Creative Genius, KJ Headley is latest LIME for Local & Talented Awardee
Headley said he was humbled by the honour and had an immediate flash back of his entire journey to this stage when told he would be awarded by the company.
Sharing a tale of his determination to make something of himself after High School, Headley related how things went south for him because of one moment of indiscretion.
While being employed at the Shipping Registry and later, the Premier’s Office, he worked towards receiving a certificate in Marine Mechanical Engineering from the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College (HLSCC).
“All this time, the focus was on Marine and nowhere near the design world,” Headley stated before an audience of relatives and other supporters
Although his introduction to graphic design back in 2007 was seen as nothing more than a pastime, Headley expressed gratitude to Mr Cleteist Mathavious, whom he dubbed the original ‘T-Shirt King’, for seeing something in him and giving him the opportunity to train and learn under his wing and ultimately giving him a chance to shine as a talented graphic artist.
Following his graduation from the HLSCC, he attempted to work towards furthering his career in the Marine field and unsuccessfully sought a transfer back to the Shipping Registry and later secured a four year scholarship to study abroad.
Misfortune struck in 2011 as he was making preparations to study abroad and changed the course of his journey unexpectedly. “In early 2011, I allowed anger, frustration, and even some ignorance to get the better of me,” Headley said.
He was labelled a criminal offender after making a very poor decision of taking the law into his own hands and placed before the court for over a year before his trial could be completed.
Placed on half salary and suspended from his government job, Headley said he was under pressure with the recent birth of his daughter and then turned his attention to business with Mathavious at the T-Shirt Genius business.
As persons grew impressed with his work, he became assured that there was something to the business he had become involved in.
Shortly after his 22nd birthday he was found guilty and remanded to prison for five days before sentencing which he described as the longest in his life.
He was later sentenced to community service and officially relieved of his government job.
After much prayer, thinking, pondering, consulting and questioning with family and friends about going into business full time, Headley said he took the leap of faith and took the plunge as an official business partner with the T-Shirt Genius business.
Today, he has no regrets despite the fact that it has not been an easy road. “I’m proud today to stand and say that for the past year and a half that T-Shirt Genius has grown from a household name to a corporate name as our clientele has and continues to grow beyond the domestic level,” he said.
With his Cre8tive Arts and BeVI brands both being very popular both locally and abroad, this increased visibility has continued to encourage him to greater heights of achievement.
Headley advised young persons that no one is above the law and urged that they should always remember this regardless of whatever situation they might be facing.
LIME BVI’s General Manager, Mr Sean Auguste, made note of the fact that the company had so far chosen four young men for their LIME for Local and Talented Campaign despite the societal perception that there are no good, ambitious, focused and intelligent young men around.
He said the programme was created specifically for this reason, “to find persons who are being overlooked because they fit a certain segment like the male endangered BVI segment of the male population.”
.png)
.png)
Follow Us On
8 Responses to “Creative Genius, KJ Headley is latest LIME for Local & Talented Awardee”