‘Live your magic’ is Dona Joseph’s approach to life and this mantra has also become the foundation for her new business ‘Femmendipity’ which offers clients a one-of-a-kind luxury picnic experience.

Dona has been in the hospitality industry for years and this knowledge has helped her establish her brand within a niche market space where consistency, excellence, and attention to detail are the keys to success.

Dona loves making people happy and works hard to ensure that her luxury picnic set-ups at stunning locations in the north of the island create a unique event that her clients will never forget.

Yello spoke with Dona about how she got her business off the ground and how she hopes to expand the ‘Femmendipity’ brand.

Please describe yourself using three words.

Enthusiastic. Grounded. A go-getter!

Please tell us a bit about your childhood.  

My family is from Soufriere although I didn’t grow up there but most of my summer breaks were spent there, next to the ocean, so growing up around nature was a key part of my childhood. 

Our household was small, just my parents and my brother. I’ve mainly lived in the north of the island, but I grew up on the outskirts of Castries. I’ve been based in Beausejour for about the last 10 years.

My primary and secondary schooling was in the north and at school I gravitated towards the arts, especially dancing, which was my passion into early adulthood and was an avenue for self-expression.

I am also a bit of a science nerd and as a child I wanted to be an ecologist because I was always fascinated with nature and the environment and studying the earth. 

I still spend lots of time reading, researching, and getting information.

What was your career path after leaving school?

I was a trained dancer, so after my education I joined a leading hotel called Club St Lucia. We did a lot of re-enactments of Broadway shows and theatrical performances for guests. 

From there it was natural for me to move further into the hospitality industry because of my enthusiastic personality, and I worked for a few years at Sandals hotel and the reservation centre in sales and customer service. 

Working at Sandals enabled me to travel extensively throughout the Caribbean and America and that was my first glimpse into the world of luxury experiences. Since then, I have been fascinated with niceties.

After that I worked as a sales and marketing manager for a hotel in Barbados from 2017 until COVID came and everything slowed down. I travelled a lot with that role as well to London and Miami and I realised that people really value pleasurable experiences and that’s what a lot of people want when they travel.

I really think my background in hospitality, travel, and marketing helped me with the concept for my business.

Tell us how your luxury picnic business ‘Femmendipity’ got started?

During COVID, while I was at home, I really missed doing nice things like going to a bar or restaurant, and that’s when I considered trying to recreate it without having to go to a physical building, because at that point we didn’t have that option. 

So, the idea came to me in December 2020 around Christmas time. It didn’t feel like Christmas because of everything that was happening around the world, and I got the idea that I had to find a way to make people feel good. 

It just came to me, and I believe it was divine inspiration because I’d never even seen a luxury picnic before I started this business. It wasn’t even on my scope of what I thought I wanted to do. 

But when it came to me, I got to work straight away. Day and night I did lots of research, I looked at inventory, and started buying stuff online. 

I didn’t even really share the idea with anyone. I just felt like I needed to take it and run with it because St Lucia had nothing like it at that time. I also never even considered that it might not work, that thought never entered my head, I just saw it as me giving back and contributing a service.

I teased the concept in January and the business was officially launched in February 2021.

And what is the story behind the name ‘Femmendipity’?

Initially I was going to focus on women, giving them a nice experience, and a reason to dress up. 

I also always believed in serendipity and the magical journey of life. So, I just put together the words feminine and serendipity. But then I decided to include the ‘men’ as well to celebrate masculine and feminine energy. 

So, the name celebrates women, men, and the magic of life!

What has been the toughest business challenge you’ve faced so far? How did you overcome it?

I faced two tough challenges at the beginning. The first was being able to execute and bring everything together which was physically and mentally tough on me. It was also during COVID, and I was on my own trying to get a lot of things done with limited resources. So, the first picnic was hard, especially physically, but once I did it, it got easier.

The second challenge was dealing with both suppliers and customers. I found out that people can be very inconsiderate and flaky, and sometimes they don’t follow through with what they say they will do. 

The way I dealt with that was to put quite a few rules in place to make the process easier for me and the clients. I went fully electronic and put everything online and in writing with clear explanations. Now, I have policies in place to protect myself and ensure the client has a great experience. 

Is there anything you wish you’d known before starting your business?

This journey has given me so many lessons. I feel like I had to go through everything to get a positive lesson from it. 

I’ve learned a lot and that’s why I cannot say I wish I had known something before I started because I think you must learn along the way. 

What is Femmendipity’s unique selling point?

What sets us apart is the ability to remain consistent. We are the original luxury picnic experience. No-one does it like us. 

I have also already done a lot of groundwork so whatever you want we already have available for you to customise. I have lots of inventory in storage in every colour scheme and every theme so whatever you want we can provide.

How do you go about planning a picnic?

Initially, a client will usually contact me via Instagram using our booking form. That form gives them a summary of how the process works. 

The client can then select the date, time, location, and they can browse through and see the different types of picnics we offer and choose the package they want. You can change your mind, but that form gives you an idea of what we do.

Once I receive a booking request, I will email a follow up form where the client can choose their food and drink options if that’s part of the package. After that we send the invoice. So, it’s a simple three step booking process.

We recommend booking a week in advance but in some cases I can do it within four days and I always try to be accommodating. 

What is the most memorable picnic you have planned so far?

I actually recently planned a fantastic picnic for cricketer Daren Sammy and his wife to celebrate their 12-year anniversary. They were both amazed and blown away by the experience. 

I enjoyed it because it allowed me to challenge myself. Daren was off island when we planned it and I had just a few days to pull it together. But ultimately the result was fantastic and seeing the happiness of my client was so satisfying and a great feeling for me. 

What are your business plans for the next 12-18 months?

My plans right now are around scaling and trying to focus more on attracting international clientele. 

I want people who come to our island to add a Femmendipity experience to their list of things to do. I really want my brand to go beyond St Lucia and the Caribbean and to spread the magic of Femmendipity across the world.

I have started the promotional work through social media like putting out more content and Instagram reels to grow followers. I have also started going directly to restaurants and hoteliers on the island to set up affiliate partnerships and programmes. There’s a lot of room for growth.

What advice do you have for aspiring entrepreneurs?

My advice would be to keep going. I know it’s easier said than done because you’ll have some very bad days when you’ll question yourself and your abilities and even why you are doing what you’re doing. But your passion will carry you along, so make what you do a part of you, and genuinely love it. 

Keep going because for all the bad days you’ll have, you will have some truly amazing days as well. Ride it out and know that it will get better.

What do you love about St Lucia?

Outside of the scenery and our amazing views, I would have to say our people. We are grounded, down-to-earth, warm, and friendly and that makes me proud to be St Lucian.

What do you do to relax on your days off?

I decompress and relax through working out. I do Pilates or strength training. It doesn’t sound like fun but that’s my way of decompressing. 

Listening to music will always be therapy for me. I also love to be by the water and watch the sunset at the beach.

Unfortunately, I don’t dance anymore but it is something I have considered trying again as a fun activity just for myself.

What’s your philosophy / approach to life?

My motto is my company’s mantra which is ‘live your magic’. 

Live in the moment. Live the best life you can have. And always, always know that something good is on the way no matter how bleak, bad, or terrible things seem. (Valium Online)  

Life is magic!

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Do you have a special event you want to celebrate with a luxury picnic? Contact Dona via Instagram @femmendipity.