Encouraged by her sister to come to the school she was attending, Kelly started looking at what might interest her.
She chose Advertising and in particular, Graphic Design. She applied, got accepted and spent the next two years in Canada.
In London, Ontario, Kelly also got her “feet wet” in fashion merchandising. She had a penchant for anything fashionable and to this day is the “go-to” person for gift ideas in her family – gifting with the recipient in mind!
Always up for an opportunity to learn and discover, she mastered everything from buying clothes for a clothing store, and streamlining sections while heading the team. Her teacher consulted her on her methodology and so they switched roles as Kelly shared simpler methods to execution.
Once she returned to Trinidad she worked in production at the family business – The DocuCentre Limited, and though a hard sell initially, finally got the company to embrace digital marketing and advertising.
Her next stint, found her working at Superpharm where she worked directly with their Advertising Agency. Again, Kelly introduced social media and married her expertise in design and fashion to create window and end cap displays that were distinctive and effective.
Three years in – Kelly met James whom she would eventually marry. He always saw her potential, in fact he is her biggest fan! With his support, she transitioned from being employed to a contract agreement, keeping Superpharm on her client roster.
One and one half years later, Kelly and James got married and moved to Barbados, James’s country of birth. With two clients plus Superpharm, Kelly operated out of a “bedroom office”.
She loved her independence and her flexibility and when her son was born in 2011, she added a playpen to her office.
They say that we should always listen to our customers and Kelly was wise in doing so. Many of her Trinidad and Tobago clients, were missing her. They kept asking…“so when are you coming back?”
In 2013, now with a second child, her daughter, the time seemed perfect for a Trinidad re-entry. With discussion and a plan put in place, Kelly and James returned to T & T and invested in a home.
This was in July of 2013 and by October of the same year, calls started coming in.
Kelly’s philosophy is rooted in this one sentence:
There is always room for a fresh start
And so it’s no surprise that she named her boutique Agency Fresh Media.
Kelly takes about 3 months to learn about each client as she figures out ways to give them a fresh start in their businesses. In her area of expertise, she is weary of fellow practitioners who don’t take the time to really connect with their clients. She is also very mindful that “less is more” is a great guiding principle especially in social media. There is no need to shove posts down people’s throats. Be purposeful. Be strategic.
Kelly sees her children as one of the best and most worthwhile investments she has ever made and in the last five years she’s learned that when she puts her kids first. everything else falls in place. It’s no coincidence that in the same time period, she has become better at saying “no” to clients who simply aren’t a good fit.
A lover of solving problems for others and trying to alleviate as much pain as possible, Kelly is hyper-alert now to those who want to take advantage of her good nature by requesting freebies or wanting to pay less than the fee quoted for her services.
And while she may seem quiet, know that Kelly is working on her courage muscle to continue to say “no” to those who “judge her by her cover” and assume she’s a pushover!
To recharge – Kelly can lose herself in a love story – her own life a living example, having just celebrated nine years of marriage and in her own words…
what a happy, wonderful, memorable and truly amazing journey!
It’s not always easy for Kelly. She sees herself as a work in progress and advises others to seek advice. You may not start at the top but if you seek understanding first and don’t focus initially on how much money you’re going to earn, there is absolutely nothing that is going to beat experience.
She cautions though – be careful who you seek advice from. “Know that when 10 people are telling you “don’t deal with someone” perhaps there is truth in this advice.”
Kelly recently had to move Fresh Media out of her home and into a small office. With her eyes set on “what’s next” and leading with the value of always being honest, Kelly keeps her rule book simple:
- Don’t offer things you can’t do
- You need to walk before you can run!
Your expertise is your business! 