“All Man Talk” for JMMB Goal Getter Live – September Edition  

Having taken a break during the month of August, the second round of the JMMB Goal Getter Live series is set to kick things off come Tuesday, September 1, this time around the series will turn its attention to tackling the wide range of men’s issues, including: relationships, finances, fatherhood, and success, among other topics, in a special edition dubbed, “All Man Talk.”

This month-long version of the JMMB Goal Getter Live series of webinars, will feature special guests each Tuesday at 8:30 p.m., across JMMB Group’s social media platforms (YouTube, Twitter, Facebook), alongside JMMB male team members, who will moderate the discussions. 

Kerry-Ann Stimpson, chief marketing officer at JMMB Group, in explaining the genesis of the JMMB Goal Getter Series notes, “The series began in March (of this year), as an avenue to share hope, lend expertise and share solutions that will assist clients and the wider public, to navigate the COVID-19 crisis; and to address a cross-section of topical issues. Since hosting the series we have received positive feedback, and have seen the need to also broaden the conversation to address an even wider cross-section of issues, that people continue to grapple with during this crisis and even beyond.” Adding, “We therefore wanted to use this channel to give men a voice to ‘just talk and share’ from their vantage points, so that other men, and women, can benefit; in keeping with the core principles of the Goal Getter series, which is to empower, encourage and educate individuals, so that they can be more intentional about their goal achievement and tap into their greatness.” 

Jamaican entertainer, Wayne Marshall (aka Wayne Mitchell) will be a part of the lineup for the first episode on fatherhood, alongside, Christopher Walker, CEO, JMMB Fund Managers and Ibrahim (IB) Konteh, author, event promoter and banker; with Alwayne Cousins, manager, corporate solutions at JMMB as the moderator.

The experiences to be shared will vary, as the men represent fathers of a 'boys only club', in the case of Wayne, who has sons ranging from months old to a teen (younger brother); while Christopher is father to a six-year-old son and a teen daughter; and Ibrahim, a ‘millennial dad,’ who resides in Jamaica and the US, with two children under six years old.

In giving a sneak preview of his discussion, Christopher outlined that fatherhood is an imperfect journey, full of many bumps along the way, with no ideals. “Admittedly the dynamics of being a father to a daughter who is on the brink of adulthood and an energetic six-year-old son, who is discovering himself, is dynamic, to say the least, but fatherhood has taught me so many lessons and helped me to be vulnerable and ‘real” and I am happy to share this journey with other dads, stepdads and ‘to be dads’. It’s all a learning experience and even now, admittedly I don’t have it all right, some 17 years later.” Adding that a series like this is welcomed, “as it gives men a chance to ‘just have real talk’; to share their experiences so that you don’t also have to ‘feel their way in the dark,’ but instead can learn from someone else’s experience. Many Jamaican households are in fact headed by mothers or fathers have a visiting relationship, and so in many instances, when some men make that transition to being a dad, they do not necessarily have the benefit of a positive and prominent father figure to emulate, because of their own family structure, added Walker.  

Ibrahim also shared that fatherhood is a challenging but rewarding journey, especially as a father who commutes a lot between countries. “I recognize that my choice to commute impacts my ability to always be able to be physically accessible, yet there are challenges and opportunities and I want to use this occasion to encourage other fathers in similar positions to continue to ‘present” and give of their best.” Making the most of technology he seeks to bring the gap and attend as many special occasions as possible. Hinting at his story, he outlines, “as a father I want to help play my part in the positive affirmation of who my children are and help them understand their strong heritage, so that they are not defined by society’s standards: (as such) I am teaching my son to be strong yet vulnerable and to not bottle up his emotions.” This approach he says is in keeping with his view of fatherhood as more than a financial provider, but a protector and guide.  In also underscoring the series, Konteh notes, “I hope that these discussions will serve to create a bond for men, break stereotypes and provide a space for men to just share their stories and what they define as ‘best practices’ for others to benefit.”   

The first round of the JMMB Goal Getter series explored a range of topics, including:  homeschooling, wellness, wealth building, relationship-building, money-making opportunities, personal branding, debt management, retirement, among other areas. Additionally, the company turned up the heat with its summer edition and also hosted a culinary and happy hour special, dubbed, ‘Cocktails, Mocktails & Meal Ideas to Beat the Heat’ and a ‘Small Business Virtual Expo’,  in addition to exploring Jamaica through the experiences of travel blogger, Teika Samuda, during the segment, “Fun Ways to do Summer on a Budget.”