|Lateasha Colquhoun

At the Northern Caribbean University, there exists a vast majority of creatives. Some have gone as far as turning their talents into a means of making money. Jodi-Ann Simms is one such talented student.

Jodi-Ann Simms is a Beautician at heart and a Social Work major. For the 22-year-old, she realized that her passion was hairdressing and so she pursued it. In an interview with the HillTop Trumpet Newspaper, Simms shared that “I started hairdressing while in primary school because with my mom being a Teacher, she normally did not have sufficient time to give me a new hair-do when it was often needed. So, I started practicing on my dolls then took it a step further and started doing my own hair. I got so good at it that I was the one who styled my hair for my primary school graduation”.

The years went by where she would do her own hair and eventually started getting clients. This was very beneficial for Simms because her parents were not the type to provide her with allowance.

Like many Entrepreneurial stories, she maintained that she faced a few difficulties and the feeling of not being as passionate about the skill like before and this was what took a toll on Simms upon starting university. “My plans were to let my business become official, make business cards and advertise, but I lost the drive to do it and felt confused as to whether I wanted to follow through with it or just focus solely on Social Work”, Simms declared.

However, Simms made her business official in September of 2019, by naming it ‘BuggiNest Beauty’, and she never looked back.

Along with attaining a degree in the helping profession, she hopes to continue her Hairdressing business and expand on it. “Though not at its peak, business is doing good, thanks to promoting, social media especially. I have learnt a lot so far and I have met some great individuals that I have been able to form some meaningful friendships with”, she added.

The young Entrepreneur advises that practice and patience are the key ingredients to making businesses thrive. She encourages other young business owners to remain focused and never stop even if they too become discouraged.