Boss Spotlight-Stephanie Lumley

Pictured are former Prime Minister of Jamaica The Most Hon. Edward Seaga (far left) and his wife Mrs Carla Seaga (middle).

Q1: How did you get into public relations and communications?

It was a completely serendipitous event. I was approached by Don Creary, principal at Creative Marketing Associates in 2007 and offered a position as an Executive Assistant. I had zero idea of what the discipline entailed but it was one of the greatest experiences in my career. That's where my passion for the world of communications bore fruit.

Q2: What advice would you give to young persons who are desirous of breaking into the field?

Develop an insatiable curiosity about the industry.

Take the time to really craft your skill set as the more marketable you are, the better able you will be at taking full advantage of opportunities. Also, keep abreast of local, regional and international trends. The good news is that the digital revolution has made accessing data and analytics exponentially easier.

Q3: What is the most awesome project you have worked on?

I may sound a bit biased here- but I'd say the most awesome project I've worked on in my career is helping to build Chef Brian Lumley's brand.

Brian is easily one of the most talented, charismatic and amiable people I've had the honour of working with. What started off as cheering my big brother on from the proverbial stands has snowballed into numerous opportunities for us both; something we are immensely grateful for. Standout projects that we have collaborated on are: Foodies Lyme- a wine and food pairing event and Budding Chefs- a summer culinary camp for children.

He continues to serve as my sounding board and never hesitates to offer his love and support. Q4: We know the amazing Brian Lumley is your brother, tell us about your experience working with him?

Brian is passionate about taking Caribbean cuisine to the next level. He has for years put aside hobbies and leisure time to build his brand and I am equally as excited to help take Caribbean cuisine to the world.

When we aren't bickering, we are a dream team (lol). In PR, when you are speaking in your client's voice it is imperative that you reflect in all forms of communication (both online and offline) their core values. To really connect with your respective public, you must understand your client's nuances and find ways to reflect their idiosyncrasies.

Growing up in the same household afforded me the unique opportunity of doing this almost naturally. These days, we're divided by over 7000 miles but we still collaborate on small projects from time to time.

I'd never trade my experience and fond memories of our time working together.

Q5: How has your view of PR changed since working in the field?

I entered the profession knowing absolutely nothing about the field. My undergraduate degree is in Management Studies, so everything I've learnt had been by trial and error.

I'm encouraged to see my fellow colleagues, on the international front, embrace and find ways to better serve clients within the global rapid- paced digital arena.

As for my local counterparts, there's more work to be done. The talent that exists within our region is world class but it seems like there's a significant lack of understanding in what it takes to really serve our clients.

I am hopeful, I think globalisation can work in our favour. Our style of storytelling and admirable work ethic stands out and it is my mission to continue in said tradition.

Q6: When you are not out and about creating stories for us to enjoy, what do you do on your down time?

I love to eat. I'm obsessed with food and passing my days on any given beach within the Caribbean. I love exploring social media (my latest guilty pleasures are Snapchat and Periscope) and I often share snippets of my day to day adventures there.

Stephanie is a Caribbean digital communications creative who has for nine years, worked across several disciplines in the local and regional communications industry. The UWI (Mona) alumna is passionate about all things Caribbean- the food, it's culture and people. Eternally curious by nature, Stephanie enjoys writing and producing content about contemporary Caribbean culture. She was recently appointed to the Board of Directors for the Postal Corporation of Jamaica .Her experience ranges from interviewing regional leaders, international artiste and she is currently a budding entrepreneur.

You may follow her on Twitter and Snapchat @Stephylumz.