by posting and sharingthings in alignment with self and personalgrowth.”

“YOU COULD JUST SEE MEFREEZE, I CAME OFF THE

PHONE AND JUST HUNG UPTHE CALL AND CALLED MY

LIFE COACH.”

Becoming a Mindset Coach

After Letina found success with her book,she once again felt that clamouringfeeling knowing there must be more. InOctober 2019 she started to feeloverwhelmed and took a self-care trip toMiami. “I realized I was going through thistransitionary stage where things I liked, Ino longer liked and when I came back Idecided I was going to start coachingpeople.” She had her first group of betaclients with people she knew and at theend of February this year she made itofficial.

Letina’s coaching sessions promise to beeye-opening as she helps persons findtheir blockages and help them achievetheir goals. “There are a lot ofbreakthroughs where you’ll think OMG itmakes so much sense, why I’m

“THERE ARE LOT OFBREAKTHROUGHS WHERE

YOU'LL THINK OMG ITMAKES SO MUCH SENSEWHY I'M NOT ABLE TO

MOVE FORWARD”

L E T I N A M A T A

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not able to move forward. Perfectionism.Procrastination. Imposter Syndrome. A lot ofit is usually fear-based, rooted in peoplefeeling like they’re not good enough orvaluable enough.”

Her 1 on 1 intensive is a deep dive into yourcurrent situation, analyzing where you arenow, where you want to go, and the thingsthat are stopping you. An action plan isthen created with a timeline and Letina willfollow up with a 30-minute call to hold youaccountable. She describes the entireprocess as a partnership. “ I ask thequestions and you give the answer. I’m notgoing to say do ‘ABC’, instead, I’m going toask you: What are three things you can dothat will allow you to get to this point? Inthese sessions, you will realize you alwayshad the answer. I just bring it out of you andbring so much clarity that you didn’t havebefore.”

For anyone wanting to start their own

business but keeps getting in their ownway, Letina leaves this piece of advice foryou. “From my own experience getsomeone who can hold you accountablewho is outside your family and friends."

"They know you, you know them so youknow how to play that game. Findaccountability with someone you learn togrow, like, and trust. If I had called mymom when I had my Instagram panicattack she would have said “Letina, well doit tomorrow.” But I am paying somebodywho says Letina, I know you are capable, goback on. It’s a different something whenyou have that exchange through monetarytransactions.” Letina also says to DO ITSCARED. “I promise you’re not going to die,you might a have a panic attack, you mightcry. But you’re not going to die.”

Letina can be found on Instagram@truegrowthcaribbean and visit her websitewww.truegrowthcaribbean.com to check outher journal or book a coaching session.

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Page 19: PERSONALITY · personality tameika fletcher birmingham the "beads mogul" d o r s personal branding magazine the gift giving issue volume 1 issue 7 december 2020 letina mata ock m

Plant Sales

Plant Rentals

Event Styling

Rehab + Restore

In-home + Office placement

Consultations

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Give a gift that grows....

@theinsidejungle

The Inside Jungle

[email protected]

868.738.7612

@theinsidejungle

Page 20: PERSONALITY · personality tameika fletcher birmingham the "beads mogul" d o r s personal branding magazine the gift giving issue volume 1 issue 7 december 2020 letina mata ock m

Canva Pro- $119.40 USDAnnually

If you’re a seasoned content creatorCanva is more than likely already oneof your “go-to” tools to create visualsfor your brand. However, if you’reusing the free version and haveoutgrown the limited features, it maybe time for you to up the ante. Anannual subscription to Canva is anideal ideal gift to put on your wish-list because it

gives you access to tools, features, andstock photos that are either unavailable oravailable on a paid basis anyway. Thereforeinstead of spending on individual stockimages or Canva credits simply get the promembership. You won’t have to worryabout it for a whole year and you will havehigh-quality elements and images withwhich to design your documents andcontent pieces to give your brand thatpolished look.

Calendly Pro- $96 USD Annually

Keeping your schedule organized mayseem innocuous but it has been a game-changer for me. Calendly Pro has beenexcellent in not just helping me managemy appointments but also ensuring thatmy guests get reminded of theirappointments with me via email. If you’veever forgotten a meeting in your scheduleonly to be scrambling 10 minutes beforebecause you're unprepared you'll knowexactly what I mean. Calendly Pro alsointegrates integrates with most

major videoconferencing tools aswell as payment tools,so booking paidmeetings andconsultations are abreeze. This one shoulddefinitely make yourWishlist.

If you’ve made it this far in, by now you’d know that this is our gift-giving issue and for me, thereis nothing better than receiving a super practical gift. While whimsical treats can be reallysentimental, as a digital entrepreneur, there are so many tools and apps that make awesomegifts; I’ve curated a list to help you get started. If you’re looking to take your business to the nextlevel in 2021 these 7 gifts are ideal to help you set up your digital systems, get you more visibilityand grow your brand.

Wish List

THE DIGITAL

ENTREPRENEUR'S

Written by: Jamila Bannister

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AWeber is a small but mighty email marketingprovider that is ideal for small businesses who are

is email marketing. As you upgrade your business in2021, an excellent partner in business is AWeber.

AWeber Email Marketing- $194 USD AnnuallyAn essential part of any digital marketing ecosystem

looking to upgrade their email marketing. It’seasy to use, has a wide range of templates,has excellent analytics and stats and theircustomer support is top notch. In mid-2020 they launched their free option to get you started withtheir service, however, if your business is growing, I suggest getting the annual or quarterly subscriptionbecause you're sure to reach their free 500 subscribers /one list limit really fast.

Content wouldn’t be content without thevideo editing app InShot. This is withoutquestion one of my favourite apps as itmakes video editing so easy. This mobilephone app will have you turning out high-quality videos and picture collages in notime. It’s ideal to add pizzazz and polish toyour content, it's user friendly and reducesediting time to a fraction of what it would beusing a desktop app.Do yourself a favour and get InShot; it'sworth the lifetime investment.e

InShot -$34.99 USD Lifetime Access

Brandprint Digital Content Calendar- $37 USD

a super convenient digital tool to not only giveyou 365 suggested posts for every day of the year,but it also gives you 30 tips to engage youraudience more effectively, 8 tools to help youcreate, and countless holidays for you tocelebrate. If planning content always leaves youstumped, this will certainly give you the guidanceyou need to get you started to be more consistentin showing up online.

Upgrading your social media in the New Year means you’ve got toupgrade your planning. The Brandprint digital content planner isa

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Auto Cap- $28.99 USD AnnuallyAn essential component of social media

is closed captioning. With the tendency of viewers to look at videos on mute, captionshave almost become expected with videocontent content. In addition, captioning videos means

you make your content accessible to the deafcommunity community who would otherwise be left out.

Captions not only serve those who choose tokeep their videos muted but those who actuallyneed to read text. I can't think of a better gift toask "Santa Claus" to get you. otherwise

If you’re looking to get your website on streamin the new year, Stand out and Shine templatesby Mackenzie Mader is the hack you need toget a handsome and functional website up and running. Ideally, getting a web designer iswhat you want to do, however, if you're still in a DIY space these templates willgive you multiple design options that you can adapt to fit your branding and colour schemeThey are designed to be used on WordPress websites with the Elementor page builder. These templates are the gifts that keep giving.

Stand out and Shine WordPress Website Templates -$37 USD

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Page 23: PERSONALITY · personality tameika fletcher birmingham the "beads mogul" d o r s personal branding magazine the gift giving issue volume 1 issue 7 december 2020 letina mata ock m

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