Carry On Friends: The Caribbean American Experience
Carry On Friends has an unmistakable Caribbean-American essence. Hosted by the dynamic and engaging Kerry-Ann Reid-Brown, the podcast takes listeners on a global journey, deeply rooted in Caribbean culture. It serves as a melting pot of inspiring stories, light-hearted anecdotes, and stimulating perspectives that provoke thought and initiate conversations.
The podcast invites guests who enrich the narrative with their unique experiences and insights into Caribbean culture and identity. With an array of topics covered - from lifestyle and wellness to travel, entertainment, career, and entrepreneurship - it encapsulates the diverse facets of the Caribbean American experience. Catering to an international audience, Carry On Friends effectively bridges cultural gaps, uniting listeners under a shared love and appreciation for Caribbean culture.
Carry On Friends: The Caribbean American Experience
From Jamaican Roots to Ugandan Dreams: Shari's Entrepreneurial Journey
In this episode Shari, a spirited Jamaican entrepreneur, shares her remarkable journey from Jamaica to the UK, to the bustling streets of New York, and finally to Kampala, Uganda. Starting with her challenging yet eye-opening experiences in the UK, Shari talks about adapting to new environments and finding inspiration in unexpected places. Her story is a testament to the power of resilience and an adventurous spirit, as she navigates her way through different cultures, eventually finding a place that truly feels like home.
Shari shares the ins and outs of setting up a business in Uganda from a Caribbean perspective. Shari recounts the hurdles she faced, from navigating visa requirements and work permits to overcoming the cultural biases that persist against female entrepreneurs. Listen in as she provides an honest look at the logistical and emotional challenges of establishing her spa business, emphasizing the importance of preparation and persistence.
She shares the touching stories of how her work has transformed the lives of many women, providing them with newfound self-esteem. Shari’s dedication to uplifting others shines through as she reflects on the personal sacrifices and emotional rewards of her entrepreneurial path. Shari discusses her future aspirations and the continuous dream to expand her horizons, underscoring the beauty of community and connection that has defined her incredible journey. Listen to be inspired by Shari’s unwavering drive and her mission to make a positive impact on the world.
Connect with Shari: Shari's Instagram | The Spa's Instagram
Connect with @carryonfriends - Instagram | Facebook | YouTube
A Breadfruit Media Production
Hey everyone, welcome back to another episode of Carry On Friends the Caribbean American experience, and I'm so excited to have this beautiful guest on the podcast. Yes, yes, yes, I met her a few weeks ago walking into a domino game, and the rest is history. Shari, welcome to Carry On Friends. How are you feeling, my darling?
Speaker 2:Thank you so much, keri. I'm feeling great. Actually, I'm excited about this podcast. It's actually my second time being on a podcast. The first one was with someone from St Lucia and now this is my first time with someone actually from Jamaica.
Speaker 1:All right. So you know, says vibes Beer teens.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:So let's get into it. Why don't you tell the community of friends a little bit about who you are we just kind of give away the Caribbean country, but drop it that way Caribbean country you represent and a little bit about the work you do.
Speaker 2:So my name is Shari. I am originally from Jamaica, born and raised, and I left Jamaica, came to America to live. First I went to the UK, so I didn't tell you about that. I lived in the UK for a little bit, didn't like it. I decided one day, out of the blue, I wanted to open a business. It has been a dream of mine to open my own business, just didn't know where. And I got an opportunity. My sister called me one day and said Shari, let's go to Africa. And I pack up my bag and I hopped on the flight. And now, seven years later, I am a business owner. I opened a spa in Uganda which is located in East Africa for those who don't know which is very similar to the life we live in Jamaica, very, very similar.
Speaker 1:Yeah, wow. So yes, that's why I bring her up on the podcast, because you know we talk all these things. So, before we get to that, talk to me about around what age you left Jamaica to go to UK, specifically like that experience where you didn't like about it, what you liked about it coming to New York, etc.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think I was probably around 18, 17, 18. And my intention was to go and stay and live with family. The same way I'm living in New York now. That was my intention originally and after about eight months to a year, I don't remember um, this was around in 2000, around 2005, ish four, and I didn't like the weather. My island girl so you know, island girl, we love, we love sunshine, we love beach, we love all that kind of thing. Um, I didn't like the weather. The island girl, so you know, island girl, we love sunshine, we love beach, we love all that kind of thing. I didn't like the weather.
Speaker 2:It was my first time now having to leave Jamaica and leave my friends and the life that I knew before, and I was willing to make the change. You know, it was still my decision, but it was just a culture shock for me. A lot of things were just different for me in the UK. It was just a culture shock for me. A lot of things were just different for me in the UK. Didn't like the weather, did not like the average food there. Of course I cooked at home, but I found the experience I had with people there just different. They can be a little standoffish no offense to only UK people but wouldn't have very friendly. Uk people are not so friendly. You know I met some great people there. I had great times. I did love the architecture. I'm very much into arts. Everything about the arts, I'm into it. So whether it's clothing, whether it's beauty, anything about the arts, I love it. So I really love the architecture there. I did love the fashion there, and you know I'm into fashion, so I really enjoyed that.
Speaker 2:At the time I was modeling, I was a model. I was a Pulse model. I was discovered by Pulse International in Jamaica, so I was moving around looking for agencies there in the UK and after some time I just realized that you know what this is not for me. And luckily I had experienced New York prior and I was like I feel like New York is home and I said goodbye to my family and then I just left. They didn't want me to leave, but I left. I just knew that my heart was not there and I'm the kind of person that you know. So once something is here, if I don't get it that way, I'm just not gonna be happy, right? So packed my bags again, left UK, went back home for a little bit, just like probably like two weeks or so, and then I went to New York and I've been here since all right, so you've been to New York.
Speaker 1:What about New York? Because New York different time? We are still, you know, I know, but at the time.
Speaker 2:We never know. You know, I didn't know like you remember the first time you came to New York. You're young, you're excited, everything, big buildings, and you know, even if you came here at 30, this is new to you. New York is like no other place. You understand, understand. It is like no other place. First time I came I was still modeling and I came with my agent. At the time it was Kingsley Cooper who unfortunately just passed, you know. Rest in peace, mr Cooper. He was a very great man and he brought us up here and we were looking for agencies. So usually in the modeling industry you have a home agent and which is in your country, and then you we will get scouted by other agents in different parts of the world. So you'll end up having sometimes three, four, five agencies anyway. Um, I love me, I'm a vibrant person, so New York gives that. You know you have to have energy to live in New York.
Speaker 1:There's definitely a buzz here. You know you have to have energy to live in New York. There is definitely a buzz here, Even when you don't feel like you want to be buzzed.
Speaker 2:there's a buzz, exactly it's. It's such a vibrant place and I feel like it, just it, just, we just clicked. I just knew you know that little voice in your head telling like, oh, this is home, this is it, whatever it is. That's how I felt and I said, listen, I've always been a very open person, I will try something and if it doesn't work out, for me, it doesn't work out and I move on to the next thing. So when I came, I felt at home. I hit the ground running immediately. I said you know what? I need to find my footing here, because I don't really know.
Speaker 2:I don't know anybody too much. You know everybody. Every Jamaican have friends that are family members that live in new york. Every jamaican have at least one person will live in new york. And I knew my cousin. You know my cousin and my aunt, and I stayed with them in jersey for a short time and then I just moved into the city by myself and it's been history since like I haven't moved officially from New York because I still, even though I have my business there, I still live in New York. So that is the next craziest story you can imagine.
Speaker 1:my life is crazy listen, listen, we already established, say you just are going to do a thing, and you're right. But I think that is why I wanted to have this conversation, because I'm so fascinated by you, know, just you and the movement. And then you add in the margling ting and all of these things. So, yeah, you're still a New Yorker, you know?
Speaker 1:give up the New York life and you're in New York for a little bit. What is happening in New York? What are you doing in New York before a sister call you up and say ring Shari Lego, and yeah.
Speaker 2:Okay. So when I just came to New York me and Pitney you know young girl, teenager going into my twenties and, um, I think I was about 19 at the time when I finally moved in and I just wanted to get a job you know, finally moved in and I just wanted to get a job, you know, I started in the retail industry, which is so easy here. You just want one job, so easy here. I started working in retail and I was doing that for a couple of years. You know, high end retail. So I was like you know, those designer stores, the Dolce and Gabbana's and any other brand that you could think of. I was working in a few of them for a couple years and I moved from like sales associate up to management eventually and I kind of stayed. So when I was 12 backstory when I was 12 I remember distinctly one day I said I know I want to open my own business. I't sure I thought I was going to open a fashion business, like a boutique or something. I knew I wanted to open my own business. I didn't know where, I didn't know what type of business exactly, but I knew I wanted to do it. So when I came to New York and I got the opportunity to work in the hospitality industry. I said you know what? Hmm, all right, so if I'm going to open my own business one day, I need the experience. I specifically chose to work in retail and then, years after, I chose also the restaurant industry, because corporate life was not for me. It wasn't the money part of it, because I knew I was going to open my own business, but I needed the experience. So I wanted the only way you can learn, kerry, I don't care how you go on YouTube and all these things. All the way you can learn is if you have experience. So I wanted to learn the backend part of both industries, so the restaurant industry and retail industry. And the reason why I wanted to learn in the restaurant industry part is because I also knew one day I want to open a small kind of like a mom and pop shop size restaurants and again, I don't know where, but fast forward to now, I'm in works with doing that right now in Uganda, which makes sense because they love our culture there. So I took the experience. I became manager.
Speaker 2:I was a manager at the time and one day my sister called me and she was like, oh cause, she's married to a Ugandan and she's been going back and forth there. They live in the UK, they live and met in the UK and she said, shari, why don't you come to Uganda? A client of mine gave me the idea to open a nail spa because she's a big nail tech. Um, she was in the uk and while visiting there, someone said to her why don't you open a place here? And she said you know what? Let me do that. Then she called me and said why don't you come? So I was like you know what? I'm gonna have the have a picnic, I'm going to get married. Let me go. Now would be the opportune time to go out there and do it. And I never been to Africa before. When I went, never been to Africa before, and within nine months of that phone call, I was on a plane to Uganda. Wow, wow.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:Yes, I know.
Speaker 1:I'm crazy, wow, wow, yes. Yes, I know I'm crazy. No, I don't know. Like you said, it's it's time, it's where you are at a point in your life and the opportunity, just like you said you're single, you're not have no kids. It was the perfect time right To do it. Right, so let's talk about Uganda. Right, and you already answered our question. Why Uganda? Your brother-in-law is Ugandan. And so talk to me about actually the setting up of the business, the culture, how you manage, because it's far you know far.
Speaker 1:So talk to me about that.
Speaker 2:All right, so setting up of the business Now. Now, this one is the kicker. Never been to africa before, never met a ugandan before. No, no, nothing. My sister went before me, which was, which was good. Initially we were looking for a space together and when she went there and was looking around, looking around, it just wasn't happening. It was not happening. She had a lot of issues finding a space together. She told me one time there was this one lady who she owns a salon over there, a well-known salon, and this mall that we wanted to go into. That lady owned a salon in that mall. So apparently she never wants, she didn't want any competition with her. So, um, we couldn't get the space in that mall, which, thankfully.
Speaker 2:Now, listen, let me tell you guys something you see, when, sometime, when God tell you, no is not, no, it's something not yet right, it's just not yet you understand, and or it's not the right space for this, is not for you, and I was bummed out. We were bummed out about it because it's a very popular mall. It's still a very, it's still the popular mall in Kampala, which is like the king Kingston of Uganda, right the city, and we didn't get it. Anyway, we decided, you know what, let's open our own spaces, fine, cool. So she found a mall and I'm still in New York, finishing up the last leg of my career here, and you know I save all my money and everything buying all this stuff Every time I get my paycheck. I was just buying and packing up my apartment started to look like a warehouse, right, but it was fine, it was fine. I knew the end goal.
Speaker 2:So now, when she finally got her space, I asked them for the measurements. When I got it, one of my friend's apartment was around the same size as the shop I was getting at the time and I asked my friend. I said, hey, um, can I come over to your house and just do some marking out and some stuff? And he said yeah, okay, and I went over, went all the way to Brooklyn, went to his house and I started to map out, bring tape, map out how I drew on paper, because I'm a very good artist. So I drew on paper how I wanted to. You know how I wanted. I basically did all the decor for my shop. I knew what I wanted it to look like. I wanted it to be very girly and, you know, pretty and beautiful, even though it was a store space. And you know, like even a mall, you expect a store to look like a store. I wanted it to look fancy, right? So I marked out everything that I wanted the space. I knew how much space I had, what I could put where, the measurements of the couch. I started to get things made, all of that stuff. And when I showed my sister the art, the drawing on the paper, she was like Shari, where put all of them? Something here Like this can't fit Shari, the space too small, all these things on the set, it's going to fit. Mind you, I've never been to the space. She's there, she's in the space. And I said, don't worry, it's going to fit. And I put everything on paper, got it done, and, um, then after that I bought everything and shipped everything to Uganda.
Speaker 2:The day before I left, I I had, I had the worst bubble guts ever and I was so worried I was like, oh my God, why am I a bubble guts? No, why am I of? You know? Basically bubble guts. For all who don't understand, it's basically like diarrhea, right. But, um, my mom said to me you need to relax, it's just nerves. I call you nervous why this happened to you, and it was true Cause I was. I was starting to question myself Like what am I doing? Who do you think you are? Why are you doing this? You know you never even been to Africa before. You know what if you don't fit in. I had so many questions 24 hours before going to this trip. Anyway, I went um the flight for those who have never been to east africa, uganda specifically um, it is around 21 hours to get to here, here what my girl say blood fire pussy listen in, this trip is not for the week.
Speaker 2:It's not for the week. Um, I flew emirates airlines, um, and I've been flying them since. Emirates and qatar, the two airlines I trust to go there, and especially because I always have products for my business and I packed up all my bags, flew there. So it's a 14 and a half hour trip from here to Dubai with Emirates and then, um, I transferred to another plane and the flight from Dubai to Uganda is five and a half hours, yeah, and when I got there, um, my sister picked me up and stuff and it was, it was just magical for me. I felt like a kid and I kind of from the direct the airport to the house you know when the dog driving in the car and then head through the window yeah, that was that was you that was me.
Speaker 2:I was just. I was just. I'm like, I'm Africa. It was so magical. Keri Like this is something I wish every Caribbean person could experience going back home to the motherland they'll go Uganda.
Speaker 1:But when you said 21 megahertz, rolandia, 21 hours, but you know, by you talking about it and, of course, everyone there at the you know the meetup that we had just hearing your experience, I was just like really fascinated. That one, not only that you started this business, but the recurring theme with those who went to East Africa, specifically because we know West Africa with Nigeria and Ghana, we know what that is. But when you all were talking about the East African countries, particularly Uganda and Kenya, and you all were sharing how much love they have for the culture, and everything.
Speaker 1:It was almost like this feel like Jamaica back in the day, but right, you know that type of way that you're talking so you reach, you excite. What happened next? Tell me why you're the story all right.
Speaker 2:So now I'm in Uganda and the first thing is, um, so my sister had secured, remember she? She lives in the uk, so she had to move, just like I had to move. But she just went before me, um, she opened her business. The same procedure I went through, she went through the same thing for her business, right, shipping stuff, all of them, something. So now, um, she got an apartment for us to stay in and she got a three-bedroom apartment, very nice place, and now it's time to get my furniture made. Um, so they're just at jamaica they have like local carpenters and stuff and obviously it is way cheaper. You know how? We buy bed over here for eight hundred dollar, thousand dollar, fifteen hundred dollar. No, you can get. You can get a couple of pieces of furniture made for like like $500, like couple of pieces of furniture. So, started the carpentry Cause.
Speaker 2:Again, I knew from before what I wanted and the size of the things that I needed, started the work and then, um, it took while, let me tell you, this was this was when Uganda showed me Uganda. It's when somebody in Uganda tell you say, two weeks, just know, you have around three months. Okay, we can laugh. Now, you guys I can laugh now, but just know I got into it with the carpenter like several times. I got into it with the carpenter like several times. I got into it one time I show up at the man's shop, hissed early in the morning. I showed up at his shop like I had an open date. I arrived in Uganda like June I think June 7th or 17th, one of those seven numbers and my initial plan was to open at least no later than two to three weeks after arriving, right, setting up everything, whatever the carpenter told me, two weeks for everything to be done, right. And you know, when I opened, august 17th, august 18th, last Sunday, august 18th, was my seventh year anniversary.
Speaker 1:Congratulations.
Speaker 2:Thank you, but yeah, it was not fun. I will not lie to you, it was not fun. The carpenter was taking long. I got the space painted and stuff. When the carpenter did come in and was fitting stuff in, the man use pen. What carpenter uses? Pen pencil on my painted walk.
Speaker 2:Terry, I was stressed when I tell you and I'm not used to this Cause I'm just like what is wrong with you on top of that, you know about colored people time. You know black people have them time in uganda. There's a different time. There's a there.
Speaker 2:This is the king of lateness. If you tell someone to meet you at one o'clock, please be advised. You only have two options either I'm gonna reach hours later or none at all. My word yes, that is the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Please know you are the day before them and I'm a very timely person. Yes, so I was hiring, like, electricians and stuff you know to. You know, make sockets in the space, um, I was hiring electricians. I was hiring um, carpenters, painters, all that stuff, and no matter how, I tell people please come at seven in the morning so we can get the job done in one day. I don't want anything to be a three, four or five day process. People show up 11 o'clock in the morning and stuff, and at the time, because I don't know anybody it's not like here that you know that okay, if you hire a company and they don't show up, you can just whatever. You are canceled, you find somebody else to replace them quickly.
Speaker 2:You know everything you're learning the place um, you learn, you know what I mean. Um, I used to get very frustrated. I was getting very frustrated because you know, like my plan was okay, cool, yes, we go there with money, because obviously you have to plan this in order to go, but I don't want to keep spending my money without making money. You understand, I don't have no rich parents and I'm not sugar daddy, it's just me and the money that I saved myself and I went with it. So eventually, finally, after a couple of threats, a couple choice words, you're going to go mad at the people.
Speaker 1:As I should Right.
Speaker 2:As to go mad at the people, right as I should, right as I should. I definitely did Like they, and they're very so. Ugandans are very mal-mannered people, very, very, but they're not confrontational at all.
Speaker 1:Right, so I will bring the Jamaican beaches. Yes, ignorant Cross Angry, he's a rebel.
Speaker 2:Listen, they're not used to that. They legit think you're crazy. They think you're crazy. So, after the whole process, I finally got to open August 18th in 2017. And I was scared. So I had newspapers on the glass of the store, you know, like the display window, carrie. I was so scared to rip the newspaper. I don't know why. You know because I know everybody was looking, everybody else, because I have shop neighbors and stuff and I didn't really talk to anybody. Um, that's another thing. Ugandans, when you go to Uganda, please be advised that Ugandans like to stare. They don't speak. You don't understand. This is something you're gonna have to get used to, harry.
Speaker 2:They stare listen, this reminds me so, of course, my grandpa, jamaica and you know, like when you're a a pit in a primary school you remember what them used to say when you look at them while you're staring and not driving right, well, and and in america, when someone is staring at you, um, you know, when you look, they will probably like look away and stuff. Yeah, they say hello. So anyway, um, I was scared to open. My sister came down to say sorry, you don't take off the newspaper yet. Everybody was looking, everybody, all the girls you know that had shop next door. They might look because they never see anything like it before.
Speaker 2:Usually a store look like a store. Mine was just girly, I had like. So because I do, um, I specialize in eyelash extensions. I don't know if you know about microblading or any pmu service, right, so I do semi-permanent eyebrows, lip blush, um, hair wigs At the time I wasn't big braiding, I was specializing in just wigs.
Speaker 2:So, like hair extensions, wigs, that kind of stuff and hair styling, I sell products. So I brought products from the US. So, like you know, nice hair care products for natural hair and all hair types, that kind of stuff. There's a bed that I use. So I wanted privacy for my clients. The shop was small, right, and I knew I wanted. I didn't want when someone is getting their eyelashes and I feel like your old privacy because your eyes close. You know what I mean Um. So where the bed is, I put up like a curtain and if no one is on the bed then the curtain is kind of like draped, kind of like how you see it on stage, and then when someone is there the curtain is closed. So everyone, the curtain is like draped. Now everyone is seeing um. My favorite color is any shade of purple. I love lilac, so the shop my girl.
Speaker 1:My girl is yours. Yes, Listen, purple lilac, lavender, anything in that.
Speaker 2:Oh my gosh, I absolutely. That is my happy color, that is my peaceful color. I love me a lilac. So I painted my shop. My company color is lilac. Right, my business cards, the logo, everything. You will find lilac in there. So, um, everybody was looking. So now everybody, people started to come across and people came down to us Hi, can I come inside your shop and look? And they will look.
Speaker 2:I had a swing. I had a swing in the in the window display window on. The mannequin was on the swing, or her hair done. She was wearing a shirt from my company and it was just really cute, exactly how I imagined it. That's exactly how it came out and I was very happy. I cried a little bit. I was just like, oh my god, like I still like, what am I doing? What am I doing here? It was, it was a shock. You know what I mean. Um, then I didn't have a, I didn't have a launch party or anything. I don't know nobody. I didn't know anybody. Uh, it was just my sister at the time and her husband and I just said you know, let me just do this. People started to come and, you know, ask questions and stuff, and that's when august 18, 2017 was the day I just started taking clients and starting now. This is where the wheel started to turn, now, when I started to learn about Ugandans and how to deal with them.
Speaker 1:Crazy. So, before we get into that, a bit of logistics, because that's how my brain works. I mean, we talk about going to Uganda, but there's a lot of things involved like oh, you get into the country, you know Jamaican passport, you know all of this, you need the visa you know, work permit. You can't show up in other countries and decide to go to work. So a little bit on that. I like a story time.
Speaker 2:All right. So going to Uganda, if you're going to Uganda, if you ever plan to go to Uganda, you need to have a yellow fever vaccine and in New York, if you don't have insurance, that vaccine can run you at the time, at the time, around $300. Yes, ma'am, that vaccine can run around $300 if you don't have insurance. However, I think I'm hearing that insurance doesn't cover it. I'm not sure. I think someone said it, but I'm not sure. Don't quote me on that, but I would hope so. So, anyway, I had to get the the yellow fever vaccine. I did that. Um, now, because of caricom, you are allowed as a jamaican with with a Jamaican passport, to enter the country. The only drawback is you cannot stay longer than three months. If you're visiting, you understand like you can't stay. So you can enter visa free, no problem. You just cannot stay longer than three months, which is fine. So that part was taken care of. When you get to the airport, you have no issues.
Speaker 2:Sometimes some of the immigrant, the custom officers they don't I'm not sure why, they don't know this, but they'll ask you like, oh, about your visa? I'm like no, I don't need a visa, it's a Jamaican passport. And they look it up and then they say, okay, cool, so you have no issues getting in once you show the yellow fever vaccine if you have a jamaican passport. However, if you are a us um citizen, you have a us passport. You do needa visa. At the time not sure now you needed to get. You could get your visa upon arrival right and I think it was like 70 to 100 for the visa. Don't know the length of time and all that stuff. I don't know that part because I use my jamaican um right um, so I don't know that part, but again, it's, it was.
Speaker 2:It was a smooth enough process. You know nothing crazy, but you cannot enter without the yellow fever card. Now some people said they who, some people entered and they didn't have it, so then they provided in the airport. I would not be caught dead or alive getting a yellow fever vaccine in the airport to me. That no, son kosher, me no, no, I'm sorry, I'm gonna send them back. They're never gonna send me another 21 hours back. Like no, I just I refuse.
Speaker 2:So me, I'm a very detailed person. I make sure. Listen, carrie. See, if you say, shari, I'm inviting you to Long Island, for example, and you tell me a specific place, I'm going to do my research, I'm going to find out where I'm going, what is the dress code at the place, what are the rules at the place? Like, I'm a very detailed person and I may try it all because mina, like embarrassment, that's one. No, no, no, no, I don't want to be turned back, I don't want to be. I just don't want to be inconvenienced in any way, shape or form, because that's a really long trip. You know what I mean and I already invested so much time and money into this. I had to go to the extra mile. What else did you ask? The work, the work.
Speaker 1:Your obvious is still past three months, so you get the work permit.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, so I have a lawyer, I got a lawyer and I just let him deal with the. You know, I told him what I wanted to do. All that stuff. It is not like a very smooth, smooth process. It's not too hard, but it's not smooth. It bumpy, um, and it it is costly. It's very costly, my darling. It is very costly, um, so you have to renew sometime over a couple years, um, depending on which one you get. So they do have different ones that you can look into.
Speaker 2:All this information, honestly, is online. So for anybody that is watching and is interested and this doesn't only go for uganda, right, um, I have other friends that have businesses in different parts of Africa Ivory Coast, senegal, ghana and Nigeria. It's almost the same process, you know. So they have different visas and stuff. So my lawyer dealt with it. I paid that person, they dealt with it and helped me to get the things that I needed to be safe. And help me to get the things that I needed To be safe, and that's it. They just show you.
Speaker 2:You know how, in Jamaica you have to pay your taxes, just like here. We have a place called KCCA. They will go around every January, or sometimes they'll come around earlier in the year Later in the year, sorry and they will just check businesses To see if you have your proper licenses and stuff which you can just put it up in your business space and you're good. I've never really had any issues with that. Sometime them try for common you know them warm wallet money if you have the right things. But I never pay anybody to. I just I'm not going to take on that habit. You see, I feel like it is not the best idea. It's not the smartest idea. Once you open that door, it is open, can't lock it back, right.
Speaker 2:One thing I did experience is while creating that shop space, while, you know, doing the decor and stuff, but right before opening I realized that men in Uganda automatically think that when there's a business, a man is involved. So they'll come and ask where is the boss, where is your husband? That's the kind of talk they come with and I'll always ask I don't understand why you feel like there's a man involved. I don't understand why you feel like there's a man involved. Truth is the truth. They do undermine women. You know the men, most of the men. They undermine women and it's like, especially if you're a young girl. They think, oh, there's no way you have money, one man must involve, one sugar daddy or something must involve, or your father give you the money. You know there's no way it made it work. God forbid, we did work hard, you know.
Speaker 2:So those are some, some cons, something I I'm glad I learned it early, though I learned it early, um, and as you can imagine, I'm an alpha female. It's not something I wear, I talk about all the time, or whatever. If you meet me and know I have a strong personality and that kind of behavior don't sit well with me, because I know I work hard and just to hear somebody undermine me I'll be like, oh, where's your husband? Or you're just a woman. And if I hire a man to do a job like an electrician or somebody you know they they're not taking me seriously. Until me unleash the b word, they don't take you seriously. Carry, yeah, that is. That is another con. Yeah, trust me, I've changed. I've changed.
Speaker 1:Yeah, wow well, thanks for sharing that. And so now you're celebrating seven years. I take each year in a big, undifferent space by yes, ma'am, yes, so yeah, tell me you know cliff notes of how the seven years has been going and you know all of the all these things me love a story here all right, so, uh, so first things first.
Speaker 2:It was my first business and I was learning while the business is growing, never opened a space before and luckily I took all those years of training living in America, in New York specifically, and working in the retail and restaurant space, so I knew the back end and hotel handle, books and all of them something. Because you see, carrie, one thing is, you learn these things I did. I did POB in school cool, cute. But there's nothing greater than experience, right? So I um one second, one second.
Speaker 1:So audience. Pob is principle of business. It is a subject that um jamaican kids it your tech, maybe other places in the caribbean, but I don't know. So, jamaicans, we just want to say there's a pob, what that principle of business? It's essentially a business class class that you get to select this class in your 10th grade year, right?
Speaker 2:Right. So I started to learn with the business. I started to implement certain rules and stuff things that would help my business grow each day. I've made a couple of mistakes over the years. Obviously Now people didn't really like was happy that I was there.
Speaker 2:Microblading at the time was not as popular Even in America. It was still just starting to get a buzz. So in Uganda it was just non-existent at the time. So I was the first person to bring microblading to Uganda. So people were asking like what is that? Like, oh, you draw eyebrows, like what is it? So I took time. I said you know what? This is the perfect, the perfect way to market my business. So, even though I did other services, I mostly advertised that one because it was so new to the country. I made sure to just capitalize off that. I got popular very quickly, very, very quickly, and I started to grow, started to grow and I was so invested I became obsessed.
Speaker 2:When I tell you it was, you guys won't believe this, but I think the first time I took a break from work was when I got sick. So my body forced me to take a break. I got sick. To this day I don't know what happened to me. I got really, really sick. I never took a day off. I never felt like. You know that saying I know you guys might think this sound cliche. It is not. I promise you it is not. Felt like you know that saying I know you guys might think this sound cliche, it is not. I promise you it is not. You know, when I say when you do what you love, you will never work a day in your life. It is a hundred percent the truth. I never got up one day, even if I had to work seven days in a row. I never. There was never a morning I got up and be like I forgot work. I gotta go to work. No, I never felt like that, not one day. I was happy every single day. Yes, trials came, tribulations came. Yes, I'm not saying that did not happen, but I was happy. I was happy. I was doing what I felt like God called me to do.
Speaker 2:I was meeting women, and part of the reason why I opened this business also was I wanted to give back to women. I wanted to be a voice. I wanted to be an example to women. Um, I didn't have a lot of that growing up. I have my mom and I have one auntie that is my dearest, dearest love, love her so much. Her name is Robin Sabig of yourself, um, that was an example to me and I wanted to be that example to other young women you know, women on a whole, but specifically young women to show them that you know you can do this, you don't need to do certain things in order to get ahead in life and stuff. So I'm going to share this with you guys.
Speaker 2:I prayed one day and I asked God. I realized my purpose on earth and that is to help other people. And if you can allow me to do your work but also do my work, I would be very happy. I would, I'll be very happy and the stars aligned, I'm doing my work, and what does my work entail? Meeting women. I am so happy and I can tell you that I've had very tearful moments with clients. I've had women who their partners they'll tell me oh I, you know I need a makeover. My husband hasn't looked at me in a while or, if they're not married, things like you know, I feel old or I don't look good. I don't feel good in myself, I don't feel confident and I remember when I was young, like you know. I think I would assume that every young woman has felt that way at some point. You're too skinny, your head too big. I have a big forehead.
Speaker 1:I used to get I was about to say the forehead when I saw you as a man, the girl that could have caused me no candy. We on the forehead, the forehead, listen honey growing up, my mother would say listen, the forehead reach before you honey, let me tell you my forehead was teased properly in school.
Speaker 2:Right, I was very skinny like you could have catch water in yourself.
Speaker 1:Yeah, my grandmother used to put her hand in her soul right, so catch water.
Speaker 2:For for my non-caribbean people who don't understand, when they say what water could I catch yourself? Means that you know you're so skinny, you know that sinkhole, because you're so skinny, you can pour water in there, and it stayed. That was me. So I used to get teased a lot in school. Then I had very bold legs oh my god, my legs were so bold. I used to get teased for that as well. So I was skinny, my head big, my forehead big, like I was just being teased right. Um, my self-esteem was low and then I said you know what, get older, I got more confident. Now I'm at this level where you can't tell me none like me, not even listen to you. You just go heal. That's my response. You may even tell, say, you're a big tool, go and heal my good sister. Go and heal, right.
Speaker 2:So all these stories that I hear, the most rewarding thing for me during this business is the money is always going to be nice. But I can tell you this when a client look in the mirror and say, oh my God, or they hug me or they cry and they tell me their story and tell me how, oh my God, I feel like a new person, or my partner hasn't looked at me in years, or whatever. The sad story is. It is the most rewarding thing ever. You hear me, it's been seven years and it always feel like the first time. Every time it happens, sometimes I find myself cry and I have to go off to the side and just gather myself and then come back. I've cried many tears. I've sent my space to be like okay, shari, you're doing what you want to do, but you're also ministering, in a way, to women, you know, and it hasn't been easy. It hasn't been easy. I've met some. I've met some nasty people. I've met some nasty people, some people who I just know that you need to heal. Yeah, you deal with something inside, because there's no way you, you're that ugly. There's no way. You know, and I try earlier, when I was much younger, I used to judge people heavily, like, oh lord god, why is this? And you know me to say you know, I used to judge, you know, I think we were all, we're all in the same boat. But now I look at things differently. I you ask myself, I'm interested to know what you went through while you're like this. But yeah, so I've now gotten to a space, seven years later, where I'm well known over there. It's easy over there. It's so interesting.
Speaker 2:They like to call people celebs or socialites. You know what I mean, and I guess I'm one of those two. It doesn't matter to me. I don't like those kind of title. I'm a very private person. So that was a big challenge for me. I, I'm a very private person. I like a very quiet, humble life. I um the people that are in my circle, them alone. I like to know my business and whatever else. I don't like being in the limelight per se. So that was a challenge for me in the beginning, because I didn't know if I didn't know if I wanted to market myself as the owner of the business. And then I had to give myself that pep talk like Shari. You're going to have to be a brand If you want this to be a business that you can carry on, even if you decide to give up three years later. Right now, this is what you have. You're going to have to be your own brand and I just changed my marketing game and now I push me out.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I have a question really quick, just so what happened during the COVID Cause? We know COVID in America. What was COVID in Uganda?
Speaker 2:You know what I don't want to say that word? Covid was a time Uganda. It wasn't as bad. It wasn't as bad in the beginning. I think we got like after a certain, I think we got like after a certain time. We got like like 40, 40 something, thousand cases.
Speaker 2:Uganda, by the way, um, ladies and gentlemen, has a population of 45 million people. Uganda is huge. Uganda is huge, right, um. So 44 000, 50, 000, 60 like it, when covid was dying down, that's when the numbers kind of like, you're like, I don't know how much it got to, but maybe like 7, 60 round there. Um, we were in lockdown.
Speaker 2:I was stuck in uganda, by the way, from march till I didn't come back to new york. Till january, almost a year I couldn't come back. The airport was closed. We went through three phases of lockdown. The airport was closed. The president um decided that no salons or anything could be open.
Speaker 2:So you know what I did for the first month or two, I think. You couldn't drive cars around, you had to be like a military person, doctor, that kind of thing, people that walk, go work or walk to the market, walk to the supermarket, whatever girl. One day I walked from my house which, luckily, I don't live crazy far from work. It's a little journey but not crazy and I had to walk from home to go to my shop to get pack up the shop, pack up products, everything because I decided that I'm going to start operating from my home. So I opened up the downstairs and at the time I lived in this really cute house. It was a one bedroom house and it's in a nice private compound. When you open the front door it's like it opens up to a garden. So I was like this would be the perfect, you know scenic space. For what? For my spa. So I got the products and packed it up. I was making a lot of money during that time.
Speaker 2:In Uganda, by the way, women don't really know how to do their own hair, so you'll find that a lot of them have shaved their hair, like you know, short, like men type hairstyles and stuff, or they wear braids a lot or you know any kind of extensions. They don't know how to really do their hair. You know very beautiful women, but they're just not skilled in that department, which is okay, right. So I was busy and unfortunately my assistant was. She lived very far away, she could not come to work. So it was just me at the house and I was booked every single day, from morning straight back, and on top of that I was doing deliveries for the products that I sold in the shop. So, me and the clients I worked on clients and in between that I answer the phone. Hi, thank you me. I handle clients, I work from clients and in between that I answer the phone. Hi, thank you for calling Shire Richie Beauty. Oh yeah, I want a delivery, I want this and that. So pop the bag, leave the client, pop the bags, send it off with a delivery person, and so I was making money. I was making money. I sold out everything out of my shop, right, but the lockdown for me wasn't as intense as it was, unfortunately, for New Yorkers and um, I am happy, though, that I wasn't in New York because I'm asthmatic, so it wouldn't work out for me at all. It was much better in Uganda. I'm not gonna lie to you, but business-wise it was successful. Thank God I I think one of my biggest flexes that I survived COVID, and I'm so grateful to God, kerry, because so many big businesses, big brands we know very big businesses closed down.
Speaker 2:You know, people lost their jobs and stuff. And at the time, before I started to make money during COVID, I didn't. I wasn't making anything for like two months, but I still decided to pay my staff. I still decided to pay my staff because you know they don't have money, you know what I mean. And even though I wasn't making any, I still was able to you know pay my rent and still pay my bills and things. Was I worried? Yes, I was a little bit worried because I wasn't sure what was going on. Are we all going to die? Am I going to get through this? But here we are are, seven years later and a couple of years after COVID, surviving Congratulations.
Speaker 1:I mean I'm just loving the story because it is, I mean it's just amazing the experiences that we have and we could share, even even on a separate, on a different continent. You know there's some through line in the experiences different people are having, but I'm glad that no me no, somebody are you Uganda, Me can't flex Say yeah, you have to visit.
Speaker 2:You have to pay attention to the time and you have to visit.
Speaker 1:No, no, no, for real, for real. Um, we talked about that off the air. No, I want to as we start to wrap up. I mean, what is, what is the experience in terms of? You know, we didn't get too much into this jamaican culture. How is that in uganda?
Speaker 2:how are you?
Speaker 1:able to you know how is that and and how are you able to just kind of move our own listen?
Speaker 2:I learned. When I just got there, I realized I used to hear a lot of you know, party and keep your ear, hear dancehall, reggae and reggae music and I used to say, huh, it's okay, cool, you know that. Okay, that's cool. You know jamaica, a very popular country, and one day I was in a uber because uber is there, by the way and the radio the driver channel radio was playing some kind of dancehall music I don't remember who?
Speaker 2:and I said driver, do you? You guys play a lot of jamaican music here. And he said oh, we love jamaica, we love jamaica here. So I was like huh. I said I'm jamaican, you people.
Speaker 2:The man stopped the car. He pulled over, stopped the car. I was so scared because I was like what the hell did I say? Like? I was like shari, what did you say? The man turned around. He's like are you jamaican? I was like yeah, he's like one one. He was so happy. He was so happy. He started asking me the usual question you know, if I know you're saying bolt, if, if I know, if I, you know, if I knew about bob marley. He was asking me the typical questions that non-jamaicans ask. He was so happy. He asked me if that's how we really dance. Now he's talking about you know the dance hall where they jump off? Oh, he was talking to Dagarine, right? So it was such a. After the man dropped me home, we stood at my gates and that man came out of the car, sat down with me and he was just listening to me talk. He was so fascinating. It's almost like the man met a celebrity.
Speaker 2:Ugandans are very, very open to Jamaicans. They love the music. Right right now. Sometimes I hear some music, ugandan music and I'm like, oh, oh, is this a Jamaican song? Or they love patois. When I tell clients I'm Jamaican, they're like you're Jamaican, can you tell me patois? And I have to talk to them in patois, they love, they love it. I introduced some of my clients and my sister's family in-laws to Jamaicanamosa they call it samosas, you know it, which look like um, what do you call that thing? That? The empanadas?
Speaker 2:empanadas yeah they look just, they look just like empanadas, you know, and I find it just our patties are flat and there's exactly a little puffed, right.
Speaker 2:So we bake ours, they fry theirs, basically Right. They have this thing called luwambo, which is just a stew, like how we put food in banana leaf and stuff. They do the same thing. They eat the same food like we do. They're surprised when I tell them we have watermelon, papaya, all of those things. They have everything there. But I promise you they love Jamaica, so I've been having no issues. I have no issues like moving around there or there's not too much culture shock. You know, as a Jamaican Right Right, and I found my people there as well, wonderful.
Speaker 1:You know, Jamaica is everywhere. No, no, they're everywhere right. So what are you looking forward to as you wrap up, Because clearly we can't talk forever, but, Sharia, you have to come back again. But what are you looking forward to? You know, in this next chapter of you know your life and business, what's next for you?
Speaker 2:I want to. So I expanded the business, like I got a new space. At some point Um two years ago I got a new space, a bigger space. In Uganda it is very popular to rent a house to turn it into a business right, or buy a house and turn it into a business, whichever you prefer. I did that because? Did that because, um, they, they love privacy over there. I said, hmm, this makes sense. So I did just that. So the space is big enough. Now my plan is to just kind of capitalize on the space I have and the fact that they love um jamaica so much that adding food to it, because you know, you ever did a spa or or at the salon the whole day you do here.
Speaker 2:So instead, of me sending my staff out to go buy food, you know, in different places, like you know what. Let me just incorporate it here. So that is my plan. It's already in the works and hopefully I can get it done by the end of the year. Um, I'm in New York now and I'm going to be here for a little bit because I want to get some stuff shipped in and just make plans. I do have other business ventures that I want to get into and I'm starting those now and hopefully by the end of the year it's early 2025, I can get those done.
Speaker 2:I don't want to limit myself ever. I don't believe in that. I feel like we're humans are very magical beings and if you stop doing what you want to do, if you stop being, if you stop dreaming, if you stop aspiring, then you just limit yourself. I don't want to do that Right. So the spa I don't wish to open another location right now. I want to do other things. If the stars align and all those things can happen at once, amazing, um. But right now I want to open the food parts. That's the only expansion I want to do onto the business and then also get into other business ventures.
Speaker 1:Wonderful. I mean, shari, this was, this was a magical trip, like you know, like a story from beginning to end, from Jamaica to UK, to Uganda, and you're giving us a little bit and I just love that.
Speaker 1:I know somebody who's Jamaican and living in Uganda and running a business and you, you know that is the beauty of community right, because I met you through someone and through someone and it's just how we continue to build and connect and I'm sure someone's listening to this who are just like I've been meaning to travel, I've been meaning to go somewhere, and now they know someone in another country. So I really thank you for just coming on sharing your experience. Love, love, love that.
Speaker 1:I'm now connected with you and congrats on everything. Seven years, you know, thank you. It's a long time and I'm I'm excited for you. I'm super happy for you. So big up yourself. So why don't you tell the community of friends a little bit about where they could find you, connect with you and know all the things we're here going with?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so my Ugandan business page is at Shari Richie Beauty, so this is on Instagram and also on TikTok, shari Richie Beauty, and it's S-H-A-R-I-R-I-C-H-I Beauty. Also, you can find me, my personal page, which is just me doing the branding on myself. You get to know me personally outside of my business. It's on Instagram or on TikTok at Shari Richies S-H-A-R-I-R-I-C-H-I, and hopefully I get to connect with you. Ask me questions. I'm very open. If you need advice, even like to connect with you. Ask me questions.
Speaker 2:I'm very open if you need advice. If you know, even if it's not about uganda, like in terms of maybe you want to open another business or something in the same field as I am. You know I'm into beauty, I'm also into fashion ask me questions. Or, you know, maybe you're just you're just a woman that want to talk. I talk to men too. Um, just behave please, um, but yeah, if you just want to talk, if you need advice on how to move forward with certain things, I'm a very open person. I'm nice. I might look mean sometimes, but I'm not mean, I'm not nice.
Speaker 1:You know the face. We come with it.
Speaker 2:We know the vibes, we know the vibes the forehead do it Right.
Speaker 1:The forehead the far end do it right. Well, shari, thank you. Thank you so much for being on the podcast. Thank you again for just coming and whenever you're ready for comeback just. Whatsapp me. I don't know the ting. Thank, you for having me of course, and as I love to say at the end of every episode walk good thank you, darling.
