Journey of a local entrepreneur

Journey of a Local
Entrepreneur
LEAHCIM SEMAJ, PHD
NOVEMBER, 2015
11/9/2015 JOURNEY OF AN ENTREPRENEUR - LTSEMAJ.COM 1

Background
Early years
Growing up,
Schooling,
Influences etc.

My Credentials
Fletchers Land/ Allman Town
Central Branch Primary
Kingston College – Government scholarship
New York
◦ City College
◦ Adhesive Products
◦ Bakers Pride Ovens
Rutgers University
◦ Trenton State Maximum Security Prison
Cornel University

How I Came to Psychology
Science student
Chemical Engineer
Strong Interest Profile
Psychologist

The Myths of Science
1. Science is fundamentally culturally independent and universal
2. The only reliable and completely objective knowledge is scientific
knowledge
3. Science is dispassionate, unemotional and anti-religious
4. Logic is the fundamental tool of science
5. The scientific method leads systematically and progressively
towards truth
6. Technological progress is dependent on scientific progress

Principles of Cultural Science
1. The primacy of self knowledge
2. No artificial division via discipline
3. No restriction on issues and methodology
4. No scientific colonization
5. Responsibility for interpretation and application of your data
6. Can’t entrust publication of your work to those who do not share your
commitment
7. Practice what you preach
Semaj, 1980

My Credentials
Jamaica
◦ UWI – Research Fellow, Lecturer
◦ College of Agriculture - Lecturer
Sound System – jUdgeMENt Sounds – 1988 - 1998
Dog Breeder & Trainer – Shambafrika Kennels
Radio
◦ Night Doctor, Power Talk
◦ Lessons in My Life, Musically Speaking, Min’ yuself
◦ – Regular Guest on most stations
Television
◦ Man & Woman Story, Man Talk
◦ - Regular Guest on TVJ & CVM
News Paper Columnist
◦ The Record, The Gleaner, The Observer

My Journey
Consulting Psychologist, Ideator and Resultant
◦ Hospitality, Finance, Gaming, Telecommunications, Gaming
◦ Security, Agriculture, Shipping, Distribution, Pharmaceutical
◦ Education, Manufacturing and Government
Across the Caribbean – (USA, Germany)
◦ Jamaica, Antigua, The Cayman Islands, Grenada
◦ Cuba, Barbados, Montserrat, St. Kitts, Anguila
◦ The Bahamas, Belize, Guyana
◦ St. Vincent & the Grenadines,
◦ Trinidad & Tobago

Giving Psychology Away
Revaluing The
Jamaican Dollar
◦1992
Designing The
Cambio System
◦1994

First Problems Invited to Solve
Differentiate 2
candidate for Senior
Finance Position
◦Alcan
Why is Bols Liquor
not selling?
◦J. Wray & Nephew

Motivation to start business
INTJ Personality - Work Related strengths
• Visionary and excel at creating systems
• Enjoy creative and intellectual challenges
• Good at theoretical and technical analysis and logical problem solving
• Work well alone and are determined even in the face of opposition
• Can understand complex and difficult subjects

Motivation to start business
INTJ Personality - Work Related weaknesses:
• May be less interested in projects after creative problem solving is completed
• Drive others as hard as they drive themselves
• May have difficulty working with or for others they consider less
competent than they are
• May be too independent to adapt to corporate culture
• Can be inflexible and single-minded about their ideas

Giving Psychology Away

Some Highlights
The Save-The-Dollar Campaign
The Jamaican Cambio System
Repositioned KFC
Launched Malta, Red Stripe Lite, Shell V-Power
Named TVJ, Positioned CVM
Cable and Wireless Communications (LIME) cultural integration and transformation
program as part of the merger with Columbus (FLOW)
The Cultural Re-Alignment of Kingston Container Terminal, 2012 – 2015
The Social Engineering & Community Participation Process in the Northern Coastal
Highway Improvement Project

Unfulfilled need identified?
“The application of the knowledge
of human behavior to solving
problems”

Procurement of resources
(funding, people, assets, advice, etc.)
Human Capital
Social Capital
No Finance Capital

Challenges faced and overcome
Preference for foreign consultants
HR manager thought I would take their jobs
Resistance to ‘Value Based’ costing
Tax break for ‘things’ but for ‘talk’

Financial performance to date;
I am a Social Entrepreneur
A person who pursues an innovative idea with the potential to solve a
community problem. These individuals are willing to take on the risk and
effort to create positive changes in society through their initiatives.
I pay my staff, associates and suppliers
I pay myself
I make a profit

Living My
Dharma

Customer perception of the business
The Jamaica Employers’ Federation has
recognized Dr. Semaj for “Leadership in
Innovative Workplace Practices”.
Semaj is included in Peter Ferguson’s
publication CHANGE MAKERS as one of the
101 men who have helped to define
modern day Jamaica.

Dr. LeahcimSemaj, Psychologist, Ideator& Resultant at The JobBank, served as the chief facilitator at the
Development Bank of Jamaica’sSmall and Medium-sized Enterprises (SME) Consultation, held in 2013 and 2015…
Ina surveyattheendof the2013SMEConsultation,90%oftheattendees describedDr.Semajas being
‘verygood’inhisroleanditis basedonthisinformationthathewasagainselectedas thefacilitatorfor
the2015Consultation.
Throughout the duration of both SME Consultations, Dr. Semaj helped to createa participatoryatmosphere and had
the audience fully engaged.
He communicatedeffectivelywith participants who were able to follow the proceedings with ease under his
guidance. We particularly admired his professionalism and willingness to share his wide knowledge of business and
other matterswith the audience.
The DBJ staff not only found Dr. Semaj easy to work with but also appreciatedhis willingness to adapt to changes in
accordancewith the DBJ’s requests and needs during the planning and execution of the events.
Dr Semaj and his teamfrom The Job Bank have consistently displayed excellencein their service to the Development
Bank of Jamaicaand we have no hesitation in recommending their services to other clients.

Not only do we believe that your ability to motivate and
empower us to be more and do more, I also know that
your type of presentation transcends ALL levels of
expertise. It is truly an art to be able to speak to everyone
across all barriers and to be able to connect at the same
time.
Thank you for helping us continue to “polish our jewel”
which is Round Hill. After all, it is our staff which will always
be singled out by most of our guests as the single MOST
important contributor to their extraordinary vacation
experience.
One Love, Josef

Current standing in industry
“Dr. Semaj can do it or get it done”
“If you see Dr. Semaj twice in a week where
you work, prepare your resume”
“Dr. Semaj is expensive, but he is good”

Future outlook
◦continuity of business
◦succession planning
◦future generation control
◦sale to outsiders, etc.

The AoB Advantage
Over 20 years of experience in change management, recruitment, market
research, psychometric testing in every industry from mining, to
telecommunications, hospitality and much more.
A longstanding reputation of excellence in the Jamaican and Caribbean
space.
Visionary thought leadership with the most qualified team of associates in
the industry.
A list of clients rivaled only by the yellow pages directory.

ABOVE or BEYOND
Our Transformation Matrix

LINKs
The Beginnings
This service addresses issues at the foundational level of society, the LINKs
that are crucial to our survival.
 Workshops, Radio Show & Webinars
 Digital Products – Pod Casts
 Woman/Man
• Finding Your Soul mate
• Constructive Disengagement
 Parent/Child

B What U R
To Be The Best You
A digital career consultation which helps individuals to select the ideal career(s).
Regardless of who you are this service can help you identify “what you are.”
We can equip you to pursue your passion, realize your purpose, earn a living and
if you choose – earn a fortune.
 Workshops & Webinars
 Digital Products
 Realizing Your Dharma
 Living Your Vision

Kontaks
The Right Person In The Right
Position
Do you have the right people on the bus and in the right seats?
Resumes and Interviews can show you the fruit. We can show you the root.
We have the art of recruitment down to a science, we call this “Kontaks.”
 Advertising
 Recruitment & Selection

The JobBank
Providing Returns on Your Human Capital
Even businesses need guidance from time to time. Teams lose
enthusiasm, management loses vision and it becomes hard to
tell if company and individual values are aligned, if they aren’t
failure is a surety.
 Work Values & Job Satisfaction
 Strategic Planning
 Staff Training
 Testing & Assessments

Psyhcles
Facilitating New Beginnings
All business change. They upgrade, downsize, form alliances and merge, break
apart, expand and contract. This process is normative, and while unsettling for
those involved should not be viewed negatively. To ignore these cycles, is to
ignore life itself. Instead of ignoring be prepared!
 Change Management
 Acquisitions and Mergers
 Restructuring
 Growing from Redundancy
 Preparing for Retirement
 Life Change Consultations

09 November,
2015
WWW.LTSEMAJ.COM 35

‘Pathways to Prosperity’
One of the major reasons for Jamaica continuing to be poor is because
◦we have not succeeded in unlocking the entrepreneurial productive
capabilities of the majority of our people.
To a large extent our socialization mantra for the majority of our
people has been and still is –
◦"Go to school, study hard, pass your exams then go beg a
job".

3711/9/2015 3711/9/2015 37
“We have all that we need
to create what we want
because all the resources
we need are in our minds”
Theodore Roosevelt

What’s Your Choice?
Small Business
Operator? Entrepreneur?
Entrepreneurship, Competitiveness and Development
Dr. Sandra Palmer, Ms. Mardene Carr and Dr. Leahcim Semaj
www.Academia.edu (2014)

Entrepreneurs
Wealth Creation/Financial Freedom in ~ 5 years *Takes more risks
Focus on growth, expansion and innovation Strategist
Works on the business *Business is an asset to develop, shape, sell
Thrilling ride *Investors/Financiers
Willing to risk it all *Wants to change the word
Leave a legacy *Trouble-shooter
Visionary *Embracing the urge to create
New business model *Mindset to roam freely

Small Business Operators
Wealth creation could take a lifetime Repetitive tasks
*Works in the business *Survival
Focus on stability, improving the bottom-line steadily
Day to day manager and worker Slow, steady climb
Sentimental about business *Personal funds
Not looking to go public *Minimising mistakes
No goal to be on the cover of Forbes or Fortune
Wants to make a comfortable living Mitigating risks

The 8 Road Blocks to Prosperity
1. Post slavery laws forbidding Black people from doing business.
◦ Mothers and Wives
2. Your DT Degree
◦ What did your parents do? What did they tell you to do?
3. Poor Understanding of what people want and who is willing to pay for what.
4. Limited knowledge of how money really works.
5. Forgetting how Human Capital and Social Capital built rural Jamaica.
6. Ignorance of the work of Adam Smith - 4 Capitals.
7. Lack of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
8. The top third of the class still waiting on the bottom third to create jobs.

The 6 Paths to Prosperity in Jamaica
The Best & The
Brightest
• The best way to get a job today
The Tried & The
Proven
• No more retirement
The Fittest &
The Fastest
• Our natural resource
The Dangerous &
Desperate
• Productive or Destructive
Health & Wellness
• Leading force globally
The Resurrection
of Ganganomics
• Our green gold
42

…And So?
Advice to budding entrepreneurs
Lessons learnt
Questions?

Dr. Leahcim Semaj
Chief Ideator & Resultant
The JobBank/ Above or Beyond
11/9/2015 LEADING CHANGE 44
Keep In Touch!

Journey of a local entrepreneur

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (20)

Similar to Journey of a local entrepreneur

Similar to Journey of a local entrepreneur (20)

More from Leahcim Semaj

More from Leahcim Semaj (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Journey of a local entrepreneur