JMMB Her Wealth Seminar Charges Women to Take Action to Achieve Financial Freedom 

The all-female JMMB Her Wealth event, which saw a few bold men, joining the nearly two hundred women in attendance, at the Audi showroom, inspired and challenged the participants to take action to achieve their financial freedom. 

The line-up of powerhouse speakers that included: communication specialist and entrepreneur, Patria-Kaye Aarons; CEO of D&L Apparel, who also balances a full-time job, Diana Samuels; and media personality and self-declared “Your Jamaican Girl,” Terri-Karelle Reid, shared practical insights, in a genuine heart-to-heart conversational style.

The stage was set by Felecia Williams, life coach and JMMB corporate manager, marketing, by inviting the audience to set their goals, envision themselves achieving those goals and seek to align their actions with their goals. She went on to encourage the attendees to be overcome their roadblocks and be limitless in their approach to achieving their financial freedom. 

Patria-Kaye Aarons, who was first up, gave an open and honest presentation on The Power to Believe in your financial freedom. She encouraged the audience to create their own path and not seek to live up to others expectations of them; noting that, “sometimes, in your pursuit of your dream, you have to step back, in order to move forward.” In sharing her journey into entrepreneurship, she revealed that she made several personal sacrifices in order to finance her business – Sweetie Confectionery; admitting that she had several challenges in making her business a reality, financing being a major roadblock to overcome. She recommended a creative and curious approach, in order to transform one’s ideas into reality. “Be creative in financing your dream, at the time of starting my business I had a major accident and I used the money from my insurance to help to start the business, …you also have people in this room who have the capital but don’t have the idea or want to start that business, network with them (to help finance your business),” Aarons posits. In wrapping up her presentation, she reminded the audience that key in achieving their dreams however, is to take action. 

Diana Samuels, in her role as ‘boss lady’, echoed similar sentiments as Aarons, about the need to take action. In prompting women to take the first step, during her pointed delivery, she said “start small and then grow your idea over time.” In just a few years, “I have grown from being a one woman show to now employing ten persons...and now serving several corporate clients, having started with an order of just six shirts for a friend’s husband.”  Samuels further implored women to start building out their ideas, even as they maintain their corporate jobs. Speaking from firsthand experience of juggling motherhood, being a wife and employee, she revealed that her keys to success are hinged on being able to multi-task and compartmentalize her life, so that she is most effective and efficient in each role, in addition to being a woman of faith.

 The dynamic Terri-Karelle Reid, delivered a thought-provoking and engaging presentation on the topic of The Power to Choose; during which she encouraged participants to pursue their passion. She cautioned that taking a leap of faith, as she did by resigning from a lucrative corporate job, will come with naysayers and obstacles. While sharing insight into her dynamic career, she credits much of her success to her “openness to continuously learn and being willing to learn from the failures, but learn fast,” she said. Her final note was, “remain focused on your goals, I don’t try to accomplish a long list at one time.” Reminding the audience of the importance of aligning their actions with their focus, resisting distraction, stating, “Don’t be afraid to say you can’t afford it.” 

The audience was given an opportunity to further engage the speakers during a question and answer segment, during which they gave practical pointers on financing business ideas, positioning and marketing one’s talent and rebounding from failure and criticism. 

To close the show out, attendees were given an additional boost of energy, with a surprise performance from Wayne Marshall, who had the ladies singing along and dancing during his entire set. 

This event forms a part of a series of all-women lifestyle events organized by JMMB Group, to complement JMMB Her Wealth, a complete financial packaged solution that includes: investments, loans, savings, insurance offerings and a rewards programme. The series is designed to provide financial education to its clients and the wider public, on how to achieve their financial goals, by pairing lifestyle-related topics with financial issues. As such, the company has been deliberate in organizing these events, which addresses topics that it believes are relevant to women.