11 May MAKING WAVES THROUGH DIVERSIFICATION – Lyndi Jordan
Growing up in her family’s wide expanse of land located along the North Coast of Trinidad, Lyndi Jordan had access to practically every thinkable local fruit! And so her understanding and wisdom in effectively navigating her family estate prepared her well for entry into the national ecosystem. A trained Marine Biologist, Lyndi held the position of Production Director in the family business – Aurora Bitayson Limited for the past four (4) years – a position that equipped her to divert her entrepreneurial passion into a new business space!
Birth of Aquarian Legacy Winery!
With a heartfelt desire to innovate and traverse deeper into the ecosystem, October 2020 saw the birth of Lyndi’s new business entity – Aquarian Legacy Winery with the core products being wines and syrups. “The art of wine-making was handed down to me by the women in my family and the widest assortment of fruits are used in the production of alcoholic wines including but not limited to oranges, ginger, pommecythere and cashew” said Lyndi.
As she continues to position herself as an entrepreneur extraordinaire, Lyndi has taken the production of syrups to a different level based on family traditions – “Traditional jams have evolved into syrups using the same recipes with no added preservatives; syrups have a shelf life of one year whilst the wines up to approximately fifteen (15) years.”
Impact of Shell LiveWIRE
“Though I enrolled in the Shell LiveWIRE programme under the Aurora Bitayson brand, my learnings from the programme shifted my mindset towards the establishment of Aquarian Legacy Winery” said Lyndi! She proudly admitted that Shell LiveWIRE had a major influence in this new beginning. As she puts it “the way I looked at myself as an entrepreneur helped in the formation of new partnerships and also allowed me to unearth opportunities outside the box.”
Lyndi lauded the coaching element as the most important part of the programme as it focuses on the ENTREPRENEUR and not only the business. “Because of its focus on entrepreneurs’ personal development, they’re able to see the flaws within themselves and it also provides opportunities to fix those flaws thereby capitalizing on your strengths and weaknesses.” Reminiscing on this life-changing experience “the programme helped me find my confidence and courage; it also opened my eyes to see things differently. I’m now able to capitalize on the value of my fellow entrepreneurs rather than view them as competitors.” Lyndi advises entrepreneurs within the age group 18-45 to pursue the Shell LiveWIRE programme.
From her perspective “Shell LiveWIRE shows you how to identify challenges in the business that need to be fixed or repositioned.”
Looking Ahead!
Within the next year and beyond, Lyndi’s focus would be on building production capacity and increasing product presence in a number of retail outlets. Currently her products can be found at Terre Bénie at the Hotel Normandie and East Gourmet, Prince Street, Arima.
Words of Advice!
From Lyndi to young entrepreneurs “build yourself not just the business; as an entrepreneur you must take care of your mental health as there needs to be some type of separation in order to maintain your sanity.”
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Shell LiveWIRE is Shell’s global flagship social investment Enterprise Development programme, with a vision to strengthen local economies by promoting entrepreneurship, innovation and meaningful employment. Since inception in Scotland in 1982, the programme is facilitated in over 15 countries and supports thousands of entrepreneurs willing to transition their bright ideas into sustainable businesses. Download the Shell LiveWIRE Deal Book.
