Dominican
entrepreneur Vanessa Winston has been through many trials.

She’s a survivor of domestic abuse, a single mother to four children, and she has had to rebuild her artisan business ‘New Beginning Gifts and Leathers’, after Hurricane Maria caused devastating damage to the island in September 2017.

But Vanessa is a strong and determined woman, and she now plans to make her accessories business even better than it was before. She’s also hoping to empower disadvantaged Dominicans through training and skills development.

Vanessa
talked to Yello about her life as a businesswoman and mother.

Tell us a
bit about your background.

I grew up with my grand aunty and grandmother in Anse de Mai, and Lagoon in Portsmouth, which is the second largest town in Dominica.

At the age
of eight, I moved to Roseau with my mother, so I could go to school there, but
every weekend and every holiday I went back to stay with my grandmother and
grand aunty. I consider myself a melting pot being raised between Roseau,
Portsmouth and Anse de Mai.

When I was
young, I enjoyed going to the sea, collecting shells, and hunting crabs. I also
climbed trees, picked fruits, and explored the forest. I loved being around my
uncles, cousins, and brothers.

We had a
small wooden house with no washing facilities, so on weekends we packed our
clothes and went to the river to wash them.

It was an
interesting childhood and, although we didn’t have much, I wouldn’t trade that
time for anything.

Were you
always a creative person?

I was always
a thinking person. Growing up, I used to mix and match chemicals, and I wanted
to be a scientist, but that didn’t work out.

Now, instead
of mixing and matching chemicals, I mix and match different materials and create
things that persons enjoy.

I used to
destroy necklaces and chains and make my own designs to wear because I like to
be unique and have something that’s different to everybody else.

Who was
your role model growing up?

My role
model growing up was my grand aunty who helped to raise me.

She worked
at the Portsmouth Infirmary looking after the elderly and people with
disabilities who had been abandoned. She was strong, protective, and strict,
but she kept everything real. (https://inboundrem.com/)  

In high school, I really admired Roosevelt ‘Rosie’ Douglas, the former prime minister of Dominica. I admired his activism and his desire to see black people get to a different level.

When / why did you start ‘New Beginning Gifts and Leathers’?

My idea for New Beginning Gifts and Leathers started in 2006 after I completed entrepreneurship development training with the Dominica Youth Business Trust. I received an award for my business plan.

I registered
the business and opened to the public in 2008.

I started the business because I’m a single mother and there was a high rate of unemployment at the time, so I needed to find work that would be suitable for me and allow me to take care of my children.

What was
the toughest challenge you faced setting up the business? How did you overcome
it?

My toughest
challenge was breaking away from domestic violence, becoming a single mother to
four children, and trying to start a business at the same time.

In a small
community, and as a woman, it was challenging to get started.

I had no
money for childcare, so I had to juggle everything to make it work. It was
challenging financially, to get a loan, and to keep my sanity and put
everything in place to sustain myself and the children.

What products
do you offer?

My product
range includes leather accessories such as belts and bags for men and women; leather
and copper jewellery; scented candles and decorated scented soaps.

I do a lot
of mixed medium jewellery, so I combine leather and copper with natural materials
like coconut, wood, stones, or shells.

The aroma candles
and soaps are made from soy wax.

My products and designs are all unique. They are not mass produced. No design is ever the same.

How has
the business been developing since you started?

When I first
started the business, it went well, but certain events have disturbed the
process of growth.

Hurricane
Maria destroyed 90% of the business. It has been difficult, but I am keeping it
alive and staying hopeful. I believe you may lose the finished product, but you
never lose your creativity, so there is always room to develop and grow and
start over again.

So that’s
what we’ve done, and we aim to grow again. Even with COVID-19 happening now, I
am hoping we can get back on track.

When/why did you start the New Beginning Craft Workshop?

As an
entrepreneur, mother, and small business owner, I am always looking for ways to
give back to my community.

Looking
around at the many young people who are unskilled and unemployed, and after
working with some young persons at Youth Skills Training, I realised there was
a need to put an emphasis on learning skills.

So, I
started New Beginning Craft Workshop to train young persons in what I am doing,
and the skills of other artisans, so that we can develop a community of
artisans to propel the arts and crafts industry in Dominica.

I’m also part of the Dominica Arts and Crafts Association (right now I am the President), so we really wanted to foster the creativity of young people and at-risk persons, who are unemployed or single parents, so they can have a skill and be self-sufficient.

What lessons
have you learned as a female entrepreneur?

I have
learned that failure is not a weakness. Weakness is when you give up.

As a woman
and a mother, you have to realise that you have a purpose. Once you understand
you have a purpose and a mission, you understand the value of what you are
doing.

As a woman,
you can conquer all things and overcome any barrier. And being independent
doesn’t necessarily mean not having a partner, it means that you are strong
enough to influence others to be better to themselves and others.

We need to be independent emotionally. To know that you are able to love yourself, your children, your partner and what you do and to stand against injustices against other women.

What has
been your proudest career achievement so far?

When I was
part of the first Commonwealth Fashion Exchange initiative which was launched
at Buckingham Palace in 2018.

I partnered
with Meiling, a designer from Trinidad and Tobago. She created the outfit, and
I made a leather corset belt. We went to Buckingham Palace for the event, and
that was my proudest achievement.

How do
you juggle being a mother and an entrepreneur?

It can be
difficult because you have to dedicate your all to both.

Being an
entrepreneur is what puts food on your table and being a mother is equally
important because you have to steer your children in the right direction.

I involved
my children with what I was doing so they would be with me while I was working.
We would have conversations, and they would be doing homework.

While they
watched me at work, they also came up with ideas, which helped me to develop
and grow. So, rather than keeping them separate, I married work and my children
together, which made it easier.

What
advice do you have for aspiring female entrepreneurs?

My advice is
to love what you do because the road to entrepreneurship can be very difficult.
If you aren’t passionate about what you want to do, you will fall back very
easily.

You also
need a diverse mind, meaning that you have to think about what will happen if
your plan doesn’t work out, and how you can approach it from a different
direction.

For
instance, you may plan to go down the street a certain way, but then you come
to a roadblock. Are you going to turn back? Or are you going to divert and go
to another street that can still take you to your destination?

You have to be quick thinking, dedicated and passionate. Your attitude has to be right. You have to be firm and steadfast. Don’t compromise on respect but at the same time, don’t be too pompous.

What do
you love about Dominica?

Dominica is
home. I love the nature of the place. The ability to explore and our natural
resources.

Where do
you go to relax on your days off?

As an
entrepreneur, you hardly have a day off.

Even on your
days off, you are technically working because, even if you are not physically
working, your mind is still going and coming up with ideas.

If I have
time, I try to visit Portsmouth or Anse de Mai, where I was raised. I’ll see
family and go to the beach.

How is
Dominica different to other Caribbean islands?

The
difference in Dominica is the physical structure of the island like our
mountains and waterfalls.

But the
islands are almost all the same even if some may be a bit more developed than
others.

The people
may speak a different dialect and have a few cultural differences, but
generally, Caribbean culture is almost the same. To me, the islands even feel
the same.

What are
your plans for the next five years?

Our population is relatively small, so my plan is to see how I can explore and expand to the regional market. I would love to form regional creative collaborations to help us grow, and move into the international market.

My brand is called ‘Vgur’ which comes from the effort, energy and enthusiasm that is being put into the product.

I really
want people to understand my product, my reason for creating, and my purpose as
an artist.

See more of Vanessa Winston’s artisan creations on Facebook.