Jamie-Lee Abtar, aged 29, a Bajan national has founded three successful businesses including Your Caribbean Travel which organises bespoke travel in the Caribbean and Be Distinctly Different, a boutique travel marketing agency. Jamie-Lee has recently been selected as one of TTG’s 30 under 30 most influential travel leaders for 2016/7.
Tell us a bit about yourself, background and your current role
My name is Jamie-Lee Abtar and I am the founder of Be Distinctly Different, a boutique travel marketing agency that helps travel and tourism brands to grow, develop and make more money. I was recently named as one of TTG’s 30 under 30 Tomorrow’s Travel Leaders for 2016/17. As a travel and tourism marketing professional with over a decade’s experience I have worked with a number of tourist boards as well as travel brands. Combining my love of the Caribbean, travel marketing know-how and a desire to offer travellers a true taste of the Caribbean, I am also the co-founder of Your Caribbean Travel which offers tailor made holidays to the Caribbean, including weddings and honeymoons.
Did you ever sit down and plan your career?
Of course! I am a big fan of goal setting. I don’t think I would get anything done or hit any of my targets if I didn’t plan my career and life. I am also a big believer in vision boards and this is the first thing you will see when you enter my office. As well as creative ideas and plans I like to add quotes and a current favourite is ‘a good system shortens the road to a goal’.
Have you faced any challenges along the way and if so, how did you deal with them?
The road to success is undoubtedly paved with challenges and I have definitely had my fair share of them. A major milestone in my life was in 2014 when my first child was born extremely prematurely at just 25 weeks. I was working as a marketing manager for a travel brand at the time, but in an instant my life changed and I realised just how precious life is. I decided then to set up my own business, an idea I’d been toying with for a while, and can honestly say I’ve never looked back. I try to look at challenges as opportunities for change or trying something new, or as lessons I can learn from, helping me to better deal with anything that comes my way.
On a typical workday, how do you start your day and how does it end?
I am an early riser (and a mom of two now!) and my day usually starts at 5am. I like to kick off with either 15 minutes of yoga or a 30 minute jog to clear my mind and set my intentions for the day. This is usually followed by breakfast, emails and catching up with my team. My day usually ends with either a cup of tea or a glass of wine (the content of the day usually determines which one!). I like to take at least 10 minutes to write in my gratitude diary and another 15 minutes writing down my plan for the next day.
Tell us a little bit about your role and how did that come about?
I’m a Bajan national and growing up on the beautiful island of Barbados you can’t fail to become immersed in the travel and tourism industry, in fact, my first job was greeting new arrivals at Barbados airport! I was also lucky enough to travel from a very young age to the other islands of the Caribbean, we’d explore the coastline of St Lucia, spot leatherback turtles in Grenada and hike to the Aripo Caves of Trinidad to see the bats. I might have moved to the UK to undertake my MSc in Marketing at 21, but I never lost my love for my home. My current roles are perfect for me, travel with a healthy serving of the Caribbean!
Have you ever had a mentor or a sponsor or anyone who has helped your career?
Yes, I currently have a mentor and I believe they have been key to my growth and evolution as a businesswoman. Sometimes you just need that person who will light a fire under you to accomplish the goals that you set for yourself. Having someone hold me accountable to my goals helps to keep me on track and focused.
If you could change one thing for women in the workplace, what would it be?
Opportunity and support. There are some that think that you can’t combine a successful and demanding career with a family but I am testament to the fact that you can. Back when I decided to set up my business I was lucky to have the support of my family and colleagues, plus I had the experience and contacts within the industry to drive forward my ideas, but not all women have this.
If you were to look back in five years, what would you see in terms of your achievements?
I would hope to have added a little more gold to my trophy cabinet by way of an award specifically for Be Distinctly Different, alongside a successful expansion of Your Caribbean to Africa and Europe.
Tell us about your plans for the future?
Future, I love that word, it holds so much promise and opportunity as long as you are willing to go after it! I am continuing with the development of In The Travel Know, my innovative e-newsletter for the travel trade, and The Travel Marketing Toolkit, training and development events for travel professionals. I also have some exciting new services on the way that will help travel brands to grow, develop and make more money…watch this space! Follow me on Instagram and Twitter @jamieleeabtar.
