Guess what?
It's STORY TIME :) :) :)
When I was younger and well, not a vegan, my mom and I used to stop by this little ice-cream shop called B's Homemade Ice-Cream after school and buy our favourite; cookies n cream :)
It was affordable, delicious and most of all it had that rich homey flavour that reminded me of the ice cream my grandma used to make when my cousins and I would spend holidays by her in the country.
Apparently there were a lot of robberies in the area and the shop had to close down but B's ice-cream would always be our go-to choice in the supermarket.
Eventually I became a vegan and B's ice cream became a thing of the past however, I have fond memories of licking my cone and spending time with my family.
Today, in the midst of all of my assignments, papers and blogs, I came across an article in the Trinidad express that made me stop, read and smile. The Woman Magazine; a weekly feature in the newspaper that targets well.. yes, you guessed it, women, did a feature story on a woman named Katherine Bethel. Honestly, that headline did nothing for me. I was this close to closing the page until my eye caugt the subline; "Making B's the Preferred Choice". I disguised the screams of my inner child with a smile.
As I read the story it never occurred to me that 1. The owner of the B's was a woman (Yay!) and 2. She was an entrepreneur with her own story to tell.
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| Katherine Bethel, Co-founder of B's Homemade Ice Cream Photo via guardian.co.tt |
Apparently, Bethel and her husband were having a hard time making ends meet when she decided to put her husband's punch making skills to the test and start up an ice cream business. She got a $3000 (TT) loan from her credit Union and bought a blender, an ice cream pail and some other tools to start her business. The husband and wife team debuted 2 flavours- peanut and coconut and were dedicated to making sure their business thrived. Katherine maintained her 8-4 job and despite the ridiculing comments she would get from her "friends", she held her head high and helped her husband sell their product after her work day.
According to Katherine, she had a vision; a vision from God. This vision kept her on track and in spite of the sacrifices she had to make; Bethel said that she would do it all over again if she had to.
Today B's is a thriving business and probably one of the top sellers of local ice-cream in Trinidad. They started with only 2 flavours but today they offer their customers 28 to choose from. Katherine, who did not go to one of "top" or "prestige" schools on the island and was employed as an "On-the-Job" trainee with the government when her business began; now holds a MBA and an ACCA Post graduate diploma in financial management.
However, Bethel is more than just a business woman. She is also the franchise holder for the popular Action Coach company coming out of Australia.This company provides mentorship and advice for women like Bethel who want to start explore business ventures.
Reading Katherine Bethel's story really inspired me and I hope it does the same for you. It doesn't matter where you are come from or where you start. What matters is where you want to go. Don't be discouraged by the "haters". Keep focussed on your goal and do what needs to be done to get their... legitimately and ethically of course ;)
Ps- If you're interested in reading the article, click on the link below:
I also came across an older article on B's Ice- Cream. Click on the link to hear more about her business:
http://guardian.co.tt/business-guardian/2012-09-27/b%E2%80%99s-homemade-ice-cream-serving-taste-home
Be inspired,
Janelle
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