to Jamaica . I had brought two
Andy Holness - JA Deals
Steely Willpower
His voice rings with passion . From the moment he spoke , I knew this interview would be quite different from any other I had previously done . I was speaking with a serial entrepreneur , former British soldier and man determined to add immense value to Jamaica ’ s business landscape . Andy Holness is an extraordinary man who has owned four businesses over the past thirteen years and has a wealth of knowledge to share on entrepreneurship .
He shared a story from his time in the British army which aptly depicts his fortitude as an entrepreneur for over a decade . It was an early British morning , a bit nippy but only a severe snowstorm could prevent these British troops from completing tedious training ahead . Andy had sustained a leg injury a few weeks before . However , he was determined to participate in this training .
With steely eyes and a fixity of purpose , Andy started running with his rifle , fully packed backpack and army boots . The pain moved from 0 to 100 only after running a few meters but he kept going . The other troop members kept encouraging and pushing him forward each time he would fall behind . However , it came to a point where Andy had once again fallen to the back of the group . His legs were moving up and down but not forward . “ It was as if I was in a trance , but I believe this was out of pure determination to keep going ”, Andy said .
The sergeant , who was at the back , caught up with him . There was still a long way to go . “ Stop Holness !”
His voice rings with passion
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the sergeant shouted . Andy , still caught in his trance , kept moving his legs . It wasn ’ t until the sergeant shouted again that Andy registered the sergeant ’ s command and halted . He was immediately put into a nearby ambulance and brought back to the barracks . It was clear that he wasn ’ t in the physical condition to stay in the military . Therefore , he was given medical leave for a year .
Andy knows the value of persistence . Some may consider him a fool to have gone out that morning despite his injury . I call him a brave soul who would risk it all for a fighting chance to make his life count . This was the man I met sometime in late November for this interview . Here are some tidbits from our chat that I hope will inspire you to become a successful entrepreneur .
What is your business background ?
I attended Munro College and moved to London in 2001 to study electronics and sound engineering . While studying , I got my first job at a clothing store in London called Peacocks . I learnt a lot about customer service and keenly observed the business ’ operations . Changes came and I had to move on to another clothing store on one of
London ’ s busiest streets , Oxford Circus . I was later hired at Selfriges , London ’ s largest department store at the time . These experiences taught me a lot about retail and sales .
In 2005 , I signed up for the British army and was enlisted as a Royal Engineer . My leg injury resulted in me being forced to sit out a year in 2006 so I decided to return
Issue � : January ����
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