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Listen. Your natural hair is not properly thriving until you get yourself a satin hair bonnet! I’ve been using these satin hair bonnets by @thewrapchic_ for over a month and my hair is really holding in that moisture.

A few weeks ago I was about to make myself a satin bonnet due to my hair drying out when I use my regular head ties to sleep. I tried using two head ties at a time, yes I tied one over the other, until I decided to get the fabric to start constructing my solution to this dryness. However, my commitment to support local encouraged me to do otherwise.

Immediately, I thought of @TheWrapChic_ where you can get some vibrant, beautiful satin hair bonnets, among other accessories, which have been on my ‘to get’ list for a while.

I contacted Terrie-Ann, owner of the business, told her what I wanted and she presented me some options. She then convinced me to get myself two satin hair bonnets since it was my sister’s birthday. I chose an Ankara-print and a reversible two-coloured satin bonnet. While it was very hard for me to let go off the Ankara-print, it worked well to add to other items I got my sister for her birthday. She was more excited than I was to receive it.

The process to place my order and get my package was absolutely easy and one which will send you back to spend more money! Terrie-Ann’s customer service is top notch and her willingness to listen and respond in a timely manner is what we desire from other local businesses (ah whole other topic). I also have to mention the packaging of her products. Her branding is all over her items and a business card was also placed in the package. Well done!

Two other major selling points are that Terrie-Ann uses scrap or left over fabric to make reusable pouches as packaging. It also works as good way to store the bonnets if not in use. Also, she uses her very own pillow mist (which she mentions below) to add some fragrance to your package. Her mists come in a few different fragrances, but they smell heavenly. My package had a soft vanilla fragrance which I fell in love with and had to get one. She’s also offering new fragrances for Christmas.

P.s. I got some other goodies in my package which made me extremely happy. (Two hand made fabric covered button earrings and a headband also made from left over fabric). She usually will add something in a package if she can.

Take a read and learn some more about Terrie-Ann and her blossoming business:

1. Tell us about yourself and where you’re from.

Hi, I am Terrie-Ann Charles, I am a christian and lifestyle blogger. I am also an entrepreneur. I consider myself creative because I do bits and pieces of everything. I am a wife and mom of a 5-year-old.

2. These satin bonnets are life! They are not only for kinky-curly hair types, but all hair types to lock in that moisture. What led you start The Wrap Chic?

Thank you so kindly. I really appreciate your compliment! Actually, I started off with head wraps under the umbrella of, my formerly named business, Tailored by Terrieann which is now re-named Terrie-Ann. My love for fashion and style allowed me to be creative and I experimented with different colours, patterns, prints and with this newfound hobby it gave me an opportunity to create alternative style methods to enhance my wardrobe. I decided, why not share my creativity with other women who are looking for style accessory alternatives that will assist with their confidence. We started in that form then I realized that Tailored by Terrieann was evolving into a different platform and could no longer house “The Wrap Chic”. I decided quickly on a name, created a home for my new business, which by the way is growing leaps and bounds by God’s sweetest Grace.

3. How has being an entrepreneur impacted your life?

Wow! Great question. Being an entrepreneur has impacted my life in a real way. It has opened my eyes to see how harsh and evil the world is but has also allowed me to see how hard I have to work in order to get what I want. (and still is impacting my life). I can say now that I am learning the importance of balancing life on a whole. Being an entrepreneur has also motivated me to continue working hard towards my goals and never settle for less.

4. What other products can we find at The Wrap Chic?

At The Wrap Chic you can get Headwraps, Satin Hair bonnets, eco-friendly covered button earring, The Sleep Box which includes: 1 Customized hair bonnet, 1 Sweet Dreams Pillow mist, 2 tea light scented candles, 1 Sleep mask, and 4 Chamomile tea bags. We are also creating another product which will be called The Goddess Set, it will include 2 Satin pillowcases 1 headscarf and one satin reversible hair bonnet.

5. Were there any challenges you faced when you just started and what steps did you take to overcome them?

Oh yes, I experienced lots of challenges when I just started. Just to name two FEAR and seeking validation from people who had no expertise in business. I overcame every challenge with prayer and being consistent. Every time I failed I encouraged myself and kept moving.

6. Just for fun, share one of your favourite hairstyles using your products.

This is a recent video I did with the beautiful @ShanellnKhan. Video was done by @HollyCharlesPhotos.

7. How did you go about funding your business?

I started this business with EC$60.00. At the time, I started this business I was working a full-time job, so I had a discussion with my husband the previous month, then the following month I took out EC$60.00 from my salary and started a faith journey.

8. I recently attended a prayer breakfast you hosted. Can you share more about the seminars and events you host?

All of the Women Empowerment Events I host is under the brand Terrie-Ann. This brand is catered to women, especially Christian women, to help inspire, empower and influence women to be elevated from Fear to Faith. To move past the perceptions and traditions created by “man” and to start to walk into our God-given destiny and purpose. This brand is also on a mission to connect like-minded women through Women of Purpose Empowerment Events that will holistically strengthen core areas of Prayer, Wellness, and Kingdom business building.

9. Any advice to anyone looking to start a new business?

I have loads of advice, lol! but I will give two. Firstly, once you have the idea, pray about it. Ask God if this business idea is in alignment with his plans for your life. Ensure you listen to hear what He is saying before you make any move. Secondly, once you get the right of away, START BY FAITH! God will do the rest. Believe me, this will work for you. I only wish someone had told me this before I had started and I would have avoided many challenges from the beginning.

If you’d like to purchase satin hair bonnets, ready-made vibrant head wraps, contact Terrie-Ann on Facebook, Instagram and/or email terrieannj@gmail.com.

This month’s entrepreneur feature is such an inspiration to me and from the title, I think you have an idea of what to look forward to.

Mekalia Croney is a creative, event planner and many other things. I’ve know her since primary school and I really looked up to her. She was a class or two ahead of me and one of the girls I considered to ‘know what she was about’, even at that age. Since then, she has moved on to accomplish great things, but just about two years ago she “made the decision to expand [her] career options and explore the possibility of getting paid doing something [she] considered a hobby at the time, Event Planning, Design and Decor.”

Her business will be turning one TODAY (Friday 21st, 2019) and I’d love for the Islepreneur family to send a big shout out and congratulations to her.

Continue reading to learn more about Eventful by Mekalia.

1. Hello Mekalia. Tell me a bit about yourself and what you do.

Hello! my name is Mekalia Croney nee Antoine. I am a Christian, wife to an awesome husband, lover of nature and of mankind and a qualified teacher at the secondary level, specializing in Social Studies. I taught for eight years at my Alma Mater, The Anglican High School. I was then fortunate to get the opportunity to acquire training in Event Management through a joint program offered by George Washington University and UWI/Author Loc Jack school of business in Trinidad. I later acquired further training in Wedding and Event Management from the New York Institute of Art and Design (NYIAD). The training received along with my passion for the Events Industry has afforded me a number of opportunities first as the Wedding and Event Manager and Event Designer/Decorator at Island Catering, where I was instrumental in helping to create the wedding subsidiary of the company, today known as Island Weddings. After 7 years in that position, in 2017, it became time to move on and so I resigned. I was afraid of the unknown, but at the same time, excited about the adventures that awaited. It was a move which initially came about in order for me to migrate to be with my husband in neighbouring Trinidad but which eventually spiraled into me starting my own business and becoming an entrepreneur.

[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Setbacks only keep us back as far and as long as we let them. – Mekalia Croney [/perfectpullquote]

2. What led to your pivoting moment from teacher to event planner?

Event Planning came naturally to me, probably from a desire to be highly organised and always in the know as it relates to entertainment/the limelight etc. It was during my time as a teacher. I got stuck on every committee that planned anything and I decided that it would be useful to acquire some formal skills in order to become better at what I was doing. That mixed with passion was the catalyst that fueled what has been a chain reaction from 2008 to today.

3. Your work is amazing. You just keep getting better and better. What inspires you to keep going?

Awe! Well thank you, I appreciate the vote of confidence and yes that is the plan to keep getting better and better. I find inspiration in the process, taking an idea from conception to creation from a tiny seed/thought into this whole new tangible thing fascinates me. I am always eager about the outcome and once my adrenaline kicks in, its like a super power until the work is done. I often have to be reminded to eat or rest because I just want to create something wonderful, that my client will enjoy and be pleased with. Important to me also, is to create pieces that are reflective of me. My work reflects my personality, my style and my belief that “anything worth doing is worth doing well. For this reason, I will gently turn down the opportunity to work on projects that are not reflective of my taste and style or that time and resources do not permit me to do well. I am also inspired by everything and everyone around me. I try to find the blessing and the lesson in everything and that keeps me moving forward. my aim is always to outdo myself and only myself so I focus on just that, growing in my own space, through each project. Last but not least I find inspiration in turning old into New, in reusing and recycling so I can often be found pondering on old pieces of scrap metal or board etc. items deemed no longer useful. I figure out how these items can be repurposed and made useful or beautiful again and that sparks joy in my heart.

4. You mentioned you moved to Trinidad with your husband and have been between two islands. How has that been for you?

Like I said earlier, my life is an adventure. This right here is a big part of that adventure. When people ask, “Where do you live?” I jokingly say in the sea between Grenada and Trinidad lol! But the experience has been rewarding. Trinidad offers me a lot that Grenada can’t. Likewise, Grenada offers me so much that Trinidad does not so the right balance of the two creates the perfect equilibrium for me at this stage of my growth. I remind myself of that whenever this arrangement becomes a challenge, as it sometimes does. As you can imagine, as a result of my back and forth between islands, everything in my life is time sensitive and so scheduling and time management is very important to me, but I won’t trade this current phase of my life for anything. I look forward to mastering it and then moving on to another equally exciting and adventurous chapter.

[ctt title=”Never be afraid to start over, to think outside the box, reinvent yourself or throw the box away” tweet=”Never be afraid to start over, to think outside the box, reinvent yourself or throw the box away https://islepreneur.com/islepreneur/eventful-by-mekalia/ via @islepreneur” coverup=”56efe”]

5. List the services you offer at the moment.

Eventful by Mekalia is a wedding and special events company that specializes in celebrating life in ways that are authentic and uniquely you, simply “Because life is an event” (our motto). While Eventful by Mekalia caters to an array of events, Wedding planning and design is my first love. I also enjoy executing cooperate functions and dabbling in interior designs. My baby currently is the Picnicking and Gifting services which we offer. You can expect to hear and see a lot more of these in the coming months. We also offer a Procurement Service for persons wanting to source items for events as well as event consultations.

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6. Name one or two projects you’ve completed which you can say are your favourite to date.

Lol! Now that’s a tough one. I think all of my projects are my favorite for various reasons. Each has taught me something distinct and unique, as each project has been distinct and unique in its own right. I especially like projects that allow me the flexibility to think outside the box, to come up with creative ideas and solutions and to construct things. I love any project that allows me to scout for materials in nature – my secret scrap yard Lol! I love to re-purpose old to new.

7. Did you ever once before think that you would have become an entrepreneur?

Nope! it wasn’t a path that I was groomed from High School to follow. I was not the student who had her eyes fixed on a career in business. Oh no! I was certain that I was destined for a career in the social sciences and so after Teachers College I prepared to pursue studies in Social Welfare and Guidance and Counseling. My dream halted or rather diverted in 2009 when tragedy struck and I lost my pillar of support – my Dad. I have learned, however, that setbacks only keep us back as far and as long as we let them.

8. Starting a business is no easy feat, especially on an island with limited resources. Did you experience any challenges starting your business and what did you do to overcome?

Oh yes! I experienced and still do experience challenges in getting Eventful By Mekalia off the ground and to where I want it to be. To overcome these challenges I try aligning myself with people who are more knowledgeable then I am about these issues. So for example, a lawyer to work out the legalities of contracts, business registration etc, an accountant to understand taxation, business accounts etc. A broker to understand the ins and outs of moving items through the port etc.

Samantha Francis-LaTouche has been making a name for herself with her handcrafted accessory line. I’ve known her since college (a long time ago), but only discovered her business about two years ago. I was absolutely impressed with her work and was immediately drawn to one of the products which sets her apart from the rest – those fancy fascinators! I finally got the chance to chat and do an interview with her. Continue reading to learn more:

1. Hello Samantha. It is so good that we finally got the chance to chat. I know you’ve been working tremendously hard on your business and have been showing up in many events. To start, tell me about yourself and where you’re from:

I was born in Annandale, St. George also known as Malfoot. I am the first of seven children; three girls and four boys. I am married to the most handsome man in the world, Claudious La Touche, and a mother of three handsome boys. Their names are Christian, Caleb and Carell.

2. What is the name and nature of your business?

The name of my business is PurElegance Designs™. My tag line is ‘Unique designs for your peace of mind’. My main aim is to design and create matching accessories that can turn a boring piece of clothing into exciting, timeless, elegant pieces.  I love that I can take a simple dress that was worn many times and add colourful, vibrant accessories to make it look brand new. I listen to customers needs and wants and find fabric to suit their taste and style.

3. I love that! Tell me more about your accessory line.

The products I provide are handmade clutch purses, fascinators, hats, earrings, necklaces and bracelets all made by me.

4. What led you to become a designer and making these unique fascinators and purses? Do you have a background in design?

I always loved design from small. I always wanted to be a fashion designer. I had lots of day dreams of designs I would even dress myself in my mind and knew whether I would look good or not way before I put on the actual clothing. I always had these burning desires to design but never made the attempt until the church I attend New Life Fellowship one of the requirements for women is that our heads must be covered as a member of the church. One day I was talking to God and I said to the Lord, “Lord I know I can do something with these hands. I don’t know what, but if there are any gifts in me, show me Lord how to make a hat so that I can wear at church. I can’t buy these expensive hats in the stores.”

Within a week, the desire grew stronger and I started having day visions on how to cut and sew the hat. Still not sure of myself, I tried YouTube and Google to get clarity on what I was seeing. That did not help and so I had to trust God and by faith made my first attempt. I sewed my first hat and saw that it was good. I did it again again and again, went to church with them and people were interested. They even asked my husband where he bought my hats. My husband laughed and told them I made them. They wanted to purchase, but I told them I only made hats for me. They were persistent and so I made and sold realizing this was a business and it needed a name. Then a sister asked me to make a purse for her. I was like “WHAT?? I can’t do that!” I Googled and again, I didn’t get what I was looking for so I did it by faith, trusting God. It blew my mind and so the accessories ideas came one by one within months.

5. Was it difficult for you to start this new business and explore your creativity? Were there any challenges?

The challenge I have is sourcing materials here in Grenada. It’s so sad that we don’t have that wide variety of fabrics or certain materials to get a certain look.

6. I noticed that most of your products are African print. Do you also provide solid colours for those who’d opt for that?

Yes, I love African print. It was the fabric I used when I started my business. It’s vibrant, colourful and uplifts simple and dull colour. If a customer prefers to have solid colours, that can definitely be arranged.

7. What did you do to overcome those challenges?

I was able to bring in or import some of the products.

8. What brings you the most joy in doing what you do?

What brings me the most joy is to see the happy faces of customers when they see my products.

9. Any words of advise for upcoming entrepreneurs?

The advice I have is that God has given everyone a gift. It is our role to find that gift and tap into it. Never let fear grip you of taking first step of what ever desires the Lord would have put into your heart. Trust God.

10. Any new projects ahead Will you be participating in any upcoming activities?

Definitely looking forward to expand and yes! I will be joining other local entrepreneurs on May 25th, 2019 in Flavours of Grenada Food Festival being held at Port Louis. So come out in your numbers to support.

Thinking about getting one of those fancy fascinators or an Ankara print matching purse and necklace? Find PurElegance Designs ™ on Facebook or Instagram @pur_elegance.

Photography by Kizzy Rennie of IsleofBites.com.