Author

Dianne N Squires, Founder of communications practice DNSC takes a look at her own journey, sharing insights on the importance of voice and visibility for Caribbean woman entrepreneurs – essentially, speaking up about our businesses. This episode explores personal growth, vulnerability and the significance of scaling a business while maintaining wellbeing.

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This episode, I put myself in the hot seat to answer the questions I’ve been asking Caribbean woman leaders and entrepreneurs this season. What is my core work? What motivates that work? How do I rate myself on the ambition/wellbeing scale? It was all inspired by the last episode with Shauna Marshall of SMB Consulting, who encouraged Caribbean entrepreneurs to take ourselves seriously. I asked myself, what would I do if I were taking my communications business (DNSC) seriously, and how would I use the podcast to do that? I’d do what I do for other businesses: speak up about my business!

Timestamps
00:00 Introduction and episode milestone
01:00 Celebrating 45 episodes and the journey so far
03:21 The importance of taking small businesses seriously
04:17 My personal journey from independent consultant to scaling up
06:13 The big ambition: Living the big and simple life
08:09 My simple ritual: Gratitude and connection with nature
10:17 My core work: Elevating Caribbean voices globally
12:55 Women, voice, and impact in business
16:55 The rise of women-owned businesses in Barbados
18:24 The power of vulnerability and sharing personal stories
21:50 Ambition and well-being scale: Where do I stand?
23:09 Balancing ambition with well-being
25:35 How to connect with me and learn more

👉🏾Take the Workplace Visibility and Voice Survey for Caribbean Women and Women of Caribbean Descent (3 minutes max):

🌟 What are your real experiences in the workplace? Complete the “Workplace Visibility and Voice” survey for Caribbean women or women of Caribbean descent here: https://forms.gle/Knmw4LpQwsuBQ6WHA

Related Episodes:
👉🏾 Take Your Caribbean Small Business Seriously | Shauna Marshall, Founder, SMB Consulting Services – https://youtu.be/x9fCePL4WXA
👉🏾 Caribbean Agency Owner Turned Business Coach | Christina Hunte, Dream Builders Institute – https://youtu.be/YgccOGOFEL8?si=KwegY7cnoTCNb1ZI

🌴Connect with Island Woman:

Follow the podcast, get direct access to upcoming masterclass updates, and secure private invitations for the Rooted and Ready 90-day program or the Island Woman Authority Suite by following our WhatsApp channel.
📲 https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vb7lcdnEFeXrxlKuY31L
or email: diannensquires@diannensquires.com
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Connect with Dianne N Squires
LinkedIn: @Dianne N Squires
linkedin.com/in/dianne-n-squires-a2389132

Email: diannensquires@diannensquires.com
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Dianne N. Squires is a Strategic Communications leader, Founder of Dianne N Squires Consulting (DNSC), and host of the Island Woman Podcast. Her work centres on elevating voice, visibility and impact for Caribbean changemakers.

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The Island Woman podcast has been recognised by Feedspot as one of the Top 30 Island Podcasts on the web. Feedspot is an RSS Reader that lets you follow your favorite podcasts alongside blogs and news in one place.

Check out the list here: https://podcast.feedspot.com/island_podcasts/?feed_id=8701532&_src=f2_featured_email#h8701532

#IslandWomanPodcast #Caribbeanpodcast #VoiceVisibilityImpact #communicationsstrategy #Caribbeanwomanfounder #ambitionandwellbeing
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Sober Soldiers, this week, we sit down with Dukii Gone Green for one of our most thought-provoking conversations yet.

We unpack his militant upbringing and how it shaped his worldview, his roots in the Vaal rap scene, and the rivalries and tensions that have influenced its story over the years. We also dive deep into his artistic approach to music; how he builds his sound, the intention behind his work, and why authenticity remains at the centre of everything he creates.

An honest conversation about identity, creativity, and the journey of an artist carving out his own lane.

Tap in.

MSME Development Specialist Shauna Marshall wants Caribbean small business owners to take their businesses seriously. She shared this on the Island Woman podcast with Dianne N Squires, noting the massive contribution these businesses make to Caribbean economies. Her “Business & Bites” event, initiated in Barbados four years ago to celebrate MSME Day, has now grown into a full-fledged MSME ecosystem, which she plans to take region-wide.
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Shauna Marshall of SMB Consulting Services has become our first repeat guest on the podcast. Her no-nonsense business advice on a season 2 episode, “From Solopreneur to Enterprise”, made it one of the most watched and listened to episodes of that season. This time around, we had the chance to talk about how an event she conceptualised four years ago to celebrate MSME Day has not only a major sponsored event for the community but has transformed into an ecosystem where MSME players can connect, learn and get support. It now has the backing of major financial services company Payce Digital, which will open credit opportunities and payment systems learning to MSMEs in the Business and Bites network. Shauna has huge ambitions for her business and the Business and Bites platform, and of course we talked about how that matches up to her state of wellbeing – she’s working on that last part.

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction to Shauna Marshall
03:41 Ambition and Daily Rituals
06:39 The Importance of Visibility
09:40 Creating Change Through Voice
13:07 Structural Challenges for MSMEs
18:13 Building Business and Bytes Ecosystem
23:03 Ambition and Well-Being: A Balancing Act
25:52 The Importance of Systems for Growth
29:01 MSMEs: The Backbone of Economic Growth
32:11 Taking Yourself Seriously as a Business Owner
36:00 The Power of Voice and Visibility

Connect with Island Woman
Follow the podcast, get direct access to upcoming masterclass updates, and secure private invitations for the Rooted and Ready 90-day program or the Island Woman Authority Suite by following our WhatsApp channel.
📲 https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vb7lcdnEFeXrxlKuY31L
or email: diannensquires@diannensquires.com
—————
Connect with Dianne N Squires
LinkedIn: @Dianne N Squires
linkedin.com/in/dianne-n-squires-a2389132

Email: diannensquires@diannensquires.com
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Connect with Shauna Marshall and SMB Consulting Services

Websites:
https://smbconsultingservices.com/
https://businessandbites.org/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shauna-marshall/
Instagram: @consultingsmb – https://www.instagram.com/consultingsmb/
Facebook.com:
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Dianne N. Squires is a Strategic Communications leader, Founder of Dianne N Squires Consulting (DNSC), and host of the Island Woman Podcast. Her work centres on elevating voice, visibility and impact for Caribbean changemakers.

——————–
The Island Woman podcast has been recognised by Feedspot as one of the Top 30 Island Podcasts on the web. Feedspot is an RSS Reader that lets you follow your favorite podcasts alongside blogs and news in one place.

Check out the list here: https://podcast.feedspot.com/island_podcasts/?feed_id=8701532&_src=f2_featured_email#h8701532

#IslandWomanPodcast #Caribbeanpodcast #msmegrowth #businesssystems #businessecosystem #caribbeanwomenfounders nfounder #ambitionandwellbeing
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This week’s episode of the Island Woman Podcast with Dianne N Squires features Dr. Shindale Seale, Founder and CEO of SEADE Coaching and Consulting, as she unpacks her CEEDS™ framework (Cultural Equity and Economic Development Strategy).

There’s a real cost to the good, bad and in-between behaviours organisations accept, and Dr. Seale calculates that cost in dollars and cents. She breaks down how CEEDS™ helps organisations correct workplace culture in line with strategy. But what about the cost and benefit of her big Island Woman ambition as a founder of Caribbean descent? Dr. Seale reveals the deep wellbeing work she still has to do.

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Organisations generally acknowledge that strong workplace culture lays the foundation for solid performance. But what impresses me about Dr. Shindale Seale’s work is that she actually helps organisations quantify in dollars and cents what misaligned culture costs them through her CEEDS™ framework. She says it boils down to maths and some organisational psychology and behaviour principles but for businesses in the Caribbean, it could mean better workplace culture and savings.

We discussed her drive, ambition and where she is on the ambition/wellbeing scale, a metric we like to use to track where guests are on the BIG and simple Life™ spectrum. After all, Caribbean women founders and leaders have to stay well to realise our big ambitions and help our communities and countries prosper.

Timestamps
00:00 Introduction to Dr. Shindale Seale and Seeds Framework
06:47 Understanding Organizational Strategy and Cultural Engagement
09:59 Resistance to Change and Launching in Barbados
13:54 Overcoming Internal Resistance as a Leader
18:28 The Successful Launch of Seeds in Barbados
21:19 Quantifying Cultural Misalignment for Caribbean Businesses
22:04 Creating a 90-Day Roadmap for Business Success
23:37 Understanding the Productivity Tax in Caribbean Businesses
24:28 Tailoring Strategies for Solopreneurs and Small Businesses
26:29 The Importance of Reputation Capital
27:16 Assessing Ambition and Well-Being in Business
29:13 Balancing Ambition with Personal Well-Being
31:52 The Role of Women in Business and Community
33:47 Self-Care and Managing Anxiety in Entrepreneurship
36:34 Upcoming Events and Opportunities for Growth

Connect with Island Woman
Follow the podcast, get direct access to upcoming masterclass updates, and secure private invitations for the Rooted and Ready 90-day program or the Island Woman Authority Suite by following our WhatsApp channel.
📲 https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vb7lcdnEFeXrxlKuY31L
or email: diannensquires@diannensquires.com
—————
Connect with Dianne N Squires
LinkedIn: @Dianne N Squires
linkedin.com/in/dianne-n-squires-a2389132

Email: diannensquires@diannensquires.com
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Connect with Dr. Shindale Seale and Seade Coaching and Consulting

Website: https://seadecc.com/
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/drshindale

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Dianne N. Squires is a Strategic Communications leader, Founder of Dianne N Squires Consulting (DNSC), and host of the Island Woman Podcast. Her work centres on elevating voice, visibility and impact for Caribbean changemakers.

——————–
The Island Woman podcast has been recognised by Feedspot as one of the Top 30 Island Podcasts on the web. Feedspot is an RSS Reader that lets you follow your favorite podcasts alongside blogs and news in one place.Check out the list here: https://podcast.feedspot.com/island_podcasts/?feed_id=8701532&_src=f2_featured_email#h8701532

#IslandWomanPodcast #Caribbeanpodcast #Workplaceculture #strategy #Math #wellbeing