Latoya Jack, CEO of Kronoco Safety Solutions, talks workplace safety and how she got her entrepreneurial drive from her mother
At six feet, Latoya Jack is a towering presence physically and viscerally. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and co-founder of new start-up Kronoco Safety Solutions, Jack credits her mother for laying the entrepreneurial path she has followed, calling her the single biggest influence in her life.
“I truly believe I am my mother’s daughter. My mom made a family (restaurant and catering) business out of $40,000 and a chest freezer. It sent me to University, made a comfortable home, and from that small business, she was able to help so many people. My mom has had struggles in her life that I am fortunate or unfortunate, depending on how you look at it, to know about. As such, in the moments when I want to give up or things just don’t look the way I want them to, I think about the second day my mom opened her business and the GPL did what they do best…cut the lights. The first day, everything sold out, but the second day, I believe one piece of macaroni and cheese was sold …I believe it was that day she decided not to quit, like most people would have, she decided she was going to go even harder at it. She tendered her resignation from her job and committed to her business full time.”
The 29-year-old University of Guyana graduate who went on to post-graduate studies in Trinidad and Tobago made a similar leap of faith, returning home from Trinidad to start work on Kronoco Safety Solutions in August 2017, before officially launching the company which offers occupational health, safety, environment and quality solutions for businesses and individuals in March 2018.
“The decision to start Kronoco Safety stemmed from a need to contribute,” explained Jack, who had spent several years in the extractive sector, working for Guyana Goldfields Inc and Reunion Manganese Inc.
“When the announcement came that Guyana’s oil had finally been quantified, my initial response was how can I help to make this something that everyone can benefit from. My business partner and I discussed it, but not until I was introduced to the V12 brand that we decided this was something we could start with. I myself have suffered damage from wearing ill- fitting and uncomfortable safety footwear, so it was important to me to introduce something that would really benefit others. That was how Kronoco Safety was born and our slogan “Your Safety is Our Business”.
The young entrepreneur described the company as a change agent, as it aims to increase health and safety awareness in the workplace and home, and prepare locals for international contracting opportunities through training, certification and provision of supplies. “We are in occupational health and safety, but for us it’s more about getting people to make informed choices. I believe it is the first time we are realising the importance of workplace safety and safety in general in Guyana. It’s a movement we support and one that we are here to help to promote, in as many ways as we possibly can.”
She says the response has been “phenomenal”. “We have had persons coming all the way from Berbice to visit us and ask about training, supplies, and our auditing services. The response to our safety footwear has been overwhelming for us. I think it’s most refreshing for persons to have a place to go for advice. We are not here to make the sale. Our aim is to help you make the decision that will be most beneficial to you, the individual.”
Kronoco also offers safety equipment for the home, including fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, and emergency lights, as part of its efforts to improve Guyana’s safety culture. Jack stressed that their main goal is “to educate”.
The Pinterest-loving, abstract-painting Georgetown resident with wry sense of humour believes everyone has something to contribute, but you must be ready and willing to take advantage of the opportunities, noting in an earlier interview that now was the time of opportunity for Guyana.
Her advice to would-be entrepreneurs is “JUST DO IT”. “No better words have been spoken than the slogan by Nike…It requires patience and tenacity like you would not believe, but do it. If you have something to contribute, a business is only a way of the world saying what you are contributing is worthwhile having. If it’s good, people are going to pay for it. If they don’t, it just means you have to reassess and try again.
When questioned about who was her dream mentor, she had this to say: “Some people look up to and try to model themselves after ONE individual; well, I don’t do that. I like to know people’s stories. This goes for everyone I meet. My question is always, “how did you get to this point in your life?” As such, it’s the same way I treat my own life. I think about where I want to go and try to make the best decisions possible to get there. In that way, I think I find mentors everywhere and in everyone. There’s always something that someone else does really well; if I think it’s a good trait to have, I model it and move on.”
Jack cited persistence and consistency as the most important traits needed by entrepreneurs. “The way this presents itself is passion. Your dream has to wake you up in the morning ready and raring to go. If it doesn’t do that, then you probably need a bigger dream,” she declared.
“… Life is a whole journey that doesn’t end until you’re dead, why then try to spend any time figuring out before that time whether or not you were successful. My question is, did I do the best I could? If the answer is yes, regardless of the outcome, it was a success for me.”
Contact: 48 Sheriff Street, Campbellville, Georgetown, Guyana; 227-2022; www.facebook.com/kronocosafetysolutions/
