We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Chalaine A Barry. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Chalaine A below.
Hi Chalaine A, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?
Where do you get your work ethic from?
I learned my work ethic from the women in my life, my mom, my grandma, and my aunt. My father was also there to hold me accountable when he didn’t think I was doing as my mother requested, which was my best work. In the recent years I have seen my family and friends express their disappointment in work ethics of the youth around our islands and I was interested to find out what happened. Before I could look outwards, I first had to look internally. I then realized I have the opposite problem. My family and friends were complaining that I worked too much. As a child I heard the phrase, “workaholic” but never heard it as a bad thing until a few years ago when social media started talking about taking time for yourself and self love. The most popular phrase lately is, “you can’t pour from an empty cup.” To me more importantly, you can’t pour from an unused cup, instead let you cup reflect reliability, industriousness and experience.
The women in my family are hard workers. My grandmother is an essential key in my upbringing. She always talked about working hard and playing harder. In contrast to some people around me, she taught me that playing meant getting on a plane and traveling. We don’t throw parties but instead spent lots of time traveling, to the various continents, the United States and Caribbean islands via cruise ships. She taught me the importance of ownership, the intricacies of maintaining properties and taking care of people around me. As a stern, British, Caribbean grandmother she still spoiled me rotten. As an entrepreneur in the food industry, she was able to make a living, take care of her immediate and extended family because she believed, “if there is a need and you can fill it, fill it with no expectations.”
The next woman to influence my work ethic was my aunt. She has owned and operated a chain of successful properties and businesses in the British Virgins Islands, from before I was born. She imparted knowledge about keeping each business productive and separate so that you can evaluate how you are building and developing each. She showed me that diligence and meticulousness, yields results that allowed us to “play big.” I think as a child I missed all the other aspects that now as an adult I definitely see like record keeping, taxes, and budgeting. Now as an adult, I can appreciate her work even more, because these components are even more time consuming than the actual job. She started each day with a prayer and a request for strength and professionalism to complete each task. Something I pray for often and not just in the mornings.
The last woman to influence my work ethic and still influences it, is my mom. She sculpted my values, to encourage me to become highly motivated and aim to produce consistently high quality results for each task I attempted. She always taught me the importance of making sure you always put your best foot forward with good intentions. Never let anyone say you did poor, inadequate work. When conflict comes your way, double down on your efforts to deliver the best product. People may out talk you, out spend you, and even out run you, but very few should be able to say they out performed you. Your work must stand for itself. In times of uncertainty, stop talking and produce more. These are some of the lessons my mother instilled in me and I still possess today. Many times along my career I’ve had people refer to me as the hardest working photographer, coach or entrepreneur and it fills me with pride each time. Work smart not hard is common saying but a solid base must be created first.
As I focus on taking my businesses to the next level, I strive not to loose the same grade of quality in my work. As I think back, of course there were a few celebrities that spoke about hard work that influenced me Kobe Bryant, Micheal Jordan, Micheal Jackson, Oprah Winfrey and Steve Harvey. In the last couple of years, other influential people whose advice I have followed are Les Brown, Lisa Nichols, Eric Thomas, and Inky Johnson.
I’m very honored to be featured to talk about work ethic. I hope to inspire many people, male and female to invest in themselves and give their best in all they undertake. I’m grateful to have this opportunity to share my thoughts on work ethics and hope to ignite a flame in someone reading this. It’s never too late to make something better.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I operate and atelier where all the magic happens. I have a photo studio, modeling school, babysitting hub, and an all purpose spot all in one. I also drive and operate a 40ft school bus where I hold events and dinners. I operate all businesses and hope to open a nonprofit one day. I would love to expand and hire new workers from our high schools to help them build skills incase college or the armed forces aren’t for them.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
My never ending work ethic, networking skills, and open, friendly, personality are qualities that have had the most impact on my journey. If you are early in your journey stay teachable, be honest about your feeling, respectfully and always be kind to everyone. Each person is an opportunity to network. Each person you meet are a part of your journey. Let them have great memories about how you made them feel.
Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?
The most impactful thing my parents did for me was to support me. From young I can recall my parents supporting me in everything I participated in.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @capturedbygemini or @facesofgeminimodeling vi or @bookdabusvi
- Facebook: Gemini Productionz VI
- Linkedin: Chalaine Barry
- Youtube: Faces of Gemini Modeling Institute
Image Credits
Sooks Media and Gemini Photography VI
