Today on “How They Did It“I talk to my good friend Christina Hunte. Christina is an entrepreneur from Barbados and runs one of the most progressive and forward-thinking marketing agency in the Caribbean. Today Christina talks about how a fruit salad led her to start her business and how she was able to overcome self-doubt and the impostor syndrome. I am a big fan of Christina not only because we both did a webinar on Facebook Marketing some times ago, but she is an all-around fantastic person.
Tell me a little about who you are
I love, love ice cream, and the food is the way to my heart. Lol. I think my purpose in life is to create change and make the world better. Even though it might sound cliche, I’ve been working on projects and causes since childhood and seeing people happy really gives me life.
What is your business about?
Kreativ Edge is a company that offers business enhancement services for entrepreneurs and artists alike. Our business is comprised of forward-thinking professional creatives, who want to help entrepreneurs enhance their business and reach their audience in the most modern, efficient and impactful ways. Essentially, making your business stand out through “kreativ” marketing ideas so you can be more successful.
What were you doing before you started your business?
I was a salesperson while working on causes in church and in music.
What inspired you to start your Business?
I always knew I was going to own my own business from a very young age, even though at the time I thought I was going to be a doctor, with my own private practice. Lol. Studying business in secondary school took me to the wonderful world of Marketing, and I enjoyed it so much, I knew that’s what I wanted to do. One day, I went into a fruit store and bought the most amazing fruit salad I ever had, and I thought, “But this is amazing! Why isn’t in here full of customers? This line should be going out the door!”. That day, I decided I would start a marketing business to help entrepreneurs who were adding some amazing value to the world, to get noticed more so they could be rewarded more for their business efforts.
What obstacles did you face in starting your business and how did you overcome them?
Honestly? Myself. Lol. I didn’t always have the highest self-esteem and convinced myself of a ton of reasons why people wouldn’t hire my business. I thought I was too young and therefore people wouldn’t respect me. I didn’t have ten years of experience working for someone else; I didn’t already have a long list of clients and business accomplishments to prove myself worthy, and, What if I wasn’t good enough.
Another obstacle I faced was lack of information. Gosh, it is so hard to find information in Barbados. What percentage of the population uses social media? How many social media marketers exist, and what do they charge? What statistics are there to show there’s demand for social media marketing? (It was entirely new then). None of this information I could find, so I just had to start. At that point, I didn’t even know if it was legal to manage pages on behalf of other people, due to some rule Facebook had at the time.
Fast forward to 4 years later where I’ve had some successes and some failures as well. What honestly helped me to get over my fears and inhibitions was working with a business coach. I’d advise everyone to do this. Even if you think you’ve got it covered, there’s always someone who knows more than you and can open your mind to some fantastic insights. Monique Mayers is my coach, and she taught me how to believe in my worth and my own brilliance, and how to monetize the skills and ideas I have. It’s totally worth it. Concerning lack of information, you just have to work with what you know, until you can know more. And ask a lot of questions.
Whats next for you and your business?
Events. As I mentioned before, I love working on projects, and organizing events were my thing from back in the day. So now I want to use my creativity to create events that will benefit entrepreneurs in marketing themselves better and get the word out about my business and my services as well.
What is your best advice for young people looking to start a similar business?
Start with a solid business idea. Something that you love, and believe will change the world. Believe in yourself like nobody’s business. That self-belief is what will get you through the hard times, and take you to success.
If you enjoyed reading about Christina, click here to read about how Johanan Dujon build a Agricultural Biotech Company in St Lucia.