This Week We Feature Young Professional Jenel S. Lettsome
Not many persons have managed to harness and ultimately master their creative talents as this week’s Young Professional has been able to do.
This week Virgin Islands News Online proudly presents Young Professional Jenel S. Lettsome, a wonderfully talented local business owner who can be considered a designer extraordinaire in her own right.
Raised in East End/Long Look, Jenel attended the nearby Francis Lettsome Primary and BVI High School before enrolling in college at Clark Atlanta University in the United States. While there, she studied Political Science and International Business, a completely opposite turn from her activities today.
She joined the BVI Tourist Board (BVITB) upon her return to the Territory in 2005 and has remained there ever since. When Jenel first started, she worked as a Senior Environmental Officer in the Product Department but quite rightly felt that this was not the role for her.
Today, she works as the Creative Coordinator in the Marketing Department of the BVITB, charged with protecting and marketing the Territory’s brand. As part of her role, Jenel along with her small team of three are typically the brainchild behind the designs of the booths and spaces, at events hosted by the BVITB as well as brochures, ads and TV commercials used to market destination BVI.
Jenel said she fell in love with colours and décor as a young girl while watching her mom decorating their home every holiday. “I would always come behind her and change things around as she was very traditional and I always hated things that matched or that were not out the box,” she said.
Eventually, Jenel explained, her mother got tired of her changing things around and let her take over the décor for Christmas. “I then turned her living room into what she called a colourful jungle. One year we had a neon animal print Christmas tree, the other year we had a peacock themed Christmas and everyone loved it.”
As CEO and Creative Director of her own business, Design So Simple, Jenel does Niche Event Planning & Coordinating and Styling for customers having special activities. Although she has done the odd birthday party or everyday wedding, she confesses that her work tends to focus on the big stage where the chances are very likely that a similar event may not come around again very soon.
Jenel said her preference is very much for the challenge and this is part of the reason she has been in the design business for over a decade. “Everybody has their own style of doing things, mine is a bit out of the box,” she explained.
“I like making stuff so I could take something as simple as a juice can and create lights out of it,” she added.
She also does creative consultancy as part of her business, which focuses predominantly on developing or revamping a client’s brand and taking it from ‘great to better’. This may at times entail logo designs, website development and other similar activities.
As a creative person, Jenel said she is often awake at nights and brainstorming new ideas that are typically out of the box.
Her inspiration, she explained, also comes sometimes from her fondness for going shopping where she can often be found snapping pics to incorporate as concepts into her pieces.
When she’s not out shopping or designing something, her invigorating laughter can be overheard as she hangs out with friends, another favourite pastime of hers. She also likes travelling, listening to music and surfing the internet for inspiration for her work.
She advises youths aspiring to enter the workforce to not get trapped in unfulfilling careers that leave them uninspired, and also to embrace the unfamiliar and the unknown. “Stretch yourself and your mind beyond your comfort zone, try things completely out of the ordinary and always remember to ‘LIVE’,” she added.
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19 Responses to “This Week We Feature Young Professional Jenel S. Lettsome ”
Looking forward to working with you again... very creative... very talented. Good Job...;)